> >> Two presenters at the Organic Farming conference this >> spring mentioned that the only 2 ways to increase >> organic matter in the soil are 1) grass roots and 2) >> livestock manure. They commented that all the rye, >> clover, etc. cover cropping that has been promoted is >> useful for other things, such as N retention, erosion >> prevention, but doesn't do much for increasing OM.
This, undoubtedly, is what led to the advice to grow rye and buckwheat for its rootmass but to shear it and rake it and compost the greenmatter for re-applicaiton in the form of compost. I had come to think of this as fool's advice, but it probably isn't. What say, Frank? The roots of rye are, after all, 'grassroots,' are they not?
