Injudicious use of synthetic chemical fertilizers without proper replenishment of soil organic matter and fertility are posing threat to soil and crop productivity. Further, indiscriminate use of synthetic pesticides and growth regulators contaminated the soil, water and air, thus affected the ecosystem services and ecological balance. Chemical Agriculture degraded the resource base for future generations thus food and nutritional security are at stake. Among many low monetary input practices to reduce the impact of these ill effects, green manuring is the most important and popular one. The results of research across the globe indicated that incorporation of a leguminous green manure crop can substitute up to 50% of N fertilizer needs of various cropping systems besides improving soil fertility and health. This practice play a pivotal role in promoting organic farming. However, availability of green manure seed, optimum soil moisture and suitable machinery for incorporation are the ma

Green manures, soil fertility, ecosystem services, contamination.

Green manure crops can fix atmospheric N and supply part of it to the crops grown in sequence. They play a greater role in promoting organic farming. They can reclaim alkaline soils, save N to be applied to crops, improve the availability of many essential nutrients, enhances nitrogen use efficiency, soil health and quality and crop productivity. Their cultivation has to be encouraged in rice fallows, vacant degraded lands and watershed areas. In view of numerous benefits, farmers must be convinced and encouraged to grow green manure crops for insitu incorporation. The on-going rural employment guarantee schemes can be taken as an advantage to promote planting of green leaf manure trees and shrubs, which in turn can be utilized for green leaf manuring by farmers. However, farmers need to be provided suitable machinery like cage wheels, rotavators, disc harrows etc., through custom hiring centres, for incorporation of green manures and upscaling the technology. Further research need to

Ramanjaneyulu, A.V., Sainath, N., Swetha, D., Reddy, R.U. and Jagadeeshwar, R. (2021). Green Manure Crops: A Review. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 13(2): 445-455.