In regenerative agriculture, cover crops serve as powerful tools for restoring soil health, improving biodiversity, and enhancing climate resilience. These unsung heroes—grasses, legumes, and brassicas—are not grown for harvest but for the multitude of ecological services they provide to the farming system. Integrating cover crops into farming practices is a foundational strategy in regenerative agriculture, particularly in Africa, where restoring degraded soils and ensuring long-term productivity is paramount.
The primary function of cover crops is to protect and enrich the soil between cash crop cycles. They reduce erosion, suppress weeds, capture excess nutrients, and increase organic matter. For farmers transitioning from conventional to regenerative systems, cover cropping is often the first major shift. By covering bare soil, farmers prevent degradation and erosion caused by wind and water—an especially crucial benefit in drylands and areas prone to desertification.
Leguminous cover crops, such as cowpeas, lablab, sunn hemp, and clover, have the added advantage of nitrogen fixation. These plants harbor symbiotic bacteria in their root nodules, which convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form usable by crops. This natural fertilization process reduces dependence on synthetic fertilizers and enhances soil fertility. In regions where fertilizers are expensive or inaccessible, nitrogen-fixing cover crops offer a sustainable alternative that empowers smallholder farmers.
In regenerative agriculture, cover crops also build soil organic matter, which is key to soil fertility and structure. As cover crops decompose, they release carbon into the soil, feeding microbial life and improving the soil’s ability to retain water and nutrients. Over time, this process leads to better root penetration, enhanced nutrient cycling, and a stronger soil food web. Healthy soil is the foundation of resilient farms.
Another major benefit of cover cropping is weed suppression. Fast-growing species such as rye, buckwheat, and mustard form a dense canopy that shades out weeds, reducing the need for herbicides and labor-intensive weeding. When terminated properly—either through rolling, mowing, or crimping—cover crops form a mulch layer that continues to suppress weeds while decomposing into humus. This is especially useful in low-input organic farming systems, where chemical weed control is not an option.
Pest and disease management is another area where cover crops shine. Some species act as trap crops, luring pests away from primary crops. Others, like marigold and mustard, release compounds into the soil that reduce populations of harmful nematodes and soil-borne pathogens. In essence, cover crops can serve as living shields, reducing the prevalence of diseases and supporting beneficial insect populations.
Diversity is a central principle in regenerative agriculture, and cover crop mixtures—also called polycultures—maximize this diversity. Farmers may plant multi-species blends of grasses, legumes, and brassicas to cover multiple ecological roles at once. These blends improve nutrient availability, break up soil compaction, and support pollinators and beneficial insects. By incorporating seasonal succession planning, farmers can design cover crop rotations that meet year-round goals.
In dryland Africa and regions with erratic rainfall, selecting drought-tolerant cover crops is key. Species such as pigeon pea, velvet bean, and sorghum-sudangrass hybrids are adapted to lower rainfall and can establish quickly to provide ground cover. These crops not only conserve soil moisture but also improve rainwater infiltration—helping to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Cover crops also play a role in carbon sequestration, a key objective in climate-smart farming. Plants absorb atmospheric CO₂ through photosynthesis and store it in their biomass and roots. When cover crops are left to decompose naturally or are integrated into the soil, this carbon becomes part of the soil organic matter. Over time, farms with intensive cover cropping become net carbon sinks—capturing more carbon than they emit.
Economically, some farmers may hesitate to invest in cover crops because they don’t generate immediate income. However, the long-term benefits far outweigh the short-term costs. Farms that use cover crops consistently report improved yields, reduced input costs, and greater resilience to pests, disease, and climate shocks. Moreover, some cover crops—like sesame, cowpea, or mustard—can be dual-purpose, harvested for food or fodder while still serving soil-building functions.
Educational initiatives are essential for promoting cover crop adoption. Farmers need to know what species to plant, when to plant them, how to manage biomass, and how to terminate the crops effectively. Extension services, farmer field schools, and regenerative agriculture networks can play a transformative role in spreading this knowledge across Africa and other developing regions.
Policy support is equally important. Governments and NGOs can incentivize cover cropping through subsidies, seed distribution programs, and technical training. In countries where soil degradation is widespread, promoting cover crops as a national priority can help reverse decades of decline and ensure long-term food security.
On demonstration farms across Kenya, Ghana, and Uganda, regenerative pioneers are already using cover crops to transform marginal land into productive, thriving ecosystems. Their experiences show that even in low-resource settings, smallholder farmers can harness natural processes to build fertility, manage pests, and improve yields—without relying on costly external inputs.
For example, a farmer in Western Kenya who rotates maize with a cover crop of mucuna (velvet bean) sees better soil structure and fewer fall armyworms. In Northern Ghana, farmers using lablab and cowpeas between rows of millet are seeing increased nitrogen levels and improved crop resilience during dry spells. These stories highlight the power of regenerative practices in improving both livelihoods and landscapes.
In conclusion, cover crops are a cornerstone of regenerative agriculture, offering a low-cost, high-impact solution to many of the challenges facing modern agriculture. By building soil health, enhancing biodiversity, and improving water management, they contribute to long-term productivity and ecological balance. In the African context and beyond, integrating cover crops into farming systems is not just good practice—it’s essential for future-proofing agriculture in a rapidly changing world.
The path to regeneration starts with the soil, and cover crops are the first step on that journey.
