A crop of annual plants grown to be dug into the soil at maturity to improve or restore its fertility, for instance legumes such as clover, alfalfa or lupins.
In agriculture, a fresh green crop that is plowed under to increase the organic matter and nitrogen content of the soil.
A crop of annual plants grown to be dug into the soil at maturity to improve or restore its fertility; most useful are some annual legumes, such as lupins and cowpeas, as these absorb nitrogen from the air and convert it to plant food; green manures also improve soil texture.