Summary
This systematic review synthesised data from 126 studies on cover crops in Brazilian agriculture, documenting dry matter production and nutrient uptake across seven botanical families. Dry matter yields ranged from 0.33 to 17.9 Mg ha⁻¹, with nitrogen uptake highest in Fabaceae (17–119 kg ha⁻¹) and carbon inputs declining from Poaceae to Brassicaceae. Multispecies mixtures significantly increased biomass yields, and climatic factors (growing degree days, precipitation, latitude) had stronger effects on production than soil texture.
Regional applicability
The findings are specific to Brazilian agronomic and climatic conditions and may not directly transfer to United Kingdom farming systems, which operate under different temperature regimes, photoperiods, and soil types. However, the systematic approach to documenting cover crop performance and the comparative methodology across species and mixtures provides a useful template for UK researchers seeking to optimise cover crop selection for temperate arable and mixed systems.
Key measures
Dry matter production (Mg ha⁻¹), carbon content (%), carbon inputs (kg ha⁻¹), nitrogen uptake (kg ha⁻¹), phosphorus uptake, potassium uptake, root dry matter production, root-to-shoot ratios, growing degree days, precipitation, latitude, soil texture
Outcomes reported
The study compiled data on dry matter production and nutrient uptake across 66 cover crop species and 58 multispecies mixtures from Brazilian agricultural systems. It quantified biomass yields, carbon inputs, and nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium uptake across different botanical families and assessed how climatic and soil factors influence cover crop performance.
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