Reducing pest populations is one of the best reasons to rotate crops in the garden and on the farm. Plants with a particularly strong ability to capture, store, and slowly release nutrients are called catch crops. They are traditionally planted in late summer or early fall to trap nutrients from freshly spread manures, previously turned under legumes or decomposing vegetation. They also protect the soil from winter erosion and nutrient losses. Crops such as annual ryegrass, oilseed radish and canola have heavy, fibrous root systems that capture nutrients and protect the land.
Any cover is better than no cover.
If early access to the land is not a priority, a winter hardy crop like winter rye does a good job of holding everything in place. Erosion control Some plants grow especially well in areas vulnerable to erosion and hold soil in place even under adverse conditions. Annual ryegrass and bromegrass produce huge amounts of root mass. Subterranean clover not only provides a dense mat of vegetation to control water runoff, but also produces seed on peduncles that bury themselves deep into the soil where they avoid foragers and washout from heavy rains. Intercropping Planting a crop between rows of actively growing row crops is also referred to as intercropping.