Final answer:
Cover crops reduce soil erosion, improve soil fertility, and maintain soil's water retention capacity, leading to more sustainable agricultural practices compared to traditional methods like tilling.
Step-by-step explanation:
Planting cover crops is considered more sustainable than traditional methods of farming because it reduces soil erosion, which is a significant problem associated with conventional agriculture. By planting cover crops, farmers improve soil fertility and can break the cycle of weeds, insects, and diseases naturally, reducing the need for pesticides and enhancing biodiversity. Moreover, cover crops play a critical role in maintaining soil's water retention capacity, which helps prevent floods and further land degradation caused by soil erosion, as well as reducing land pollution.
Tilling, closely associated with conventional agriculture, can lead to the loss of organic matter in the soil and enhanced decomposition, resulting in the release of greenhouse gases. In contrast, no-till farming, often paired with cover crop strategies, helps sequester carbon into the soil and is a sustainability practice on both local and global scales. Lastly, the maintenance of a high diversity of organisms in the soil, thanks to the implementation of cover crops, is essential for the continuous provision of ecosystem services necessary for crop growth.