Green manure in fruticulture: Aspects on soil quality and use in agriculture

The farming practices have a direct impact in ecosystems and cause changes in the basic structures involved in the environment. Cultivated soils, after years of use, show changes in the physical, chemical and biological attributes, requiring improve production processes, with the intention of management alternatives that minimize environmental degradation and, consequently increasing the sustainability of agricultural environment. In the search for sustainable agricultural practices, it indicates the green manure, which is the use of plants in rotation or intercropped with crops of economic interest. The practice of green manure provides many improvements in chemical, physical and biological characteristics, through increases in organic matter content and microbial activity, nutrient cycling, disruptions of compacted layers, decreased erosion, incidence of pests and diseases, and suppression of weed plants. Thus, appearing to be an agricultural practice efficiently for sustainable fruit production system. In this sense, the present study aims to conduct a literature review on the benefits of green manure in fruticulture in order to improve soil quality and use in agriculture. Key words: Cover crop, root system, sustainable management.