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			The article brings a review of domestic and foreign papers on the importance of intercrops - catch crops and undersowns growing in cereal crop rotations, published during last twenty years. Their different intluence on the yield of cereals is discussed. The cultivation of intercrops leads to the increase of C, N, K and Ca contents in soil as well as to the increase of soil microbiological activity and to the decrease of weed infestation on cereal fields. There are given examples of studies about the reduction of nitrate excess in soil with using of some plants (grass, clover, mustard) grown as intercrops.