EN
Cover plants are mostly cultivated as the fore- or aftercrops, and recently also as the living mulches, that are allowed to grow simultaneously with vegetable species. The advantages of cover crops are the suppression of weeds and pest population, soil protection against wind and water erosion, reduction of nutrients leaching from the root zone and improving of soil physical properties. Because of possibly reduced using of pesticides and mineral fertilizers as well as the environment protection, the cover crops are considered as an important factor of integrated crop production system. Their important role consists also in soil enrichment with organic matter and mineral nutrients what may increase the yields of subsequent species in crop rotation. On the other hand the living mulches compete with vegetable crops for light, moisture and nutrients and for this reason of ten decrease their yield. The competition can be reduced by choosing the species that reach short height, delayed time of sowing, mowing or using selective herbicides that suppress their growth.