Harnessing cover crop–rock weathering synergies for climate-smart agriculture

[Geoengineering News]

https://www.cell.com/trends/plant-science/abstract/S1360-1385(26)00221-9

Authors: Tianyi Qiu, Jay Ram Lamichhane, David J. Beerling et al.

23 July 2026

Highlights

-Combining cover crops with enhanced rock weathering is expected to accelerate mineral weathering, mobilize nutrients, and sequester inorganic and organic carbon through synergistic and complementary biogeochemical processes.

-Unlocking the potential cover crop–enhanced rock weathering synergies can help mitigate key trade-offs associated with sole cover crop adoption, including greenhouse gas emissions, resource competition, and short-term yield penalties.

-Cover crop–enhanced rock weathering strategies appear particularly promising in tropical regions and agroforestry systems, where acidic and highly weathered soils favor mineral dissolution and nutrient replenishment.

-Scaling cover crop–enhanced rock weathering deployment requires addressing economic costs, farmers’ knowledge gaps, and policy incentives to enable widespread and long-term implementation.

Abstract

The use of cover crops (CCs) is increasingly promoted to diversify cropping systems and advance agricultural sustainability. Yet, CC adoption can involve context-dependent trade-offs, including resource competition and elevated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In this opinion article, we propose enhanced rock weathering (ERW) as a complementary strategy to improve biogeochemical synchrony within CC systems. By synthesizing emerging evidence, we show how CC–ERW interactions can synergistically enhance carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, GHG mitigation, and soil food-web functioning, mainly via root-driven weathering processes and soil feedbacks. We further outline opportunities for application across diverse agroecosystems and highlight key challenges for scaling, including weathering thresholds, potential metal risks, and governance constraints. Overall, harnessing the CC–ERW nexus offers a promising pathway toward climate-resilient and multifunctional agriculture.

Source: Trends in Plant Science