Smother crops are primarily used to

• A. Suppress weeds and yield a cash crop at the same time
• B. Replace tillage for soil preparation
• C. Attract beneficial insects and pests
• D. Provide fertilizer to the soil

Answer: (A)

Smother crops act as a living mulch, growing densely to shade weeds and limit their ability to establish. That dense ground cover is the main way they suppress weed populations, reducing competition for the next crop and helping with erosion control and moisture conservation. In many farming systems, these crops are grown with the plan to harvest a cash crop in the rotation or same season, so you get value from the cover crop while it does its weed-suppressing job. While some smother crops can add fertility (like nitrogen for legumes) or attract beneficial insects, those effects are secondary to weed suppression and soil protection. They aren’t primarily used to replace tillage.