Smother crops are used to

• A. Suppress weeds and yield a cash crop at the same time
• B. Conserve soil moisture
• C. Replace herbicides entirely
• D. Increase soil salinity

Answer: (A)

Smother crops (cover crops) are grown to create a dense, living mulch that shades the ground and outcompetes weeds, reducing weed growth and seed germination without depending solely on herbicides. An important practical twist is that many cover crops can also be harvested for forage, seed, or hay, giving a secondary, harvestable product—so you get weed suppression plus a cash crop. That combination is the core idea behind using smother crops in many pest and soil-management programs.

The other statements aren’t the primary aim. While cover crops can influence soil moisture, they’re not primarily used to conserve it. They also don’t replace herbicides entirely; they reduce reliance on chemicals but aren’t a total substitute. And increasing soil salinity is not a goal of using smother crops.