These crops are grown to protect the soil and soil life. Bare soil can be blown away (Think Dust Bowl!) or eroded by other means. Bare soil gets baked by the sun. Most living things have a temperature range that allows them to survive.
Bare soil = dead soil life = poor soil health = poor water retention.
Cover crops add organic matter back to the soil. They are sometimes called green manures. They literally pull carbon (in the form of CO2) straight out of the air and help to put it into the soil when they die. This is good for the environment and reduces the amount of CO2 in the air. (Goodbye global warming?)
List of Cover Crops: Alfalfa, Rye, Clover, Peas, Vetch
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