Brown manuring

Brown manuring is simply a ‘no-till’ version of green manuring, where an herbicide is used to desiccate the crop before flowering stage.
Due to spray of post-emergence herbicide on green manure crops, leaves turns into brown in colour (loss of chlorophyll), and hence referred to as brown manuring.
As per the technique, desiccated Sesbania or other green manure crops are left standing in the field along with main crop without incorporation/in-situ ploughing until its residue decomposes itself in the soil aiming to add organic manure.
Generally, brown manuring practice is introduced in the fields where seeds of Sesbania spp. is broadcasted three days after rice sowing and allowed to grow for 30 -days and was dried by spraying 2,4-D.
Brown manuring adds organic matter content, improves soil physico-chemical and biological properties.
This is also preferred on lighter soils prone to erosion and reduce weeds.