Abstract: The black soil region is a crucial commercial grain production base in China. However, long-term intensive cultivation has led to increasingly prominent issues, including declining concentration of soil organic matter, water and soil erosion, and soil compaction. Green manure (also known as cover crops), as a traditional and effective soil improvement measure, possesses a long cultivation history and great development potential in Northeast China. We reviewed the current status of black soil degradation in Northeast China, analyzed the effectiveness of green manure cultivation in addressing the problems of shallow, degraded, and compacted black soil layers. Furthermore, we introduced typical green manure application modes explored in recent years across different areas of Northeast China, including green manure-corn intercropping, green manure-rotating with sweet corn, green manure for saline-alkali land, and green manure after wheat cultivation. In conclusion, green manure cultivation could significantly improve soil structure, increase soil organic matter content, reduce water and soil erosion, and enhance crop yields and ecosystem service. It represented an important approach for the coordinated development of black soil utilization and conservation.

Key words: black soil, green manure, soil improvement and quality enhancement, conservation and utilization technology