Developing a Web-Based "Climate Smart" Cover Crop Decision Support System Tool

Cover crops provide numerous ecosystem services such as improving soil fertility and moisture holding capacity, reducing soil erosion and compaction, and minimizing nitrogen leaching. However, the outcome of cover-cropping depends on several genetic, environmental, and management factors that include main crop type/variety, cover crop species, intended benefits, soil, and climate. Coupled with perceived negative impacts on main crop productivity, the additional production costs, and lack of tools to support the adoption of cover crops have hindered its benefits. In this study, we developed a web-based “climate-smart” cover crop decision support system (CCDSS) driven by Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) crop modeling system with the aim of improving producers’ decision-making capabilities. The tool has a user interface that collects crop management data from users, an algorithm that converts user input to DSSAT simulation control, crop modeling core that runs simulation, and interface that summarizes and displays user desired outputs. The CCDSS will provide a platform for farmers and farm advisors to investigate the outcomes of different cover crop management practices (e.g., species selection, planting, and termination dates), assess impacts on main crop, and optimize farm management for maximum cover crop benefits. We believe this decision support tool will enable producers to make informed cover cropping decisions and enhance adoption strategies.