About the Project
Increasing cover crop acreage on annual croplands in Nebraska represents a significant opportunity to ensure soil and water sustainability with a more variable climate. Less than 4% of the 19-million cropland acres in the state are utilizing the practice, and producers cite barriers associated with timing of establishment as well as a need for more regionally specific information on a variety of cover crop species.
The biomass calculator allows users to estimate cover crop biomass production, transpiration and biomass N uptake for a selected cover crop species, location, planting, and termination date. The estimates are simulated using the APSIM crop model, an open access computer platform recognized for its ability to represent a range of cropping systems.
This project will support producers by illustrating the productivity, water and nutrient uptake of a cover crop using the APSIM-derived simulations and providing questions on commonly asked questions about the integration of cover crops in different systems and scenarios.
Contact Us
Please contact Andrea Basche and Katja Koehler-Cole for any questions regarding the project.
For any technical questions, please follow this link.
Acknowledgements
This project was a collaboration of researchers from UNL’s Department of Agronomy & Horticulture, Nebraska farmers, and UNL’s Holland Computing Center.
This project was made possible with the generous funding from the Nebraska Environmental Trust, project number 19-138-3. https://environmentaltrust.nebraska.gov/