The Wisconsin Cover Crop Data Network team is testing out a new cover crop scenario tool. Using information provided by farmers from across the state, the tool provides examples of cover crop outcomes with different soils, farm systems, cover crop species, and goals.
The scenarios include: erosion control, nutrient scavenger, nitrogen crediting, weed suppression, fall grazing and spring grazing. In addition to seeing which cover crops produced a desired outcome, information regarding biomass totals, nutrient plant analysis, and forage analysis can also be viewed for that cover crop.
The tool is still in development and the team is interested in receiving feedback about it. Check it out here.
The Wisconsin Cover Crop Data Network is a collaboration between Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, UW–Madison Extension Nutrient and Pest Management Program, The Nature Conservancy, USDA Dairy Forage Research Center, and UW–Madison College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Since 2020, this collaboration has been gathering data from farmers throughout the state using cover crops to gain insight about their incentives to use cover crops and the results they are seeing. Currently, they have gathered data from over 220 fields with different cropping rotations and climate conditions. More information on the survey can be found here.