The Cover Crop Decision Support Tool (CCDST), a joint project created by the Gardner Agriculture Policy Program, farmdoc and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) has just had its first major update in a year.
The CCDST is a free web tool that guides Illinois farmers as they manage and make decisions on cover crops. It is funded by the Illinois Nutrient Research and Education Council and the Walton Family Foundation. The latest release provides improved weather forecasting, especially for the critical spring season, as well as improved estimates for nitrogen loss reduction.
Widespread adoption of cover cropping is a critical component of the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy. Following continued work and feedback on the tool, the update includes modifications for tile-drained fields.
For more on the tool and the relationship between cover cropping, soil quality and tile-drained fields, click here.
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