New Online Tool Helps Growers Choose Cover Crops
Ever wish choosing a cover crop was a little easier? Well, farmers across the West now have some help. A new online decision-support tool is taking the guesswork out of selecting cover-crop species, and it’s tailored specifically to Western growers and their unique conditions.
Sarah Light, a University of California Cooperative Extension agronomy advisor, put it simply: “This tool is the first of its kind – publicly available, free to use, and validated by experts in the Western region, about Western cropping systems.”
Here’s how it works. Farmers enter their goals, like improving soil health or reducing erosion. The tool then pulls in soil and climate data for their location and recommends species that fit best. It’s like having a panel of experts right at your fingertips.
The project brought together a broad group of partners, including the Western Cover Crops Council, Precision Sustainable Agriculture, and the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. Farmers, researchers, and technical experts all had a hand in shaping the final product.
You can explore the new tool at https://ucanr.edu/blog/food-blog/article/new-online-tool-helps-growers-choose-cover-crops
