Midwest Cover Crops Council Cover Crop Decision Tool

The Midwest Cover Crop Council (MCCC) Cover Crop Decision Tool is a web-based system to assist farmers in selecting cover crops to include in row crop rotations.

The current version has been completed for Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Ontario, and Wisconsin.

Other states/provinces in the MCCC are currently developing their information. They will be added to the tool when complete. We welcome your input and comments on the Cover Crop Decision Tool. Send them to Dean Baas at baasdean@msu.edu.

Instructions for Using the Cover Crop Decision Tool

Go to the Cover Crop Decision Tool
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About the MCCC
The Cover Crop Decision Tool is a project of the MCCC. The MCCC is a diverse group from academia, production agriculture, non-governmental organizations, commodity interests, private sector, and representatives from federal and state agencies. The MCCC collaborates to promote the use of cover crops to address soil, water, air, and agricultural quality concerns in the Great Lakes and Mississippi river basins. MCCC member states/provinces include Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Manitoba, Ontario, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and North Dakota. Learn more about the MCCC at http://www.mccc.msu.edu.

About the Cover Crop Decision Tool
The Cover Crop Decision Tool is an initiative by the MCCC to consolidate cover crop information by state to help farmers make cover crop selections at the county level. Information for each state/province is developed by a team of cover crop experts including university researchers, Extension educators, NRCS personnel, agriculture department personnel, crop advisors, seed suppliers and farmers. The team reviewed and refined information from the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) (http://www.sare.org) publication Managing Cover Crops Profitably, 3rd edition (http://www.sare.org/publications/covercrops/covercrops.pdf) to refine application within their state/province. The information and ratings contained in the Cover Crop Decision Tool is the team consensus based on literature, research results, on-farm experience and practical knowledge.

Acknowledgements
This project has been funded by: a USDA Conservation Innovation Grant in partnership with the Conservation Technology Information Center (http://www.ctic.purdue.edu); the Great Lakes Regional Water Program (http://www.uwex.edu/ces/regionalwaterquality); Michigan State University’s Project GREEEN (http://www.greeen.msu.edu); Michigan State University Extension/W.K. Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University; Purdue University; Ohio State University; University of Minnesota; Iowa State University; and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The MCCC would like to thank SARE and Andy Clark, SARE Outreach Communications Director and editor of Managing Cover Crops profitably, 3rd edition for the use of their materials.