Developing a decision support system for the choice of cover crops

Cover crops, which are grown between cash crops, provide environmental benefits like reducing nitrate leaching, enhancing soil structure, and controlling weeds. Cover crops are gaining increasing attention by farmers, advisors and policy makers in northern Italy. However, despite the availability of the results of several experiments carried out on cover crops in the past ten years, stakeholders in this region still do not have access to a decision tool to support management choices for these crops. The aim of this work is therefore to develop a decision support system (DSS) for cover crop management in northern Italy, specifically the Lombardia region. The DSS is designed to aid farmers and advisors by offering recommendations on cover crop species, sowing dates, and termination dates and methods based on local soil, climate and crop management conditions. The DSS’s structure integrates data from field experiments, published literature, and simulation models. Simulation models are used to estimate cover crop growth and environmental impact under various conditions (e.g., different soils, sowing dates, and nitrogen levels). Findings from these simulations are used to develop the rules that guide the DSS in delivering context-specific recommendations for cover crop management. The DSS includes a graphical user interface designed for ease of use, especially on mobile devices, allowing farmers to input field-specific data and view tailored management options. Final testing with stakeholders will ensure the tool’s usability and reliability. The DSS is set to be available as a free web app by early 2025, providing farmers with a comprehensive tool to optimize cover crop use for environmental and agronomic benefits.