Selecting the Rotation History

Under the management history, specify the general cropping history for your parcel by selecting the rotation that comes closest to describing your management practice. Select crop rotations by clicking on the appropriate rotation from the selection list under the category "Choose Rotation" for each of the four time periods:

• Landscape Position and Historical Management,
• 1970's through mid-1990's,
• Base or Current Management, and
• Report Period Management.

If more than one rotation was grown during this time, select the system that was used for the longest time during that period.

Figure 9: Example of Rotation Selection Screen

Landscape position and historical management (circa 1880 to 1970) refers to either the landscape position (upland vs. lowland) or other long-term management practices for the parcel prior to the mid-1970's. This period is the initial plow-out period of the parcel and is very significant in determining the modeled carbon value. For most of the United States, the plow-out period is generally from the 1850’s to the 1880’s.

• Upland parcels are located on hill slopes or other lands above valley floors, and were generally cropped as continuous annual grains, cotton, or other crops.
• Lowland parcels are located in valley floors and were generally cropped as continuous annual grains, cotton, or other crops.
• Irrigated parcels are in upland or lowland areas that came under irrigation some time prior to the 1970's, and were generally cropped as high-value cash crops.
• Livestock Grazing refers to parcels that were grazed more or less continuously since settlement to the mid 1970's.

If the parcel was enrolled in CRP after 1985 then select the appropriate CRP type from the list.  The default CRP type is "None".

Base (Current management) refers to the cropping rotation that most accurately describes the cropping or grazing system used on the parcel over approximately the last decade.

Management over report period (next decade) refers to the crop rotation or grazing system that you either use or are considering using on the parcel for the reporting period (the next decade).

The four management histories are a required item.  

Click the "Next" button and you will be taken to the "Tillage" Input Page.

Selecting the Tillage

You can choose from the following tillage types (not all types may be available for the selected rotation):

• Intensive tillage:  defined as multiple tillage operations and/or plowing every year. This type of tillage would result in <15% residue cover at planting.

• Moderate tillage:  defined as 1-2 tillage operations each year with no occurrence of plowing or multiple tillage operations in one year and no tillage in the second year of a corn-soybean rotation.  This type of tillage would result in 15-30% residue cover at planting.

• No tillage:  defined as planting and injection of fertilizer as the only soil disturbance in the rotation or the use of strip tillage where only the surface area being planted is disturbed. This type of tillage would result in >30% residue cover at planting.

Specify the tillage for three time periods: 1970's through mid-1990's; tillage during Base period (current management); Tillage over report period (next decade).  For a discussion on the time periods,  refer to "Selecting the Rotation History".

If more than one tillage system was practiced during this time, select the system that was used for the longest time during that period.

Tillage over report period (next decade) refers to the tillage system which you either plan to use or are considering using on the parcel for the reporting period (the next decade).

Figure 10: Example of Tillage Selection Screen

The three tillage management periods are a required item.

Click the "Next" button and you will be taken to the "Submit Page".