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Seasonal Cover Crop Mask

Definition

A binary determination of cultivable cropland that has been seeded with a seasonal cover crop where the cover crop has reached vegetative state. A cover crop is defined as a purposefully grown and seeded crop that is cultivated for soil enrichment and protection, not for its harvestable potential, usually after the harvestable (“cash”) crop.

GEOGLAM Agriculture Indicator Category
Agricultural Land Includes or is Indicated by

Agriculture Mask

Within Season Requirements:
Application or Policy Supported Related Variables Frequency of Update Spatial Unit

Areas supported include UNFCCC (GHG inventories and NDCs), Land Degradation Neutrality (sediment/nutrient runoff and water quality), biodiversity, quantification of ecosystem services (commodity and direct markets), insurance/risk, and on-farm nutrient management decisions.

Seasonally monitored alongside harvestable crop’s calendar; most regions will have one seasonal cover crop per year.

Field Scale