Organic Fertilizer and Cover Crop Calculator

This free, online tool compares the nutrient value and cost of cover crops, organic and synthetic fertilizers and compost. Use this Excel Calculator to develop well balanced and cost effective nutrient management programs for your farm.

The calculator estimates N mineralization rates from fertilizers, compost and cover crops. It also allows users to determine the most appropriate fertilizer program for other macro and micro-nutrients based on nutrient content and cost. The calculator includes integrated spreadsheets that provide the PAN estimates for cover crops and organic fertilizers, help growers match their crop nutrient requirements with fertilizer rates, determine the cost of various fertilizer programs and cover crops.

In this webinar, the authors explain how to use the calculator.

The developers of this calculator also produced a fact sheet, Estimating Plant-Available Nitrogen Release from Cover Crops.

Want more information? See the related SARE grant(s) FW09-328, Increasing Grower Adoption of Adaptive Cover Cropping Systems: Effects on Vegetable Production and Nitrogen Cycling .