DNDC: The Denitrification-Decomposition (DNDC) model was used to simulate carbon and nitrogen soil dynamics in the US corn belt as a function of the soil health management practices monitored by OpTIS (crop diversity, conservation tillage, and cover crops). Results are presented for observed (by OpTIS) adoption levels of these soil health management practices and for alternative scenarios where only conventional tillage and/or no cover cropping are practiced.

 

DNDC performs process-based simulations of nitrogen and carbon dynamics in agroecosystems. Based on environmental drivers (inputs like soil characteristics, temperature and precipitation data, crop characteristics, and crop management) the model predicts crop growth and yield, greenhouse gas emissions (such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide), and other environmental effects (like nitrogen leaching and runoff). DNDC is used widely around the world and has been tested against many field datasets in the US and abroad.