Estimating the Global Influence of Cover Crops on Ecosystem Service Indicators in Croplands With the LPJ‐GUESS Model

Cover crops (CCs) can improve soil nutrient retention and crop production while providing climate change mitigation co-benefits. However, quantifying these ecosystem services across global agricultural lands remains inadequate. Here, we assess how the use of herbaceous CCs with without biological nitrogen (N) fixation affects carbon stocks, N leaching, yields, using dynamic vegetation model LPJ-GUESS. The performance is evaluated observations from worldwide field trials modeled output further compared against previously published large-scale estimates. LPJ-GUESS broadly captures enhanced carbon, reduced yield changes that are observed in field. Globally, found combining N-fixing no-tillage technique could potentially increase levels by 7% (+0.32 Pg C yr−1 croplands) reducing leaching loss 41% (−7.3 Tg yr−1) fallow controls after 36 years simulation since 2015. This integrated practice accompanied a 2% total (+37 million tonnes including wheat, maize, rice, soybean) last decade simulation. identified effects on productivity vary widely among main types fertilizer applications, small soybean systems highly fertilized soils. Our results demonstrate possibility conservation agriculture when targeting long-term environmental sustainability compromising croplands.