**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** COVER CROPS ARE ACTIVELY PROMOTED AS A MEANS OF ENHANCING SOIL FERTILITY AND SOIL HEALTH WHILE IMPROVING CASH CROPS' PRODUCTIVITY AND REDUCING GHG EMISSIONS. ALTHOUGH FARMERS ARE GENERALLY INTERESTED IN ADOPTING COVER CROPS, THEIR INTEREST IS TEMPERED BY THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT YIELD LIMITATIONS TO CASH CROPS. STAKEHOLDERS ARE CALLING FOR RESEARCH TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO YIELD DECLINES FOLLOWING COVER CROPS AND SUBSEQUENT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES THAT ADDRESS THE YIELD GAP AND OVERCOME CONSTRAINTS TO ADOPTION IN THE WESTERN LAKE ERIE BASIN. THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH COVER CROPS IMPACT CROP YIELD, SOIL HEALTH, AND GHG EMISSIONS AT THE FIELD AND WATERSHED SCALES. OUR OBJECTIVES ARE TO (1) IDENTIFY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND BIOPHYSICAL CONDITIONS THAT EXPLAIN COVER CROP BIOMASS PRODUCTION AND VARIABILITY, AND ITS IMPACT ON SOIL HEALTH AND NUTRIENT CYCLING IN FARMERS' FIELDS, (2) QUANTIFY WITHIN-FIELD VARIABILITY IN COVER CROP BIOMASS AND CASH CROP YIELDS BY DEVELOPING ROBUST MACHINE LEARNING MODELS WITH REMOTE SENSING DATA, (3) DEVELOP A BIOGEOCHEMICAL MODEL TO PROJECT COVER CROP EFFECTS ON CASH CROP YIELD, CARBON SEQUESTRATION, AND GHG EMISSIONS AT THE WATERSHED SCALE, AND (4) CREATE AN EXTENSION CURRICULUM TO TRAIN FARMERS AND STAKEHOLDERS ABOUT THE BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR COVER CROPPING BASED ON STUDY OUTCOMES.