Evaluating the Cost-Effectiveness of On-Farm Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Practices Using: COMET-Planner and USDA Data

Abstract

Agriculture serves as both a contributor and a sink of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Even though the USDA promotes climate-resilient agricultural practices, farmers face a critical challenge in identifying the most cost-effective GHG reduction strategies or practices. This study assesses the cost-effectiveness of reducing agricultural GHG emissions across five strategies- cover cropping, mulching, no- tillage, crop rotation, and strip-cropping by integrating COMET Planner with USDA NRCS cost data across three Maryland counties: Caroline, Wicomico, and Somerset. Findings reveal that cover cropping provides the highest GHG reductions, with total CO2 equivalent reductions ranging from 40 to 71 t CO2 e per 100 acres, depending on species and irrigation status. Despite these reductions, the average mitigation cost remains relatively high, ranging from $190 to $211 per t CO2e. Mulching generates consistent but smaller reductions (32 t CO₂ e per 100 acres) than cover cropping, with a wide range of cost variability across material types. Natural leaf mulch offers the lowest mitigation cost at approximately $348 per t CO₂ e, whereas synthetic materials and wood chips exceed $11,000 and $83,000 per t CO₂ e, respectively. Strip cropping emerges as the most cost-effective strategy, with CO₂ equivalent reductions of 24 t CO₂ e per 100 acres and mitigation costs as low as $10.04 per t CO₂ e. Overall, the analysis indicates significant differences in cost effectiveness across several conservation practices, with strip-cropping the most economically efficient choice, while mulching exhibits comparatively high costs relative to its GHG benefits. Cumulatively, cover cropping has been shown to reduce high amounts of GHG emissions.