Simulating crop rotations, fertilization and field operations at a European scale for use in complex dynamic models

Complex dynamic models of carbon and nitrogen can be used to investigate the possible consequences of climate change on greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. However, these models typically operate with a temporal resolution of one day and require detailed input data concerning field operations (e.g. ploughing, sowing, fertilization, harvesting). Here we describe the development of a model that simulates the effect of historical or predicted daily weather on the timing of field operations associated with a range of spring and winter crops.