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Introduction to COMET-Tools
Introduction to COMET-Tools
Through continued support from NRCS and the USDA Climate Change Office, the COMET-Farm tools have developed as the official greenhouse gas quantification tool of USDA. Both COMET-Farm and COMET-Planner are web-based greenhouse gas inventory tools for land based systems and are designed for conservation scenario analysis. As described in the introduction video, these tools were created in parallel with and as a function of the 2014 methods document, Quantifying Greenhouse Gas Fluxes in Agriculture and Forestry: Methods for Entity-Scale Inventory. NRCS and the COMET-Team are working to update this document in 2022.
COMET-Farm and COMET-Planner are built around conservation scenario analysis and utilize the same methods and models; however, there are key differences between the tools to be aware of when beginning a Carbon Farm Plan. COMET-Farm, the original tool, gives the user the ability to input historical management data and baseline practices (current management) and superimposes potential conservation practices to compare to the baseline, allowing for field-specific greenhouse gas analysis. While COMET-Planner also compares GHG impacts of potential conservation practices to a baseline without those practices, COMET-Planner uses regional averages from Major Land Resource Areas (MLRAs) to construct a fixed baseline for a more generalized description of conservation GHG benefits.
When to use COMET-Planner in the Carbon Farm Planning Process?
When to use COMET-Planner in the Carbon Farm Planning Process?
Because COMET-Planner is easy to use, and requires only four clicks to quantify the relative benefits of selected conservation practices, this tool is best used during the initial carbon farm planning process. The report of greenhouse gas benefits from the planning scenario is provided in metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
When to use COMET-Farm in the Carbon Farm Planning Process?
When to use COMET-Farm in the Carbon Farm Planning Process?
With a flexible, field specific analysis of conservation scenarios, COMET-Farm requires more time and data inputs than COMET-Planner. COMET-Farm allows users to view greenhouse gas emission changes associated with individual fields and also in combination across the farm. Up to ten different future conservation scenarios can be compared. Due to the more complex nature of COMET-Farm, there are several help tools and solution articles for frequently asked questions.
COMET-Energy was created as a stand-alone tool that allows you to calculate reductions in greenhouse gas emissions based on anticipated fuel savings. You can use COMET-Energy by itself or in conjunction with your COMET-Farm user account, however, reports between the two will not be included on the same page. Emissions reported in COMET-Energy are calculated based on the reporting guidelines defined in the U.S. Energy Information Administration's Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Program.
It is important to note that the COMET-Tools are not designed to develop life cycle analysis for a farm or production scenario. Rather, the tools are meant to be used to detail greenhouse gas emissions and/or sequestration potentials within a defined agricultural scenario.
❓Check your knowledge!
❓Check your knowledge!
In the following scenarios, identify which COMET-Tool [COMET-Farm/COMET-Planner/COMET-Energy/No COMET-Tool] would be most appropriate for a producer or planner to use:
A producer made a change from intensive tillage to no tillage and would like to assess their farm’s specific emission estimates. They are able to provide their farm’s management history for at least ten years, so they are able to use [COMET-Farm/COMET-Planner/COMET-Energy/No COMET-Tool] for their assessment.
The producer I am working with is considering converting some cropland from production to a field border (an unmanaged strip of grassland adjacent to cropland). Because the producer will no longer manage this land with any machinery, they will be using less fuel. I can use [COMET-Farm/COMET-Planner/COMET-Energy/No COMET-Tool] tool to assess any emission reductions associated with this producer’s fuel savings.
A dairy farmer would like to assess emissions from their dairy management AND any downstream emissions associated with the dairy products after they leave the dairy operation. I could use [COMET-Farm/COMET-Planner/COMET-Energy/No COMET-Tool] to assess all of these emissions.
As a planner, you would like to show the producer a general estimate of GHG reductions resulting from adding a leguminous cover crop with a fertilizer reduction to 100 acres. You should use [COMET-Farm/COMET-Planner/COMET-Energy/No COMET-Tool] tool
2. Identify the following phrases as a feature of COMET-Farm, COMET-Planner, or BOTH
Fixed baseline [COMET-Farm/COMET-Planner/Both]
Flexible baseline [COMET-Farm/COMET-Planner/Both]
Can download a report [COMET-Farm/COMET-Planner/Both]
Heavier data entry load [COMET-Farm/COMET-Planner/Both]
4-clicks to generate a report [COMET-Farm/COMET-Planner/Both]
Conservation scenario analysis [COMET-Farm/COMET-Planner/Both]
Regional analysis of GHG emission/reductions [COMET-Farm/COMET-Planner/Both]
Farm-to-field specific analysis of greenhouse gas emissions/reductions [COMET-Farm/COMET-Planner/Both]
Baseline and future conservation scenario emissions provided in report [COMET-Farm/COMET-Planner/Both]
Can save projects to an account that users can refer back to at a later time [COMET-Farm/COMET-Planner/Both]
Implements peer-reviewed, USDA -sanctioned entity level inventory methods [COMET-Farm/COMET-Planner/Both]
Can assess enteric emissions associated with animal agriculture management [COMET-Farm/COMET-Planner/Both]
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