EPIC is an Environmental Policy Integrated Climate Model, used to assess the effect of soil erosion on productivity, predict the effects of management decisions on soil, water, nutrient and pesticide movements, predict the combined impact of changes to soil, water, and nutrient flux and pesticide fate on water quality and crop yields for areas with homogeneous soils and
The Environmental Policy Integrated Climate (EPIC) model is a process-based computer model designed to simulate physico-chemical processes in soil and water under agricultural management. It operates on a daily time step and can perform long-term simulations ranging from one to 4,000 years. The model simulates a homogeneous land use unit (HLU), representing a field or small watershed, to assess the effects of management decisions on soil, water, nutrients, and pesticides.
| Time step | Daily |
|---|---|
| Simulation duration | 1 - 4,000 years |
| Soil layers | ten layers |
| HLU size | up to about 100 ha |
| Programming language | Fortran |
The original function was to estimate soil erosion by water under different crop and land management practices.
The major components include weather simulation, hydrology, erosion-sedimentation, nutrient cycling, pesticide fate, crop growth, soil temperature, tillage, and economics.
Two convenient graphical interfaces are available: WinEPIC and iEPIC.