Agronomic Factors Limiting Sustainable Corn Stover Harvest.

Sustainable feedstock production is a critical issue for the developing biofuel and bio-products industries. Factors limiting the amount of feedstock that can be sustainably harvested from crop lands include soil erosion, soil organic matter considerations, soil compaction, soil water and temperature dynamics, and environmental considerations. Depending on circumstances, any one of the factors can be most limiting. Convenient tools or algorithms are needed to allow managers and regulatory agencies to determine the sustainable harvest rate based on the need to address these five factors. Additional factors may need to be added to the tool in the future.