Assessment of Strategies for Sustainable Corn Stover Harvest.

Corn stover has potential as a biofuel feedstock in our region and in other regions across the US.  In Pennsylvania stover harvest is becoming more common to provied a feedstock for use as a bedding or mushroom compost and providing additional revenue to corn producers.  Stover removal also reduces some of the problems associated with no-till production in fields with heavy residue from high yielding corn crops.  Use of stover as a feedstock could impact corn yields and increase the need for nutrient uptake due to increased P and K removal.  A study was initiated in 2008 to evaluate the impact of stover removal and crop management strategies on corn yield, soil residue coverage and soil quality near State College, PA in a continuous no-till system.  Treatments include 0, 50, and 100% removal in continuous corn or corn soybean rotations, with and without a rye cover crop following harvest.  After three years, corn yields have not been impacted by stover removal levels.  Over winter residue levels have averaged 35, 70 and 90 percent with the 100, 50, and 0 percent removal treatments.  Rye cover crop biomass yields have been modest due to the mid October planting and mid April burndown treatments necessary in these systems.  Based on these studies, the combination of partial stover removal, no-tillage, nutrient replacement and a rye cover crop could be part of a sustainable harvest strategy for corn stover in Pennsylvania.