Corn Stover Removal Effects on Irrigated Sandy Outwash Soils in North Dakota
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Abstract
Recent interest in utilizing corn (Zea Mays L.) stover for cellulosic ethanol and supplements for distillers' grain in livestock rations has increased corn stover demand. A study was established to evaluate corn stover removal on selected soil properties in irrigated sandy outwash soils under no-tillage management including continuous corn and corn-soybean (glycine max) rotations. For continuous corn, increasing stover removal rates (0 to 100%) increased the wind erodible soil fraction (25.4 to 36.6%), decreased the field-moist water stable soil aggregates (58.78 to 48.3%) and water infiltration rates (22.4 to 8.6 cm/hr). Water infiltration rates decreased in the corn phase of the corn-soybean rotation (16.8 to 10.8 cm/hr) and air-dry water stable aggregates decreased in the soybean phase of the corn soybean rotation (88.1% to 77.7%) for 100% removal when compared to 0% removal. Longer-term evaluation of stover removal is needed to fully evaluate stover removal effects on soil properties.