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Title: CHANGES IN LONG-TERM NO-TILL CORN GROWTH AND YIELD UNDER DIFFERENT RATES OF STOVER MULCH

Author
item BLANCO-CANQUI, H - OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
item LAL, R - OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
item POST, W - OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LAB
item Owens, Lloyd

Submitted to: Agronomy Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/20/2006
Publication Date: 6/27/2006
Citation: Blanco-Canqui, H., Lal, R., Post, W.M., Owens, L.B. 2006. Changes in long-term no-till corn growth and yield under different rates of stover mulch. Agronomy Journal. 98:1128-1136.

Interpretive Summary: In the quest for alternate energy sources, plant residues have been converted to biofuels. Although some of these conversions have been successful, there is concern over the impacts of residue removal on soil properties and subsequent crop growth. This study investigates the short term impact on stover removal from a corn field on the emergence, growth, and yield of the next year’s crop. Corn residue levels studied ranged from 0 to 200% of normal residue levels. With no surface residue, plants emerged quicker and grew faster for up to 50 days than on plots with corn stover. After 50 days, the plant heights evened out at two study sites and increased at a third site with greater amounts of plant residue on the soil surface. With no or little residue, soils warmed and dried more quickly. This promoted the early plant growth, but restricted it later. At the one study site, corn yields were less where all or most of the plant residue was removed. Changes in soil temperature and soil aggregate stability (decreases with decreased residue) were principal factors in the observed changes in corn growth and yield. This information is important to land managers and producers so that they can be aware that the benefits of plant residue removal for biofuels may be offset by subsequent reductions in crop growth and yield.

Technical Abstract: Removal of corn (Zea mays L.) stover for biofuel production may affect crop yields by altering soil properties. A partial stover removal may be feasible, but information on appropriate rates of removal is unavailable. This study assessed the short-term impacts of stover management on long-term no-till (NT) continuous corn grown on a Rayne silt loam at Coshocton, Hoytville clay loam at Hoytville, and Celina silt loam at South Charleston in Ohio, and predicted corn yield from soil properties using principal component analysis (PCA). Corn growth and yield parameters and selected soil properties were determined in 2005 on the ongoing experiments started in May 2004 under 0 (T0), 25 (T25), 50 (T50), 75 (T75), 100 (T100), and 200 (T200) % of stover corresponding to 0, 1.25, 2.50, 3.75, 5.00, and 10.00 Mg ha-1 of stover, respectively. Stover removal promoted early emergence and rapid seedling growth (P<0.01). The T100 delayed emergence by 3 d compared to T0, while it accelerated emergence by 3 d compared to T200. Early-emerging plants grew taller than late-emerging plants up to about 50 d, and then the heights reversed at Coshocton and evened out at other two sites. Volumetric water content decreased and soil temperature increased as stove was removed, explaining variations in plant height (P<0.01). Stover management affected corn yield only at the Coshocton site where grain and stover yields in >T50 (10.8 and 10.3 Mg ha-1, respectively) were higher than those in