Project Number: 5440-12210-050-01
Project Type: Nonfunded Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Oct 01, 2006
End Date: May 31, 2011

Objective:
1) Develop a summary of published and unpublished data on the impact of corn residue (stover) removal on future crop yield and soil quality. 2) Define and establish field experiment (specific to candidate locations for biomass ethanol plants) to assessing the impact of corn residue removal on future crop yield and soil quality.

Approach:
Objective 1: ARS and Idaho National Lab (INL) will jointly prepare and publish an assessment of the impact of corn stover removal on future soil quality (SOC content and soil function) and crop productivity by summarizing literature, conducting new analysis of previously reported data and unpublished data from ARS experiments conducted in area of the Corn Belt identified by DOE as likely locations for the first biomass ethanol production facilities (biorefineries). Objective 2: Plan, design, and implement long-term experiments to verify the analyses conducted and reported under Objective 1. These studies will be composed of new experiments or modified existing experiments, depending on location, factors under investigation, and historical and current data collection schedules and procedures.