| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
,a,a
a USDA-ARS, 803 Iowa Ave., Morris, MN 56267
b USDA-ARS, 213 Smith Hall, WSU, Pullman, WA 99164-6120
c Dep. of Plant Pathology, P.O. Box 646430, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-6430
* Corresponding author (jjohnson{at}morris.ars.usda.gov).
Corn (Zea mays L.) stover is a potential biofuel; however, removing this stover from the land may increase the risk of erosion and reduce soil organic matter (SOM). Land application of corn stover fermentation by-product, which is about 70% lignin, may reduce the environmental risk from biofuel harvest by helping to stabilize soil structure. A column study, with soil collected from a toeslope (noneroded, Svea; fine loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Pachic Hapludoll) and a shoulder slope (severely eroded, Langhei; fine loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Eutrudepts) was conducted to evaluate the effect of fermentation by-product on soil properties. Soil was either not amended (control) or amended with corn stover or by-product at 0.75, 3.0, and 6.1 g kg–1. Soils were incubated for 123 d at ambient temperature in a laboratory, with an initial water-filled pore space (WFPS) of 0.6 m3 m–3 and drying cycles to 0.35 m3 m–3 WFPS. Compared with the control, amending soil with 6.1 g by-product kg–1 increased CO2 flux by 68% and increased soluble C and microbial biomass C by about 20%. In the severely eroded soil, humic acid concentration (r2 = 0.97, p = 0.009) and aggregate stability (r2 = 0.98, p = 0.005) increased linearly with increased by-product concentration. Water-holding capacity, bulk density, and aggregate distribution were not changed by soil amendments. Careful management of stover removal (avoiding eroded or erosion prone areas) and selective placement and rates of the by-product will contribute to a sustainable use of corn stover for ethanol production.
Abbreviations: SOC, soil organic carbon • SOM, soil organic matter • WFPS, water-filled pore space • NREL, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  J. M.-F. Johnson, B. S. Sharratt, D. C. Reicosky, and M. Lindstrom Impact of High-Lignin Fermentation Byproduct on Soils with Contrasting Organic Carbon Content Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., June 8, 2007; 71(4): 1151 - 1159. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. L. Pikul Jr., S. Osborne, M. Ellsbury, and W. Riedell Particulate Organic Matter and Water-Stable Aggregation of Soil under Contrasting Management Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., April 5, 2007; 71(3): 766 - 776. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 H. Blanco-Canqui, R. Lal, W. M. Post, and L. B. Owens Changes in Long-Term No-Till Corn Growth and Yield under Different Rates of Stover Mulch Agron. J., June 27, 2006; 98(4): 1128 - 1136. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. Blanco-Canqui, R. Lal, W. M. Post, R. C. Izaurralde, and L. B. Owens Corn Stover Impacts on Near-Surface Soil Properties of No-Till Corn in Ohio Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., January 6, 2006; 70(1): 266 - 278. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
W. W. Wilhelm, J. M. F. Johnson, J. L. Hatfield, W. B. Voorhees, and D. R. Linden Crop and Soil Productivity Response to Corn Residue Removal: A Literature Review Agron. J., January 1, 2004; 96(1): 1 - 17. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| The SCI Journals | Agronomy Journal | Crop Science | |||
| Vadose Zone Journal | Journal of Plant Registrations | ||||
| Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education |
Journal of Environmental Quality |
||||
