Characterization of soil amended with the by-product of corn stover fermentation

ABSTRACT Corn stover harvested for ethanol production reduces the amount of residue returned to the soil. Crop residuesCorn (Zea mays L.) stover is a potential biofuel; however, removing on the soil surface are important in controlling windthis stover from the land may increase the risk of erosion and reduce soil organic matter (SOM). Land application of corn stover fermenta- and water erosion (Lindstrom, 1986). Removal of corn tion by-product, which is about 70 % lignin, may reduce the environ- residue on both reduced tillage and no-till systems in-mental risk from biofuel harvest by helping to stabilize soil structure. creased water runoff and soil erosion in the Northwest-A column study, with soil collected from a toeslope (noneroded, ern Corn Belt of USA (Lindstrom, 1986). The amount Svea; fine loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Pachic Hapludoll) and a of residue that can be removed without increasing the shoulder slope (severely eroded, Langhei; fine loamy, mixed, superac- erosion risk is dependent on a soil’s potential erodibility tive, frigid Typic Eutrudepts) was conducted to evaluate the effect (Lindstrom and Holt, 1983). Lindstrom and Holt (1983)of fermentation by-product on soil properties. Soil was either not found that about 59 % of residue was available for re-amended (control) or amended with corn stover or by-product at moval in all major land use areas, when the only crite-0.75, 3.0, and 6.1 g kg1. Soils were incubated for 123 d at ambient rion for removal was soil erosion. It should be notedtemperature in a laboratory, with an initial water-filled pore space (WFPS) of 0.6 m3 m3 and drying cycles to 0.35 m3 m3 WFPS. Com- that the amount removed varied from 0 to 100 % de