Soil erosion hazard maps for corn stover management using National Resources Inventory data and the Water Erosion Prediction Project

Abstract

Corn stover is promoted as a readily available feedstock for cellulosic ethanol fermentation, potentially adding value to Iowa's corn harvest. However, soil productivity and water quality could be adversely affected by poor residue management practices. This paper presents the results of computer simulations of soil erosion by water under various corn stover harvesting and management scenarios applied universally across the state of Iowa. The WEPP (Water Erosion Prediction Project) computer model was used to simulate soil loss in Iowa at 17,848 agricultural point locations of the 1997 National Resources Inventory. Location information at the township level of 9.66 by 9.66 km (6 by 6 mi) for the National Resources Inventory points allows for presentation of results in the form of gridded color-scale maps. The maps indicate corn stover removal risk at the following levels: extreme, high, medium, or low. Risk categories are based on the soil loss tolerance (T) and 1/2 T as constraints. This paper presents simulated impacts of corn stover removal on soil erosion only. Important considerations for maintaining soil organic carbon are reviewed and discussed. The simulation results suggest that the amount of harvestable corn stover is not uniform in Iowa when water erosion control guides management. No-till is necessary to maintain soil loss below permissible levels of T and 1/2 T in regions with steeper slopes. Maps and corresponding analyses in this paper help guide policy pertaining to the harvest of corn stover in Iowa.