ANR Update Corn Stalk Value: Feed or Fertilizer

1. ANR Update Corn Stalk Value: Feed or Fertilizer Edwin Ritchey Extension Soil Specialist UK-REC

6. Notice Amount of Residue Remaining

8. Corn Stover • About ½ of corn plant is not removed during harvest (stalks, leaves, husks, cobs, tassel). • Good feed for cattle? • Some grain is also left • Good loss is 1%, 100 bu/A = 1 bu grain

9. Value of corn stover to: • Grain Producer • N, P, K, micronutrients, OM • Cattle Producer/Cattle • Beats a snowball? • Emergency feed in dry year • Low quality feed, needs supplementing

10. Grain Producer • Nutrients contained in stover (lbs/ton) • N (14), P (7), K (29) plus other (AGR-1) • Organic Matter • Builds soil structure, conserves moisture, reduces soil erosion and compaction • Value ($/ton fertilizer) based on 9-24-11 prices • Urea ($625), DAP ($675), KCl ($650) • N ($9.51), P ($3.29), K ($15.71) • Nutrients (N, P, K) per ton = $28.51

11. Cattle Producer • Baling versus grazing • Baling takes nutrients from field • Loss of N, P, K, OM, and micros • Hard on equipment • Leaves the best stuff for cattle in field (leaves, tassels, shucks) • Grazing leaves nutrients in field (+ grain) • Cattle get what they want/need (not stalks) • Only nutrients removed are in the form of gain • Reallocation of nutrients

12. Real Numbers/Muhlenberg Co. 2010 • Stalk weights 87.4 g (10 stalk avg. DM weight) • 28,000 stalks / acre • 1 acre stalks = 5,395 lbs cut close to ground • N, P, K = $28.51 / ton of stalks • $28.51 * 2.7 ton/A = $76.91 per acre of stalks

13. Content of Stover Dry Matter = how much is not water Total Digestible Nutrients = energy (e.g. carbs, fats) Crude Protein = building blocks for protein Source: Nutrition Requirements of Beef Cattle, 6th revised edition.

14. Nutrition Facts • If forages are less than 8% protein (dry cow) you will need protein supplement 11% (wet) • To bring ration from 5% CP to 8% will cost between $0.40 to $0.75/cow/day ($0.50) • Cow eats approximately 25 lbs/day • From 1000 lb bale = 40 meals (no loss or waste) • Outside storage will lose ≈ 33% grass hay • More for corn stover, 50%?

15. What the Value? Hay 1000 lbs bale 8% CP, 50% TDN Stover 1000 lb bale 5% CP, 50% TDN

16. More numbers • Assuming 5,000 lbs stover/A then 5 1,000 lbs bales/acre • Cost per bale (Assuming no loss) • About $0.50 /meal/cow @25 meals/bale = $20 • $10 - ? / bale to roll = $10 • $75 N-P-K/A = $15 • Total cost of bale of stover is $45 • Without including nutrient loss $30/roll

17. Assuming No Loss From Storage Hay 1000 lbs bale 8% CP, 50% TDN Stover 1000 lb bale 5% CP, 50% TDN $30-45 per roll ??? $ per roll

18. Removal Rates • Calculated amount of stover per acre • Total amount of stover = 5,000 – 7,000lbs/A • Potential removed = baling vs. grazing • What would be removed? Stalks, husks, leaves, tassels (≈ 50% stalk/50% other) • What is that value? Depends on what you get out of the field

19. Removal Rates • Amount of stover/A = 5,000 lbs/A • 50% stalk/50% leaves, husks, tassel • 75% stalk/25% leaves, husks, tassel • What is that value? Depends on what you get and what ratio you get out of the field

21. Cattle • Better than a snowball? • What they need (Energy and protein) • Supplement with protein, vitamins, and minerals • What they get from stover? • How much do they utilize from a bale? • How much is lost due to storage? • How much does alternate feed cost?

22. Corn Stover - Baling • Do you bale or mow then bale? • Mow = more biomass, more diesel, better bales • Bale = less biomass, less diesel, poorer bales • If baled stover is stored outside expect losses • Greater losses than grass hay • More nutrient losses • When feeding expect losses and a mess • Cattle will selectively “pick” and leave stalks

23. How Does Drought Influence? • Insufficient water means less growth of: • Pasture/hay/corn • Less pasture/hay = less grazing and more supplemental feeds • Less corn = less stover but higher concentrations of nutrients (e.g. K and nitrates) • Less water probably means more nitrates in stover = more management

24. Nitrate Poisoning • Leaf area destroyed and cannot convert nitrates into proteins by photosynthesis and are concentrated in stems and stalks • Most nitrates are found closer to the ground, bottom 1/3 of stalk contains the most • Die of oxygen shortage; hemoglobin not able to carry oxygen

25. Potassium Levels • In dry year, little K leaching from stover so greater K removed from field • High levels of K interfere with Mg uptake • High K, low Mg = grass tetany

26. Grazing vs. baling • Nutrient removal • Equipment (baler vs hot wire) • Hassle • Feed costs

27. Grazing Issues • Compaction/mud? • Cost of fencing • Transportation cost • Keeping cattle in fence

28. Alternatives • Buying Hay $?/roll • Buying Feed $?/ton • Selling Cattle – Good time to cull

30. Summary • “Free Stalks” are not free • Cost to grain producer (N,P,K, other) • Cost to cattle producer (baling, supplements) • Cost to cattle (low quality feed) • What is value of stalks and supplement • Considerable waste in feeding • Be aware of other issues, (nitrate, K) • What to do? Weigh options closely

31. Questions ?