Skip to main content
Article
Engineering, Nutrient Removal, and Feedstock Conversion Evaluations of Four Corn Stover Harvest Scenarios
United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications
  • Reed L. Hoskinson, Idaho National Laboratory
  • Douglas L. Karlen, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Soil Tilth Laboratory, Ames, Iowa
  • Stuart J. Birrell, Iowa State University
  • Corey W. Radtke, Idaho National Laboratory
  • Wally Wilhelm, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Document Type
Article
Date of this Version
10-17-2007
Citation

Biomass and Bioenergy (2007) 31: 126-136

Comments

United States government work

Abstract

Crop residue has been identified as a near-term source of biomass for renewable fuel, heat, power, chemicals and other bio-materials. A prototype one-pass harvest system was used to collect residue samples from a corn (Zea mays L.) field near Ames, IA. Four harvest scenarios (low cut, high-cut top, high-cut bottom, and normal cut) were evaluated and are expressed as collected stover harvest indices (CSHI). High-cut top and high-cut bottom samples were obtained from the same plot in separate operations. Chemical composition, dilute acid pretreatment response, ethanol conversion yield and efficiency, and thermochemical conversion for each scenario were determined. Mean grain yield in this study (10.1 Mg ha-1 dry weight) was representative of the average yield (10.0 Mg ha-1) for the area (Story County, IA) and year (2005). The four harvest scenarios removed 6.7, 4.9, 1.7, and 5.1 Mg ha-1 of dry matter, respectively, or 0.60 for low cut, 0.66 for normal cut, and 0.61 for the total high-cut (top + bottom) scenarios when expressed as CSHI values. The macronutrient replacement value for the normal harvest scenario was $57.36 ha-1 or $11.27 Mg-1. Harvesting stalk bottoms increased stover water content, risk of combine damage, estimated transportation costs, and left insufficient soil cover, while also producing a problematic feedstock. These preliminary results indicate harvesting stover (including the cobs) at a height of approximately 40 cm would be best for farmers and ethanol producers because of faster harvest speed and higher quality ethanol feedstock.

Citation Information
Reed L. Hoskinson, Douglas L. Karlen, Stuart J. Birrell, Corey W. Radtke, et al.. "Engineering, Nutrient Removal, and Feedstock Conversion Evaluations of Four Corn Stover Harvest Scenarios" (2007)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/douglas_karlen/70/