Marty Schmer - USDA Research Agronomist

Aerial view of field
Photo courtesy USDA ARS

More Diverse Crop Rotations Improve Yield, Yield Stability and Soil Health

October 25, 2021
Results from a long-term rainfed no-till crop rotation and nitrogen (N) fertilizer systems study, which concluded that crop rotation has more agronomic and soil benefits compared to fertilizer-N alone.

Read more

Large round bales of corn residue in the field
Demonstrations of equipment used for baling corn residue will be daily at this year's Husker Harvest Days near Grand Island. (Photo by Jenny Rees)

Corn Residue Baling Workshop to be held at Husker Harvest Days

August 28, 2018
View daily demonstrations of corn residue baling equipment and get answers to your questions about its use at this year's Husker Harvest Days.

Read more

Figure 1. Based corn stalk residue.
Figure 1. Where moisture is not limited, research shows that removing some corn residue from a field may benefit yield in the following crop. However, if residue is removed for more than three years, research showed longer term impacts to the soil.

Crop Residue Removal: Impacts on Yield

December 8, 2017
A review of multiple research studies indicates that where moisture is not limited, residue removal can result in no yield reduction to yield increases for the subsequent crop. However, long-term residue removal has been shown to affect other production factors and it's recommended that even in minimal erosion areas, removing residue does impact other production factors and it's recommended that 2.4 tons/acre of residue be left in the field.

Read more

Amelioration Strategies after Corn Residue Removal

December 7, 2017
The authors review three research studies on how amelioration practices such as adding cover crops and/or manure may offset any effects of removing crop residue.

Read more

Figure 1. Corn stalk residue with downed ears, baled and ready to use. (Photo by Jenny Rees)
Figure 1. Corn stalk residue with downed ears baled and ready to use. (Photo by Jenny Rees)

Corn Stover Removal: Nutrient Value of Stover and Impacts on Soil Properties

December 7, 2017
Corn residue has a number of uses and thus its value as well as its impact on other systems may need to be estimated when evaluating post-harvest options. This article looks at how to estimate the nutrient value of the residue and potential impacts to the soil from removing the residue, based on Nebraska research.

Read more