STURGIS, S.D. – The practice of feeding corn stover to beef cattle ranges from well-established to unknown across North America. Corn stover is the plant material or residue that remains after grain harvest.

It consists of dropped ears and other lost grain, the husks and cobs, and the leaves and stalks, and on average amounts to about one pound per pound of grain harvested, or 2.8 tons per acre for a crop yielding 100 bushels of grain per acre. 

As such, corn stover has proven to be a valuable feed source in all segments of beef production, especially the cow-calf sector. 

And, its potential is increasing as corn production continues to move north-west with improved varieties adapted for regions with shorter growing seasons and the continuing high cost of forage production for winter feeding. 

Corn Stalk Bales

Farmers sometimes choose to rake their stalks into rows and then bale them for livestock uses such as forage mixtures and bedding. Many times corn stalks are fed with distillers grain to livestock as a replacement to regular corn. The bales also provide excellent bedding, especially during the late winter and spring months when many folks are calving and the ground is typically soggy.

Grazing

Sometimes farmers are fortunate to have cattle close in proximity to their corn fields allowing them to relieve their pastures and graze the grounds picking up the leftover ears, leaves and other plant remains. This is a double benefit as the cattle have plenty to eat and leave behind their manure supplying organic fertilizer for next year’s growing season.

Cellulosic Ethanol

As the country moves forward and seeks new ways to create low-carbon, renewable, transportation fuels, corn stover is one of the feedstocks that will allow us to do so. In fact there is a POET Biorefinning plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa doing just that.

Do Nothing

Some farmers feel that doing nothing with their stalks and stover give them the greatest benefit because it allows the plant to break down giving the nutrients that it had absorbed back to the soil. Leaving the residue behind also provides excellent protection from erosion and enhances the soils’ ability to absorb and retain moisture.