Options for Harvesting Corn Stover for Supplemental Feed

Home , Corn stover

Kevin Shinners

World Dairy Expo University of Wisconsin Introduction

• Why consider corn stover :

9 High feed costs

9 Abundant – 10 million tons in WI

9 Relatively low cost

9 High in effective fiber

9 Reduces residue

World Dairy Expo Introduction

• Important issues with corn stover :

9 How to harvest, store and feed

9 Cost

9 Right feed additives

World Dairy Expo Introduction

• How corn stover can be used :

9 Effective fiber source @ 2 – 5% of dietary DM

9 Feed for non-lactating and beef animals

9 Bedding

9 Biomass feedstock

World Dairy Expo Introduction

• What are stover yields?

9 Rough rule of thumb:

1 : 1 ratio with grain weight

Every 35 bu ~ 1 ton stover

140 bu/ac ~ 4 ton/ac

World Dairy Expo Dry Bale Harvesting

World Dairy Expo Dry Stack Harvesting

World Dairy Expo Dry Stover Issues

• Issues with bale and stacker systems:

9 Slow field drying :

Low ambient temps, short day length

9 Short harvesting window

9 Frequent weather delays

World Dairy Expo Stover Moisture

90%

75%

Stover

60%

45%

Moisture w.b. ... % Grain

30%

15% 26-Aug 2-Sep 9-Sep 16-Sep 23-Sep 30-Sep 7-Oct 14-Oct

World Dairy Expo Stover Drying

50% 12

Untreated 10 Flat 40% Single Windrow 8 Double Windrow Rainfall ..m 30% 6

4 m

Moisture ... % w.b. ... % Moisture 20% 2

10% 0 2-Oct 4-Oct 6-Oct 8-Oct 10-Oct

World Dairy Expo Stover Drying

60% 12

10 50%

8 40% Rainfall ..m 6

30% 4 Untreated m Moisture ... % w.b. ... % Moisture 20% Flat 2 Single Windrow Double Windrow 10% 0 10-Oct 12-Oct 14-Oct 16-Oct 18-Oct 20-Oct

World Dairy Expo Dry Stover Issues

• Issues with bale and stacker systems:

9 Low productivity

9 Low density package

9 High ash content

World Dairy Expo Dry Stover Harvesting

Stack LRB LSB

Productivity

tons / h ~5 ~10 ~16

Density

lb. / ft3 ~3 ~6 ~8

World Dairy Expo Dry Bale Harvesting

Ash .. % of DM

Standing 3.5

Baled 7.9

World Dairy Expo Dry Stover Issues

• Issues with bale and stacker systems:

9 High storage losses

9 Non-uniform product

World Dairy Expo Outdoor Storage of Bales

World Dairy Expo Storage Losses

Wet Year Dry Year

Indoors 2% 5%

Outdoors on Soil Net Wrap 11% 11% Plastic Twine 20% 14% Sisal Twine 37% 29%

Stacks 34%

World Dairy Expo Non-Uniformity of Bales

World Dairy Expo Wet StoverChopped Harvesting Wet - Stover Chopping

World Dairy Expo Harvesting Wet Stover

• Advantages of harvesting stover wet:

9 Eliminates field drying

9 Harvest right behind combine

9 Reduced soil contamination

9 Higher productivity

9 Easier to mix additives

World Dairy Expo Chopped Wet Stover

Typical Corn WPCS Stover

Productivity … tons / h 20 – 80 25 – 35

Silo Density … lb. / ft3 9 – 16 8 – 10

World Dairy Expo Chopped Wet Stover

Typical WPCS Corn Stover

Moisture 60 – 65% 55% 42%

DM Loss 6 – 10% 3.8% 1.4%

pH 3.8 – 4.2 4.1 4.5

Acids

Acetic 1 – 3% 0.9% 0.6%

Lactic 5 – 10% 3.3% 1.7%

World Dairy Expo Stover Particle Size

Particle – Size .. in.

Round Bales and Stacks 8 – 10

Chopped ¾–1

World Dairy Expo Baled Wet Stover

Late Early

Moisture 29% 44%

DM Loss 1.2% 2.9%

pH 5.1 4.4

Acids

Acetic 0.5% 2.3%

Lactic 0.4% 0.8%

World Dairy Expo Wet Stover Systems

• Compared to dry systems, wet stover offers:

9 Less weather concerns

9 More uniform product

9 Easier mixing & feeding

9 Fewer storage losses

9 Potentially lower costs

World Dairy Expo Stover Costs

Approximate cost per dry ton

Harvest

Round Bales $28

Chopped $14

Storage

Bales – Indoors $14

Bales – Outdoors $9

Chopped – Bag $14

World Dairy Expo Feeding Stover

• How stover is fed :

9 Free-choice from bales or pasture

Sorting

9 Ground

9 TMR

World Dairy Expo Stover Fractions

Cob – 12% Husk – 8%

Stalk – 58% Leaf – 19%

After Grain Harvest / Before Stover Harvest

World Dairy Expo Dry Bale Harvesting

Cob – 3% Husk – 10%

Stalk – 49% Leaf – 36%

After Stover Harvest

World Dairy Expo After Storage Composition

Baled Chopped

Ash 7.7 –

CP 4.0 3.8

ADF 46.7 41.9

NDF 76.3 68.2

World Dairy Expo Stover Feed Additives

• To improve protein and digestible energy :

9 Wet and dry distillers grains

9 Grain

9 Whole-plant corn silage

9 Ammonia

World Dairy Expo Feeding Stover

Stover + Stover + Stover Corn* DDG*

Ash 12.3 7.0 8.4

CP 8.3 8.3 14.4

ADF 45.0 25.2 30.0

NDF 70.2 43.0 57.5

* - 50% of diet After Summer and Trenkle - 1998

World Dairy Expo Feeding Stover

Stover + Stover + Stover Corn* DDG*

Intake .. lb. / day 5.7 6.7 6.4

Digestibility .. % 39.1 53.7 59.4

* - 50% of diet After Summer and Trenkle - 1998

World Dairy Expo Future of Stover Harvest

Grain

Cob, husk & leaf

Ear Snapper Head World Dairy Expo Future of Stover Harvest

Grain

All stover: Stalk, cob, husk & leaf

Whole-plant Head World Dairy Expo Future of Stover Harvest

World Dairy Expo Options for Harvesting Corn Stover for Supplemental Feed

Kevin Shinners

World Dairy Expo University of Wisconsin