Sustainble Corn Stover Harvest Strategies for Mushroom Substrate.

Corn stover has been identified as a potential feedstock for the production of mushroom substrate and has been used successfully as a component of mushroom substrate at the Penn State Mushroom Testing and Demonstration Facility.  The use of corn stover in commercial mushroom production has increased recently in Pennsylvania.  Stover harvesting has provided corn growers in some parts of the state an additional revenue source. A key issue is the potential impact of stover harvesting on the soil resource and the impact on the yield and profitability of crops following stover harvest. The objectives of this study were to:1) To determine the impact of SMS and stover removal on corn growth and yield; 2) To quantify the impact of SMS and stover removal on soil carbon and nutrient levels; 3)  To document to the impact of SMS and stover removal on slug populations; 4)  To estimate the economic impact of SMS and stover removal; and 5) To assess the impact of fall versus spring removal of stover on yield and nutrient removal.  In this study, the use of SMS in conjuction with no-tillage and spring stover removal increased soil carbon, increased corn yields, increased soil nutrient levels and resulted in higher economic returns than a similar system where fertilizer was used as a nutrient source or the no stover harvest control.  It may be possible to reduce SMS application rates and still maintain soil carbon in this system.  This study suggests that systems can be developed that allow sustainable corn stover harvesting to supply feedstock for the mushroom industry.