Magnitude of Residue Removal Across Slopes on Maize Yield, Crop Water Use, and Economic Returns of a Crop and Livestock Production System in a Semi-Arid Climate.

It has been well documented that proper residue cover can increase grain yields in water-limiting areas by reducing evaporative losses, which allows for more water to be available for crop production. Furthermore, adequate residue levels have been reported to improve infiltration rate, decrease runoff, and minimize soil erosion potential; therefore, improving environmental quality and the sustainability of agriculture in an area. However, crop residue is highly sought after by the livestock industry, since it is a low cost source of feed. Unfortunately, there is a lack of information on the relationship between residue removal and landscape features (i.e., slope) to determine if, where in the field, and at what scale residue removal can economically and environmentally improve both crop and livestock operations. Through on-station research the effects of different corn residue management strategies, including no-removal, grazing, light baling, and aggressive baling across two slope ranges: 0 to 3% and 3 to 9% were evaluated on grain yield, crop water use (i.e., evapotranspiration), and net returns of a crop and livestock production system. Preliminary results of the study will be presented.