CORN Newsletter: 2009-31, September 15, 2009

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C.O.R.N Newsletter 2009-31
September 15, 2009 - September 21, 2009

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Bt Corn Stover…Does it Persist Longer?
by Greg Roth


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During the past week I have had several inquires about the persistence of corn stover and in particular whether Bt hybrids produced stover that breaks down more slowly. It seems we have more problems with stover when planting in high yielding corn on corn fields than before. If Bt corn stover did break down more slowly, it might be a good thing from a carbon sequestration standpoint. Theoretically this could be due to a change in the corn stover composition in Bt lines, increased stalk strength or some impact on the soils microbial community that inhibited the breakdown.
During the past two years several papers have been published addressing the issue. One study, conducted by a team of USDA scientists in South Dakota (Lehman et al., 2008) evaluated the breakdown of Bt and non Bt corn stover from two pairs of hybrids from different companies. They did not detect any differences in the decomposition rates over 384 days due to the Bt genes (both cry1Ab and cry3Bb1 genes) and also did not detect any difference in the stalk strength measurements they conducted. They also did not find any consistent compositional differences that would impact stover decomposition. Also, they compared stover sample decomposition in the root zone of both Bt and conventional hybrids and found they actually decomposed faster in the root zone of the Bt hybrid. Another study (Tarkalson et al. 2008) conducted in Nebraska monitored the decomposition of Bt and non Bt residues from two hybrid pairs for 23 months. They also concluded that there was no difference in decomposition rates due to the Bt genes and they should cause no difference in carbon sequestration in the soil where Bt hybrids are used. A third study (Kravechenko et al., 2009) conducted at Michigan State evaluated whether cropping with Bt corn for seven years led to an increase in soil carbon. They found no evidence that use of Bt corn resulted in higher soil carbon levels.
Although these are not the only studies on this topic, the data indicates that Bt genes are not the reason for the perceived slower breakdown of stover and will not likely lead to higher soil carbon levels compared to conventional hybrids.

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C.O.R.N. is a summary of crop observations, related information, and appropriate recommendations for Ohio Crop Producers and Industry. C.O.R.N. is produced by the Ohio State University Extension Agronomy Team, State Specialists at The Ohio State University and Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. C.O.R.N. Questions are directed to State Specialists, Extension Associates, and Agents associated with Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center at The Ohio State University.

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