Turning cattle out on corn stover is a great way to utilize crop residue and extend grazing season, but growers need to be mindful of potential dangers.

Crop residue, or stover, includes leaf and stalk tissues of field crops that have traditionally been returned to the soil as an important source of organic matter and plant nutrients. Since the Dust Bowl of the1930s, crop residue cover left at the soil surface by minimizing tillage has also been recognized as a key erosion control tool. Yet, current trends in field crop production systems are encouraging some producers to harvest more stover for use as bedding, forage and even bioenergy feedstock.

This year’s corn crop will be a record and along with it we will produce a record amount of corn stover. Stover production has been increasing over time as corn yields have increased