How To Make Residue Your Friend | How to implement a systems approach in a no-till system

What is your corn residue worth?

Paul Jasa, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension engineer, calculates that 1 ton of corn residue is worth $100, or about $250/acre.

That includes $26/ton in nutrient value (N, P, K). Add to that the value of retained soil moisture (3 in. extra), representing roughly $30/acre in irrigation value and 30 bu. lost yield (10-bu./acre-in. of moisture x 3 in.).

“So, for me, residue’s value is $100/ton, or $250/acre (@2.5 tons residue/acre) in nutrients and moisture retention,” Jasa says.

December 2010