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Fig. 1. (A) Estimated amount of corn stover needed to maintain soil organic carbon (SOC) content [solid black bars, (Johnson et al., 2006a)]; Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation, version 2 (RUSLE2) (USDA-ARS, 2003a) estimated amount of corn stover needed to limit water erosion within the accepted tolerance, T (bars with diagonal lines); and Wind Erosion Prediction System (WEPS) (USDA-ARS, 2003b) estimated amount of corn stover needed to limit wind erosion within the accepted tolerance, T (white bars), with various production practices. (B) Estimated amount of sustainably harvestable corn stover with various production practices and grain yield levels limited by the need to maintain SOC. For example, stover in the shaded area would be sustainably harvestable under moldboard plow tillage in a corn–soybean (C-S) rotation (short and long dashed line). Long dashed line: Harvestable stover under no-till or conservation tillage with a corn–soybean rotation. Solid line: Harvestable stover under moldboard plow with a continuous corn (C-C). Short dashed line: Harvestable stover under no-till or conservation tillage with continuous corn.
