Introduction
Maize crop residues are considered the leading candidate feedstock
for cellulosic ethanol production in the U.S. due to their high volume
and availability within concentrated areas of production in the Midwestern
U.S.. The first cellulosic ethanol conversion facility
with corn stover as the feedstock started production in September
2014 with more facilities underway in the Midwest
region . To accompany this development,
the 2014 Farm Bill authorized the Biomass Crop Assistance Program
to provide financial incentives to producers for residue harvest.
Despite the availability of corn residue, producers and researchers
equally have raised concerns about the sustainability of this practice
due to its potential to decrease soil productivity