Cattle and Corn: How Nebraska’s Nutrient Cycle Works
Each year, freshly harvested Nebraska corn goes on a journey. A significant portion goes to nearby cattle farms, where it continues the nutrient cycle and fuels the state’s economy.
How? Corn and corn byproducts make excellent livestock feed. Some of the nutrients from those kernels then return to the field in a different form: manure. Using cattle manure as fertilizer for corn is a cost-effective, sustainable way farmers put nutrients back into the soil.
It’s a win-win: Corn feeds the cattle, manure feeds the soil, and farmers have access to a natural, economical fertilizer for next year’s crop.
What is the Nutrient Cycle in Farming?
As corn grows, it uses nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the soil. When corn is harvested, those nutrients must be replenished. Farmers can buy commercial fertilizer or recycle nutrients through cattle manure.
The nutrient cycle in farming and cattle ranching starts in the field. Some corn is fed directly to nearby cattle. Other corn goes to an ethanol plant, where part of the kernel becomes renewable biofuel and the leftover nutrients become distillers grains. These grains, made from parts of the kernel including protein and fiber, are a nutritious addition to cattle feed.
Cattle eat the corn or distillers grains and produce manure, which can be spread on cornfields before planting. Using manure as fertilizer completes the nutrient cycle, returning nutrients to the soil.
Source : nebraskacorn.gov