Corn Belt soil carbon and macronutrient budgets with projected sustainable stover harvest

•Estimate harvestable stover and soil C, N, P, and K budgets by defining minimum stover requirement (MSR).•To maintain current SOC levels, only 13–24% of stover yield could be harvested.•MSR-based stover harvest can be sustainable for soil nutrient supply currently but some deficits of N and K in the future.•Balancing soil nutrient supply with fertilization is needed for specific stover harvest scenarios at a field scale.