Results from on-farm trials were analyzed to develop guidelines that will help farmers evaluate and improve their manure-N management, including utilizing swine manure as a cost-effective substitute for commercial fertilizer. The experimental methods included use of the late-spring test for soil nitrate and the end-of-season test for cornstalk nitrate to measure N availability at each research site.

Smother plants are specialized cover crops developed for their ability to suppress weeds and may provide an alternative, non-chemical method of weed control. The goal of this project was to define the characteristics and mechanics of establishing a successful spring-seeded smother plant system and to study and exploit the competitive interactions among weeds, smother plants, and the crop.

Soil erosion and pesticide use are critical issues in sustainable agriculture. With a view to decreasing the amount of pesticides used for weed control, researchers assessed the impact of tillage, cropping systems and weed management regimes on seasonal and long-term weed and weed seedbank population dynamics, especially in Conservation Reserve Program land being returned to production.