2012 Annual Report 1a.Objectives (from AD-416): Determine effects of crop residue removal on soil quality. 1b.Approach (from AD-416): On-going studies at the ISU Agronomy and Agricultural Engineering Research Center (AAERC) will be enhanced by providing more rapid soil quality analyses and interpretation of information. An increased amount of crop response, nutrient uptake, and nutrient removal data will be collected. This study will complement the ARS Renewable Energy Assessment Project (REAP) team efforts with similar resources going to Morris, MN; St. Paul, MN; Lincoln, NE; Brookings, SD; University Park, PA; Akron, CO; and Florence, SC; Equal resources per the SunGrant program guidelines will go to university partners at each location to strengthen the research and technology transfer relationships. 3.Progress Report: Multi-location field studies near Ames, IA, Morris, MN, St. Paul, MN, Lincoln, NE, University Park, PA, Florence, SC, and Brookings, SD, were continued by members of the ARS Renewable Energy Assessment Project (REAP) team and their university partners as part of the Sun Grant Regional Partnership. The 2011 crop at all locations was harvested and soil, plant, water, and greenhouse gas data were collected as planned. Abstracts for eight areas of investigation were developed and accepted for an upcoming Sun Grant National Conference. The “Corn Stover Tool”, developed jointly by the ARS REAP team and engineers from the Department of Energy (DOE) Idaho National Laboratory, was presented through various webinars to potential bioenergy, action agency, agronomic consultants, and agri-business personnel for beta-testing during the 2012 corn harvest season. Several groups have agreed to evaluate the tool and work with the REAP team to make it fully operational.