2012 Annual Report 1a.Objectives (from AD-416): Determine effects of crop residue removal on soil quality and greenhouse gas emissions. 1b.Approach (from AD-416): This research will be superimposed on long-term tillage research projects in Rosemount, Lamberton, and Rice County, MN. Different amounts of stover will be annually removed from selected plots, and soil samples will be taken periodically for a suite of analyses to determine changes in soil organic carbon, soil fertility, and overall soil quality. Crop residues will also be sampled and analyzed to permit determination of nutrient balances. Gas exchange measurements will be conducted at Rosemount and Rice County to determine the impact of stover removal on soil respiration and nitrous oxide emissions. 3.Progress Report: One manuscript has been prepared from this project and will be submitted before August 1, 2012. A second manuscript is being prepared in conjunction with a paper that will be presented at the Sun Grant Conference in October 2012. The results have shown that removing crop residues does not reduce greenhouse gas emissions, contrary to expectation. This project relates to objective 1a of NP 212: “Determine the impact of different levels of stover removal from highly productive continuous corn systems on soil C levels, soil respiration and N2O emissions.”