REDUCING OR ELIMINATING TILLAGE WILL HELP FARMERS IMPROVE SOIL QUALITY AND CARBON STORAGE, OBTAIN HIGHER, MORE CONSISTENT SILAGE YIELD AND QUALITY, WHILE REDUCING EXPENSIVE INPUT COSTS AND SOIL DEGRADATION. INTEGRATING COVER CROPS INTO A NO-TILL SYSTEM PROVIDES FURTHER PROTECTION AGAINST RUNOFF AND EROSION, IMPROVES WATER RESOURCES, AND CONSERVES NUTRIENTS FOR FUTURE CROPS. ANOTHER BENEFIT OF THESE PRACTICES MAY BE THE REDUCTION IN GREENHOUSE GAS (GHG) EMISSIONS BY STORING CARBON IN THE SOIL AND REDUCING EMISSIONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE AND NITROUS OXIDE.HOWEVER, FARMERS IN NORTHERN REGIONS OF THE NORTHEAST U.S. HAVE BEEN SLOW TO ADOPT REDUCED AND NO-TILL PRACTICES BECAUSE OF SEVERAL REAL AND PERCEIVED BARRIERS. OF THESE, EFFECTIVELY MANAGING MANURE WITHIN NO-TILL IS A TOP CONCERN. ADDITIONALLY, THE AMOUNT OF MANURE-NITROGEN THAT CAN BE ACCUMULATED AND HELD BY COVER CROPS FOR SUBSEQUENT USE BY CASH CROPS IS UNCLEAR.THROUGH REPLICATED RESEARCH TRIALS, ON-FARM DEMONSTRATIONS, AND EDUCATIONALPROGRAMS, THE PROJECT WILL DETERMINE THE COVER CROPS AND MANURE APPLICATION METHODS THAT MOST EFFECTIVELY CAPTURE MANURE-NITROGEN AND MINIMIZE GREENHOUSE GAS LOSSES WHEN THESE PRACTICES ARE APPLIED TO FIELDS FOLLOWING CORN HARVEST IN NO-TILL SYSTEMS UNDER NORTHERN REGION GROWING CONDITIONS. THE PROJECT'S LONG-TERM GOAL IS THE WIDE-SPREAD FARMER ADOPTION OF COVER CROPS AND NO-TILL IN FAR NORTHERN REGIONS.