Residue cover along with manure application can reduce erosion and phosphorus runoff significantly, although this minimum tillage can limit crop yields. To overcome these limitations effective nutrient placement should be adopted. A zone-jection system with crop nutrients applied as manure, narrowed the yield gap that can occur for no-till corn following a poor crop. There was no evidence of increased nitrate leaching, even at sites where excess N was applied. The absence of large amounts of N in either the soil or soil solution may be related to efficient N use and even luxury consumption of N by the crop and excess accumulation in stalks. It was found that the stalk can represent a significant sink for N in cases of over application. The N contained in stalks would likely be released slowly over time or incorporated into soil organic matter given its wide C/N ratio. Zone-jection proved a viable system for producing good crop yields and benefiting the environment through efficient nutrient use, as well as control of runoff, erosion and odors.