The National Soil Tilth Laboratory (NSTL) is a multi-disciplinary laboratory comprised of four research units.  The research units are Soil and Water Quality, Agricultural Systems-Atmospheric Processes and Exchanges, Swine Odor and Manure Management, and Agricultural Land and Water Management.  These four units represent an integrated effort to address the problems of crop and livestock management on environmental quality (air, soil, and water) and to develop production systems that are more efficient while enhancing environmental quality.

Research in the NSTL is conducted at a range of scales from controlled laboratory experiments, growth chamber and rhizotron, plot, field, watershed, and regional scale.  These different scales of research represent an effort to conduct research that impacts science, the agricultural community, the regulatory and policy community, and the general public.  The individual research unit descriptions provide a detailed view of the research program and outreach efforts.