Liquid swine manure can be a resource for providing essential plant nutrients and building soil resources, but itsmanagement for maximum productivity with minimum environmental impact is often very difficult. Failure to understand thechallenges may result in expectations or even regulations that are impossible to achieve. Our objective is to provide producersand policy makers with information regarding agronomic and environmental challenges of liquid swine manure managementbased on results from a 6-year study with continuous corn (Zea mays L.) and a corn-soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]rotation in Iowa. Challenges that we encountered are openly discussed to increase the awareness of those people who mayultimately be developing policy and writing manure management legislation. Drainage volume, NO3-N concentrations, andNO3-N leaching loss were spatially variable, being influenced by seasonal precipitation as well as current and past manureapplication rates. Annual manure applications for continuous corn increased soil-test P and K values because more nutrientswere supplied than removed through grain harvest. Biennial applications also increased soil-test P but not K. We suggestdeveloping local manure nutrient databases to guide application rates, using total Kjeldahl N (TKN) values to estimateplant-available N, monitoring manure loads to quantify variability and actual loading rates, and routinely using soil-testingto determine if application rates should be based on P rather than N content in the manure.