April Crops & Soils
The April issue of Crops & Soils is online! Our cover story this month is on improving soybean yield in Wisconsin through early planting and rethinking maturity group ranges.
Sweet corn productivity under strategic irrigation and biochar application in the Texas Southern High Plains
The Texas Southern High Plains faces severe water limitations for agriculture, making efficient irrigation essential due to high evapotranspiration and declining groundwater from the Ogallala Aquifer. To address this, researchers developed a growth stage-based irrigation strategy for sweet corn, paired with biochar soil amendments, aiming to improve water productivity under drought-prone conditions. A two-year field study tested different irrigation levels and biochar rates to evaluate their effects on sweet corn growth, yield, and water efficiency. Earn 0.5 CEUs in Soil & Water Management by taking the quiz for the article.
Featured articles
Dryland continuous cropping reduces greenhouse gas emissions and enhances crop yields
The traditional dryland cropping system in the semi-arid U.S. northern Great Plains is conventional tillage crop–fallow, which has not only reduced soil health and environmental quality, but has also decreased annualized crop yields. Improved management strategies are needed.
Maximizing peat: how extenders can stretch your soil mix
Peat has long been a cornerstone of the horticultural industry in Canada, primarily due to its unique physicochemical properties that enhance plant growth. The Canadian peat industry has evolved significantly with the country being one of the largest producers of peat globally, primarily sourced from Sphagnum moss found in its extensive peatlands. However, even with the most sustainable extraction practices in place, the slow replenishment rate of peat makes it a non-renewable resource in the practical sense. One sustainable solution may be peat extenders—materials blended with peat to partially reduce its usage in growing media while preserving its beneficial properties, such as water retention and aeration. Earn 0.5 CEUs in Soil & Water Management by taking the quiz for the article.
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Shallow non-inversion tillage associated with improved soil health in Prince Edward Island potato production
In Canada, Prince Edward Island (PEI) is one of the leading provinces for potato production, growing 85,300 acres (34,100 ha) and producing 25,930 million cwt (1.2 million Mt) of potatoes in 2024. Many producers are moving away from use of the moldboard plow and are investing in non-inversion shallow till implements, often referred to as performing “vertical tillage” or “residue tillage.” The implements till less deeply than the plow, mixing the top 6 to 8 inches of soil rather than inverting it. Given this change in tillage practices in PEI, scientists at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada devised a research project to better understand how shallow non-inversion tillage practices compared side-by-side in commercial fields compared with traditional moldboard plowing practices. Their objective was to compare both tillage regimens in terms of impact on soil health metrics, soil moisture, potato petiole nitrate concentration, and potato yield and quality metrics. Earn 0.5 CEUs in Soil & Water Management by taking the quiz for the article.
Herbicide resistance in downy brome in the dryland wheat production region of northeastern Oregon
Downy brome (Bromus tectorum L.) is a challenging weed to control in dryland wheat production systems in northeastern Oregon. Growers in the region predominantly rely on postemergence acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitors (Group 2 herbicides) to control downy brome in wheat. However, the repeated and prolonged use of these herbicides has led to the evolution of resistant downy brome populations. This article presents findings from a survey conducted in 2021 and 2022, which evaluated downy brome management practices and the prevalence of herbicide resistance in this species across wheat fields in the region. Earn 0.5 CEUs in Integrated Pest Management by taking the quiz.
Science meets policy at Congressional Visits Day
Society members, CCAs advocate for research funding and the value of science
During Congressional Visits Day, held February 26 this year, Society members and CCAs participated in more than 80 visits with lawmakers and their staff in Washington, DC. The primary message was that USDA research is vital to a secure and vibrant food and ag system in the United States.
Soil fertility, fertilizers, and crop nutrition: Past, present, and future
Society has made (and will be making) significant demands on agriculture in the not-to-distant future. Meeting future sustainability goals and environmental regulations while simultaneously continuing to meet requirements for food, feed, fuel, and fiber requires a firm understanding of how “we” have collectively arrived at our current status as it relates to our fertility principles and beliefs as well as the processes that address them. This series intends to describe crop nutrition and fertilizers from where we have been to where the authors believe that we will likely need to be prepared to go if we are to support world demands into the foreseeable future.
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