Giant miscanthus is a perennial, warm-season grass grown as a biomass crop. In Maryland, giant miscanthus successfully grew on marginal land experiencing flooding, saltwater intrusion, and heavy deer pressure, conditions that resulted in total soybean yield loss for several years prior to the study. While giant miscanthus did not grow in year-round flooded conditions and yield was negatively correlated with sodium level, giant miscanthus had little yield loss in areas with intermittent flooded conditions and areas with sodium levels well above what grain crops can tolerate. Earn 1 CEU in Crop Management by reading this article and taking the quiz.

Precision sprayers can detect and treat weeds simultaneously in real-time, enabling targeted weed management. This approach has the potential to reduce herbicide usage and associated costs. Although large-scale commercial precision sprayers are available for row crops, their weed control efficacy has not been extensively compared with traditional broadcast sprayers under field conditions.

New research evaluated the performance of precision sprayers (Greeneye Technology and John Deere) in corn and soybean production fields. Results indicated that both precision sprayers provided grass and broadleaf weed control comparable to broadcast sprayers with herbicide savings dependent on weed infestation.

Earn 0.5 CEUs in Integrated Pest Management by taking the quiz for the article.

• Soil carbon is essential for soil health as it enhances soil structure, fuels microbial activity, improves fertility by providing nutrients, and increases resilience to environmental stresses.

• Low soil carbon can lead to increased erosion, reduced microbial diversity, and a significant loss of crop productivity.

• Strategies to improve soil carbon involve a combination of practices, such as adding organic soil amendments, reducing tillage, planting cover crops, diversifying cropping systems, and integrating livestock.

  Earn 1.5 CEUs in Soil & Water Management by reading this article and taking the quiz.

More than half of the U.S. sugarcane production comes from the Everglades Agricultural Area. The region’s high agricultural productivity is largely attributed to its fertile organic soils, Histosols, which contain up to 85% organic matter and provide essential nutrients for crop growth. However, decades of intensive farming coupled with hot and humid climate have led to significant soil loss. This article examines the impacts of farming on shallow organic soils in South Florida, exploring how reduced soil depth affects crop production and what strategies can help mitigate further soil loss. Earn 1 CEU in Soil & Water Management by taking the quiz.