Legacy phosphorus: Management and regional conservation
This month, we focus on managing legacy phosphorus (P) with two articles. One article discusses how legacy P impacts crop production, soil tests, and long-term sustainability of fertilizer practices across U.S. cropland, emphasizing the 4R nutrient stewardship framework. The other addresses the environmental and water quality impacts of legacy P in the Lake Erie watershed and emphasizes regional conservation strategies and collaborative, adaptive management.
ICCA Board approves new strategic plan
A new five-year strategic plan was approved by the International Certified Crop Adviser (ICCA) Board during a meeting in Denver, CO August 19-21, 2025. The plan is the culmination of a six-month process that involved a task force composed of local CCA board members and administrators, the ICCA Executive Committee, and staff. The plan, which will commence in 2026, is intended to reflect the CCA program’s vision for how it will meet the challenges ahead and outlines how time, energy, and resources will be used.
Featured articles
Understanding green stem in soybeans
Green stem is a term that describes abnormal patterns of maturation in soybean, where the seeds and pods mature fully even though the stems stay green. A new diagnostic guide describes the symptoms of green stem, field conditions that may increase green stem risk, and management options for fields with widespread green stem occurrence.
Earn 1 CEU in Crop Management by reading the article and then taking the quiz.
Potato pest monitoring in the Columbia Basin: Data-driven tools for smarter IPM
A long-established potato pest-monitoring network in the Columbia Basin is providing historical data and in-the-field “truth-testing” for a new internet-based Potato Decision Aid System. These programs can inform efforts to establish and enhance pest monitoring networks in other crops. Earn 0.5 CEUs in Integrated Pest Management by reading the article and taking the quiz.
Recent articles
Most read articles
Recent articles
Growing spring peas to increase soil organic carbon in eastern Oregon’s dryland wheat systems
Wheat farmers in eastern Oregon are exploring ways to improve soil health and restore lost carbon in dryland systems dominated by winter wheat–summer fallow rotations. This article highlights long-term research showing that rotating wheat with spring peas can significantly increase soil carbon, especially the more stable mineral-associated organic matter. By comparing tillage methods and crop rotations, the study offers insights into how legume integration can enhance sustainability and productivity in the Inland Pacific Northwest.
Earn 0.5 CEUs in Soil & Water Management by reading this article and taking the quiz.
Welsheimer receives Administrative Excellence Award
Janice Welsheimer, Executive Director of the Ohio CCA Program, has received the 2025 ICCA Administrative Excellence Award. The award recognizes outstanding regional administrative services that contribute significantly to the success of the CCA program and honors individuals or teams who demonstrate exceptional efficiency, innovation, and dedication in supporting the CCA program's mission and operations.
Wyant testifies before House Ag Committee
Dr. Karl Wyant, CCA/CPAg and Nutrien Director of Agronomy, testified before the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture on July 22, 2025. He talked about plant biostimulants and their value in improving soil health, crop production, and environmental outcomes and advocated for a bill that clearly defines plant biostimulants to improve regulatory clarity.
Riekman receives L.B. Thomson Conservation Award
Marla Riekman, CCA and Soil Management Specialist with Manitoba Agriculture’s Ag Resource Branch, received the L.B. Thomson Conservation Award during the Soils for Our Future conference in Winnipeg, MB, Canada, July 20–25, 2025. This prestigious award recognizes outstanding soil care achievements, adoption, and advocacy by individuals or groups that have had a strong regional impact anywhere in Canada.
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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