Welcome to the new Crops & Soils site
The new site currently features articles from 2024 and 2025. Content from past years will be added soon and new content will post each week.
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.
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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.
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Soil health management practices in the diverse Intermountain West
More local information would help farmers, crop advisers
The Intermountain West spans the basin and range between the Rockies to the east and the Cascades and Sierra Nevada to the west. Its features diverse agricultural terrain and activity. Soil health management practices this region remain significantly understudied compared with other areas, according to a commentary published in the journal Agricultural & Environmental Letters. A survey of crop advisers and farmers across Utah explored their role in promoting soil health practices and identified barriers to and opportunities to expand soil health management practices. Earn 1 CEU in Soil & Water Management by taking the quiz for the article.
Nitrogen cycle: Unraveling microbial dynamics for optimizing nitrogen use
Nitrogen is a primary macronutrient essential for crop growth, yield, and productivity. To manage nitrogen effectively, it is critical to understand the fate of nitrogen in the soil and the various transformations it undergoes in the nitrogen cycle. Microbes play a vital role in nitrogen cycling by facilitating key processes such as nitrogen fixation, nitrification, and denitrification, which regulate nitrogen availability for plants and nitrogen loss. This article explores the various nitrogen-cycling processes, the microbes involved, and how they function under different environmental conditions. Understanding these microbes and their interactions with environmental factors is essential in improving nitrogen availability and minimizing the environmental impact of nitrogen cycling. Earn 1.5 CEUs in Nutrient Management by taking the quiz for the article.
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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