Crop performance trials in Ohio reveal decades of yield improvement
The Ohio Crop Performance Trials have provided unbiased, real-world data for more than 50 years, helping farmers compare crop hybrids and varieties across diverse Ohio growing conditions. Today, the program remains a key decision-making resource as farmers navigate tight margins and increasingly complex seed choices.
Soil Science Fundamentals Practice Exam now available
New resource for those seeking CPSS certification, licensure in their state
There's a new resource available for those looking to take the Soil Science Fundamentals Exam to be certified as a CPSS or licensed in their state. The Soil Science Fundamentals Exam Practice Exam is a self-assessment tool can help you brush up on your exam-taking skills and help you identify gaps in your knowledge so you can better focus your study time.
The spring exam takes place next month with registration open from March 4 through March 30.
Featured articles
The soybean growth cycle: Important risks and management strategies
Optimal soybean production requires accurate, stage-specific management practices to mitigate abiotic and biotic stressors. From emergence to full maturity, a soybean plant's physiological needs and vulnerabilities change as it transitions through its vegetative and reproductive cycles. This management guide details each growth stage, provides clear descriptions, and identifies the common risks encountered. For different growth stages, strategic management recommendations are presented, emphasizing proactive approaches to mitigate potential yield limitations.
Earn 2 CEUs in Crop Management by reading the article and taking the quiz.
Foliar feeding of plant nutrition
As global population growth intensifies pressure on agricultural production, foliar feeding offers a precise and efficient method to enhance crop yield, quality, and nutritional value when soil nutrient availability is limited or impaired. The article explains how foliar-applied nutrients enter plant tissues, the factors influencing their effectiveness—including formulation chemistry, molecular size, environmental conditions, and plant physiology—and the importance of proper timing and dosage to avoid phytotoxicity.
Earn 1 CEU in Nutrient Management by reading this article and taking the quiz.
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Strengthening the ASA–ICCA partnership to advance common interests
The American Society of Agronomy (ASA) and the International Certified Crop Adviser (ICCA) Program are working toward strengthening the value, recognition, and impact of the CCA credential, which is a key objective of the new ICCA Strategic Plan. The organizations aim to expand professional development, connect research more directly to on-farm application, and better serve both advisers and farmers.
Seeds of change: Ohio’s crop performance trials reveal decades of yield improvement
The Ohio Crop Performance Trials have provided unbiased, real-world data for more than 50 years, helping farmers compare crop hybrids and varieties across diverse Ohio growing conditions. By combining long-term yield data with farmer-managed fields and evolving genetics, the trials show how advances in seed technology, rotations, and conservation practices have doubled yields while improving efficiency. Today, the program remains a key decision-making resource as farmers navigate tight margins and increasingly complex seed choices.
Earn 1 CEU in Crop Management by reading the article and taking the quiz.
Partial government shutdown ends, House farm bill mark-up forthcoming
After just five days, the partial government shutdown ended on Tuesday when the House approved a funding package that included five of the remaining six government funding bills and short-term funding for the Department of Homeland Security. House Agriculture Chairman GT Thompson (R-PA) has pointed to February 23 as the expected farm bill mark-up date in the House Agriculture Committee.
Production challenges in forage systems: Needs assessment in northeast California
A thorough understanding of the local farming challenges and needs is critical for the success of agricultural extension services. A survey of predominately farmers and ranchers was conducted to identify the key challenges and demands of irrigated forage systems of the Pit River Watershed of California. Overall, the survey results underscore the need for (a) local needs assessment and (b) increasing the extension personnel to address the efficient water and soil management in forages while reducing the input costs in forage production areas in the U.S.
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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