Inside this issue

Dear members: This issue, all three of our feature stories have videos to go along with the text in the online version of the magazine. If you haven't checked out the digital CSA News (https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/23253584) yet, please do and let us know what you think. We post the videos on our social media channels each month, so be sure to follow the Societies on Twitter and Facebook and share the videos with those in your network. They're an easy, engaging way to explain the importance of our science to others.

The cover story this month is based off a presentation given at last year's Annual Meeting and really demonstrates the type of cutting-edge science that our meeting offers (see p. 12). You don't want to miss this year's 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting. Learn more and register now at www.acsmeetings.org.

I would like to draw your attention to two articles this issue. The first has to do with the Societies' recommendations to the USDA for its Agriculture Innovation Agenda (see p. 30). The Societies established a task force with other scientific societies with the goal of developing joint comments that would broadly represent agricultural research stakeholders. Recommendations centered around agriculture education, diversity and inclusion, economic policies that help farmers be flexible, and products that increase resilience and sustainability, like sensor systems and breeding toolkits.

The second article I'd like to highlight unpacks the results from a survey conducted by International Certified Crop Adviser (ICCA) Program earlier this year (see p. 38). One thing that jumped out at me was that CCAs are involved in advising somewhere between 52 and 74% of the crop production acres in the U.S.! They play such a key role in getting science-based information down to the farm level. Are you interested in helping them out? Crops & Soils magazine serves the CCA audience with articles and CEUs and is looking for Corn Belt Editor to join the editorial board in January. See p. 25.