Science briefs

Transition from bedrock to topsoil on a farm in the United Kingdom. Photo courtesy of Daniel Evans.

Weathered bedrock holds overlooked carbon storage potential

August 20, 2025

Flower of a female cannabis plant. Photo courtesy of Justine Richard-Giroux.

The genetic script of cannabis chemistry

August 20, 2025

Tifton 85 and Alicia bermudagrass under evaluation in Tifton, GA. The bermudagrass stem maggot damage is visible by the bronzing or browning of the leaf tips. Photo courtesy of Lisa Baxter, University of Georgia.

Further refining needed for applying bermudagrass stem maggot insecticide

August 20, 2025

Winter wheat small-plot trial in eastern Nebraska (2020), used to evaluate remote-sensing-based nitrogen recommendation models for improved nitrogen management. Photo courtesy of Laila Puntel.

Smarter nitrogen decisions for winter wheat

August 20, 2025

Left: Mitchell Richardson setting up the automated GHG sampling system. A component of the sampling system is an SRI gas chromatograph for gas concentration measurements integrated with a Campbell Scientific Data Logger to control sampling equipment. Right: Here Richardson is shown maintaining GHG sampling equipment at the field sampling site. On his left is a LI-COR flux gas chamber with orange flags to mark the location of the soil gas samplers along with the trailer housing the GHG sampling system.

Novel field-sampling system used to monitor greenhouse gas cycling at a high time resolution

August 4, 2025

Photo by Xochiquetzal Fonseca/CIMMYT (license CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

A simple and low-cost method for plant breeders to increase the rate of recombination of corn

August 4, 2025

Indicator of Reduction in Soils (IRIS) film immediately after retrieval following 60-minute deployment in a tidal marsh soil. On the green table is a portable document scanner for collecting the IRIS image. Photo courtesy of Jocelyn Wardrup, UMD ENST.

Rapid assessment of porewater sulfide using IRIS films

August 4, 2025

Computational design.

Designing agroecosystems with computers

August 4, 2025

Sampling surface residue in a Virginia grassland. Photo by Alan Franzluebbers, USDA-ARS.

Soil fertility is altered by texture and land use in the southeastern United States

August 4, 2025

Farmers’ concerns surrounding the environmental impact of their fertilizers often conflict with their actual application rates. This study in Agricultural & Environmental Letters highlights a need for better communication of phosphorus fertilizer guidelines. Image courtesy of Michigan State University.

Farmer perceptions are important for phosphorus fertilizer management

August 4, 2025

Notice: 2026 Annual Elections

Call for Papers: Phenomics of Germplasm Collection

Call for Papers: Advancement of Fate and Transport of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in the Vadose Zone