Science

Science briefs

Stratified soil samples being collected in a long-term no-tillage rice-soybean rotation trial established in 2007 at the Rice Research and Extension Center, near Stuttgart, AR. Photo courtesy of Gerson Drescher, Assistant Professor of Soil Fertility at the University of Arkansas.

Refining sample guidelines for soil health assessment

September 8, 2026

Aphids on a wheat leaf. Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock.

A novel Russian wheat aphid resistance gene: Dn11

August 27, 2026

Genomic information as proxy to deal with the missing comparability between plant phenotypes and breeding values

Genomic information as proxy to deal with the missing comparability between plant phenotypes and breeding values

August 26, 2026

Schematic representation of a soil sample in cryotic conditions. The Sihvola multiphase mix model can be adapted to represent the soil sample in an environment of liquid water in which the other phases exist. Note that while ice and air phases are not depicted as round for ease of visualization, they are mathematically represented as such. Image courtesy of Quentin ''Quinn'' Sapin, Queen's University.

The instrumentation of unfrozen water content: Considering the importance of conversion curves

August 21, 2026

Conceptual model showing how different biochars affect water loss. High-temperature red river gum particles create fast water flow paths that increase early evaporation. High-temperature black wattle particles pull out more water vapor later. Low-temperature black wattle helps block water movement and conserves soil moisture. Image courtesy of Roeline van Schalkwyk and Ailsa G. Hardie, Stellenbosch University.

Biochar type choice matters for limiting evaporation

August 20, 2026

Representative corn plants grown under low (left) and high (right) soil-test potassium (K) conditions in a 41-year field trial on a Coastal Plain sandy loam soil in North Carolina. Despite contrasting long-term soil K management, plants exhibited similar overall growth, illustrating the limited visual response observed under conditions where K-bearing minerals continued to supply K. Photo courtesy of Dionata (John) Filippi, North Carolina State University.

Soil potassium forms may help to sustain crops and reduce the need for fertilizer

August 17, 2026

Features

Winter rye crop in a no-till corn field in Iowa in the spring. Photo by Tom Kasper (USDA-ARS).

Integrating wheat and other small grains into the corn–soybean rotation

August 31, 2026

Soil Riddles

Question mark inside a magnifying glass, laying on soil.

Soil riddles: September 2026

August 28, 2026

Presidents Picks

Aaron Lee M. Daigh, President, Soil Science Society of America

President's pick: SSSA Research September 2026

August 25, 2026

Down to Earth

The science behind managing turfgrass

August 24, 2026

CANVAS Academy

Webinar: Mixed Cover Crops in Corn-Soybean Systems

CANVAS speakers