Science

Science briefs

Field installation of soil sensors used in the study. Monitoring of CO₂, O₂, soil moisture, temperature, and water potential was done at multiple depths in a basalt-amended soybean field. Photo courtesy of Yan Zhu.

Enhanced rock weathering changes cropland soil physical properties and carbon dioxide emissions

February 13, 2026

Soil organic matter can be conceptually separated into (1) pedogenic-controlled baseline and (2) contemporary management-controlled root-zone enrichment components. Photo courtesy of Alan Franzluebbers, USDA-ARS.

Root-zone enrichment targets in the southeastern United States

February 11, 2026

A rover equipped with a cosmic-ray neutron sensing system for soil moisture mapping, representing one of several geophysical tools applied in agriculture. Photo courtesy of Trenton E. Franz, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Trends in agricultural geophysics

January 20, 2026

Winter cover crops growing in a cotton–corn rotation system at the R. R. Foil Plant Science Research Center in Starkville, MS. Photo courtesy of Wei Dai, postdoctoral research associate and first author on the study.

Cover crops enhance carbon and nitrogen storage in soil microaggregates

January 20, 2026

Tile drainage sump pit for monitoring water flow and collecting samples for nitrate analysis. Photo courtesy of Sabrina Ruis, USDA-ARS (Boone County, IA).

Diversified organic farming reduces nitrogen leaching losses

January 20, 2026

Sarah Peery, coauthor on a new study published in the journal Crop Science, collects wheat for late-maturity alpha amylase testing at the soft dough stage of grain development. Photo courtesy of Camille M. Steber, USDA-ARS.

Genetic connections between wheat preharvest sprouting and late maturity alpha-amylase

January 20, 2026

Presidents Picks

President’s pick: SSSA research February 2026

President’s pick: SSSA research February 2026

January 27, 2026

Down to Earth

Researchers from the University of Minnesota are connecting with African community members to bring better African produce to the North Star State. From left to right: Amaranth, Ethiopian mustard, jute mallow, and spiderwisp. Vegetable photos originally from Figure 2 in Stoll et al. (2025).

Student-led plant breeding initiative brings African communities in Minnesota a taste of home

January 27, 2026

Switchgrass growing in eastern Nebraska. Photo by Peggy Greb, USDA-ARS.

Switchgrass biofuel: Better than corn?

January 22, 2026

Features

Cover photo courtesy of Adobe Stock/wasan.

Getting rice to chill in the wake of a warming planet

January 23, 2026

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