Special Collections

The effect of fires on soils is a hot topic of research, particularly among those who study what’s known as “the vadose zone.” The vadose zone is the portion of the Earth’s surface that extends from the land surface to the water table. It contains soil, minerals, nutrients, rocks, air, water, roots, organic matter, microorganisms, and animal life and is critical to life on Earth, regulating water, plant growth, and the movement of nutrients and contaminants.

The Societies recognize top-notch students every year with the Gerald O. Mott Meritorious Graduate Student Award in Crop Science and the National Student Recognition Award. The former is for graduate students pursuing advanced degrees in crop science disciplines. The latter is for seniors enrolled in agronomic, crop, soil, or environmental science departments. 

In celebration of Women's History Month, we will feature a series of videos showcasing the impact of women across the sciences—women who are changing the world, one project at a time. 

Soil judging contests encourage team effort as well as individual knowledge in identifying, evaluating, classifying, and describing soil profiles. This special collection provides articles from regional and national contests. 

Fusarium head blight has grown over the past 20 years into one of the world’s most devastating diseases of wheat and other small grains, such as barley, oats, and triticale.

Soil carbon is essential for soil health as it enhances soil structure, fuels microbial activity, improves fertility by providing nutrients, and increases resilience to environmental stresses. Carbon sequestration, the process of capturing and storing atmospheric CO₂ in the soil, helps minimize net CO₂ emissions from agriculture that contribute to climate change. 

This special collection brings together recent articles in CSA News that focus on soil carbon, highlighting the underlying science and beneficial management practices. 

This three-part series focuses on fostering microbial activity and diversity through better management practices and strategies. Part 1 discusses the soil microbiome and its importance along with factors affecting microbial activity in agricultural systems. Part 2 looks at management practices for better microbial activity and diversity. Part 3 examines monitoring and quantification of microbial diversity, challenges for adopting sustainable practices, government policy, and scaling microbial diversity from smaller to larger agricultural systems.

The term “microbiome” refers to a collective assembly of microorganisms within a specific environment, including fungi, bacteria, and viruses, influencing dynamic functions within the system. Microbes play a pivotal role in the production of various food items, wines, and medicinal compounds. Their significance in agriculture and ecology is monumental, which will be explored in this two-part series.