Agronomy

The soil is a vital foundation for most plant life. Our crops rely on this rich trove of nutrients and microbes to help turn sunlight into food. But we’ve learned over the last few decades that there can be too much of a good thing.

As you start to plan for your Thanksgiving dinner, sweet potatoes are likely on the menu. Whether roasted and savory or topped with marshmallows, they’re a fall staple.

Drinking orange juice with breakfast has been a staple in kitchens for years. But a disease has been infecting citrus trees and reducing yields, threatening the supply. Called “citrus greening,” it causes trees to decline and die within three years. The disease destroys the production, appearance, and economic value of citrus trees and their fruit. There is no cure.

Many people do not know that human waste can be recycled to benefit the environment. After intense treatment, it can be applied to fields in the form of biosolids.

Popcorn is one of America’s favorite snacks. But did you know that a grain called sorghum can also be popped?

Researchers at Texas A&M University recently released a new variety of sorghum with excellent yield and superior popping quality.

Healthy soils are a precious resource. They are vital for protecting ecosystems, maintaining water quality, producing crops, and mitigating climate change.

If you’ve ever moved from one location in the US to another, you may know that different regions have different “hardiness zones” for outdoor plants. So, if you live in the south, and want to bring a prized rose bush when you move to a northern state, it most likely won’t survive.

Soils, like people, can be healthy or unhealthy. We’ve recently learned how important the microbes inside our bodies are to human health. Likewise, soil health depends on a complex group of microbes. These bacteria and fungi recycle nutrients and prepare the soils to better support plants.

Potatoes are the most consumed vegetable in the United States. According to the USDA, US farmers grew more than 42 billion lbs. of potatoes in 2019. That’s 128 lbs. of potatoes per person.

You may have heard the term “carbon sequestration.” In its basic terms, it refers to keeping and returning carbon to the soil. Since carbon is an element, how and why should this be done?