Environment

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 30, 2023 – Russell Taylor of Emery, Utah was named this year’s recipient of the Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) Conservationist of the Year Award.

Rosalind Morris led an extraordinary life that ended 26 Mar. 2022, just shy of her 102 birthday. Her legacy lives on, not just through her scientific and professional accomplishments, but also thanks to a generous donation she made to the Agronomic Science Foundation (ASF), the philanthropic arm of ASA, CSSA, and SSSA. Donations to ASF enable a wide range of programming, such as awards, lectureships, and service initiatives and help to sustain the value and relevance of the Societies into the future.

Corn is a classic American crop. First cultivated in North America thousands of years ago, it now blankets American farmland from coast to coast. The U.S. grows more corn than any other country. And the grain is used for everything from tortilla chips to cow feed, to biofuel.

Severe wildfires have become annual events in the United States. The years 2020 and 2021 were the worst in wildfire history in California. Other states – and countries – are at risk as well. Climate change is making wildfires more likely in some places. And with heavy populations residing in areas bordering wildlands and forests, many people are more likely to experience serious wildfires.

For many parts of the United States, winter weather can impact road conditions. To reduce hazardous conditions caused by snow and ice, many counties, municipalities, homeowners, and others use deicers. Salt is the most common option to treat roads.

Sewage treatment plants provide an important service to communities around the world. Through several processes, these facilities take dirty water and transform it into water that can be reused safely. Treating water that comes from our homes and offices – domestic wastewater - to be reintroduced into the environment protects both human and environmental health.

Whether we like it or not, plastic is a major part of our lives. The production and use of plastics has been found to create a problem because “microplastics” are accumulating in our soils.

On average, Americans eat more than 50 pounds of beef each year (according to USDA estimates). But what do beef cattle eat? In the eastern United States, beef cattle often eat tall fescue, a “cool-season” grass. As the name suggests, cool-season grass grows best in temperate conditions: temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit and abundant rainfall.

Have you ever thought about where your waste goes? For people living in cities, it goes to a treatment plant. However, treated wastewater ultimately finds its way into a local waterway. This means it could end up in your nearby stream, river, or lake.

Undeniably, corn is one of the world’s most important crops. From feeding humans and livestock, to its many industrial uses, humans have been growing it for approximately 10,000 years.