{"title":"Defining soil-health targets for root-zone enrichment of soil organic carbon, nitrogen, and soil-test biological activity in the southeastern United States","authors":"Alan J. Franzluebbers","doi":"10.1002/ael2.70049","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ael2.70049","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Quantifying soil organic carbon (SOC) and total soil nitrogen (TSN) at a cumulative depth of 0–30 cm under different land use and management scenarios remains a priority, particularly in the southeastern United States, where soil erosion can be intense with high rainfall and long history of intensive soil disturbance. Restoration of soil health is expected with conservation management, and sensitive indicators of change may be from SOC, TSN, and the active fraction of organic matter as soil-test biological activity (STBA). Cumulative frequency distributions were developed from data in published studies containing 1470 soil profiles that characterized SOC, TSN, and STBA under cropland, grassland, and woodland in the southeastern United States. Soil health targets were established at ratios of root-zone enrichment-to-baseline SOC and TSN of 2.0 ± 0.1 kg kg<sup>−1</sup>; 4.7 ± 0.2 kg kg<sup>−1</sup> was the target for STBA. This database serves as a reference to begin classifying root-zone soil health conditions in the southeastern United States.</p>","PeriodicalId":48502,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural & Environmental Letters","volume":"10 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ael2.70049","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145739434","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Michael R. Barnes, Kristine M. Moncada, Eric Watkins
{"title":"Identifying challenges in establishing pollinator lawns among current and potential owners","authors":"Michael R. Barnes, Kristine M. Moncada, Eric Watkins","doi":"10.1002/ael2.70044","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ael2.70044","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Interest in alternatives to traditional turfgrass lawns is growing, with pollinator lawns emerging as a popular option. Although these lawns offer some advantages over traditional ones, such transitions present challenges for homeowners. This study aimed to identify the most common obstacles encountered by current and prospective pollinator lawn owners and understand how individuals define pollinator lawns. Two primary areas of concern emerged: costs of establishing pollinator lawns and issues related to soil conditions/proper site preparation. Potential owners had higher levels of concerns overall compared to current owners. Alleviation of both actual and perceived challenges is needed on the production and distribution side (new lower cost mixes), and for homeowners through accessible guidance on common pitfalls and best practices for establishing and maintaining pollinator lawns to make transitions more successful to increase pollinator habitat in urban areas.</p>","PeriodicalId":48502,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural & Environmental Letters","volume":"10 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ael2.70044","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145739533","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Commemorating the life and work of Rachel Carson","authors":"Joel I. Cohen","doi":"10.1002/ael2.70045","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ael2.70045","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <p>Where the low tides reveal the shoals, Rachel Carson translated nature into written words. The sea was her focus until dying songbirds diverted her attention, resulting in <i>Silent Spring</i>. While her previous writings met with critical acclaim, the change to environmental concerns drew appreciation from the general population and hostility from stakeholders in a rapidly growing chemical industry. Commemorative initiatives in education, conservation, and digital communications began after Carson's death and continue to the present. These initiatives serve as a proxy to gauge changes in perception and the increasing significance of Carson's legacy. Half a dozen initiatives were established per decade initially, while increasing recently to about a dozen per decade. A total of 58 initiatives were verified, providing groundwork that can (1) add value through partnerships, (2) expand environmental initiatives, (3) support technical and non-technical scientific capacity, and (4) potentially foster new programs between agricultural and environmental initiatives.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Core Ideas</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <div>\u0000 <ul>\u0000 \u0000 <li>Rachel Carson's life and work remain motivating factors for understanding and protecting the environment.</li>\u0000 \u0000 <li>Applications of Carson's vision are found in diverse settings, including via ecological living and inter-generational studies.</li>\u0000 \u0000 <li>New initiatives are still developing, with at least one in Europe.</li>\u0000 \u0000 <li>Most initiatives are in education, conservation, and digital communication but are limited in direct agricultural links.</li>\u0000 \u0000 <li>The 58 commemorative initiatives are mostly autonomous but could be coordinated to gain synergy and ensure continuity of knowledge.</li>\u0000 </ul>\u0000 </div>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":48502,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural & Environmental Letters","volume":"10 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ael2.70045","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145686309","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Moises M. Gutierrez, Silvio C. Liu, Shahnawaz Alam Dip, Ganga M. Hettiarachchi, Melanie M. Derby, Ryan R. Hansen
{"title":"Impact of soil texture on biosurfactant-mediated soil wetting and water retention","authors":"Moises M. Gutierrez, Silvio C. Liu, Shahnawaz Alam Dip, Ganga M. Hettiarachchi, Melanie M. Derby, Ryan R. Hansen","doi":"10.1002/ael2.70043","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ael2.70043","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <p>Increasing global food demand combined with more frequent and intense periods of drought necessitates new strategies to improve agricultural water use efficiency. Amending soils with biosurfactants provides a method to increase soil wettability and improve soil water retention, thereby reducing freshwater demand. This study evaluates the impacts of soil texture on soil water retention after amendment with the biosurfactant, surfactin. Texture effects were systematically investigated by mixing silty clay loam soil with Ottawa sand, ensuring chemically equivalent soil constituents. Sandy loam texture exhibited the most significant response after 50 mg kg<sup>−1</sup> surfactin treatment, indicated by a 25% water contact angle decrease and a twofold increase in soil water retention after a 48-h dryout period. In contrast, all other soil textures, including silty clay loam, loam, and loamy sand, had no significant improvements. These findings highlight the critical role of soil texture on biosurfactant efficacy for optimized application in agricultural soils.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Core Ideas</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <div>\u0000 <ul>\u0000 \u0000 <li>Soil texture plays a critical role in biosurfactant amendment efficiency for improving soil water retention.</li>\u0000 \u0000 <li>Texture effects were isolated using mineralogically equivalent soils of varied textures.</li>\u0000 \u0000 <li>Sandy loam was the only texture with improvements in wettability and water retention after surfactin amendment.</li>\u0000 \u0000 <li>Biosurfactant amendments can increase the economic value of sandy loam soils by improving water retention.</li>\u0000 </ul>\u0000 </div>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":48502,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural & Environmental Letters","volume":"10 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ael2.70043","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145686261","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lauren R. Stubbs, Melinda Zubrod, Adrienne B. Burke, Arron H. Carter
{"title":"Identifying winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) lines with group 1 herbicide tolerance","authors":"Lauren R. Stubbs, Melinda Zubrod, Adrienne B. Burke, Arron H. Carter","doi":"10.1002/ael2.70042","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ael2.70042","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The management of herbicide-tolerant weeds is a challenge for many winter wheat (<i>Triticum aestivum</i> L.) producers. Implementing grass herbicide-tolerant wheat cultivars, such as those under the CoAXium production system, may be an important tool. The objective of this experiment was to develop a screening method that identifies winter wheat lines with homozygous AADD genotypes and demonstrates tolerance to Aggressor AX herbicide. In this experiment, both an herbicide seed soak assay and molecular techniques were used to determine if lines contained the AXigen trait. Fourteen of the 20 populations phenotypically selected a different number of lines than were expected to be tolerant. Of those which were selected phenotypically for tolerance using the herbicide seed soak assay, only 27% of the lines were homozygous for the AADD genotype. While using the phenotypic screen appeared to select lines that were tolerant, few lines exhibited the two-gene combination required for commercialization. Further research is needed to understand why the seed soak assay was selecting against two-gene homozygous lines while allowing non-homozygous lines to appear tolerant. Regardless, lines which were phenotypically screened first, and subsequently selected for homozygosity using molecular markers, demonstrated higher tolerance under field conditions compared to those only screened using markers. This two-step process may be helpful in better selecting lines with high levels of herbicide tolerance rather than relying on molecular marker screening alone.</p>","PeriodicalId":48502,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural & Environmental Letters","volume":"10 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ael2.70042","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145626808","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}