Agricultural & Environmental Letters is an open access journal that publishes articles spanning the entire range of the agricultural and environmental sciences. We welcome concise commentaries and research letters describing cross-disciplinary research or addressing emerging scientific, policy, and economic issues. Agricultural & Environmental Letters is a joint publication of ASA, CSSA, and SSSA.

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Soil organic matter characteristics of four soil types under different conservation strategies across Hubei Province
Soil organic matter characteristics of four soil types under different conservation strategies across Hubei Province

Soil organic matter plays key roles in sloping land erosion control. Researchers explored soil organic matter content across Hubei Province, China, under various conservation strategies. The findings underscore the intricate relationship between soil types and soil organic matter dynamics. This study offerd valuable guidance for policymakers and land managers to apply practices in mitigating erosion and enhancing soil health. Read more.

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Open access

A dual tank precision sprayer to evaluate the interaction of 2,4‐D choline and quizalofop‐p‐ethyl for control of volunteer corn in corn

Adam Leise, Mandeep Singh, Nicolas Cafaro La Menza, Stevan Z. Knezevic, Amit J. Jhala, 

Core Ideas

  • Dual tank/boom system improved volunteer corn control at 14 days after application (DAA) compared to tank mix of quizalofop-p-ethyl (QPE) + 2,4-D choline.
  • Higher rate of QPE resolved antagonism of QPE + 2,4-D choline tank mix by 28 DAA.
  • Volunteer corn control reached ≥92% at 28 DAA, regardless of QPE rate and application method.

Open access

Transferability of soil management assessment framework indices to detect best soil management strategies in tropical agroecosystems

Helen C. S. Amorim, Amanda J. Ashworth, Gerson L. Drescher, Mohkam Singh, Marcio R. Nunes, 

Core Ideas

  • Soil management assessment framework (SMAF) indices in the Mid-South United States and Brazil were assessed.
  • Perennial systems had the greatest SMAF soil health in the Mid-South United States and Brazil.
  • No-till, reduced tillage, and conventional tillage had similar SMAF soil quality in Brazil.
  • Revising macroaggregates and microbial biomass carbon functions can enhance SMAF performance in tropical soils.
  • Improved soil health indices are needed for targeted best management practices in tropical regions.

Open access

Environmental release of a safener fenclorim from rice (Oryza sativa L.) following seed treatment

Jeong-In Hwang, Jason K. Norsworthy, Nanda Kumar, Tae-Hwa Kim, 

Graphical Abstract

Environmental release of a safener fenclorim from rice (Oryza sativa L.) following seed treatment Issue 1, 2025

Rice seed treatment with fenclorim followed by (fb) insecticide is the best option to minimize the release of fenclorim in soil and ensure the safety of final harvested rice from its residues.

Open access

Phosphate elution from anion‐exchange membranes in soil analysis

Suwei Xu, Andrew J. Margenot, 

Core Ideas

  • Acid elution can introduce errors to resin-extractable phosphate (PO4-P) used to assess soil bioavailable P.
  • Sodium bicarbonate (0.5 M NaHCO3) achieved ≈100% PO4-P recovery, outcompeting sulfuric acid (0.25 M H2SO4) in elution.
  • NaHCO3 elution yielded >9.6% PO4-P than H2SO4 across soils from 12 USDA soil order and different vegetation covers.
  • PO4-P remaining in soil–water extract after resin removal (H2Ore-PO4) was up to 46% of total extractable PO4-P.
  • NaHCO3 is an effective eluent for resin extractable P, and H2Ore-PO4 should be quantified as part of soil labile P.

Open access

Machine learning on multi‐spectral imagery to estimate nutrient yield of mixed‐species cover crops

Tulsi P. Kharel, Heather L. Tyler, Partson Mubvumba, Yanbo Huang, Ammar B. Bhandari, Reginald S. Fletcher, Saseendran Anapalli, Deepak R. Joshi, Alemu Mengistu, Girma Birru, Kabindra Adhikari, Madhav Dhakal, Mahesh L. Maskey, Krishna N. Reddy, David E. Clay, 

Core Ideas

  • Mixed cover crop biomass nutrient contents decreased with increasing grass proportion in the seed mix.
  • Vegetation indices followed combined biomass N, P, and K yield trends.
  • Combining data from three different time points improved cover crop nutrient yield predictions using machine learning and vegetation indices (VIs).

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Open access

Soil health management practices and crop productivity

Grace L. Miner, Jorge A. Delgado, James A. Ippolito, Catherine E. Stewart, 
Open access

Effects of Drought on Crop Production and Cropping Areas in Texas

Ram L. Ray, Ali Fares, Eric Risch, 
Open access

Revisiting the permanganate oxidizable carbon (POXC) assay assumptions: POXC is lignin sensitive

Finnleigh S. Woodings, Andrew J. Margenot, 

Core Ideas

  • Indirectly estimated from MnO4− reduction, permanganate oxidizable carbon (POXC) is regarded as labile C.
  • A total of 17 compounds ranging in biological lability were assessed under standard POXC assay conditions.
  • Lignin reduced MnO4−, whereas carbohydrates, such as d-glucose and d-sucrose were nonreactive.
  • POXC of compounds was driven by functional group presence, inconsistent with reduction oxidation assumptions.
  • POXC is an indirectly, chemically measured organic matter fraction that should be expressed as MnO4− reduced kg−1.

Open access

The fate of nitrogen of ammonium phosphate fertilizers: A blind spot

Andrew J. Margenot, Jeonggu Lee, 

Core Ideas

  • Ammonium phosphate fertilizers (AP) are an overlooked N input to agroecosystems (8% of global N inputs).
  • No study explicitly evaluates N loss from AP via NO3-N leaching and N2O-N losses.
  • Inadvertent comparisons in five studies are confounded by the lack of an unfertilized control.
  • Simultaneous and explicit evaluation of NO3-N and N2O-N losses of AP are needed.
  • The fate of N applied as AP is a key blind spot in agroecosystem N budgets that should be resolved.

Open access

Soil Protein as a Rapid Soil Health Indicator of Potentially Available Organic Nitrogen

Tunsisa T. Hurisso, Dan J. Moebius-Clune, Steve W. Culman, Bianca N. Moebius-Clune, Janice E. Thies, Harold M. van Es, 

Articles with the most citations published in the Last 5 Years according to CrossRef. The citation counts listed reflect the total number of all citations to date.

RESEARCH LETTER
Open access

Cover crops and weed suppression in the U.S. Midwest: A meta‐analysis and modeling study

Virginia Nichols, Rafael Martinez-Feria, David Weisberger, Sarah Carlson, Bruno Basso, Andrea Basche, 
https://doi.org/10.1002/ael2.20022
RESEARCH LETTER
Open access

Systems with greater perenniality and crop diversity enhance soil biological health

Christine D. Sprunger, Tvisha Martin, Meredith Mann, 
https://doi.org/10.1002/ael2.20030
RESEARCH LETTER
Open access

Is allelopathy from winter cover crops affecting row crops?

Katja Koehler-Cole, Sydney E. Everhart, Yan Gu, Christopher A. Proctor, Margarita Marroquin-Guzman, Daren D. Redfearn, Roger W. Elmore, 
https://doi.org/10.1002/ael2.20015
RESEARCH LETTER
Open access

Role of inherent soil characteristics in assessing soil health across Missouri

Stacy M. Zuber, Kristen S. Veum, Robert L. Myers, Newell R. Kitchen, Stephen H. Anderson, 
https://doi.org/10.1002/ael2.20021
RESEARCH LETTER
Open access

How can we estimate optimum fertilizer rates with accuracy and precision?

Fernando E. Miguez, Hanna Poffenbarger, 
https://doi.org/10.1002/ael2.20075

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