Evapotranspiration terminology for agronomists and mesonets
Our cover story this month explains how evapotranspiration (ET) is defined and estimated in modern agricultural water management, emphasizing the importance of consistent terminology and standardized methods. It outlines how reference evapotranspiration (ETref) and crop coefficients are used together to estimate crop water use and highlights best practices for applying these concepts using mesonet data and other tools.
Practical drone tools for water management: Choosing the right system, sensors, and workflow
Part 2 of the series ‘Seeing the Stress from Above’
Drones are transforming water management in Mid-South cropping systems by detecting stress patterns before they are visible on the ground. This article walks agronomists and crop consultants through practical UAV platforms, sensors, and workflows that turn aerial imagery into actionable insights for irrigation, drainage, and crop health decisions. This is the second article in our “Seeing the Stress from Above” series.
Earn 1 CEU in Soil & Water Management by reading the article and taking the quiz.
Featured articles
![Polyhalite is a naturally occurring evaporite mineral composed of potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulfur (S) in sulfate form [K₂Ca₂Mg(SO₄)₄·2H₂O].](/files/styles/4_3_md/public/images/publications/crops-and-soils/2026/april/polyhalite-lead-1200.jpg.webp?itok=NNIDUkoz)
Polyhalite best management practices
A multi-nutrient approach to system efficiency and soil function
This article explores how polyhalite, a natural multi-nutrient fertilizer, supports crop performance and soil health through a sulfur-driven, slow-release nutrient system. It highlights practical management strategies and real-world benefits, from improving nutrient use efficiency to enhancing operational and environmental outcomes across diverse farming systems.
Earn 0.5 CEUs in Nutrient Management by reading the article and taking the quiz.
Elemental sulfur performance depends on source, soil type, and application timing
Elemental sulfur fertilizers don’t all behave the same. A recent study reveals how source, soil type, and especially temperature patterns after application dramatically influence when sulfur actually becomes available to crops. By uncovering why some products release sulfur too slowly while others meet early-season demand, the findings offer practical insights CCAs and their growers can use to better time applications and avoid hidden yield losses.
Earn 0.5 CEUs in Nutrient Management by reading the article and taking the quiz.
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Living mulches in organic corn
Listen to the latest podcast episode
Organic farming is a rich and rewarding challenge for farmers, but without the use of herbicides and other conventional methods, weed suppression can be a problem. Cover crops functioning as living mulches can be one way to overcome this challenge, but what works in one crop may not necessarily work in another. In this episode of the Field, Lab, Earth podcast, we discuss cover crop management in corn as a means of weed suppression.
Earn 0.5 CEUS in Integrated Pest Management by listening to this episode and taking the quiz.
Why early crop stress is invisible and how UAV reveal it
Part 1 of the series ‘Seeing the Stress from Above’
Farmers in the Mid-South are losing yield because water and heat stress often go unnoticed until it’s too late for effective intervention. In this three-part series, we’ll show how modern UAV imaging uncovers early, invisible crop stress—and how farmers can use the right tools and maps to make smarter irrigation decisions that boost efficiency, reduce risk, and increase profitability.
In this first article in the series, we’ll explain how drone-based thermal and multispectral imaging can reveal early, invisible stress signals—long before crops show visible symptoms—allowing growers to act sooner and allocate water more efficiently. By shifting from reactive scouting to proactive, field-wide monitoring, UAV tools help farmers protect yield potential and make smarter irrigation and management decisions.
Earn 0.5 CEUs in Soil & Water Management by reading this article and taking the quiz.
Farm bill approved by the House Agriculture Committee
After more than 20 hours of debate, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 passed out of the House Agriculture Committee with a vote of 34 to 17 in the early hours of Thursday morning (March 5). The bill has a long way to go yet though Chairman GT Thompson (R-PA) has indicated that he would like to see the bill on the House floor before Easter.
Crops & Soils magazine seeking a Central/Southern Great Plains Editor
Crops & Soils magazine is seeking a Central/Southern Great Plains Editor to join our board this year. If you are located in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, or New Mexico and are passionate about getting the best research-based practices down to the farm level, this may be a great fit for you!
Seeing the Stress from Above: Drone Imaging for Smarter Water and Crop Management
Farmers in the Mid-South are losing yield because water and heat stress often go unnoticed until it’s too late for effective intervention. In this three-part series, we’ll show how modern UAV imaging uncovers early, invisible crop stress—and how farmers can use the right tools and maps to make smarter irrigation decisions that boost efficiency, reduce risk, and increase profitability.
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