Canola (Brassica napus L.) is an oilseed crop that can produce healthy cooking oil and animal feed byproducts. Although it is a relatively new crop, approved for human consumption less than 40 yr ago, advances in breeding have allowed for its production as a winter crop in the southeastern United States. There is little published research, however, related to its performance and quality in this region. Therefore, a study was conducted during the 2014–2015 (Year 1) and 2015–2016 (Year 2) seasons in Tennessee. Twenty‐three varieties were planted in a randomized complete block design with four replications across both years to determine seed yield, seed oil, and seed protein content. Differences in fertilizer application rates, planting, and harvest management and differences in weather conditions probably led to significant interactions between years. Cultivar yields ranged from 1269 to 2647 and 1494 to 4199 kg ha⁻¹, seed oil content ranged from 44 to 48% and from 43 to 46%, and seed protein content ranged from 20 to 24% and from 19 to 23% for Years 1 and 2, respectively. In each year, open‐pollinated cultivars had significantly lower yield and oil content but significantly greater protein content than hybrid cultivars. There was also a strong negative correlation between seed oil and seed protein and the linear models were significant (r = 0.88, p < 0.0001 for Year 1; r = 0.85, p < 0.0001 for Year 2). Recommended winter canola cultivars include Exp1302 and Hekip.Core Ideas Little published research is available related to the performance of winter canola in the southeastern United States. Yield, oil, and protein content were identified across 23 potential winter canola cultivars over 2 yr. Significant linear relationships were observed between seed oil and protein content but not when compared with yield.

Application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer plus biochar may increase crop yield, but how biochar will interact with N fertilization to affect bioenergy crop switchgrass physiology, biomass, and soil CO₂ emission (i.e., soil respiration) from switchgrass fields remains unclear. Here, we assessed this issue by conducting a field experiment near Nashville TN with two levels of biochar treatment (a control without biochar addition and biochar addition of 9 Mg ha⁻¹), and four N fertilization levels (0 kg N ha⁻¹, 17 kg N ha⁻¹, 34 kg N ha⁻¹, and 67 kg N ha⁻¹, labeled as ON, LN, MN, and HN, respectively). Results showed that both biochar addition and N fertilization did not influence switchgrass leaf photosynthesis and biomass, but biochar addition enhanced leaf transpiration, and reduced water use efficiency. Soil respiration was reduced by biochar addition, but significantly enhanced by N fertilization. Biochar and N fertilization interactively influenced soil respiration and seasonal variation of soil respiration was mostly controlled by soil temperature. Our results indicated that switchgrass can maintain high productivity without much N input, at least for several years. The findings from this study are useful to optimize N fertilization and biochar addition in the switchgrass fields for maintaining relatively high productive switchgrass biomass while reducing soil CO₂ emission.

Higher education can use technology in the classroom to meet students where they are and reduce the digital divide. Recent events with the COVID‐19 pandemic forced schools to rely on multiple forms of technology and underlined the priority for its adoption and effective use. Therefore, understanding the options and role that easily accessible applications can play in the on‐ground or online classroom is an important research need. This study assessed graduate students’ perceptions of five different types of technology that were incorporated in the classroom across six different semesters. These technologies included classroom response systems, a mobile communication app, and Twitter, blogging, and video production assignments. Overall, the majority of students identified positive characteristics of all of the technology used. With respect to learning, almost all students self‐identified increases in their learning from the classroom response systems (88%), Twitter discussion (81%), blogging (93%), and video production (90%). The methods used to incorporate this technology can be applied to multiple disciplines with few or no changes, thereby making these options for many instructors interested in engaging students in digital learning environments.

Biochar is used as a soil amendment for improving soil health. Biochar is known to possess high adsorption capacity for nutrient ions, especially toward NH₄⁺. However, there is limited information regarding the direct binding mechanisms of NH₄⁺ on biochar. Although few infrared spectroscopic studies were conducted by characterizing the biochar solid phase, no research was reported, in which the adsorption mechanism was deciphered in the presence of water. Here we report NH₄⁺ adsorption mechanism on pinewood biochar using in situ attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results indicated that NH₄⁺ adsorbed strongly on pinewood biochar at pH 8.5 and less at pH 5.5 as revealed by infrared band shifts and symmetry change. Macroscopic adsorption envelope corroborated the spectroscopic finding by resulting in higher adsorption capacity with increasing pH.