Citrus canker, caused by bacterium Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc), affects the citrus industry by making the fruit unmarketable due to unsightly lesions on the fruit. Citrus canker caused by a relatively new A^Wstrain of Xcc was reported on the citrus trees in the residential areas of the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) of South Texas. Xcc A^W has a limited host range, predominantly affecting limes and a few other citrus species. Previous work has reported prevailing environmental conditions that influence the incidence and spread of the citrus canker caused by the Asiatic A strain. However, no information is available on the environmental factors impacting the incidence of canker caused by A^W strain. In this study, monthly data on temperature, humidity, rainfall, and wind speed were grouped into biologically meaningful categories, and corresponding disease incidence was examined descriptively. Disease incidence was highest under high temperatures, humid conditions, and particularly during periods of rainfall and high wind speeds, which likely facilitated bacterial dispersal. These observed patterns indicate that warm, humid, rainy conditions, and stronger winds are associated with increased citrus canker incidence in the LRGV. This study provides insights into environmental conditions conducive to disease incidence and may serve as a foundation for developing explanatory and predictive models leading to management strategies for protecting citrus production in South Texas.

Sclerotinia stem rot (SSR), caused by fungal pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is one of the leading contributors to yield losses in soybean. The fungus forms sclerotia that persist through the off-season and germinate under favorable conditions to infect soybean. Among the practices used to manage SSR, biological control with Coniothyrium minitans is an effective strategy to suppress S. sclerotiorum through direct interaction. However, both S. sclerotiorum and C. minitans, can interact with soil amendments, including fertilizers, with implications for SSR management. Since potassium is widely applied in soybean production in Wisconsin, this study aimed to investigate the effect of KCl on S. sclerotiorum, C. minitans, and their interaction in vitro. While radial growth of S. sclerotiorum was unaffected by KCl concentration, linear models effectively described decrease in number of sclerotia produced and the increase in sclerotial diameter and weight with increasing KCl concentration. Oxalic acid production declined with increase in KCl concentration, which was best captured by a non-linear exponential model, while sclerotial germination time decreased according to a linear model. Radial growth of C. minitans exhibited a linear decline with increasing KCl concentration, whereas conidial germination remained unaffected. A non-linear logistic model revealed a positive effect of increasing KCl concentration on mycoparasitism of C. minitans on sclerotia of S. sclerotiorum. These findings provide insights into interactions of KCl with S. sclerotiorum and C. minitans that could inform the integration of potassium fertilization with biological control strategies for SSR management in the field.

Inadequate data reporting in agricultural journals constrains reproducibility, transparent interpretation, cross‐study data reuse, synthesis, and artificial intelligence (AI)‐driven discovery. This study aimed to (1) review current data and results reporting requirements across agricultural sciences journals and (2) propose a comprehensive, standardized framework for reporting sampling methods, datasets, metadata, statistical analyses, and research findings. Sixty journals were categorized into four groups according to their publishing organizations and editorial governance: American, International, American Geophysical Union (AGU)/American Economic Association (AEA), and Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI) journals. Substantial differences in data and results reporting requirements were found among the groups. Mandatory public access to raw data varied considerably by publisher group: AGU/AEA (100%), International (21%), American (15%), and MDPI (0%). Explicit guidelines requiring the reporting of variability metrics were present in only 42% of International and 36% of American journals, and were absent from AGU/AEA and MDPI guidelines. Overall, standardized reporting protocols are essential to connect agricultural research with machine‐driven synthesis. At a minimum, manuscripts must consistently report sample sizes, central tendencies, and variability metrics, while raw data and metadata should be deposited in public repositories. This work provides an actionable framework for agricultural journals to strengthen editorial policies and ensure research remains transparent, reproducible, and verifiable.