The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) announced on Aug. 5 that its Open Journal Systems platform recorded 30,877 total views across 189 publications in the first seven months of 2026, providing insight into how agricultural science is accessed by researchers, regulators, policymakers, and the public.
According to CAST, the most-read publication so far in 2026 is “AI in Agriculture: Opportunities, Challenges, and Recommendations” (2025), with 2,780 views. “Integrated Management of Fire-Adapted Invasive Plants That Change Wildfire Regimes” (2026) followed closely with 2,666 views. Three of the top five titles were published within the last two years. The top ten titles together accounted for nearly 42 percent of all platform traffic.
Older publications remain relevant; CAST’s archive spans from 1972 to present. While works from 2020–2026 generated over sixty percent of total traffic, earlier decades continue to draw readers. For example, “Agricultural Science and the Public,” published in 1972, received more than three hundred views during this period—surpassing many titles from later decades.
Download rates offer further insight into engagement: The average rate was just over twenty-two percent across all titles. Some older documents showed significantly higher download rates; “Mycotoxins: Risks in Plant, Animal, and Human Systems” (2003) had an eighty-six percent download rate—nearly four times higher than average. Newer publications also performed strongly; “Diversifying the Corn Belt: Policy Pathways for a Resilient Agricultural Future” (2026) had a forty-nine percent download rate shortly after release.
Five CAST publications examining intersections between federal pesticide regulation laws generated a combined total of more than sixteen hundred views during this period. Download rates for these ranged between seventeen and twenty-three percent—a level consistent with use in regulatory policy work or consultation proceedings.
The full analytics report covers metrics including traffic concentration analysis by decade and per-publication performance, as well as recommendations for content strategy going forward. CAST produces task-force reports and special issue papers on agricultural science topics for public use through collaborations with scientific societies and nonprofit partners, according to the official website.