FFAR Investment in Downy Mildew Research Benefits Lettuce Producers and Consumers

University of California, Davis Receives Inaugural FFAR Award from the Crops of the Future Collaborative for Leafy Greens Research Project

WASHINGTON (Oct. 10, 2018)— The Foundation of Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) awarded Richard Michelmore, professor and director of the UC Davis Genome Center, the first research grant through the Crops of the Future Collaborative.  This award builds on and extends genomics resources to improve the $3 billion dollar lettuce crop.  It will allow researchers to exploit genomics approaches to combat downy mildew, which is the most important pathogen infecting lettuce.  This highly variable pathogen causes losses during both production in the field and post-harvest.  The project will enable rational deployment of new resistance genes resulting in more durable disease resistance and less use of control chemicals.  FFAR’s grant will benefit both conventional and organic farmers by reducing crop losses and improving profitability.  This research also will help reduce food waste and produce food for consumers with fewer chemical inputs.

“Downy mildew threatens production wherever the lettuce crop is grown, requiring expensive chemical control measures and resulting in loss of quality for consumers,” said Michelmore.  “FFAR’s investment will increase our knowledge of plant resistance and pathogen variability leading to more efficient, knowledge-driven breeding of lettuce cultivars with more durable resistance to downy mildew.”

Dr. Michelmore received a FFAR grant of $2.5 million over five years for this research. Matching funds from the Crops of the Future Leafy Greens Participants will double FFAR’s investment for an award totaling $5 million.  These matching funds are provided by a multi-national consortium of fourteen large and small breeding and biotechnology companies in order to address significant problems in lettuce production.  Crops of the Future Participants on the Leafy Greens Project are: BASF Vegetable Seeds, Bejo Zaden B.V., Benson Hill Biosystems, Inc., Enza Zaden Research and Development, B.V., Gautier Semences, Keygene, N.V., Progeny Advanced Genetics Inc., Ramiro Arnedo S.A., Rijk Zwaan Zaadteelt en Zaadhandel B.V., Sakata Seed Corporation, Syngenta Crop Protection AG, Takii and Company Ltd., Tanimura & Antle Value Added LLC. and Vilmorin S.A.

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Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research

The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) builds public-private partnerships to fund bold research addressing big food and agriculture challenges. FFAR was established in the 2014 Farm Bill to increase public agriculture research investments, fill knowledge gaps and complement the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s research agenda. FFAR’s model matches federal funding from Congress with private funding, delivering a powerful return on taxpayer investment. Through collaboration and partnerships, FFAR advances actionable science benefiting farmers, consumers and the environment.

Connect: @FoundationFAR | @RockTalking

About the Crops of the Future Collaborative

The Crops of the Future Collaborative is a public-private, multi-participant consortium convened by Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research.  The Collaborative brings together companies and leading research organizations to accelerate the development of new crop varieties that address challenges in food and agriculture.  The Collaborative will leverage the knowledge, capabilities and financial resources of participants to expand the scientific understanding of characteristics giving rise to complex traits that crops will need to adapt to changing environments.

Learn more: https://foundationfar.org/consortia/crops-of-the-future-collaborative/