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961 found

Evaluating Food Access Strategies in Austin To Improve Healthy Food Consumption and Food Security 

Year Awarded  2020

FFAR award amount   $83,356

Total award amount   $83,356

Location   Austin, TX

Grantee Institution   University of Texas Health Science Center

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is highlighting food system deficiencies. Producers are struggling to reach consumers due to concerns with processing, distribution and demand. We provided supplemental funding to FRESH Austin to examine the impact of the pandemic on access to fresh, nutritious food in the Austin area.

Conservation of an Endophytic Insect-pathogenic Fungus for Plant Protection in Organic Cropping Systems. 

Year Awarded  2020

FFAR award amount   $19,468

Total award amount   $19,468

Location   State College, PA

Matching Funders   Organic Farming Research Foundation

Grantee Institution   Penn State University

Weeds, pests and diseases often devastate soil health, impact environmental health and threaten global food security. In partnership with the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF), we awarded a grant to Pennsylvania State University researchers examine how to promote and conserve the beneficial soil fungus, Metarhizium robertsii. This fungus can increase plant growth and tolerance to environmental stresses, which are expected to increase with climate change.

Cover Crops for Soil Health: Demonstration of On-Farm Trial 

Year Awarded  2020

FFAR award amount   $19,620

Total award amount   $19,620

Location   Rio Grande, TX

Matching Funders   Organic Farming Research Foundation

Grantee Institution   University of Texas Rio Grande

Weeds, pests and diseases often devastate soil health, impact environmental health and threaten global food security. In partnership with the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF), we awarded a grant to the University of Texas at Rio Grande to evaluate whether cover crops can restore soil health, suppress weeds and reduce pest populations. This research provides farmers with information on cover crop selection and management that improves the long-term sustainability of organic agriculture systems.

Biosolarization: Harnessing the Sun and Organic Matterfor Weed Control 

Year Awarded  2020

FFAR award amount   $17,337

Total award amount   $17,337

Location   Sacramento Valley, CA

Matching Funders   Organic Farming Research Foundation

Grantee Institution   National Center for Appropriate Technology

Weeds, pests and diseases devastate soil health, impact environmental health and threaten global food security. In partnership with the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF), we awarded a grant to The National Center for Appropriate Technology to measuring the efficacy of biosolarization—an innovative weed control that combines soil solarization (trapping solar radiation under a plastic tarp) with biofumigation (using biologically-active plant substances to suppress soil-borne pests and pathogens) – to prove that biosolarization provides weed control in a better and more timely manner.

Accelerated Development of Crops of the Future 

Year Awarded  2020

FFAR award amount   $748,549

Total award amount   $1,497,098

Location   Ames, IA

Program   Seeding Solutions

Matching Funders   Iowa State University, KWS SAAT SE & Co, Beck’s Superior Hybrids, BASF, SAATEN-UNION BIOTEC and RAGT

Grantee Institution   Iowa State University

On average, it takes farmers ten years to produce a new crop. With an increasing global population, there is high demand for more crops sooner. Iowa State University researchers are developing breeding methods that accelerate plant breeding for multiple crop species. These breeding techniques deliver improved crop varieties – with greater yields – into the hands of farmers sooner.

Biological Control of Cattle Fever Ticks in South Texas 

Year Awarded  2020

FFAR award amount   $25,000

Total award amount   $50,000

Location   San Antonio, TX

Program   Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research

Matching Funders   Lee and Ramona Bass Foundation

Grantee Institution   USDA-ARS

In addition to market volatility threats from COVID-19, Texas cattle ranchers are also battling the southern cattle fever tick (Rhipicephalus microplus), a tick carried pathogen that causes deadly cattle fever for which there is no vaccine or treatment. USDA researchers are developing biological control technologies to prevent and contain this parasite.

Development of an Automated Broiler Gait Score and Flock Activity Assessment System 

Year Awarded  2020

FFAR award amount   $350,000

Total award amount   $513,214

Location   Knoxville, TN

Program   SMART Broiler

Matching Funders   Peco Foods, Inc., University of Tennessee AgResearch

Grantee Institution   University of Tennessee

Existing methods for assessing animal welfare rely on human observation and subjective scoring which can be inaccurate and time consuming. University of Tennessee researchers are using multi-angle and multi-range cameras to monitor commercial broilers at both individual and flock levels and measure their walking ability and level of activity. This grant was awarded through our SMART Broiler research initiative.

Smart Monitoring of Broiler Welfare using Camera Technology and Machine Learning 

Year Awarded  2020

FFAR award amount   $499,639

Total award amount   $1,000,039

Location   Vejen, Denmark

Program   SMART Broiler

Matching Funders   Scio+, SKOV A/S

Grantee Institution   Wageningen University & Research

Existing methods for assessing animal welfare rely on human observation and subjective scoring which can be inaccurate and time consuming. Big Dutchman researchers are using camera technology and advanced image analysis to continuously monitor commercial broiler flocks, map welfare assessments and estimate walking ability. This grant was awarded through our SMART Broiler research initiative.

Environmental Enrichment Effects on Pig Welfare 

Year Awarded  2020

FFAR award amount   $75,000

Total award amount   $150,000

Location   Peoria, IL

Matching Funders   Tyson Foods

Grantee Institution   USDA-ARS

The environment in which pigs are raised contributes to their health, welfare and productivity. Damaging behaviors in group housing, such as tail-biting and ear chewing are detrimental to their welfare. USDA-ARS scientists are measuring behavior, health and growth rates to develop environmental enrichment management strategies that assess pigs’ welfare. The result of this research can be applied to the U.S. livestock industry.

National Academy of Sciences Prize in Food & Agriculture Research: Zachary Lippman 

Year Awarded  2020

Total award amount   $100,000

Location   Laurel Hollow, NY

Matching Funders   Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Grantee Institution   Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

Dr. Zachary Lippman was awarded the 2020 National Academy of Sciences Prize in Food and Agriculture for his work to increase crop productivity in the face of declining agricultural land and population growth through novel gene editing techniques.