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Engineering crops for cultivation in controlled environments 

Year Awarded  2020

FFAR award amount   $450,000

Total award amount   $481,123

Location   Riverside, CA

Matching Funders   University of California, Riverside

Grantee Institution   University of California, Riverside

Urban agriculture offers many benefits for food production but often has higher production costs relative to traditional farming and is limited to only a few crops. Dr. Robert Jinkerson’s research is engineering the size and nutritional value of a tomato plant variety to increase both the diversity and value of crops that are grown in vertical controlled environment agriculture, making urban agriculture more profitable.

Developing Novel Strategies for Improved Control and Sustainability of Grapevine Bunch Rot Management 

Year Awarded  2020

Total award amount   $364,826

Location   College Park, MD

Grantee Institution   University of Maryland

Late-season bunch rots are fruit diseases that occur during maturation, after season-long expenses and labor, and directly affect yield and quality. Dr. Mengjun Hu’s research is advancing knowledge about late-season bunch rots by studying the prevalence and ability of the pathogen to cause disease, the conditions and time in the growing cycle favorable to the pathogen and the pathogen’s reactions to fungicide. The research is developing sustainable management strategies that promote targeted and less frequent application of fungicide.

Next-generation tools and strategies for genetic improvement of farmed oysters 

Year Awarded  2020

FFAR award amount   $445,122

Total award amount   $495,122

Location   Corpus Christi, TX

Matching Funders   Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Grantee Institution   Texas A&M University—Corpus Christi/Texas A&M AgriLife Research

Oysters are a particularly sustainable source of animal protein, but the process of breeding oysters for desirable traits is still in its infancy. Dr. Christopher Hollenbeck’s research is enhancing selective breeding of oysters by developing new tools and strategies to address barriers to genomics-based breeding. Results of the research will help increase productivity and sustainability to benefit the oyster aquaculture industry in the U.S. and around the world.

Harnessing the soil microbiome to increase soil health and plant productivity 

Year Awarded  2020

Total award amount   $450,000

Location   Seaside, CA

Grantee Institution   California State University, Monterey Bay

Soil-borne diseases pose a significant threat to global food production, causing catastrophic yield and economic losses. Dr. Jose Pablo (JP) Dundore-Arias’ research is determining the ecological and molecular mechanisms responsible for inducing and maintaining disease-suppressive soils. Dundore-Arias is using this information to develop microbial communities capable of enhancing soil health and plant productivity.

FFAR Funds Emergency Research to Address Coronavirus 

OFRF and FFAR Announce Grants to Advance Soil Health Research 

FFAR & OFRF Grant to Enhance Soil Health 

Undergrad-led study suggests light environment modifications could maximize productivity 

FFAR Grant to Accelerate Crop Development 

Open Market Consortium: Creating Economic Opportunities for Small and Mid-size Growers 

Year Awarded  2020

FFAR award amount   $2,000,000

Total award amount   $4,000,000

Location   Memphis, TN

Matching Funders   Ag Launch, Mississippi State University, The Seam, Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Tennessee State University, Wallace Center at Winrock International

Grantee Institution   AgLaunch

The COVID-19 pandemic illustrated that greater tools are needed to ensure flexibility in the food supply chain during major crises to ensure both economic security for farmers and food security for consumers. The Open Market Consortium (OMC)is developing and piloting an open-source, public-access blockchain system to connect small and mid-size farmers to institutional buyers and minimize supply disruptions. OMC, led by AgLaunch Initiative, includes founding members Mississippi State University, The Seam, Tennessee State University and the Wallace Center at Winrock International.

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