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Using Active Organic Matter Tests to Help Predict Crop Nutrient Needs 

Year Awarded  2017

FFAR award amount   $221,541

Total award amount   $443,082

Location   Columbus, OH

Matching Funders   Ohio State University

Grantee Institution   Ohio State University

Standard soil testing can assess fertility in some fields but may fail in others. Soil organic matter, which provides a pivotal component of a healthy and functioning soil, is often neglected in fertility recommendations. Ohio State University researchers are bridging this gap by investigating three promising tests of soil active organic matter to provide insight into nutrient cycling and nutrient supply to crops. The project aims to alleviate some key obstacles that limit widespread soil health testing by farmers.

Renewal: RIPE: Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency for Sustainable Increases in Crop Yield 

Year Awarded  2017

FFAR award amount   $15,000,000

Total award amount   $45,000,000

Location   Urbana-Champaign, IL

Matching Funders   Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the U.K. Department for International Development (DFID), University of Illinois

Grantee Institution   University of Illinois

Crops are inefficiently at photosynthesis, the process plants use to convert sunlight into energy. Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE) is engineering staple food crops to more efficiently turn the sun’s energy into food to sustainably increase worldwide food productivity.

Shielding U.S. Palm Industries from the South American Palm Weevil Invasion 

Year Awarded  2017

FFAR award amount   $150,000

Total award amount   $300,000

Location   Riverside, CA

Program   Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research

Matching Funders   UCR, ISCA, California Date Commission, Bard Valley Medjool Data Growers Association

Grantee Institution   ISCA Technologies Inc.

The South American Palm Weevil is threatening California's palm trees and date palm trees. ISCA Technologies and UC Riverside researchers are developing environmentally-friendly pest controls to curb the spread of weevils.

Stolen Kiss – an advanced breeding solution for the animal welfare trait of genetic castration 

Year Awarded  2017

FFAR award amount   $499,443

Total award amount   $514,675

Location   St. Paul, MN

Matching Funders   DNA Genetics LLC and Open Philanthropy Project

Grantee Institution   Recombinetics, Inc.

Male piglets are castrated to improve the quality of meat for consumers, but this practice is also a concerning animal welfare issue. Recombinetics/Acceligen and Hendrix Genetics are using a genome editing method to create swine that remain in a pre-pubertal state, thus eliminating the need for surgical castration. The project aims to eliminate the need for surgical castration and improve animal health, management and meat quality.

National Academy of Sciences Prize in Food and Agriculture Research: Edward Buckler 

Year Awarded  2017

Total award amount   $100,000

Location   Washington, D.C.

Matching Funders   Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Grantee Institution   National Academy of Sciences

Dr. Edward Buckler is the inaugural NAS Prize in Food & Agriculture Sciences recipient. Buckler, a U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service researcher and adjunct professor of plant breeding and genetics at Cornell University, studies the connection between a crop plant’s genetic makeup and the physical traits exhibited by different strains.

Plant-Nanoparticle Hybrids: Optimize Crop Engineering and Nutrient Delivery 

Year Awarded  2017

FFAR award amount   $300,000

Total award amount   $600,000

Location   Berkeley, CA

Matching Funders   The Regents of the University of California

Grantee Institution   University of California Berkely

Genome editing has revolutionized our ability to modify living systems and meet the growing demand for food. However, genetic engineering of mature plants remains a challenge. The Regents of the University of California, Berkeley are optimizing crop engineering and nutrient delivery tools to produce sustainable and high-yielding crops.

Investing in our future: training taxonomists and wild bee conservation 

Year Awarded  2017

FFAR award amount   $546,511

Total award amount   $1,093,084

Location   Durham, NH

Program   Pollinator Health Fund

Matching Funders   Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research, UNH and UNH, College of Life Sciences and Agriculture

Grantee Institution   University of New Hampshire

The University of New Hampshire researchers are creating the first comprehensive guide to wild bees found in New England. The project is classifying wild New England bees and developing resources to further education, including information on regionally specific planting recommendations and a bee identification course applicable to researchers in multiple states.

Mitigation of Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus in Kansas and U.S. High Plains 

Year Awarded  2017

FFAR award amount   $50,000

Total award amount   $120,623

Location   Manhattan, KS

Program   Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Research

Matching Funders   KS Wheat Commission

Grantee Institution   Kansas Wheat Commission Research Foundation

Although management methods for wheat streak mosaic (WSMV) are known, wheat farmers continue to experience yield and profit losses as a result of WSMV. Kansas State University researchers updating best management practices for wheat farmers threatened by the pathogen and identifying optimal disease resistant wheat varieties.

Impacts of the Rearing Environment on Keel Bone Integrity, Spatial Awareness Abilities of Laying Hens 

Year Awarded  2017

FFAR award amount   $215,999

Total award amount   $431,999

Location   Davis, CA

Matching Funders   Open Philanthropy Project

Grantee Institution   University of California Davis

Keel, or breastbone fractures are a prevalent concern when raising hens in cage-free housing systems. University of California, Davis researchers are exploring the impacts of poultry housing design, particularly vertical space, on the prevalence of keel bone injuries in egg-laying hens.

Improving Simulations of Water Dynamics and Crop Yield in the Corn Belt 

Year Awarded  2017

FFAR award amount   $300,000

Total award amount   $600,000

Location   Ames, IA

Matching Funders   Iowa Crop Improvement Association

Grantee Institution   Iowa State University

Currently, about 70 percent of crop yield losses in the Midwest are related to inefficient water use. Crop models help optimize water use and quality; however, today’s models do not account for groundwater. This important source of water can reduce the need for irrigation in dry years and enhance nitrogen and yield loss in wet years. Iowa State University researchers are improving simulation models that help farmers manage water use and predict impacts and design mitigation strategies that improve water quality, soil health and productivity.