Awarded Grants
Below is a listing of our awarded grants that tackle big food and agriculture challenges.

Open Technology Ecosystem for Agricultural Management (OpenTEAM)

OFRF and FFAR Fund Research to Enhance Organic Potato Nutrition

Dr. Popova and her team are evaluating the efficacy of mustard seed meal extract (MSME) on inhibiting weed seed germination (pre-emergent) and killing aboveground weed growth (post-emergent) while also determining the influence of MSME application on soil health in the field.

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

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

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

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.

Integrating manure and covers crops and their impact on soil health

Cover crops, especially grass species such as cereal rye, mitigate nutrient loss from soils. However, cover crop adoption rates are low in the cold upper Midwest due to the short growing season. Sabbagh is studying the impacts these management practices have on nutrient cycling and soil health and how that affects row-crop productivity.

Uncovering mechanistic underpinnings of regenerative farming systems on soil health

Soil health practices are essential for delivering a multitude of ecosystem services. Adoption of soil health practices in major corn and wheat producing states is alarmingly low. Prairie is analyzing management, soil and biodiversity data from 24 farms in Kansas to understand the mechanisms promoting soil health and management practices that facilitate them.

Perennial Crops as Soil Health Agents: Assessing Novel Crops’ Belowground Ecology in Grain-Legume Biculture

Understanding how crop interact with soil microbial communities could result in healthier soils. Focusing on different three perennial grains crops, Hwang is analyzing how these crop varieties and systems ultimately influence the microbial composition. This research is improving the overall functionality of soils.

Understanding the Fundamental Mechanical Properties Governing the Flow of Lignocellulosic Biomass Particulates

The non-edible portion of plants, called Lignocellulosic biomass, is an inexpensive, renewable and abundant source of energy that does not impact human and animal food production Ehite is improving the commercial viability of fuel, chemical products and lignocellulosic biomass derived from energy. This research can enhance crop diversity, farm profitability and food security.

Managing for soil health: targets and potential in almond orchards

Marshall is measuring how various management practices in 13 orchards influence water conservation, nutrient use efficiency, nitrogen cycling, soil structure, carbon accumulation and storage and soil microbial communities. This research improves knowledge of soil health in orchard systems.