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

Development of new alphaamylase immunoassays to preserve wheat grain value and accelerate breeding for climate resilience 

High levels of alpha-amylase protein in wheat can lead to a low falling number score, a factor that determines the quality and price of wheat. Because alpha-amylase digests starch, wheat with a low falling number score produces flour with lower gelling capacity, causing cakes that fall or sticky bread and noodles, and significantly lowering the price growers receive. If growers cannot detect wheat with a low falling number, the wheat may mix with sound wheat on farms, in grain elevators or during transport, essentially compromising the entire bushel. Washington State University researchers are developing a faster, cheaper and more accurate test that measures alpha-amylase on farms and in elevators, preventing mixing of low and high falling number wheat.

Urban farming at the Water, Food, Energy Nexus: soil health practices with agrivoltaic impacts on crops, soils, carbon, and water 

This research aims to understand the benefits of agrivoltaics—regenerative farming soil practices paired with solar energy production—on a local food system.

UC Davis Receives FFAR Grant to Help Improve Vineyard Soil Health 

Regenerative agriculture, which uses holistic farming and grazing practices to strengthen soil health and crop productivity, may help grape vines become more resilient to changing climate conditions. However, more research is needed to increase adoption of regenerative agriculture practices on vineyards. FFAR awarded a Seeding Solutions grant to the University of California, Davis to assess the effects of regenerative practices on vineyard soil health.

Building a Common Language for Antimicrobial Resistance Between Human & Animal Health 

To strengthen antimicrobial stewardship within livestock veterinary medicine this research aims to develop a standard method of collecting, reporting and sharing multispecies antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) results for use in human and animal health industries.

Expanding development of a predictive model to quantify the risk reduction associated with specific soil health practices for use by private & public lenders & insurers to incentivize the transition to resilient, climate-smart agriculture 

This research is generating an unprecedented market-based, actuarially-sound model to quantify farm risk mitigation through the adoption of good soil health practices. The model will provide agricultural lenders and insurers who price risk an economic rational to factor in incentives such as better terms or lower loan rates and insurance prices to producers adopting good soil health practices.

Investigating Natural Nitro-Compounds as a Viable Strategy to Reduce Enteric Methane Emission from Ruminants 

Enteric methane is the single largest source of direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the beef and dairy sectors, representing 2.5% of total U.S. GHG emissions. Led by Dr. Alexander N. Hristov, researchers are investigating using a non-synthetic form of an anti-methanogenic compound, 3-nitro-1-propionic acid (3-NPA), derived from plant and fungal sources as a feed additive to reduce enteric methane in ruminants.

Kansas State University Provides Data on Nitrogen Management Practices in the Great Plains 

Limited data is available that evaluates nitrogen losses and provides producers with the information needed to reduce nitrogen fertilizer application rates for water-limited crops by using climate-smart agriculture practices. Kansas State University researchers are examining the key components of the nitrogen cycle in water-limited grain sorghum production under various climate-smart agriculture practices.

Improving Soil Health on Vineyards 

Nitrogen SAVings through soil hEalth (NSAVE): Leveraging regenerative agriculture to reduce nitrogen inputs, increase farmer profits & mitigate climate change 

Nitrogen is critical to plant growth and yields. Soil health practices can increase nitrogen availability, but farmers cannot determine by how much, so they apply additional, synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, which is costly, contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and can negatively impact land and water ecosystems. This research is quantifying how adopting soil health practices can reduce the need for nitrogen inputs without sacrificing yield. Farmers need this scientifically sound economic information to make the best decisions for their land.

FFAR Research Tackles Peanut Allergy 

Peanuts are an affordable source of proteins and are an important source of beneficial fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Despite its unique nutrient profile and affordability, the peanut is also a primary source of food allergies. Clemson University researchers are developing a reduced allergenic, high-oleic peanut genotypes, essentially reducing the allergens within peanuts while increasing the healthy fats.