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

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90 Grants found

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Towards Production of Residue-Free Healthy Fruit Crops

Year Awarded  2018

FFAR award amount   $300,000

Total award amount   $600,000

Location   Prosser, WA

Matching Funders   WSU-Center for Precision and Automated Agricultural Systems, WSU- College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS), WSU-CAHNRS Biological Systems Engineering Department, WSU Graduate School

Grantee Institution   Washington State University

Timely insect pest management is critical for quality tree fruit and wine grape production. However, consumers are increasingly alarmed by synthetic pesticide, which leave residues on produce and contaminates the environment. Washington State University researchers are developing and evaluating alternative pest management technologies that aid conventional and organic growers in reducing their reliance on broad spectrum pesticides.

Effects of Asymptomatic Listeriosis on Dairy Cattle Fecal Microbiota

Year Awarded  2018

FFAR award amount   $102,366

Total award amount   $207,365

Location   Madison, WI

Matching Funders   UW Madison Food Recovery

Grantee Institution   University of Wisconsin Madison

Listeria monocytogenes is a harmful pathogen that can cause severe illness. University of Wisconsin researchers are examining the interactions of L. monocytogenes with cattle gastrointestinal tract microbiota. Although clinical listeriosis is rare, L. monocytogenes is frequently shed by dairy cattle, reflecting a high prevalence of infection.

Direct Linkage of Dietary Components with Metabolizers in the Microbiota

Year Awarded  2018

FFAR award amount   $299,535

Total award amount   $599,070

Location   Raleigh, NC

Matching Funders   North Carolina State University

Grantee Institution   NC State University

Diet effects gut microbiota, which can provide beneficial or detrimental effects in human and animal health. North Carolina State University researchers are linking dietary components to the microbes in intestinal tracts of humans and animals to design diets that foster health-promoting microbes and deprive disease-causing microbes of their food source.

Harnessing Endophytes to Improve Crop Efficiency and Production

Year Awarded  2018

FFAR award amount   $292,230

Total award amount   $584,461

Location   Athens, GA

Matching Funders   University of Georgia Department of Agriculture and Environmental Science, University of Georgia Department of Crop Soil Science, University of Georgia Institute of Plant Breeding

Grantee Institution   University of Georgia Research Foundation

Agricultural production is not advancing fast enough to meet projected demands for food. Meeting these needs requires agricultural innovations and beneficial microorganisms are a promising way to increase crop growth, boost stress resistance and prevent diseases. Scientists and farmers must first understand how microorganisms work. University of Georgina Research Foundation Inc. is studying how crops are affected by the microbes that live inside them and how the environment impacts this relationship.

Innovations in the Food Supply Chain to Reduce Food Waste

Year Awarded  2018

FFAR award amount   $188,260

Total award amount   $377,114

Location   Auburn, AL

Matching Funders   Auburn University

Grantee Institution   Auburn University

Global food loss and waste is a growing threat to food security. Auburn University researchers are reducing food waste in the food supply chain by develop “Functional Ice” for storage and transportation of raw poultry and seafood.

Optimizing Water Use in Agriculture by Stacking Conservation Practices

Year Awarded  2018

FFAR award amount   $300,000

Total award amount   $600,001

Location   Logan, UT

Matching Funders   USU CAES, Central Utah Water Conservancy District, E&I Conservation District, Unitah Conservation District, North Cache Conservation District, Senninger Irrigation, Central Iron County Water Conservancy District, USU RGS

Grantee Institution   Utah State University

Concerns about water scarcity are mounting due to rapid urban growth, depleting groundwater supplies and water shortages from climate trends. Utah State University researchers are assessing the combined effectiveness of several methods of water optimization in agriculture, including more efficient water application and management and advanced crop genetics.

Innovation at the Nexus of Computational, Membrane and Plant Biology

Year Awarded  2017

FFAR award amount   $300,000

Total award amount   $600,000

Location   Urbana-Champaign, IL

Matching Funders   The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Grantee Institution   University of Illinois

Modern agriculture uses large amounts of fertilizer to maximize crop yield. However, up to 70 percent of applied Nitrogen is not absorbed by plants, resulting in extensive air and water pollution. The current understanding of the Nitrogen process in plants is limited by the lack of information at the molecular level. University of Illinois researchers are developing new approaches to understand the plant nitrogen uptake process.

A Novel Bioassay for Culturing and Characterizing Fastidious Phytopathogens

Year Awarded  2017

FFAR award amount   $299,993

Total award amount   $599,986

Location   College Station, TX

Matching Funders   Southern Garden Citrus

Grantee Institution   Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center

Fastidious pathogens, bacteria that only grow in specific conditions, cause huge agricultural losses and cost farmers billions of dollars annually. Candidatus Liberibacter spp. are fastidious pathogens that cause the potato zebra chip and Citrus greening diseases. Complicating matters, these pathogens are will not grow in laboratory conditions, making it difficult to understand them. To support citrus growers and help other producers manage diseases, Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center researchers are testing a method of screening for disease resistance genes and chemicals that can combat the pathogens causing citrus greening and potato zebra chip diseases. The research will be translated into disease management strategies that help growers and prevent billions of dollars in annual losses.

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.

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.