The following individuals are the 2019 New Innovator in Food and Agriculture Research Award recipients:
Dr. Jared Ali, The Pennsylvania State University
Ali’s research is discovering mechanisms and chemical ecology-based management practices that control interactions linking cover crops, soil dynamics and beneficial organisms to increase crop resistance to pests and pathogens.
Dr. Jessica Cooperstone, The Ohio State University
Cooperstone’s research combines plant breeding/genetics, analytical chemistry, bioinformatics and nutrition to develop tomatoes that are more beneficial for human health.
Dr. Paul Dyce, Auburn University
Dyce’s research is improving the efficiency of cattle production by identifying molecular markers that indicate reproductive potential. The use of these markers can provide a better understanding of the underlying causes of unexplained infertility within the cow-calf sector leading to potential therapeutic options.
Dr. Andres Espindola Camacho, Oklahoma State University
Espindola Camacho’s research uses cutting-edge, high-throughput sequencing to determine what affects plant health. Specially, Espindola Camacho is sequencing a plant’s microbiome, a collection of bacteria, viruses and fungi that live on a plant, to determine those organisms that positively or negatively impact the plant.
Dr. Landon Marston, Virginia Tech University
Marston’s research will create new knowledge and decision-making tools to help irrigators conserve scarce water resources while preserving their livelihood. These decision-support systems will aid farmers in formulating optimal multiyear cropping and water-allocation strategies under uncertain climatic and market conditions.
Dr. Nathan Mueller, Colorado State University
Mueller’s research is investigating the reliance of irrigated crop production on snowmelt water resources globally. The project will heighten our understanding of snowmelt-dependent agriculture hotspots and how trends in water supplies and crop water demands influence water scarcity.
Dr. Neha Potnis, Auburn University
Traditional disease management strategies often fail to prevent recurring outbreaks. Potnis’s research is testing a two-pronged approach to transform disease management strategies and identify control approaches that are practical and profitable.
Dr. Susan Whitehead, Virginia Tech
Whitehead’s research is developing new ecologically based management practices for apples that can boost the content of health-promoting phytochemicals in fruit. If successful, these technologies could be applied to a variety of crops to improve the quality of food and boost the nutritional benefits of fruits and vegetables.
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Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research
The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) builds public-private partnerships to fund bold research addressing big food and agriculture challenges. FFAR was established in the 2014 Farm Bill to increase public agriculture research investments, fill knowledge gaps and complement the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s research agenda. FFAR’s model matches federal funding from Congress with private funding, delivering a powerful return on taxpayer investment. Through collaboration and partnerships, FFAR advances actionable science benefiting farmers, consumers and the environment.
Connect: @FoundationFAR | @RockTalking
This press release was edited on August 20, 2020 to include the final 2019 New Innovator awardee, Susan Whitehead.