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FFAR Awards $9.4 Million to Spur Next Leap in Agriculture: Improved Soil Health to Optimize Economic and Environmental Results for U.S. Farmers 

Year Awarded  2017

FFAR award amount   $9,400,000

Total award amount   $20,000,000

Location   Morrisville, NC

Matching Funders   General Mills, the Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust, Midwest Row Crop Collaborative, Monsanto (Bayer), Nestlé Purina PetCare Company, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Walmart Foundation, the Walton Family Foundation and individual donors

Grantee Institution   Soil Health Institute

Soil health is a critical component of a productive and sustainable agricultural system. Farming practices that improve soil health can increase profitability while protecting natural resources like air and water for communities. The goal of this project is to support collaborative research and education that accelerates adoption and benefits of soil health management systems nationally.

In Largest Grant to Date, FFAR Joins $45 Million Project to Increase Staple Crop Yields by Harnessing Photosynthesis 

FFAR Grant to Measure On-Farm Nutrient Management Practices 

Getting Smarter During Smart Irrigation Month 

Deborah M. Hamlin and Dr. Sally Rockey

New National Research Initiative Aims to Improve Cover Crops 

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.

Adaptive Multi-Paddock (AMP) Grazing Research in the U.S. Southeast 

Year Awarded  2017

FFAR award amount   $1,250,000

Total award amount   $2,500,000

Location   Tempe, AZ

Matching Funders   McDonalds

Grantee Institution   Arizona State University

Researchers are investigating whether Adaptive Multi-Paddock (AMP) grazing, in relation to widespread continuous grazing practices, contributes to measurable differences in overall soil health, environmental sustainability and farmer profitability within the U.S. Southeast.

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.

An Open Source Plant Chemogenomics Set 

Year Awarded  2017

FFAR award amount   $1,000,000

Total award amount   $2,320,000

Location   Davis, CA

Matching Funders   UC Davis Innovation Institute for Food and Health, the Structural Genomics Consortium, AgBiome and Promega

Grantee Institution   University of California Davis

Drought is a significant concern for farmers, especially rice growers. University of California, Davis researchers are studying genes responsible for drought tolerance in rice. The project is developing and implementing a screening strategy to identify new gene that effect root traits and drought tolerance in rice.

Going Back to the Roots To Transform Soil Health into Yield 

Year Awarded  2016

FFAR award amount   $285,083

Total award amount   $570,165

Location   Davis, CA

Matching Funders   UC Davis Dean's Office

Grantee Institution   University of California Davis

Soil health management practices are promoted as feasible, complementary approaches to high-input strategies to increase food production and decrease agriculture’s environmental footprint. However, the role crop plants play in using soil health to increase yields is often overlooked. University of California, Davis researchers are transforming soil health into yield by exploring the relationship between root systems, soil health and crop productivity to identify how producers can grow resilient crops using sustainable practices at scale.