Aug 4, 2016

USDA awards $36.5 million to Extension, research

USDA has issued 19 grants totaling $36.5 million for research and extension to support American farmers growing fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture and nursery crops including floriculture. The grants are funded through the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Specialty Crop Research Initiative, authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill.

The funded projects address research and extension needs that span the entire spectrum of specialty crops production from researching plant genetics to improving crop characteristics; identifying and addressing threats from pests and diseases; improving production and profitability; developing new production innovations and technologies; and developing methods to respond to food safety hazards.

Grants being announced today, by state, include:

• University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Pine Bluff, Arkansas, $50,000
• The American Olive Oil Producers Association, Clovis, California, $50,000
• Agricultural Research Service, Peoria, Illinois, $3,694,012
• Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, $3,673,611
• Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, Maryland, $3,683,590
• Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, $1,467,724
• Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, $48,558
• North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, $ 3,717,519
• North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, $ 3,276,666
• North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, $46,956
• Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, $ 2,849,975
• Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, $50,000
• New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, $ 4,404,284
• Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, $ 4,281,618
• Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, $ 2,019,142
• Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, $35,240
• Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, $33,744
• Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, $3,112,410
• Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, Texas, $35,418

Abstracts for this year’s funded projects can be viewed on NIFA’s reporting website.

For more information, visit the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture website.