The georgia plan of work (POW) encompasses a five-year period beginning october 1, 2025

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded Fort Valley State University $9,528,308 on October 1, 2025, under the Payments to 1890 Land-Grant Colleges and Tuskegee University program (CFDA 10.205) to execute agricultural research, extension, and education activities across a five-year period beginning October 1, 2025 and ending September 30, 2027.

Fort Valley State University, a Historically Black College and 1890 Land-Grant Institution, executes this award as part of a joint Georgia Plan of Work coordinated with the University of Georgia. The program addresses plant and animal production, food safety and quality, health and wellness, sustainability and conservation, youth and family development, community and home life skills, urban agriculture, and emerging agricultural technologies including AI-powered drones and autonomous tractors. Current animal-related research involves assisted reproductive technology, nutrition, and animal health using sheep, goats, and cattle as models, with emphasis on internal parasite control. The food safety program emphasizes non-thermal methods to control foodborne pathogens in meat and nuts. A new multistate Evans-Allen project on ecological resilience and extreme weather events impacts on farmers, landowners, and communities was introduced in this funding cycle, coordinated with other 1890 institutions. All research projects undergo scientific peer review by internal and external reviewers and require approval by appropriate deans and directors prior to submission to NIFA. Performance occurs at Fort Valley, Georgia.

The plan addresses major agricultural issues as well as many other problems facing rural and urban areas, the environment, families and youth. Georgia's POW represents a coordinated effort between the state's 1890 and 1862 land-grant institutions, fort valley state university (fvsu) and university of georgia (UGA), thus presenting one joint POW and annual report to USDA. The joint POW includes core programs and targeted issues such as plant and animal production, community/home and life skills, food safety and quality, health and wellness, sustainability/conservation and the environment, youth and family development, urban agriculture, and emerging issues (i.e. AI-powered drones and autonomous tractors in agriculture). USDA funds for these core programs support state-level core and targeted issues facing georgia and american citizens. The georgia program development is a multistep process that is operational annually. The research portion of the plan of work undergoes scientific peer review prior to each project being submitted. All scientists are required to have active projects for expenditures to be made. Each project is peer-reviewed by both internal and external reviewers and must be approved by the approp riate dean and director prior to submission to the national institute of food and agriculture. Current animal related projects involve efficient assisted reproductive technology and nutrition, animal health and wellbeing with internal parasite control using sheep, goats, and cattle as models. A new multistate evans-allen project was introduced this year along with other 1890 institutions under the title ecological resilience and extreme weather events: impacts on farmers, landowners and communities. The food safety program emphasizes non-thermal methods to control food borne pathogens in meat and nuts. Plant production programs encompass a broad array of targeted fields of study including entomology, plant pathology, nematology, plant breeding and genetics, soil science, and postharvest physiology. Some of these projects are done in collaboration with ARS scientists on commodity of great importance to the state of georgia. Funding from the federal allocation and the corresponding matching fund from the state are used to cover expenses related to these activities. Additional funds come from external grants secured by the research scientists. Applied research projects using these funds target mainly limited-resource producers in the state but scientific discoveries impact the citizen of state of georgia, the country, and the world.