This $638,000 Project Grant from the US Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program will fund research to identify genetic factors controlling carotenoid synthesis, storage, and bioavailability in sorghum grain. Colorado State University will conduct the research over four years to determine how sorghum genes and the environment impact carotenoid content and accumulation. Researchers will also...
This $3,499,654 Project Grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture under the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (CFDA 10.307) program. The grant will facilitate the development of organic agriculture production, breeding, and processing methods for sorghum, a drought-tolerant, non-GMO crop used for food and feed production globally. The long-term goal is to identify high-performing grain and forage sorghum varieties...
This $788,000 project grant from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture's Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program (CFDA 10.310) supports the development and evaluation of conventionally bred biofortified orange corn with high provitamin A carotenoids and zinc to improve human nutrition. Key objectives include selecting and evaluating maize germplasm in Mexico and the U.S. for increased provitamin A and zinc, determining the...
This Project Grant award of $120,000 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (CFDA 10.310) aims to address the increasing consumer demand for high-quality, protein-rich, and sustainable plant-based food alternatives. The project led by Cornell University proposes to utilize a combination of lactic acid fermentation and high pressure processing to improve the functional properties and reduce antinutritional factors in...
This $269,879 federal Project Grant award from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program supports research to characterize flavor compounds in dry pea varieties and identify genetic mechanisms underlying flavor, quality, and productivity traits in dry peas, chickpeas, and lentils. Specifically, the research aims to select favorable dry pea accessions for breeding to improve consumer acceptance and increase pulse...
This Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (CFDA 10.307 - Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative) will provide $3,347,535 over 4 years to Cornell University and several sub-awardees to support research and outreach focused on improving the sustainability and economic viability of organic agriculture. The key objectives are to: 1) develop new varieties of small grains like wheat, emmer, and naked barley that are...
This $968,991 Project Grant award from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Integrated Programs (CFDA 10.303) aims to enhance the agronomic and end-use quality traits of organic dry beans through plant breeding and develop value-added bean products using sustainable processing and packaging. The key products and services to be delivered include: Breeding improved organic dry bean varieties focused on enhancing seedling vigor, harvestability, and overall quality for both...
This $3,494,608 Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) project grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture aims to develop new varieties of naked barley that are suitable for organic farming systems. The 4-year project, led by Oregon State University, will characterize and breed naked barley with modest beta-glucan levels to create varieties suitable for brewing, animal feed, and meeting FDA guidelines for soluble fiber in human diets. Work will be conducted...
This federal Project Grant award, funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program (CFDA 10.310), focuses on advancing breeding for intercropping (B4I) through a coordinated innovation network. The $893,178 award to Auburn University aims to demonstrate solutions for testing diverse cereal-legume intercrop combinations, such as oat-pea, to improve intercropping performance. The project will use a novel approach...
This $2,000,000 Project Grant award from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Integrated Programs (CFDA 10.303) will support Clemson University's efforts to develop protein-enriched organic chickpea varieties for southeastern U.S. organic producers. The project aims to (1) develop protein-enhanced organic chickpea cultivars through participatory on-farm field trials, (2) combine genomic information and trait discovery to improve genotype-to-phenotype mapping, and (3) create...