Engineering sustainable onsite brine treatment for irrigation: improve production of salt-sensitive crops

The University of California, Riverside received a $300,000 Project Grant award from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA) on August 1, 2022 to complete work by July 31, 2024. The funding supports the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) competitive grants program, which provides support for fundamental and applied research, extension, and education addressing food and agricultural sciences (CFDA #10.310).

Specifically, the grant will support the University's project "Engineering Sustainable Onsite Brine Treatment for Irrigation: Improve Production of Salt-Sensitive Crops." The University will work to develop techniques for on-site treatment of saline wastewater to enable safer irrigation of salt-sensitive crops and improve their yields. The grant aims to enhance agricultural productivity for farmers in water-scarce areas through more sustainable water management practices. As the sub-awardee, the State of California Controller's Office will provide additional support for the research under this award.