The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) received a $600,000 Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the 1890 Institution Capacity Building Grants Program (CFDA 10.216). The project aims to demonstrate the environmental and production benefits of using sterile Miscanthus x giganteus as broiler bedding. Key activities include testing and applying novel technologies to reduce ammonia emissions, improve...
This Project Grant award, valued at $590,018.00, was provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) under the 1890 Institution Capacity Building Grants Program (CFDA 10.216). The goal of the project is to investigate the impact of different poultry diets on the performance, gut health, and welfare of broiler chickens raised in various production systems, including cages, floor pens, and outdoor pens. The research will involve formulating novel low-protein diets containing either soybean...
The University of Maryland, College Park was awarded a $648,488 Project Grant from the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program. The grant, awarded on July 15, 2024, aims to address higher poultry mortality and production efficiency issues in antibiotic/chemical-free backyard and integrated farms. Specifically, the research will: 1) investigate the sources and transmission routes of Avibacterium paragallinarum (AP) and Infectious...
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) received a $499,998 Project Grant award from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA) under the 1890 Institution Capacity Building Grants program (CFDA 10.216). The grant funds a research project at UMES from May 1, 2023 to April 30, 2026 to develop metabolites derived from actinomycetes soil microbes as antimicrobial agents to prevent and treat plant diseases and food spoilage. Specific...
The University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc. (UGA Research Foundation) was awarded a $749,434 Project Grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program. The grant, which runs from June 1, 2024 to May 31, 2027, supports three research and extension objectives focused on pastured poultry farming systems: 1) analyzing chickens' diets and impacts on pests, beneficial insects, and weeds through molecular...
This $505,263.16 Project Grant award from the United States Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA) under the Scholarships for Students at 1890 Institutions Program (CFDA 10.524) supports the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) in developing a diverse, globally smart workforce for the U.S. food system. Specifically, the award will provide scholarships and comprehensive student support services, including academic counseling, experiential...
The University of Maryland, College Park will receive $650,000 under a four-year Project Grant from the US Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture's Agriculture and Food Research Initiative competitive grants program. The grant will fund research into epigenetic regulation of chicken embryonic stem cells and primordial germ cells, which are precursors to sperm and egg cells essential for precision breeding and genetic engineering in poultry. Specifically, the...
This Project Grant award, valued at $299,933, was provided by the United States Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) under the 1890 Institution Capacity Building Grants Program (CFDA 10.216). The project aims to characterize the microbial communities associated with switchgrass and miscanthus, screen for plant growth-promoting microorganisms, and explore the potential for genotype-specific microbial recruitment under different climatic conditions....
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) received a $600,000 Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the 1890 Institution Capacity Building Grants program (CFDA 10.216). The grant will support UMES's efforts to improve soil health education, research, and extension programs through 2026. Specifically, UMES will modularize existing soil science courses to educate undergraduate students on soil management...
This Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program, with a funding amount of $650,000 and a period of performance from July 15, 2025 to July 14, 2028, supports research at the University of Maryland, College Park to identify critical regulators that control the metabolic switch from embryonic lipid utilization to post-hatch carbohydrate use and lipid synthesis in...