Project Grant 20233882139811

** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** SILPHIUM INTEGRIFOLIUM (SILFLOWER) IS A NATIVE NORTH AMERICAN PRAIRIE PLANT, UNDERGOING DOMESTICATION BY THE LAND INSTITUTE (TLI) AS A PERENNIAL OILSEED CROP, WHICH ATTRACTS DOZENS OF POLLINATOR SPECIES AND HAS AN ANTICIPATED POTENTIAL FOR INCREASED HONEY PRODUCTION. THIS IS MAINLY DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT BLOOMS LATE, FROM MID-SUMMER TO AUTUMN, WHEN FORAGE FOR HONEYBEES TENDS TO BE MORE SCARCE. CENTRAL STATE UNIVERSITY (CSU), IN COLLABORATION WITH TLI, PROPOSE TO TEST THE ABILITY OF A SILFLOWER AS A PERENNIAL CROP IN OHIO. IT IS HYPOTHESIZED THAT INTEGRATED SILFLOWER PRODUCTION WITH MANAGED HONEYBEES WILL INCREASE THE PRODUCTION OF HONEY, AS WELL AS LEAD TO A HIGHER YIELD OF SEED FROM THE CROP. WITH SUPPORT FROM TLI, TEST PLOTS WILL BE SET UP AT CSU'S RESEARCH STATION AND MIRROR SITES, BOTH WITH AND WITHOUT HONEYBEE HIVES. PROJECT PARTNER SITES INCLUDE REGENERATIVE FARMING OPERATIONS AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES. MANAGED HONEYBEES NOT IN THE VICINITY OF THE SILFLOWER PLOTS WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY FOR COMPARISON. ADDITIONAL FARMS WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY, BOTH WITH AND WITHOUT HONEYBEES. CSU AND TLI WILL COMBINE CROP, HONEYBEE, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC DATA GATHERED THROUGH THE PROJECT, WHICH WILL BE USED TO INFORM MIDWESTERN FARMERS AND BEEKEEPERS ON THE BENEFITS OF PERENNIAL CROPS FOR IMPROVING YIELDS AND PROFITS, WHILE INCREASING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF BOTH INDUSTRIES. SCIENTISTS WILL EXCHANGE BETWEEN INSTITUTIONS FOR CAPACITY BUILDING AND RESULTS WILL BE USED TO DEVELOP TOPICS FOR CONTINUING COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS.