The University of Washington received an $849,392 Project Grant award from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop sustainable fertilizer alternatives and increase water retention in soils. This award falls under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), a competitive grants program that provides funding for foundational and applied research, extension, and education addressing food and agricultural sciences issues. Through this three-year award beginning September 2023, the University of Washington will investigate efficient agricultural management practices and sustainable alternatives to industrial ammonia and mined phosphate fertilizers, which are energy-intensive to produce and can contaminate water sources when over-applied. The university will also explore methods to increase drought resilience in agriculture by enhancing water retention in soils. This research supports AFRI's goals of developing innovative solutions to optimize agricultural systems and ensure national food security.
Generated 2/6/24, 8:01 AM