Cornell University received a $180,000 Project Grant award from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) competitive grants program. The three-year award running from June 2023 to June 2026 will support research investigating the molecular mechanisms regulating fruit drop processes in groundcherry through CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing techniques. By identifying genes involved in abscission zone...
This $3,996,373 Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (CFDA 10.309) aims to create resilient integrated pest management (IPM) programs for eastern tree fruit enterprises. The award recipient, the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Northeast Area, will lead a transdisciplinary team of researchers and extension specialists in entomology, horticulture, economics, and social...
This $180,000 federal Project Grant awarded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI, CFDA 10.310) will support research at The Pennsylvania State University to investigate plant host resistance against the invasive swede midge pest in cole crops such as broccoli and cabbage. The key objectives are to: (1) identify differences in defense mechanisms between broccoli cultivars, (2) assess resistance/susceptibility across...
Cornell University was awarded a $180,000 Project Grant from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program. The grant will fund research from June 1, 2023 through May 31, 2026 to investigate eavesdropping behavior between two major agricultural insect pests, Acalymma tristis and Acalymma vittatum, that damage cucurbit crops. The research goals will be pursued through laboratory and field...
This $300,000 Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) project grant, awarded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (CFDA 10.310), aims to measure the effects of plant growth regulator (PGR) treatments on the volatile chemistry, sugar, and anthocyanin content of strawberries and blueberries. The project has three key objectives: 1) evaluate how three PGR treatments impact flavor volatiles, sugars, and anthocyanins; 2) elucidate the underlying mechanisms by measuring the...
This federal Project Grant award from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program provides $750,000 to Cornell University to develop alternative pest management strategies for the Colorado potato beetle, a major pest of potatoes. The key objectives are to 1) use the pheromone of the spined soldier bug predator to trigger non-consumptive effects that reduce beetle abundance and plant damage, and 2) investigate the...
The Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded Cornell University $647,000.00 under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative competitive federal grants program (CFDA 10.310) for the period of June 1, 2023 through May 31, 2026. The project aims to identify the biosynthetic pathway of resin glycosides, a class of defense metabolites found in sweet potato and related plants that show potential as natural pest and disease deterrents. Specifically, the...
This $225,000 federal Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (CFDA 10.310 - Agriculture and Food Research Initiative) will support research at the University of Arizona to investigate the molecular basis of plant-insect interactions and improve the effectiveness of biocontrol agents for managing the invasive fern Lygodium microphyllum. The research team will sequence and compare the genomes of resistant and susceptible varieties...
The federal Project Grant award of federal grant awards: This federal Project Grant award, funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program (CFDA 10.310), supports research by Cornell University to study the role of adenine methylation in the fungus Rhizopus microsporus and its bacterial endosymbiont Mycetohabitans. The $180,000 award aims to: 1) develop an in vitro screening strategy to identify small...
This federal Project Grant award of $489,696 was provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program (CFDA 10.310). The goal of the "Integrated Insect-Plant Research and Extension Experiences REEU" is to develop the next generation of scientists through a 10-week summer program that: 1) nurtures STEM career interest, 2) develops science communication skills, 3) provides...