The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) has been awarded a $780,700 Project Grant under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture's (NIFA) Urban, Indoor, and Other Emerging Agricultural Production Research, Education, and Extension Initiative (CFDA 10.333). The grant will fund a 3-year project titled "Indoor Sustainable Urban Robotic Farming (ISURF)" that aims to study the impacts of horticultural, social, and economic factors contributing to successful urban, indoor, sustainable agricultural production systems with emerging robotic farming technologies. Key research areas include evaluating the use of harvested rainwater and biostimulants on selected crop yields, assessing the impacts of education and training on indoor robotic agriculture for underrepresented groups, and conducting market analysis and surveys on the economic viability of the indoor farming technology. The project holds promise to advance discovery and learning in sustainable, accessible urban agriculture through an integrated, multidisciplinary approach.
Mod # | Description | Reason For Modification | Federal Obligation (Click to sort descending) | Date (Click to sort ascending) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not listed | $780.7k | 5/8/24 |