This Project Grant award of $649,966 was made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program (CFDA 10.310). The award will fund a 3-year research project conducted by the University of Illinois focused on identifying scientific, legal, and policy concerns related to the use of soil organic carbon sequestration credits and carbon markets in agriculture. The project aims to assess and...
This $750,000 Project Grant awarded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (CFDA 10.310) will support research at Michigan State University (MSU) to develop new bioenergy cropping systems capable of enhanced soil carbon sequestration. The project will conduct an in-depth analysis of switchgrass root systems, microbial symbionts, and soil pore structure to better understand how these factors impact soil carbon...
This $749,999 Project Grant award from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (CFDA 10.310) will fund a collaborative effort to convert low-yielding cropland in the U.S. Midwest to native perennial vegetation. The project, led by Michigan State University (MSU) in partnership with a state agency and sharecroppers, aims to assess the impacts of this conservation approach on biodiversity and ecosystem services while maintaining...
This $650,000 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 supports research at Kansas State University (KSU) to collect and analyze gas flux data on grazing beef cows. The goal is to develop a prototype genetic evaluation system for improving cattle production efficiency and sustainability by reducing methane emissions and optimizing metabolic rate. The 5-year...
This $749,329 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) CFDA 10.310 program aims to investigate the use of a perennial legume crop, Kura clover, to improve soil organic carbon storage and soil health in Midwest corn production systems. The project, led by Purdue University, will examine the impacts of the Kura clover living mulch system on plant carbon inputs, soil...
This Project Grant award of $225,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program supports research to understand how the genetic makeup of maize, teosinte, and sorghum plants influences their microbiomes and ability to adapt to heat and nutrient stress. The research aims to identify ways to strengthen maize's microbiome and develop more resilient, climate-resistant crop varieties....
This $1,999,958 project grant, awarded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Integrated Programs (CFDA 10.303), aims to increase the sustainability and resilience of perennial grain crop-based organic grain and forage production systems in the Southern U.S. The project team will assess the grain yield, forage productivity, nutritive value, and weed suppression capacity of three perennial grain species versus corresponding annual species grown organically under...
This $10,000,000 federal Project Grant award from the USDA's Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program supports the development and adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices in Midwestern U.S. cropping systems. The project is led by The Ohio State University with several sub-awardees, including Solutions From The Land, University of Missouri, Lincoln University, and Central State University. The key products and services being delivered under this award include: Establishing...
This $749,846 Project Grant was awarded on August 1, 2023 by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program (CFDA 10.310). The goal of this project is to quantify the effects of carbon allocation to different plant tissues, symbionts and exudates on its turnaround and resilience in the ecosystem. The key products and services to be delivered include: (1) validating estimates of carbon...
This federal Project Grant award of $225,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program supports a research project titled "FROM MICROBES TO METRICS: TRANSFORMING SOIL HEALTH ASSESSMENTS WITH ADVANCED BIOLOGICAL INSIGHTS". The project, led by Colorado State University, aims to develop innovative approaches for assessing soil health using advanced biological...