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Impact
Researchers Work to Stop Ironwood Tree Decline in Guam
With U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grants totaling almost $370,000, researchers from the University of Guam and other institutions are in the process of analyzing termites to assess their role in infecting what is now more…
Blog
NIFA Funds Tribal Programs to Support Learning, Health & Opportunity
USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) funds programs that promote learning, opportunities and health in Tribal communities. The total amount NIFA invested in all Tribal programs in FY 2020 was approximately $28…
Press Release
NIFA Awards Over $16M for Small Business Innovation Research Program Phase II
KANSAS CITY, Mo., November 19, 2020 – Today USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded over $16 million in FY 2020 grants for 29 projects in the Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR), Phase II. …
Impact
Researchers Make Breakthrough in Fighting Agricultural Plant Diseases
Texas A&M AgriLife researchers have made a discovery that will help combat fastidious pathogens, which cost U.S. agriculture billions of dollars annually. Fastidious plant pathogens infect citrus, tomatoes, potatoes, grapes, peppers…
Press Release
USDA-NIFA Invests Over $10.5 Million to Support Educators, 4-H, and Others in Workforce Training During Pandemic
KANSAS CITY, MO, November 12, 2020 – USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) today announced an investment of more than $10.5 million to support educators at technical schools, community and junior colleges,…
Impact
Aspirin After Calving Can Provide Relief to Dairy Cows, Increase Milk Production
Dairy cows that received a short course of anti-inflammatory medication after calving had lower metabolic stress and produced more milk than untreated cows, according to researchers, who say the regimen they tested could be adopted…
Blog
NIFA Funds Disaster Response Efforts
Did you know the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) provides funding to mitigate the impact of disasters through Cooperative Extension programming? It’s true.
Impact
Clemson Researcher Studies Organic Agriculture Soil Challenges
The organic industry is the fastest growing agricultural segment in the United States, but low soil organic carbon, meager soil fertility and poor soil structure are keeping South Carolina farmers from reaping the benefits of this…
Blog
NIFA’s Food Safety Programs Help Consumers Stay Safe
Do you remember the last time you got sick from eating something that “didn’t agree with you?” It’s likely you or someone you know has experienced food poisoning. It’s not fun!
Press Release
USDA-NIFA Tackles Harmful Citrus Disease with $45M in Research Grants
KANSAS CITY, October 21, 2020 — USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) recently awarded 12 grants totaling over $45 million for research to combat Huanglongbing (HLB), commonly known as citrus greening disease. …
Impact
Study Finds Plant Defense Layer has Unexpected Effect on Volatile Compounds
A Purdue University biochemist and her colleagues have pioneered new methods for increasing production of volatile compounds important for plant defenses and for use in biofuels, pharmaceuticals and other products. While investigating…
Impact
Veterinarian Network and Mentoring Program Launching in Texas, New Mexico
A group of Texas A&M AgriLife faculty are establishing a rural veterinarian network to provide education and assistance to make rural veterinary practices sustainable. Many rural large animal practices are operated by older…
Impact
Scientists Work to Cut Greenhouse Gases, One Cow Burp at a Time
When you first learn that cows produce methane, a greenhouse gas, you might assume it comes from the animal’s rear end. But you would be wrong. “Methane is generated in an organ called the rumen, which is the first of the cow’s ‘four…
Blog
NIFA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program
Many opportunities exist in farming and ranching in America, yet beginning farmers and ranchers have unique needs for education, training, technical assistance, and outreach.
Blog
USDA, Cooperative Extension & APLU Award Top Honors in Extension Excellence and Diversity
Recognizing visionary leadership and diversity in educational programming, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Cooperative Extension, and the Association of Public and Land…
Press Release
NIFA Invests Over $7 Million in Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, and Other Cyberinformatics Research
KANSAS CITY, MO, September 30, 2020 – USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture has awarded 12 grants totaling over $7 million to initiate research on big data analytics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and…
Impact
Multi-state Coalition Aims to Advance Agriculture by Driving Research, Education, and Adoption of Nation’s First Perennial Grain Crop
A multi-state coalition of researchers, farmers, educators, industry leaders, policy experts, and climate scientists were recently awarded a competitive five-year, $10 million grant through USDA NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research…
Press Release
NIFA Invests More Than $53 Million to Help U.S. Farmers Prosper
KANSAS CITY, September 24, 2020 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced grant investments of more than $53 million across three unique programs for U.S. farmers, ranchers…
Impact
Farm Biosecurity Education Goes Virtual with Discovery Learning Series
We are witnessing in real time the spread of a virulent, infectious diseases among the human population. Livestock and poultry are susceptible to infectious diseases as well, and the impacts can be devastating for anyone raising farm…
Impact
Plant Chemicals are a Trick or Treat for Insects
Plants contain a mixture of hundreds of unique chemicals that can attract or repel pests like caterpillars. For the caterpillar, this means they can choose from a buffet of tasty plants with varying phytochemicals. Some choices are a…
Press Release
USDA-NIFA Grants Nearly $14 Million for Rapid Response to Help U.S. Universities Find Scientific Solutions Amid Pandemic
KANSAS CITY, MO, September 9, 2020 – To keep science discovery, innovation, and education moving forward, USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) developed a series of COVID-19 Rapid Response funding opportunities…
Blog
Automation Helps Solve Specialty Crop Challenges
With support from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Multistate Research Fund, researchers at 17 land-grant universities are working together to develop automated systems that work well for labor-intensive specialty crops…
Impact
Advanced Biofuels Show Promise
Biofuel and bioenergy systems are integral to scenarios for displacing fossil fuel use and producing negative emissions through carbon capture and storage. But the net greenhouse gas mitigation benefit of these systems has been…
Press Release
USDA-NIFA and NSF Establish Nationwide Network of Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes
KANSAS CITY, MO (August 26, 2020) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the National Science Foundation announced today they are establishing seven new artificial intelligence institutes…
Impact
University of Hawaiʻi to Receive $1.5 Million for Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources
The University of Hawaiʻi will receive $1.5 million in grant funding from USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to expand education programs focused on food, agriculture and natural resources. This funding is part of a…
