Plant Research Grants Released
Goal is to increase understanding of plant biology from genome to field.
Compiled by staff
Published: Oct 15, 2009
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says more than $7 million in grants has been announced for research on the biology of plant processes and traits which can be used to breed crops with enhanced value and resilience to climate stress. According to USDA, the research will increase understanding of plant biology from the genome to the field, and provide a foundation for the development of plant varieties with increased yield, reduced production cost, and enhanced quality and nutritional value.
These grants are awarded by USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture, previously the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, under the new Agriculture and Food Research Initiative program to provide funding for fundamental and applied research, extension and education to address food and agricultural sciences.
"At a time when disruptive climate change threatens production of some of the world's staple foods, some of the biggest gains we can make in ending world hunger will involve development of stress-resistant crops," Vilsack said. "Drought-tolerant, heat-tolerant, and saline-resistant crops will not only offer tremendous improvements for farmers around the world, but also position American farmers competitively in the world market."
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Tagged: usda, Extension, extension service, Drought, hunger
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