The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced a commitment that is close to $121 million in order for extension and research programs that are designed to tackle important issues that face specialty crop and organic agricultural producers. This investment comprises $70.4 million for research into specialty crops in the United States and $50.5 million for support to the farmers and ranchers who cultivate and market premium organic food as well as organic fibers and products.

Specialty crops are defined by the Farm Bill as fruits and trees, vegetables dried fruit, other nursery crops and horticulture that include floriculture. The investment is an element the National Institute for Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) Specialty Crop Research Initiative.

“We are aware that specialty and organic crops can add nutritional value to our food and add value in sustainable systems of agriculture,” said Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young USDA Chief Scientist as well as Assistant Secretary of Education, Research, Education and Economics. “These plants additionally play an important role in conserving cultural heritage as well as expanding economic opportunities in the world’s regional, local and food systems. This makes them the perfect competitive investment to address the toughest challenges that confront organic and specialty crop producers all over the nation.”

Specialty crops investment by NIFA today is built on USDA’s recently announcement of $82.3 million grant funds via the Agricultural Marketing Service to enhance the quality of specialty crops, and to help the farmers in the field. The funds were awarded under the USDA’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) and also the Specialty Crop Multi-State Grant (SCMP) Program. From market development through the education of consumers to research the programs are designed to expand markets and boost the competitiveness of the specialty crop industry, and also increase the availability of specialty crops to the general public.

The 17 projects that are funded by the NIF’s Specialty Crop Research Initiative include:

• North Carolina State University: The cost of manual labor is significant in the horticulture industry, which includes growing nursery crops. Researchers from the university are working on sustainable solutions for productivity, labor efficiency, as well as production within the nursery business. ($9.8 million)
• Washington State University: Apple and pear plants are more vulnerable to massive losses as a result of extreme temperatures triggered by changes in the climate. To tackle this issue scientists will devise strategies to mitigate the effects of current cultivars and will be able to assess quickly the suitability of new cultivars for the future climate. ($6.7 million)

The NIFA’s $50.5 millions investment into 30 organic agriculture-related projects are part of the NIFA’s Organic Agriculture Program, which comprises the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) as well as the Organic Transitions Program. OREI Projects support research, education and Extension programs to enhance the quality, yields and profits for processors and producers that are adopting organic practices. The NIFA-funded Organic Transitions Program projects focus on education, research and Extension initiatives to assist current and transitioning organic farmers and livestock to adopt organic methods and increase their competitiveness in the marketplace.

“Organic agriculture plays a vital function in creating healthy and sustainable food systems that are beneficial to our planet and people,” said USDA NIFA Director Dr. Manjit Misra. “NIFA’s funding for organic research and Extension will ensure that farmers are able to meet the rising demand for organic foods that provide lucrative business opportunities for farmers and increased choices for the consumer.”

The 23 projects that have been funded by the NIFA’s OREI grants are:

• Pennsylvania State University: Understanding the connections between the integrated practices of crop management and particular feed and food quality criteria is essential to identify markets and potential opportunities to develop small grain-based sequences that fit into the organic systems of reduced-tillage. This research and extension project is designed to enhance the efficiency and potential for market of fall and spring-sown organic small grains in order to improve the environmental and economic sustainability of organic grain-based production structures in Pennsylvania as well as the Northeast United States. ($1.9 million)
• Organic Center for Education and Promotion: Organic Center for Education and Promotion It is noted that there is an incredibly low level of race-based diversity in the agriculture sector as well as the organic sector, particularly in the number of organic certifiers and organic inspectors and the staff of universities and organizations who offer the majority of our nation’s technological assistance and education programs for the agricultural sector. The project for developing the workforce concentrates on increasing involvement and motivation to ensure diversification in the next generation of organic leadership, which will help to make the organic industry more equitable, inclusive and equitable. ($705,000)

Some of the projects that were funded by the NIFA’s Organic Transitions Program include:

• University of Wisconsin: Transitioning to organic agriculture in Wisconsin is a process that requires the creation of customized soil health guidelines that will help organic farmers increase the efficiency of their use of nutrients in addition to maximizing the yield potential of their crops and reduce climate change impacts such as drought. The research goal is to use a comprehensive statewide soil health database, augmented with new field observations remotely sensing and sophisticated machine learning models, to build an online tool that provides specific guidelines for each region and field for organic grain farmers to in managing soil health, and to support the development of climate-resistant farming. ($997,000)
• Michigan State University: Organic trees producing fruit to the east of Mississippi river is not viable without a proper management of bacterial illnesses, such as the bacterial canker, fire blight and bacteria spot. Bacteriophages (phages) are a promising method of controlling the spread of bacterial diseases in plants However, they aren’t yet available for commercial development because of their limited efficiency and inconsistent effectiveness. Scientists are studying the effects of phages on apple and cherry flowers to combat the prevention of fire blight on apple trees, and in the case of bacterial canker on cherries. ($1 million)

More information is available here:

USDA

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