Natural Farming Analysis Basis (OFRF), in partnership with the Basis for Meals and Agriculture (FFAR), is happy to announce two extra 2021-22 Natural Analysis grants, awarded to Travis Parker and Christiana Huss. Parker’s analysis will enhance the productiveness and market worth of pulse crops for arid circumstances. Huss will study companion plantings for natural administration of a brand new invasive Brassica pest. These awards are the third and fourth tasks of six in OFRF’s present 2021-22 natural analysis grant cycle.
- Travis Parker, with lead establishment College of California, Davis, will focus their analysis on pulse crops, resembling cowpea and tepary bean, which present distinctive resistance to warmth, drought, and low soil fertility and make them notably helpful below the context of local weather change. This venture will consider excessive market worth styles of widespread beans, cowpeas and tepary beans in arid natural methods, and conduct superior genetic analyses for growth of latest excessive worth varieties.
- Christiana Huss, with lead establishment College of Georgia, will focus their analysis on figuring out companion vegetation that can mitigate the latest assault of the invasive yellow-margined leaf beetle (Microtheca ochroloma) on leafy brassica greens throughout the Southeastern United States. This venture will consider a really revolutionary panorama ecology strategy that entails a mixture of repellant intercrops and attractant companion vegetation in a “push-pull” design for bio-control of the pest.
OFRF’s grant program funds analysis on natural manufacturing methods and the dissemination of those analysis outcomes to natural farmers and agricultural analysis communities. The 2021/22 grant cycle prioritized early profession researchers and Black, Indigenous and Folks of Colour (BIPOC) candidates, and awarded on-farm tasks targeted on local weather mitigation and resilience. OFRF just lately introduced 2021/22 grantees targeted on espresso leaf rust illness in natural manufacturing methods and local weather mitigation for espresso producers.
Because of OFRF’s analysis, schooling, and outreach efforts, 1000’s of farmers have acquired pertinent analysis and coaching data. Outcomes from all OFRF-funded tasks can be found to entry free of charge in an on-line database.
Thanks to FFAR and our analysis companions for making the 2021/22 natural analysis grant program potential.
