making an impacT Through niFa · 3 introduction 4 nifa partnerships 6 nifa grants to u.s. states...

n at i o n a l i n st i t u t e o f fo o d a n d ag r i c u lt u r e | W W W. n i fa . u s da .g oV

The 2008 Farm Bill

making an impacT Through niFa

United States Department of Agriculture

Contents 3 introduction 4 nifa partnerships

6 nifa grants to u.s. states and territories

9 nifa’s portfolio

10 plant health, production, and products •PlantBreeding,Genetics,andGenomics •BiobasedProductsandProcessing •Horticulture•AgronomyandForageCrops •CropProtection/PestManagement

14 animal health, production, and products •AnimalBreedingandGenomics •AnimalHealth•AnimalNutritionandGrowth •AnimalProducts•AnimalReproduction •AnimalWell-Being•Aquaculture

18 food safety, nutrition, and health •FoodSafety•Nutrition •HealthandWellness •HungerandFoodSecurity •ObesityandHealthyWeight

22 renewable energy, natural resources, and environment •AirQuality•SoilQuality •ClimateEffectsonAgriculture •RenewableEnergy •WildlifeandFish

26 agricultural systems and technology •ManureandNutrientManagement •OrganicAgriculture •FarmSafety •Technology

30 agricultural economics and rural communities •FarmFinancialManagement •FinancialSecurity •Markets,Trade,andPolicy •RuralandCommunityDevelopment

34 frequenty asked questions

i n v e s t i n g i n :

p l a n t r e s e a r c h

s e C u r i n g :

a m e r i c a n j o b s

The u.s. department of agriculture’s (usda) national institute of food and agriculture (nifa)wasestablished bytheFoodConservationandEnergyActof2008(the2008FarmBill)

tofindinnovativesolutionstoissuesrelatedtoagriculture,food,theenvironment,andcommunities.Theagencyworkswithothergovernmentagencies,industry,andacademiatoleadresearch,education,andCooperativeExtensionactivities.TheworkthatNIFAsupportsispartofadynamicsystemthatmovesscience fromlabstofarmandclassroom,todiningtable,andbackagain.

NIFA’sportfolioofprogramsincludes competitiveandcapacity-buildingprograms toland-grantinstitutionsandotherorganiza-tions.NIFAiscommittedtoadvancing thefood,agricultural,naturalresource,andhumansciencestocreateabetterfutureforthenationandtheworldandvaluesprogramsthatarespecificallyforunderrepresentedpopulations.NIFAprovidesnationalleadershiptohelpidentifyandmeetresearch,education,andextensionprioritiesthatincludescientificadvancementsin:

•Planthealth,production,andplantproducts;•Animalhealth,production,andanimalproducts;

•Foodsafety,nutrition,andhealth;•Renewableenergy,naturalresources, andenvironment;

•Agriculturalsystemsandtechnology;and•Agriculturaleconomicsandrural communities.

AsNIFAsupportsresearch,education,andextensionadvancements,theagencyfocusesonmakinglarge-scaleinvestmentsthatstandtomakeanimpactonsocietalchallenges,thus:

•KeepingAmericanagriculturesecure,competitive,andsustainable;

•Improvingnutritionandpreventing childhoodobesity;

•ImprovingfoodsafetyforallAmericans;•SecuringAmerica’senergyfuture throughthedevelopmentofbioenergy/biofuelsandbiobasedproducts;and

•Mitigatingandadaptingtoclimatechange.

Bymakingtherightinvestmentsinscience attherighttime,NIFAenablesthescientificcommunitytomakegreatdiscoveries,helpsturndiscoveryintoinnovation,andencouragesmeaningfulsolutionsthatimprovethefoodandagriculturesector,theenvironment, andthequalityofpeople’slivesinthe UnitedStates.

the 2008 farm bill: making an impaCt through nifa | 3

i n t r o d u c t i o n

n i fa | i n V e st i n g i n s c i e n c e | s ec u r i n g o u r f u t u r e | W W W. n i fa . u s da .g oV

the 2008 farm bill

making an impact through nifa

4 | the 2008 farm bill: making an impaCt through nifa the 2008 farm bill: making an impaCt through nifa | 5

distribution of Land-grant universities

NIFA’spartnersincludeland-grantuniversities(LGU)andcolleges,otherfederalagencies,privateorganizations,non-land-grantAgricultureandRenewableResourcesUniversities,63schools offorestry,27collegesofveterinarymedicine, 42schoolsandcollegesoffamilyandconsumersciences,17AlaskanNative-servingand HawaiianNative-servinginstitutions,andmore than160Hispanic-servinginstitutions.

TheLGUsarelocatedineachU.S.state,territory,andintheDistrictofColumbia.The

followingmapshowstheland-grantinstitutions ineachstateorterritorythathosttheStateAgriculturalExperimentStations● (1862land-grants),18historicallyBlackLGUs★(1890land-grants),and34NativeAmericanland- grantcolleges■(1994land-grants).Alloftheseinstitutionsconductagriculturalresearch, educatethecurrentandfuturefoodandagriculturesectorworkforce,andworktogetherwithstate,local,and/ortribalgovernmentstohosttheCooperativeExtensionSystem(extension).

Partnerships are integraltoNIFA’smission.NIFAisthefederalpartnerinavastnetworkofscientists,educators,andextensionstaffandvolunteerswhocarryoutprogramsintheUnitedStates,itsterritories,andbeyond.

n i fa pa r t n e r s h i p s

alabamaAlabamaA&MUniversity,NormalAuburnUniversity,AuburnTuskegeeUniversity,Tuskegee

alaskaIlisagvikCollege,BarrowUniversityofAlaska,Fairbanksamerican samoaAmericanSamoaCommunity College,Pago PagoarizonaDinéCollege,TsaileUniversityofArizona,TucsonTohonoO’odhamCommunity College,SellsarkansasUniversityofArkansas, FayettevilleUniversityofArkansas atPineBluff,Pine BluffcaliforniaD-QUniversity,(Davis vicinity)UniversityofCaliforniaSystem-Oaklandas Headquarters,Oakland

coloradoColoradoStateUniversity, Fort Collins

connecticutUniversityofConnecticut,Storrs

delawareDelawareStateUniversity,DoverUniversityofDelaware,Newarkdistrict of columbiaUniversityoftheDistrict ofColumbia, Washington

floridaFloridaA&MUniversity, TallahasseeUniversityofFlorida, Gainesville

GeorGiaFortValleyStateUniversity,Fort ValleyUniversityofGeorgia,Athens

GuamUniversityofGuam,Mangilao

HawaiiUniversityofHawaii,Honolulu

idaHoUniversityofIdaho,Moscow

illinoisUniversityofIllinois,UrbanaindianaPurdueUniversity, West LafayetteiowaIowaStateUniversity,Ames

kansasHaskellIndianNations University,LawrenceKansasStateUniversity,Manhattan

kentuckyKentuckyStateUniversity,FrankfortUniversityofKentucky, Lexington

louisianaLouisianaStateUniversity, Baton RougeSouthernUniversityand A&MCollege,Baton RougemaineUniversityofMaine,OronomarylandUniversityofMaryland, College ParkUniversityofMaryland EasternShore,Princess AnnemassacHusettsUniversityofMassachusetts,AmherstmicHiGanBayMillsCommunityCollege,BrimelyMichiganStateUniversity, East LansingSaginawChippewa TribalCollege,Mount PleasantmicronesiaCollegeofMicronesia, Kolonia, PohnpeiminnesotaFondduLacTribal& CommunityCollege,CloquetLeechLakeTribalCollege, Cass LakeUniversityofMinnesota, St. PaulWhiteEarthTribal andCommunityCollege, MahnomenmississippiAlcornStateUniversity, LormanMississippiStateUniversity, Starkville

missouriLincolnUniversity, Jefferson CityUniversityofMissouri, ColumbiamontanaBlackfeetCommunityCollege, BrowningChiefDullKnifeCollege, Lame DeerAaniiihNakodaCollege,HarlemFortPeckCommunityCollege,PoplarLittleBigHornCollege, Crow Agency

MontanaStateUniversity,BozemanSalishKootenaiCollege,PabloStoneChildCollege,Box Elder

nebraskaLittlePriestTribalCollege, WinnebagoNebraskaIndianCommunityCollege,WinnebagoUniversityofNebraska,Lincoln

nevadaUniversityofNevada,Reno

new HampsHireUniversityofNewHampshire,Durhamnew JerseyRutgersUniversity, New Brunswicknew mexicoNavajoTechnicalCollege,CrownpointInstituteofAmerican IndianArts,Sante FeNewMexicoStateUniversity, Las CrucesSouthwesternIndian PolytechnicInstitute, Albuquerquenew yorkCornellUniversity,IthacanortH carolinaNorthCarolinaA&TStateUniversity,GreensboroNorthCarolinaState University,RaleighnortH dakotaFortBertholdCommunity College,New TownCankdeskaCikanaCommunity College,Fort TottenNorthDakotaStateUniversity,FargoSittingBullCollege,Fort YatesTurtleMountainCommunityCollege,BelcourtUnitedTribesTechnical College,BismarcknortHern marianasNorthernMarianasCollege, Saipan, MPoHioOhioStateUniversity, ColumbusoklaHomaLangstonUniversity,LangstonOklahomaStateUniversity,StillwateroreGonOregonStateUniversity,CorvallispennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaStateUniversity, University Park

puerto ricoUniversityofPuertoRico,MayaguezrHode islandUniversityofRhodeIsland,KingstonsoutH carolinaClemsonUniversity,ClemsonSouthCarolinaState University,OrangeburgsoutH dakotaOglalaLakotaCollege,KyleSiTanka/HuronUniversity,Eagle ButteSinteGleskaUniversity,RosebudSissetonWahpeton CommunityCollege,SissetonSouthDakotaStateUniversity, Brookingstennessee TennesseeStateUniversity,NashvilleUniversityofTennessee,Knoxvilletexas PrairieViewA&MUniversity, Prairie ViewTexasA&MUniversity, College StationutaHUtahStateUniversity,LoganvermontUniversityofVermont, BurlingtonvirGin islands UniversityoftheVirginIslands,St. CroixvirGiniaVirginiaTech,BlacksburgVirginiaStateUniversity,PetersburgwasHinGtonNorthwestIndianCollege,BellinghamWashingtonStateUniversity,Pullmanwest virGiniaWestVirginiaStateUniversity,InstituteWestVirginiaUniversity,MorgantownwisconsinCollegeofMenominee Nation,KeshenaLacCourteOreillesOjibwa CommunityCollege,HaywardUniversityofWisconsin,MadisonwyominGUniversityofWyoming,Laramie, WY

★

★

★

★

★

★

★

★

★

★

★

★

★

★

★

★

★

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

■

● ●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●


fy08-12 totaL award distribution (in miLLions) fy08-12 totaL awards (in miLLions) by state/territory

*ReflectsUSDANIFAgrantobligationsmadetoeachstatebetweenOctober1,2007,andSeptember31,2012.Source:NIFACooperativeResearch ExtensionEducationManagementSystemgrantsmanagementinternaldatabaseasaccessedbytheNIFALeadershipManagementDashboard.

alabama ------------------ $178.4

alaska ----------------------- 34.6

ameriCan samoa ------------ 9.9

arizona ---------------------- 75.1

arkansas ------------------- 131.7

California ------------------324.1

Colorado ------------------ 100.7

ConneCtiCut --------------- 46.2

delaware -------------------- 61.5

distriCt of Columbia ----- 28.8

federated states of miCronesia ---------------- 7.5

florida --------------------- 207.9

georgia -------------------- 203.6

guam ------------------------- 16.1

hawaii ----------------------- 80.5

idaho ------------------------ 64.6

illinois ---------------------- 187.1

indiana ---------------------- 150.1

iowa ------------------------ 186.9

kansas -------------------- $183.0

kentuCky -------------------162.5

louisiana ------------------- 119.3

maine ------------------------ 45.5

maryland ------------------134.7

massaChusetts ------------ 75.0

miChigan ------------------ 205.6

minnesota ----------------- 230.3

mississippi ------------------ 106.9

missouri ------------------- 165.8

montana -------------------- 71.8

nebraska ------------------- 117.8

nevada ---------------------- 24.6

new hampshire ------------- 31.8

new Jersey ------------------ 88.5

new mexiCo ----------------- 51.1

new york -------------------228.1

north Carolina ---------- 253.3

north dakota -------------- 56.0

northern mariana islands ---------------------- $12.1

ohio ------------------------- 187.8

oklahoma ------------------ 116.3

oregon --------------------- 102.9

pennsylvania ---------------221.5

puerto riCo ----------------- 69.6

rhode island ---------------- 27.9

south Carolina ----------- 109.1

south dakota --------------- 64.1

tennessee -------------------165.3

texas ----------------------- 352.6

utah --------------------------74.2

vermont --------------------- 56.1

virgin islands of the u.s. -------------------- 13.1

virginia ---------------------159.5

washington --------------- 190.2

west virginia -------------- 84.6

wisConsin ------------------165.7

wyoming -------------------- 31.6

capacity-building programs for state agricultural experiment stations, 1890 research, schools of forestry, and extension TheUnitedStatesisasuperpowerinagriculturalsciences.TheseprogramsensurethattheLand-GrantUniversitySystemmaintainsthecapacity toconductresearchandextensionactivities.Universityleadersdecidewhichspecificprojects aninstitution’scapacity-buildinggrantallotment willsupport.Thesedecisionsareinformed,inpart,bystakeholderswhobothconductanduse agriculturalresearchandextension.

From 2008 to 2012, NIFAreceivedappropriated, mandatory,andendowment

fundingfordozensofdifferent programsthatperformoneor moreofthefollowingfunctions:

competitive research, education, and extension programs NIFAawardscompetitivegrantsforfundamentalandappliedresearch,extension,andhighereduca-tionactivities,andforprojectsintegratingresearch,education,andextensionfunctions.Competitiveprogramsattractalargepoolofapplicantstoworkonagriculturalissuesofnationalinterest.

additional programs targeting minority-serving institutions Minority-servinginstitutionsparticipate inmanycapacityandcompetitiveresearch, education,andextensionprograms.However, someprogramsaretargetedspecifically tominority-servingcollegesanduniversities.

0-50M 51-100M 101-150M 151-200M 201-250M 251-300M 301-350M 351-400M

n i fa g r a n t s to u . s . s tat e s a n d t e r r i to r i e s

nifa partners leveraged agency research capacity-building programs with more than $1 billion in industry grants and agreements from 2008 through 2011!


NIFA’sportfolioofcompetitiveandcapacity-buildingprograms includesthousandsofresearch,education,andextensionprojects.

InformationontheseprojectsisavailableontheResearch,Education, andEconomicsInformationSystem(REEIS)atwww.reeis.usda.gov.

ThefollowingexamplesrepresentjustaportionofthebillionsofdollarsNIFAhasinvestedinsciencetosecureAmerica’sfuture.

nifa’s portfolio

plant health, production,

and products

animal health, production,

and products

food safety, nutrition, and health

reneWable energy, natural resources,

and enVironment

agricultural systems and technology

agricultural economics and rural communities

nifa | investing in science | securing our future

plant breeding, genetiCs, and genomiCs

biobased produCts and proCessing

hortiCulture

agronomy and forage Crops

Crop proteCtion/ pest management

animal breeding and genomiCs

animal health

animal nutrition and growth

animal produCts

animal reproduCtion

animal well-being

aquaCulture

food safety

nutrition

health and wellness

hunger and food seCurity

obesity and healthy weight

air quality

soil quality

Climate effeCts on agriCulture

renewable energy

wildlife and fish

manure and nutrient management

organiC agriCulture

farm safety

teChnology

farm finanCial management

finanCial seCurity

markets, trade, and poliCy

rural and Community development


arkansas program improves corn yieldWithincreasesinacreageandthenumberofproducersgrowingcorninArkansas(manyforthefirsttime),countyextensionagentshaveturnedtotheArkansasCornResearchVerificationprogramtoeducateproducersaboutup-to-datemanagementpracticesforgrowingprofitablecorn.Theprogramtakesuniversity of arkansas-generatedresearchonhybridselection,fertilitymanagement,pestcontrol,andirrigationmanagementanddemonstratesiton awhole-fieldbasis.Yieldsforprogramparticipantsaveragedover180bu/acre,wellabovethestateaveragecornyieldof142bu/acre.Thoseextra38bu/acreamountedtoanincreaseof$247/acregainingrossrevenuecomparedtostateaveragefields.

afri-funded plant breeding and genetics projects produce resultsNIFA’sAgricultureandFoodResearchInitiative(AFRI)placesahighpriorityonconventionalplantbreeding,plantgenomestructureandfunction,andothersciencethatimprovesplantmaterial.From2008-2012,20AFRI-fundedPlantGeneticsandGenomicsCoordinatedAgriculturalProjects(CAP)havedeveloped45bean,potato,tomato,wheat, andbarleycultivarsandimprovedover130lines;received27patents;providedtrainingto208undergraduateand172graduatestudents;andspreadthewordoftheirresearchthroughwork-shops,webinars,171publications,andWeb-basedoutreachmaterialsthathavebeenaccessedover374,500times.

investing in

plant health, production, and products

plant breeding, genetics, and genomics

biobased products and processing

horticulture • agronomy and forage crops

crop protection/pest management

When most americans think of farming,theythink ofgrowingplants.Whethertheygettheirhandsdirtyinbackyard orurbangardens,buylocalgoodsatafarmersmarket,orshop

forfruitsandvegetablesatasupermarket,there’sagoodchancethatNIFA’s plantscienceprogramshavetouchedtheirlives.NIFA-fundedplantandplantproductprogramsprovidebetterunderstandingofplants:howtheygrow, howtoimproveproductivity,andhowtousetheminnewways.Theseprogramsreflectthediversityofplantsandtheirusesaroundtheworld.NIFAalsosupportseducationprograms,suchasMasterGardenersandtheeXtensionprogram, whichbringscience-basedinformationaboutgrowingplantstothepublic.

securing our future in plant health, production, and products

nifa’s plant health, production, and products portfolio includes:

plant breeding, genetics, and genomics: Geneticsandgenomicstoolsareimprovingtheeffectivenessandefficiencyofplantbreed-ing.NIFA-fundedprojectsprotectandsustainplantsforagricultureandtheenvironment.

biobased products and processing: Agriculturalandforestryproducts—bothrawmaterialandwaste—arethenewfrontierforproducingbiofuels.NIFAsupportsprojectsthatdevelopandimprovethequalityanduse ofbiobasedproducts.

horticulture:NIFA-fundedprogramsfocusonissuesthataffectthebreeding,growth,production,storage,handling,andmarketingofhorticulturalproducts—whichrangefromvegetables;tofruits,nuts,andberries; toflowers,nursery,andgreenhouseplants.

agronomy and forage crops: Advancesinplantandsoilsciencesimprovetheproductivityoffieldandforagecrops. Inaddition,theseprogramsensurewise useofnaturalresources,reducesoilerosion,andimprovesoilquality.

crop protection/pest management: Integratedpestmanagement(IPM)strategiesreducelossescausedbyinsects,diseases, andweeds.NIFA-fundedresearch,educa-tion,andextensionprogramsdevelopIPMapproachessuchasplantprotectiontacticsandtools,diversifiedIPMsystems,enhancedagriculturalbiosecurity,IPMforsustainablecommunities,andpreparingthenextgenera-tionofIPMscientists.

from 2008 to 2012, 20 afri-funded plant-science Cap grants have created webinars, training modules, & other multimedia that have been accessed more than 374,500 times as of spring 2013.


university of florida develops decision- management tool for sustainable strawberry production Rainfallcancausefruitrotfungalsporestosplashontostrawberries,whichcreatestheneedforfungicideapplications.However,heavyuseoftheseproductshasresultedinthedevelopmentoffungicideresistance.Thisresistance,whencom-binedwithanincreaseindemandfororganicallygrowncrops,threatensthesustainabilityofstraw-berryproductionintheEasternUnitedStates,whereconsumerdemandishigh.Ateamofresearchersandextensionspecialistsledbyscientistsfromtheuniversity of floridahasdevelopedaWeb-baseddiseaseforecastsystemthatprovidesrecommenda-tionstohelpstrawberrygrowersknowexactlywhentoapplyreduced-riskfungicides.Thissystemhasallowedgrowerstoreducefungicideapplications by50percent,achievemaximumfruitrotreduction,andincreasefruitqualityandprofit.Theresistancemonitoringsystemwillallowexpertstorecommendfungicidesthatwillbeeffectiveagainstparticularfruitrot-causingorganisms.

sbir-funded invention helps drought-affected growersLastyear’sseveredroughtincreasedtheamountofnitratesinplantstopotentiallytoxiclevelsandhadfarmerswonderingiftheycouldsafelyfeedstressedhayandsilagetotheirlivestock.Feedwithhighnitratecancausenitratepoisoninginlivestock,whichpreventsthebloodstreamfromtransportingoxygen.Theresultwasalargeincreaseindemandforforagetestkitsthattestwhetherfeedissafe forlivestock.TheNitrateEliminationCompany,Inc.(NECi),receivedNIFASmallBusinessInnovationResearch(SBIR)grantstodevelopanewtypeofenvironmentallyfriendlynitratetestkit.Comparedtotraditionalcadmium-basedtestkits,NECitest

kitsarelessexpensive,justassensitive,andmoreselectivewithfewersubstancesinterferingwiththetests.TheU.S.GeologicalSurveyhasapprovedthekitsformeasuringnitrateinsolidsandwater;laterthisyear,theU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgencyisexpectedtoapprovethetestkits,whichwill openupnewmarketsworldwide.NECiislocated inarural,economicallydepressedareaofmichigan.Thecompanyemploys10peopleandsubcontractsworktolocalbusinesses.Saleshaveincreasedeachyearandareexpectedtogrowsignificantlyinthenextfewyears.

onion and garlic growers benefit from pest management software Onionandgarlicproductionisabillion-dollar- per-yearindustryintheUnitedStatesandonewhereevensmallimprovementscanhaveabigpayofftoproducers.Ateamofresearchers andextensionspecialistsledbycolorado state universitydevelopedonlinesoftwarethatenablesonionandgarlicgrowerstomaketimely,smarter,andmoreeconomicallybeneficialintegratedpestmanagementdecisions.Thesoftwarecombines pestscoutinginformation,weather,plantgrowthstage,pestanddiseasethresholds,andeconomicmarketmonitoringtoimprovegrowers’productionandintegratedpestmanagementdecisionmaking. Aprofitabilityestimatepredictsa50-to-1annualreturnfortheoriginalresearchandextensioninvestment.

california-led program improves wheat and barley breeding A21-stateCAPistargetingbreedingforthesustain-ableagriculturalproductionofwheatandbarleyatthenationallevel.Ledbytheuniversity of califor-nia-davis,theproject’s200scientists,technicalstaff,andstudentshavegeneratedanintegratednetworkofpublicwheatandbarleybreedingprogramstoincreaseyields,end-usequality,andadaptationtoclimatechange;toimprovevarieties;andtobetterdiseaseandinsectresistance.Throughinvestigativeresearch,U.S.wheatandbarleybreedershavereleased14newvarieties,12newimprovedgermplasm,and2mappingpopulationsandcharacterizedtensofthousandsofbreedinglinesbyusingmolecularmarkerssuitedtochangingconditions

organic growers receive contracting helpUntilnow,organicfarmershadlittleindependent,reliablelegalinformationtohelpthemwithcon-tractsfortheirorganicfarmproducts.Theminneso-ta-basedFarmers’LegalActionGroupaddressedthisproblembyreleasingacomprehensivepublica-tion,theFarmers’GuidetoOrganicContracts.Thisfarmer-friendlylegalguide—thedirectresultofaNIFAOrganicAgricultureResearchandExtensionInitiativegrant—willhelpthenation’snearly30,000certifiedorganicfarmersastheyevaluate,negotiate,andmanagecontractagreementswithbuyersoforganicfarmproducts.

iowa state university scientists close in on plant disease predictability iowa state university(ISU)scientistsareworking toimproveourabilitytopredict,andevenprevent,diseaseoutbreaksbybetterunderstandingthebehaviorofpathogensinandonplants.Untilrecently,scientistsdidnotknowmuchaboutthelivesofbacteriaonthesurfaceorinsideofleaves. Inthisstudy,researcherslearnedthatbacteria onleafsurfacesdegradeanaminoacidthatisnecessaryforplantstodefendthemselvesagainstinvadingpathogens.Resultsofthisprojectwillsupportthedevelopmentofrecommended managementandtreatmentpracticesforplantdiseasecontrol.

securing our future in

pLant heaLth, production, and products

investing in research at university of florida has resulted in scientists discovering ways to reduce fungicide applications on strawberries by 50%, increasing fruit quality and profit!


concentrated calving saves money for florida ranchersuniversity of floridaresearchershavediscoveredthattheycanreducecostsandincreaseprofitsforthebeefproducersifahigherpercentageofcowscalveduringamoreconcentratedtimeframeandearlierinthecalvingperiod.Integratingreproductivemanagementtechnologiesintomanagementsystemsshowsthatitcosts75centsto$1.50perdaytoraiseonepost-weanedcalf,and70percent ofthatcostisfeed-related.Cattleproducerswhofeedspecificsupplementscansave$3.65to$9.24perheadduringthebackgroundingphase(90to120days).Statewide,theFloridacattleindustry cansave$1.9to$7millioneachyear.

new breeding technology improves dairy industry Forover50years,Americandairyfarmershaveusedselectivebreedingtoproducedairycowsthatproducemoremilk.Theproblemwiththisexpensiveprocessisthatittakesabout5yearsto“progeny”testabull,butotherbreedingtechniqueswerelessreliableintheirabilitytopassondesiredgenetictraits.AteamofNIFA-fundedscientistsfromUSDA’sAgriculturalResearchService(ARS),LGUs,andthedairyindustryhavedevelopedanewgenetictest(agenotypingassay)thatcanassessananimalimmediatelyafterbirth.About10,000animals weregenotyped,andresearchersusedthedatatodevelopanewbreedingselectionmethodcalledgenomeselection.Thegenomeselectionmethodsimultaneouslyreducedanimalselectiontime (from5yearsto1week)andincreasedpredictionaccuracybymorethan30percentformosttraits.

animal breeding and genomics

animal health • animal nutrition & growth

animal products • animal reproduction

animal well-being • aquaculture

securing our future in animal health, production, and products

animal well-being:NIFAworkswith scientists,industry,andanimalwelfaregroupstoidentifyandaddressanimalwell-beingissues,suchasfarmanimalhealth,transporta-tion,harvestenvironment,andbiosecurity.

aquaculture:Rearingfishandother aquaticanimalsforfoodisbigbusinessin theUnitedStates.NIFAprovidesleadershipforaquacultureresearchandtechnology developmentasameanstoadvancethe U.S.aquacultureindustry.

investing in

animal health, production, and products

Animals are one of the most important aspectsofagricultureinAmerica.Sincethe2008FarmBillwassigned,NIFA’sinvestments inanimalsciencehavefoundnewandbetterwaystoadvanceanimal

productiontechnology,enabletheindustrytorespondtoconsumerdemand,andadvancehumanhealthandnutritionthroughbetteranimalhealthandbreeding.NIFA’sanimal-relatedprograms—whichincludebeef,dairycattle,poultry,swine,sheep,goats,andaquaculture—encourageamultidisciplinaryapproachto research,education,andextensionactivities.

nifa’s animal health, production, and products portfolio includes:

animal breeding and genomics: NIFA-fundedprojectsfocusonunderstandinghowtheinteractionofgenesandenvironmentaffectanimalhealth,growth,productivity, andwell-being.

animal health:NIFA’suniqueroleinthe fightagainstanimaldiseaseincludes providingfundstopartnerswhoconductsmall-scaleresearchtorespondtodiseaseoutbreaks;stimulatinginterstatecooperation;targetingdiseasesofnational,state,and regionalimportance;anddisseminating animalhealthinformation.

animal nutrition and growth: Ifananimalreceivestoofewnutrients initsdiet,theresultcanbepoorgrowth andhealth;however,toomuchcanlead toenvironmentaldamageintheform

ofodorandwaterpollutionthroughnutrientrunoff.NIFA-fundedprojectsinvestigate thenutritional,biological,andgeneticfactorsofanimalgrowth,development,andnutrientdigestion.

animal products:Manyelementsaffect thequalityandsafetyofanimalproducts. Theprojectsthatourpartnersundertake examineprocessing,technology,marketing,andvalue-addedproducts.

animal reproduction:Effectivebreeding affectstheprofitabilityofmanyanimal productionsystems.Theseprojectsconductbasicandappliedresearchtocontrolanimalreproductiveefficiencyandeducatelivestockandpoultryproducers.>>

>>


(continuedfrompreviouspage)

Thedairyindustryquicklyadoptedthistechnologyandhassincegenotypedmorethan500,000dairycattleforestimatedannualbenefitsof$100millionperyear.Successinthismaryland-basedprogram hasledtoprojectsthataimtodevelopsimilargenotypingassaysforbeefcattle.

program helps veterinarians pay back college tuitionTheVeterinaryMedicineLoanRepaymentProgram(VMLRP)helpslargeanimalveterinarianspay backcollegetuition.UnderVMLRP,veterinarians areencouragedtoservefor3yearsindesignatedareasofthenationthatarehamperedbyashortageoffood-supplysectorveterinarians.Thosewhoentertheprogramreceiveupto$25,000peryear tohelprepaytheeducationaldebttheyincurred inveterinaryschool—whichaverages$140,000. Thegrowingshortageoffood-supplyveterinarians isathreattoagriculturalanimalhealthandwell-being,agro-security,humanpublichealth,foodinspection/foodsafety,andtheruralanimalagricul-tureeconomyatlarge.Initsfirst3years,VMLRPhasplacedover170highlyqualifiedveterinarians inprioritizedshortageareas.Theprogramishighlycompetitive,asshownbyanapplicationsuccessrateofroughly30percent.

missouri research looks to breathe fresh air into cattle operationsConcentratedanimalfeedingoperations(CAFO) areanimportanteconomicforceinruralareas,bringinganestimated$1.1billionannuallytonorthwestmissourialone.However,odorfromthesefacilitieshasasignificantnegativeimpactonneighboringpropertyownersandresidents.Univer-sityofMissouriresearchersareworkingtodevelopeffectivebiofiltersthatproducerscanusetofilteroutandbreakdowncompoundsthatcreatestrongodors.Inaddition,theydevelopedacomputermodelthatallowslargeproducerstoinexpensivelyestimatetheextentofgasemissionsfromtheiroperations.DevelopingtechnologieswillhelpCAFOsbecomebetterneighborsandallowruralregionsinnorthwestMissouritobenefiteconomi-callywithoutsacrificingairquality.

iowa state university researchers work to take the heat off swineNIFAawardeda5-yearprojecttoinvestigatehowheatstressaffectsapig’smetabolismandperfor-mance.Heatstressisoneofthecostliestissues intheU.S.porkindustry.Researchersatisuareinvestigatinghowheatstresscaninfluenceapig’sfetaldevelopmentandpostnatallife,includingtheabilitytodevelopandgrow.Theknowledgethisstudyprovideswillbecomeincreasinglyvaluable asproducersworktomitigateseveresummertemperatures.

coordinated ag project improves poultry healthHighlypathogenicavianfluvirusesposeaconstantthreattobothhumanhealthandpoultrywell-being,butstrongerbiosecuritymeasureskeepinfluenzaoutofpoultryflocksandawayfrompeople.WithNIFAfunding,agroupofuniversitiesledbytheuniversity of marylandandscientistsfromUSDAdevelopednewtoolsthathelpbetterprevent,control,andmanagefutureoutbreaksofavianflu intheUnitedStates.Throughthiscollaboration,partnershavedevelopededucationalmaterial tohelppeoplebetterunderstandavianfluanditsaffectonbothpoultryandhumanhealth.

Highlightsoftheprojectinclude:•eXtensiononlinetrainingmodulesforthreedifferentaudiences—backyardflockowners, youthand4-Hmembers,andemergency responders—toimprovebirdflubiosecurity;

•A4-daycertificatecoursethattrainsindustry,state,andfederalrespondershowtocontrolcatastrophicdiseaseoutbreaks;

•Apoultryhandlingandtransportation qualityassuranceprogram;

•Instructionsonhowtokillfluvirusonequipmentusedduringemergencyresponses;and

•Commercializationoftworapiddetection teststhatareusedworldwidetoquicklytestwhetherbirdshaveavianflu.

university of massachusetts leads u.s. veterinary immune reagent networkJustasyoucannoteffectivelyrepairacarwithoutpropertools,animaldiseasescannotbestudied wellwithoutparticularproducts,knownasimmunereagents.university of massachusetts-amherst leadsapublic-privatepartnershipthatlinksfouracademicinstitutionswiththreefederallaboratoriesandoneprivatecompanytoformtheU.S.VeterinaryImmuneReagentNetwork.Thenetworknowoffersover20new,low-costcommercialtoolstoanimaldiseaseresearcherstospeedthedevelopmentofnewvaccines,diagnostictests,andtheidentificationofbetterinterventionapproachestoimproveanimalhealthandanimalwelfare.Thenetworkwillserve toenhancethesafetyofthenation’sagriculture andfoodsupplythroughimprovedanimaldiseasecontrol.

kentucky-led national project helps communities with agrosecurity planningTheNIFA-fundedExtensionDisasterEducationNetwork(EDEN)helpslocalgovernmentsrespondtoagriculturaldisastersatcountyandstatelevels.OneofEDEN’smanyCooperativeExtensionprograms,“StrengtheningCommunityAgrosecurityPlanning,”helpsbuildacommunity’scapacity tohandleagriculturalissuesduringanemergency byimprovingnetworkingamongresponders andestablishingorenhancingtheagrosecuritycomponentsoflocalemergencyoperationsplans.Theuniversity of Kentucky-ledprogramtrainedover1,100people(whoservemorethan16millioncountyresidents)at24workshopsin20statesduringthepast3years.Morethan100countieshaveimprovedtheiragriculturalemergency responseplans,andconfidencehasrisenamongparticipantsabouttheirabilitytorespondto anyagriculturaldisaster.

securing our future through

animaL heaLth, production, and products


extension education improves health while saving virginia $2.4mIn2011,Virginia cooperative extension(VCE)agentstrainedover1,000foodhandlersacross thestatein34managercertificationcourses,24employeefoodsafetycertificationcourses,and34generalsafefoodhandlingandpreparationcourses.Additionally,over459restaurants,schools,day carecenters,churches,civicgroups,publicserviceorganizations,andothergroupssentindividuals toVCEtocompletefoodsafetytraining.Ifone caseoffoodborneillnessispreventedperfoodhandlerwhocompletedfoodsafetytraining throughVCE,thepotentialannualsavingsforVirginiaisapproximately$2.4million.

illinois research increases vegetable safetyuniversity of illinoisscientistscombined ultrasoundandchlorinewashingtreatments toreducethenumberofE. coli0157:H7bacteria onspinachby99.99percent,whileother technologiesachieveonlyabouta99-percentreduction.Industryislookingforakillstep— awaytoremovepathogens—whileprocessing freshfruitsandvegetables,includingsalads. Thisapproachreducescontaminationand enhancessafetywhilepreservingthefreshness oftheproduce.

langston university program increases urban food security and nutrition1890Capacity-BuildingGrantsstrengthenresearch,teaching,andCooperativeExtensionprogramsatthe1890LGUs.Since2008,theprogramhasawarded298grants($84,107,793)tothe18eligibleuniversities.Atoklahoma’s langston university, agrantisaddressingfoodinsecurityandpoornutritioninurbanareas.Urbanagriculturehasbecomeahighpriorityforhealthcareorganizations,nutritionplanners,andpolicymakersasameanstopreventdiet-relateddiseasesandobesity.Langston’sprogramestablishedanurbanteachersinstitute,Farm-to-Schoolprograms,4-Hnutritionsummercamps,andschoolgardenprojects.

investing in

food safety, nutrition, and health

food safety • nutrition

health and Wellness

hunger and food security

obesity and healthy Weight

Poor dietary choices,unhealthylifestyles,foodborneillnesses,andthepotentialforterrorismandotherattacksontheU.S.foodsupplyarenationalconcerns.NIFA-fundedprogramsandournationalprogramleadershiphelp

strengthenthenation’sabilitytoaddressandreducethenegativeeffectsoftheseissuesaswellasissuesrelatedtofoodsecurityandfoodscienceandtechnology.

nifa’s food safety, nutrition, and health portfolio includes:securing our future in food safety, nutrition, and health

investing in research at university of illinois has resulted in scientists discovering ways to reduce the number of E. coli 0157:h7 bacteria on spinach by 99.99%!

food safety:Eachyear,millionsofAmeri-canssuffer—and5,000die—fromfoodborneillness.ThefoodsafetyprogramsthatNIFAsupportsreducetheincidenceoffoodborneillnessbyfundingresearchtounderstanddisease-causingmicro-organisms,toxins,andchemicalcontaminantsinfood.Thisbroadarearangesfromon-farmproductiontopostharvestprocessinganddistribution,tofoodpreparationandconsumption.Someofthesefoodsafetyprojectsinvolveresearchintousingthermalandhighpressure(hydro-static)processing,theirradiationoffoodstoreducemicrobialcontamination,andantibioticresistancemanagement.

nutrition: NIFAworkswiththeCooperativeExtensionServicetoprovidecommunity-basednutritioneducationsopeoplecanmakebetterfoodandlifestylechoices.Theseprojectsalsoprovidepolicymakerswiththeinformationtheyneedtomakeappropriatedecisions.

health and wellness:NIFA-fundedpro-gramsaddressthehealthissuesofagriculture,communityandeconomicvitality,andfamilyandyouthdevelopment.

hunger and food security:NIFA’sprogramsandpartnershipshelpensurethatpeoplehaveaccess,atalltimes,toenoughfoodforan active,healthylife.Atthecommunitylevel, theseprogramsaddressfederalfoodassis-tance,foodrecoveryanddonations,and communityfoodproductionandmarketing.

obesity and healthy weight:Reports showthattwo-thirdsofAmericansare overweight.Throughland-grantuniversitypartnerships,NIFA-fundedprograms providenutritioneducation;conduct behavioralresearch;andplan,conduct, andevaluatedietaryinterventions.


health care + education: prevent foodborne illness in seniorsAtennessee state universityresearchprojecthasdevelopedaninnovativeapproachforintegratingfoodsafetyeducationintopreventivehealthcare foradultsover60.Thisprojectworkswithhealth careproviderstodevelop,evaluate,anddeliver foodsafetyeducationalmaterialsforolderadults. Awebsitewasdevelopedfornursesandcaregiverswithinformationonfoodsafetythatcanbeprintedoffandusedforshortlessonsorashandouts. Thewebsitereceivedover11,000hitsin6monthswithover3,000pagesprinted.Onlinematerialincluded72recipeswithfoodsafetyhints.

focusing on foodborne threats before they become u.s. public health issuesE. coliO104:H4isanewlyrecognizedstrainofbacteriathatwasresponsibleforover30foodborneillnessrelateddeathsinGermanyin2011.WhilethisstrainhasnotyetcausedfoodborneillnessintheUnitedStates,itcaused20percentmoredeathsworldwidethanotherstrainsofE. coli.Researchersatmichigan state universityareinvestigating whythisstraincausessuchsevereillnessand effectivestrategiesforpreventingthem.Also,researchersattheuniversity of nebraskaandKansas state universityareevaluatingtheability oftheGermanstraintoinfectthegastrointestinaltractofcattle.ThisNIFA-fundedresearchiscriticaltounderstandingthethreatofthisnewstrain topublichealthandtheU.S.foodsupply.

encouraging healthy habits in rural new york through social mediaResidentsinNewYork’sruralareashavegreateraccesstohealthpromotioninformation,thankstotheAdoptingHealthyHabitsproject.Thecornell university cooperative extensionprojecttargetshealthyeatinghabitsandincreasedactivitytopreventchildhoodobesitythroughawareness,communitysupport,andaccessibilityusingvariousmediasources.Specificoutputsfromtheprojectincludedamediacampaignof30-secondpublicserviceannouncementsthatfeaturespecifichealthmessages(drinkingwaterinsteadofsweetenedbeverages;eatingmorefruitsandvegetables;playingactivelywithyourfamily)thatreached337,960households;ahalf-pageadprinted inthelocalnewspaperthatreached44,000people;aWeb-basedadthatwasviewed100,000times;andlocalradiospotsthatreached60,000listeners. AFacebooklinksharedwithotherCooperativeExtensionsitesaroundNewYorkStatereceived1,700visitsin1week.

efnep provides nutrition education for america’s poorest of the poorNIFA’sExpandedFoodandNutritionEducationProgram(EFNEP)addressessomeofourmostpervasivesocietalchallenges—hunger,malnutrition,poverty,andobesity—byprovidingpractical,hands-onnutritioneducationtothepoorestofthepoor.Eachyear,EFNEPpeereducatorsteachmorethanahalfmillionlow-incomefamiliesandyouthhowtochangetheirbehaviortowardfood.Morethan80percentofEFNEPfamiliesreportliving atorbelowthepovertythreshold,andnearly 70percentindicatebeingofminoritystatus. A2012nationalreviewofEFNEPdatashowedthat95percentofEFNEPgraduatesimprovedthequality oftheirdiets,88percentimprovedtheirnutritionpractices,86percentstretchedtheirfooddollarsfarther,66percenthandledtheirfoodmoresafely,and28percentincreasedtheirphysicalactivity byatleast30minuteseachday.

childhood obesity prevention program earns presidential awardAresearcherfromcolorado state university wonthe2011PresidentialEarlyCareerAwardforScientistsandEngineersforherresearchin childhoodobesityprevention.The“MightyMoves”projectisan18-weekprogramwherepreschoolersengageinactivitiesaimedatenhancinggrossmotordevelopmentandincreasingstructuredphysicalactivityopportunitiesintheclassroom.Equallyimportant,theprogramaddressedthephysical andnutritionaleducationneedsofparentsandteachers.Theprogramtargetedthese“secondaryinfluencers”whoarethemostdirectrolemodels ofyoungchildren.

nanoscale science and engineering help detect food safety hazardsTheincreasinglyglobalnatureofagriculturehascreatedanurgentneedforsensorsthatcanrapidlyandreliablydetectandidentifythesourceofhazardousagentsatallpointsinthefoodsupplychain.Aresearchcommunityof30scientists andengineersfrom21statesisdeveloping nanotechnology-enabledsensors(nanosensors) forfoodsafety,biosecurity,andotheragriculturalneeds.Oneexampleisanintegratedbiosensorsystemforrapidscreeningofavianinfluenzainpoultry,developedbyscientistsattheuniversity of arkansasandaninternational,multidisciplinaryresearchteam.A2001–2002outbreakoflowpathogenicavianinfluenzaintheUnitedStates

resultedinthelossofover4.5millionchickens andturkeysthatamountedtoabout$125million.Worldwide,morethan140millionbirdshave diedorbeendestroyedduetoavianinfluenza H5N1,andlossestothepoultryindustryareinexcessof$10billionworldwide.Nearly360people in16countrieshavebeeninfectedanddiedsince2003.Thesensorprovidesanurgentlyneededdetectioncapabilityforcontrollingthespread ofavianinfluenza.


food safety, nutrition, and heaLth

investing in the efnep program resulted in 95% of graduates improving the quality of their diets; 88% improving their nutri-tion practices; 86% stretching their food dollars farther; 66% handling their food more safely, and 28% increasing their physical activity by at least 30 minutes each day!


investing in

renewable energy, natural resources, & environment

air quality • soil quality

climate effects on agriculture

reneWable energy

Wildlife and fish

minnesota volunteer naturalists work to save the environmentminnesota extension’sMasterNaturalistprogramtrainedover1,000volunteersandinstructors,and84percentarestillactive.Thesevolunteershavecommitted121,144hoursofserviceoverthepast 5yearstoprotecttheenvironment.Minnesota’sMasterNaturalistsparticipateinlakeandstreammonitoring,eradicationofinvasivespecies,lakeshorerestoration,clearingtrails,emeraldashborermonitoring,teachingnaturecourses,plantingtrees,andleadinghikes.Theirvolunteereffortshavebeenvaluedatover$2,480,000.

florida researchers expand the use of sweet sorghums for biofuelsANIFABiomassResearchandDevelopmentInitiative(BRDI)grantishelpinginvestigators attheuniversity of floridadevelopthenextgenerationofsweetsorghumsasasourceofbiomassforfuels,chemicals,andotherhigh-valueproducts.ThisBRDIprojectincludesproductionofsuperiorsorghumcultivarsandnovelbiochemicalconversiontechnologies.Sweetsorghumisatallgrasswithstemsthatcontainasugar-richjuice.

4-h participants become “stewards of the natural world” Washington state university-led4-Hprogrammingcollaborateswithlocalandtribalgovernments tomentoryouthintheareaofenvironmentaleducation.The4-HFishandForestStewardsProgramworkswiththeTulalipTribe,SnohomishCountyschools,andnon-profitgroupsinruralcommunitiesthatareaffectedbypovertyandjobloss.Thecurriculumisfocusedonwatersheds,waterquality,nativeplants,salmonhabitat/stewardship,forestsandwildlife,climatechange,andlocalhistory.The4-HEco-StewardshipProgramisanotherWashingtonStateCooperativeExtensionofferingtostudentsresidinginChelanandnearbycounties.Throughthisprogram,studentsdevelop adeeperunderstandingoftherelationshipbetweenhealthyforestsandhealthycommunities.Thisprogrammingearnedthe2010ConnectingYouthwithNaturethroughEnvironmentalConservationAwardfrom4-HNationalHeadquarters,the U.S.DepartmentoftheInterior,andtheU.S.FishandWildlifeService.

Nifa’s national program leadershipintegratesresearch, education,andCooperativeExtensionexpertisetoaddressenvironmentalandnaturalresourcepriorities.Theagency’sprogramsseektodevelop

thenextgenerationofbiofuelsthatwillnotonlypowermachinesbutthe Americaneconomyasawhole.Furthermore,theseprogramsimproveair,soil, andwaterquality;fishandwildlifemanagement;sustainableuseandmanage-mentofforests,rangeland,andwatersheds;andleadtoabetterunderstanding ofhowthechangingclimateeffectsagriculture.

nifa’s renewable energy, natural resources, and environment portfolio includes:

securing our future in renewable energy, natural resources, and environment

air quality: Theagency’sresearchpartnersworktoimprovethemeasurement,control,andtransportofodor,gases,andparticulatematterfromagriculturaloperations.

soil quality:NIFA-fundedprojectsstudytheeffectofsoilmicro-organismsandnutrientsongreenhousegasesandhowjudicioussoilmanagementpracticescanhelpcontrolorreducethesegases.

climate effects on agriculture: Adaptingtochangingclimateconditionsisoneofthemostpressingproblemsforagriculturalpro-ducers.TheclimatechangeprojectsthatNIFAsupportsfocusonreducinggreenhousegasconcentrationsandanticipatingnaturalandhumanimpactsonagriculturalecosystems.

renewable energy: Thecountry’sdepen-denceonforeignoilneedstobereduced.NIFA-fundedprogramssupportthedevelop-mentofregionalsystemstodevelop,produce,anddeliversustainablebiobasedproducts.America’sgoalistoproduce36billiongallonsofbiofuelsperyearby2022.

wildlife and fish: Wildlifeandfishcontrib-utetohealthyecosystems,provideincometolandowners,andofferrecreationopportunitiestosportsmen.TheprojectsthatNIFAenablesstudywildlifeecologyandmanagement,pro-videtrainingforfuturewildlifeprofessionals,andinformlandownersaboutinvasivespeciesandanimal-to-humandiseases.


ohio-led brdi project partners develop new biomass technologythe ohio state university(OSU)isleadingaNIFA-fundedBRDIprojecttotestandexpandauniversity-developedtechnologythatcanproducebiogasfromavarietyofsolidorganicwastesandbioenergycrops.ResearchersatOSU,mississippi state university,theuniversity of georgia,andpartnersinindustrywilldeveloptechnology forconvertingbiogastoliquidhydrocarbonfuels todiversifythecountry’ssuiteofrenewable transportationfuels.Theproject’smaingoalistoenhancetheintegratedanaerobicdigestionsystem,apatent-pendingtechnology.Thesystemhasthepotentialtodevelopnewmarketsforagriculturalproducers,improvesoilfertilityandcropyield, andreduceenergytransportationcosts.

ndsu promotes jobs through sugar beet biofuel researchAresearcheratnorth dakota state university (NDSU)initiatedanenergybeetdevelopmentprogramtosupportthedevelopmentofthebiofuelindustry.Theprogramestablishedregionalenergybeetyieldtrials,initiatedajuicestoragestudy,testedsugarbeetethanolproductioncommercially,andconductedgrowereducationmeetings. Producers,ruralcommunities,andindustryarelearningoftheopportunitythroughworkshops andontheeXtensionwebsite.Constructionof acommercialplantispossibleasearlyas2015. Asugarbeetethanolfacilitywouldrequire 30,000acresofenergybeets,whichwould providegrowerswithincreasedincomeand create25newjobsinruralcommunities.

frtep enhances wastewater management on a reservationWhenleech lake band of ojibwe tribewaterresourceprofessionalsdiscoveredthat60percent oftheminnesotareservation’ssepticsystems weresub-standardorfailing,theyfearedforthereservation’shealth,indigenousricefields,and270fishablelakes.LeechLakeReservation’sextensivewaterresourceswerethreatenedbyuntreatedwastewaterfromanestimated1,200failingsepticsystems.ThroughtheNIFA-fundedFederallyRecognizedTribesExtensionProgram(FRTEP)grant,CooperativeExtensionagentsconductedextensiveoutreachandeducation,goingdoor-to-doortoexplaintheimportanceofpropersepticcarewithreservationhomeowners.Agentsalsoconducted ayouthcamparoundwaterqualityandansweredstakeholderquestionsandconcerns.Extensionactivitiesareresponsibleforincreasingparticipationinreservationsepticevaluationandupgradeefforts.

extension grower network saves 114 billion gallons of water each yearAprofessorattheuniversity of nebraskadevelopedanetworkoffarmersoverthepast7yearsthathasadoptednew,improvedtechnologiesforirrigation/watermanagement.Asof2012,thisnetworkofmorethan1,100farmersandover1.5millionacres ofcroplandhasreducedtheamountofirrigationby 114billiongallonsofwaterannually—enoughwater tosupplyacitythesizeofTucson,AZ,forafullyear.ThisworkissupportedinpartbyNIFAHatchandSmith-Leverfunds.Nextstepsincludeimprovingnutrientmanagement,soilquality,andcost/benefitanalysistoprotecttheenvironmentandimproveagriculturalprofitability.

brdi project impacts local communityANIFA-fundedBRDIprojectispartneringDomtarPaperwithnorth carolina state university, theU.S.ForestProductsLab,andothers,toproducepowerandchemicalproductsfromanexisting pulpandpapermill.Theprojectleveragesassetsandinfrastructureandhasprotectedatleast100jobsinNorthandSouthCarolina.

“mercury-eating” trees clean up environmental sitesUsingfundsprovidedbytheMcIntire-Stennisprogram,theuniversity of georgiahasdevelopedbiologicallyengineeredtreesthatcancleanupthethousandsofacresoflandthathavebeencontami-natedwithmercury.Usingthesetreesinsteadofthosedevelopedbyconventionalmethodscansavemillionsofdollarspercontaminatedsiteandavoidstheenvironmentaldisruptionofthesitesthatconventionaltechnologieswouldcause.

georgia and maryland scientists improve honey bee healthManagedhoneybees,which pollinateover130fruitand vegetablecrops,arevitalto agricultureintheUnitedStates— Californiaalmondgrowers,forexample, relyonbeekeeperstoprovidepollinatorsforover835,000acresofalmondtrees.However,in2006,reportsemergedofawidespreadconditioncalledColonyCollapseDisorder(CCD),inwhichallof theworkerbeessuddenlyvanish.Oneresultofthedecliningbeepopulationisthatthecosttorenthiveshastripledinthepastdecade.Inresponse, theuniversity of georgiaand14collaboratinginstitutionsbeganaNIFA-funded“Protection ofManagedBees”project.Researchershave

identifiedvarroamitesasakeycauseofCCD. Thisproject’stech-transferteamhelpedhoneybeequeenbreedersselectforhygienicbehavior,atraitthathelpsbeesdefendagainstVarroamitesandotherthreats.Asecondbeeproject,theuniversity of maryland-led“BeeInformedPartnership,” buildsontheresearchfindingsofthefirst. Additionaltechteamsofferassistancetodiagnosediseasesandpests,assistwithstockselection andbreedingforresistancetraits,andenhancegeneticdiversityinbeestocks.

natural adhesive reduces air pollutantsWoodadhesivesaremostlymadefromnon- renewable,petroleum-basedchemicalsandmay containthehazardouschemicalformaldehyde. oregon state universityhassuccessfullydeveloped anenvironmentallyfriendlywoodadhesivefromsoybeanflourforuseinthecommercialproductionofindoorplywood.Byreplacingthehazardouschemicalswithsoyflouradhesive,plywoodproduc-tionplantshavereducedtheemissionofhazardousairpollutantsby90percent,andthisbiobasedproductiscontributingtocreationofadditional jobsinruralcommunities.


renewabLe energy, naturaL resources, and environment

investing in research at oregon state university has resulted in the creation of an environmentally friendly wood adhesive made from soybean flour. by replacing conventional adhesive, plywood production plants have reduced the emission of hazardous air pollutants by 90%!

this brdi project—together with 19 others—leveraged over $67m, reached over 17k learners through outreach programs, and generated 21 patent applications!

26 | the 2008 farm bill: making an impaCt through nifa

innovative technology thins fruit but fattens profits Deciduousfruittreesproducemorefruitthanisneededtomakeaprofitablecrop,buttheonlyreliablecurrentstrategyforremovingexcessfruitishand-thinning.Thispracticecanrequireasmuchas100laborerhoursperacre,or10peoplewhoeachworkfor10hoursoneachacreoforchard.Depend-ingontheregion,thiscancost$750to$1,120peracre.Anintegratedteamledbypenn state univer-sity,andincludingmembersfromWashington state university, university of california–davis,andclemson university,hasdevelopedanautomatedsystemforfruitthinningthatcanreducethelaborrequirementby50percent.Forpeachcrops,thesetractor-mountedorhandheldthinnersalsoresultedinbetterfruitqualityandyieldtoanaverageneteconomicoutputof$694peracre.Nationally, theannualeconomicbenefittopeachgrowers is$82.5millionandalaborreductionof5.9millionhours,whichcouldincreasetherevenueofruraleconomiesby$181.5millionperyear.Theproject isexpandingintoothercrops(apple,cherry,andplum)withsimilarresults.Adoptionofthisprogramacrossallpotentialcropscouldtranslatetoapositiveeconomicimpactonruraleconomies ofalmost$1billionperyear.

kentucky private foresters learn tricks of the tradeExtensionprogramsinKentuckytrained7,827 familyforestownersonbetterforestmanagement,stewardshippractices,andinvasivespeciesmanage-ment.Cumulatively,thisresultedinover505,880acresprotectedorimproved.Inaddition,logger andforestindustrytrainingresultedin312jobsbeingcreatedorsaved;269firmsthatwereestab-lishedorexpanded;and$126.6millionearnedorsaved.Thefiscalimpactfromloggingprogramsresultedin$101millionindirectstumpagerevenuetofamilyforestowners.ThetotalcontributionofsupportingindustriestotheeconomyofKentuckythroughtheproductionoffinishedpaperandwoodproductswasapproximately$1.32billion.

investing in

agricultural systems and technology

manure and nutrient management

organic agriculture

farm safety

technology

Agricultural systems—both crop and animal—involve issuessuchaslabor,marketing,finances,naturalresources,genetic stock,andequipment.ProjectsthatNIFAsupportsaddresstheseissues

asasystem,ratherthanindividually,becauseaholisticapproachoffersgreatermanagementflexibility,saferworkingconditions,andamoresoundeconomic andenvironment.

nifa’s agricultural systems and technology portfolio includes:

securing our future in agricultural systems and technology

manure and nutrient management: Manureisavaluable,slow-releasefertilizerthatallowsfarmerstorecycleanimalwastebackintotheenvironment;however,too muchcancauseamultitudeofproblems.NIFA-fundedprojectsworktoeasemany oftheseproblems,includingodors,nitrogen,greenhousegases,andtheaccumulation ofpathogens.

organic agriculture: Theorganicindustry isthefastestgrowingsegmentofU.S. agriculture.Organicagriculturalsystemsandpracticesprovidemanyenvironmentalser-vicesandenvironmentalstewardshipisakeyprinciple.ProgramssuchasNIFA’sOrganicResearchandExtensionInitiativeaddressissuescriticaltoorganicagriculturethrough research,education,andextensionactivities.

farm safety:Farmingisoneofthemostdangerousoccupationsinthecountry, withhundredsoffarmerskilledonthejobeachyearandthousandsmoreinjured. ManyoftheNIFA-enabledprogramshelp trainfarmworkerstodotheirjobsmore safely.TheagencyalsosupportsUSDA’sAgrAblityprogram,whichtrainsthousands ofdisabledfarmersandrancherstoremain activeintheprofession.

technology:Rapidadvancesinbiological,chemical,andphysicalsciencesexpandknowledgeofagricultureandtheenvironment.Technologytranslatesscientificknowledgeintoaction.NIFA-fundedprogramssupporttechnologydevelopment,academictraining,andtechnologytransfertoensuresafer,higherqualityfoods;moreefficientagriculturalpractices;andtoenhancejobgrowth.


Floodsarethemostcommonandwidespread ofallnaturaldisasters—exceptfire—andmostcommunitiesintheUnitedStateshaveexperiencedsomekindofflooding.north dakota state university ExtensionServicehasdevelopedaseriesofdisaster-relatedsmartphoneapplicationsandYouTubevideostoaddressmanyofthechallengesassociatedwithflooding.Thesetechnologiesprovideguidelinesrelatedtoemergencymanagementandpreventionandhelpusersrecordpropertydamagetotheirpropertyusingtext,images,andaudiothroughtheir

smartphones.Sincetheproject’sinception,consum-ershavedownloadedtheDisasterRecoveryLogmorethan2,500timesandtheWinterSurvivalKitmorethan64,000times.TheFederalEmergencyManagementAgency(FEMA)recognizedthisprojectwiththeFEMA2012Individualand CommunityPreparednessAwardforInnovative UseofTechnology.NIFA,FEMA,andtheConsumerFinancialProtectionBureauarecollaboratingtoincreasethescaleofthisprojecttoanationallevel.

new mississippi technology detects juvenile lumberHarvestingjuvenilewoodfromplantationpineacreageresultsinproductionofweaklumber,warp-pronelumber,weakcompositeproducts,bucklinginplywoodveneers,andweakpaperproducts—aconditionthatresultsinanannual lossof$550milliontothelumbermanufacturingindustry.Researchersinmississippi state university’sDepartmentofForestProducts havedevelopedandpatentedascannerthat candetectjuvenilewoodingreenlumberinthe sawmill.Segregatingjuvenilelumberandusingwarp-reducingtechniquestodryithasledtotherecoveryofaconsiderableportionofpreviously lostrevenue.

penn state pilot program brings farm safety training to hispanic youthAgricultureisoneofthenation’smosthazardousindustries.Whileagriculturalsafetyandhealthtrainingmaterialdoesexist,itisprimarilyavailableonlyinEnglish—whichisnotveryusefultotheSpanish-speakingworkerswhorepresentalargeportionofthenation’sagriculturalworkforce. Apenn statepilotprogramtransformedexistingcurriculaintoSpanishandincludedculturallyappropriateexamplesandillustrations,aninstructormanual,and38shortSpanish-languagevideoclips—allavailableonhand-heldelectronicdevices.ThematerialsareonlineandareavailabletoinstructorsandCooperativeExtensionagentsacrossthecountry.

alabama precision agriculture leads to a cleaner environment and increased profitsPrecisionagricultureadoptioninalabamacontinuestoincrease,withproducersimplementingtechnol-ogyonnearly70percentofcropland.Whenfarmersadoptthesemoderntools,theyseeanestimated10-percentreductioninappliedfertilizersandpesticides—approximately$22million,state-wide.Partofthestate’ssuccessinthisareaisattributabletoauburn university’smembershipintheTransatlanticPrecisionAgricultureConsortium,whichincludesAuburn,theuniversity of georgia, mississippi state,andthreeEuropeanuniversities.Theconsortium’sgoalistofosterglobalawarenessandcompetenceofstudents,faculty,andstaff bysharingthelatestdevelopmentsinprecisionagriculture.

washington small business produces value-added environmental productForestConcepts,locatedinauburn, Wa,hassuccessfullycommercializedasoilerosionproductcalled“WoodStraw.”UsingfundsfromanSBIRaward,WoodStrawismadefromlow-gradewastewoodveneerandresemblesoversizedpick-upsticks.WoodStrawreplacesgrassstraw,whichcontainsseedsandcanbeeasilyblownaway bywind.Woodstrawcanbeeasilybaledand thustransportedbytrucktowhereitisneeded andspreadbyhand,strawblower,orhelicopter. Ininitialfieldtrials,WoodStrawreducederosion bymorethan98percentandhasprovenespeciallyeffectiveinreducingerosioninareasthathave beenimpactedbyforestfires.WoodStrawhasimprovedthesustainabilityofindependentveneermillsbyprovidingavalue-addedoutletforlow-gradeveneerandofferingasustainable,ecologicallycompatibleyear-rounderosioncontrolproduct atacompetitiveprice.

precision nursery irrigation via wireless sensor network Oneofthemostimportantdecisionsfornurseries ishowtobestmanagedwindlingwaterresources. Auniversity of maryland-ledintegratedprojectteamisdevelopingstrategiestohelpgrowerspreciselymonitorcropwaterneedswithwirelesssensors.Thissystemwillallowgrowerstoirrigateonlythoseareasthatneeditandintheexactamountstheyneed.Onegeorgianurserywasabletoincreaseprofitabilitybyover$46,000peracre byreducingwateruseandincreasingthenumber ofmarketableplants.Wateruseatthisnurseryhasbeenreducedbyatleast50percent.According toUSDA’sNationalAgriculturalStatisticsService, if75percentofthenation’s3.3millionacresofnurserycropsadoptwirelesssensornetworks,nurseriescouldincreaseprofitabilityby$113.4billionperyear.Further,thisimprovementinirrigationefficiencywouldsaveover2.5trilliongallonsofwaterperyear—enoughwaterforapproximately78.9millionpeople.


agricuLturaL systems and technoLogy

one georgia nursery increased profitability by more than $46,000 per acre by precisely monitoring crop water needs with wireless sensors. if 75% of the nation’s 3.3 million acres of nursery crop growers adopt wireless sensor networks, nurseries could increase profitability by $113.4 billion per year!

disaster education through smartphone and youtube technologies


canola joins oklahoma’s portfolio of winter cropsOklahomafarmershaveanewalternativecrop. Mildwintersallowyear-roundagricultureinOklahoma,includingwinterwheat—butwhenwheatisgrownyearafteryearonthesamefields,yieldsandqualitybegintodecline.Now,oklahoma state universityresearchersandextensionexperts,withNIFAfundingandnationalprogramleadership,haveintroducedwintercanola.Thecropfitsgrowerneedsandoffersseveraladvantages,includingitsability tobreakuptheweeds,pests,andpathogensthatplaguerepeatedwheatplantings;droughttolerance;localgrowing,whichreducestheamountofcanolaimports;andjobgrowth.

microenterprise sector spurs develop-ment for underrepresented groupsAprojectinAlabamapromotedconditionsneces-saryforthedevelopmentofthemicroenterprisesectoramongsmallandsociallydisadvantagedcommunities.Analabama a&mprojectfocused onthisaudience,teachingentrepreneurshipasatooltoincreasetheirabilitytotakecontroloftheirlivesinthefaceoflimitedjobopportunities.Theproject isalsoprovidingencouragementforexistingentrepreneursandforlaborforcedevelopment,includingmeasurestocounterbalancethemigrationoflabortourbancenters.

minnesota estate-planning workshops save farmlandExtensionprofessionalsdeliveredworkshopstofarmersinminnesotatoillustratetheimportance ofestateplanningandprovidedconcretestrategiesforcreatingatransferplan.Thevalueofassetsprotectedafterreceivingeducationfromextensionwas$1,689,609,includingownedland,livestock,equipment,andmachinery.Aftercalculatingnon-farm/ranchassetsforparticipantfamilies, thetotalfinancialimpactofprotectedruralpropertycanbeassessedat$384,300,000.

frtep building agriculture economies on american indian reservations TheFederallyRecognizedTribesExtension ProgramexpandsCooperativeExtensionto AmericanIndianreservationsthroughtargetedprogramsinproductionagriculture,youthdevelop-ment,naturalresourceconservation,andhumannutrition.Forexample,theuniversity of idaho’s FortHallFRTEPagentidentifiedalimitation ofranchprofitabilityonthereservationdueto cattledeathfromimpropervaccinemanagement. Asaresultofextensioneducationprograms, ranchersandretailershavechangedtheirvaccine storageandhandlingpracticesandsavedentire herdsthatarevaluedat$1,400perhead.

investing in

agricultural economics and rural Communities

farm financial management

financial security

marKets, trade, and policy

rural and community deVelopment

Prosperity and economic securityforindividualsandfamilies, farmersandranchers,entrepreneurs,andconsumersacrossthecountry iskeytoastrongeconomy.NIFAfundingandprogramleadershipprovide

forresearch,education,andextensionactivitiesthathelppeoplemakesoundfinancialmanagementdecisions,discoverneweconomicopportunities,developsuccessfulagriculturalandnonagriculturalenterprises,takeadvantageofnew andconsumer-drivenmarkets,andunderstandtheimplicationsofpublicpolicy ontheseandotheractivities.

nifa’s agricultural and rural communities portfolio includes:

securing our future in agricultural economics & rural communities

farm financial management:Successfulfarmmanagementinvolvesintegrating productionland,labor,financialresources, andunderstandingofthemanyelements ofagricultureriskmanagement.NIFA-fundedprogramsprovidestaffexpertisetohelp farmoperatorsachieveeconomicallyviable,ecologicallysound,andsociallyresponsiblefarmbusinesses.

financial security:NIFA-fundedprogramshelppeopleacquiretheskills,knowledge, andmotivationtobuildfinancialsecurity.Face-to-faceandWeb-basedextensionprogramparticipantslearntoachievefinancialself-sufficiencyandstability,whichisthecornerstoneofprosperouscommunities.

markets, trade, and policy:Moving productsfromproducerstoconsumers isvitaltoasuccessfulagriculturalenterprise.NIFAsupportsagriculturalmarketingwithprogramsthatprovideinformationtoexpandmarketsandreducetradebarriers,supportinternationaleconomicdevelopment, andgenerateneworimprovedproducts andprocessestoexpandmarkets.

rural and community development: Prosperousandsustainablecommunities ensurethatruralAmericacontinuestoserveasaneconomicengineandagreatplace toraiseafamily.Theagency’sregional partnershipshelpenableruralcitizenstoguidethedevelopmentoftheirruralcommunities;provideinformationandresourcestolocaldecisionmakers;andhelpfamilies,farms andranches,communities,andbusinessesachieveprosperityandsecurity.


wisconsin apprenticeship program “grows” future dairy farmersWisconsinislosingmanyofitssmallandmid-sizeddairyfarmsbecausefewyoungandbeginningdairyfarmersarepreparedtomanageoperationsasagingdairyfarmersretire.TheGrassWorksDairyGrazingApprenticeship(DGA)program,withfundingfromNIFA’sBeginningFarmerandRancherDevelopmentProgram,isworkingtoresolvethisissuebyeducat-inganewgenerationofdairyfarmerswhileprovid-ingamechanismforinvestment,growth,andtransitionforcurrentandsoon-to-retirefarmers.DGAsolicitspracticingdairyfarmerstoserveasMasterGrazierstotheapprentices,whoreceiveboth2yearsofmentoredon-farmemployment and288hoursofrelatedclassroominstruction.

cornell-led team establishes broccoli industry in the eastern united states BroccoliistypicallygrownalongCalifornia’scoastandfoggyvalleyswhereaveragetemperatures arebetween55°and65°Fahrenheit.Broccolimustberefrigeratedafterharvestformaximumnutrientquality.However,anincreaseinthecostofcoolingandshippingbroccolilongdistanceshasledtobroccoliproductioneastoftheMississippiRiver. Ateamofresearchersandextensionspecialistsledby cornell universityisworkingtodevelopandtestbroccolicultivarsthataresuitedtotheclimateandsoilsfromMainetoFloridaandwestwardintoOhioandTennessee.Conservativeestimatesindicate

thatEasternbroccoliproductionwillresultina 66-percentreductioninfuelusedtotransportthecroptomarket.Thiswillsavecloseto2.3milliongallonsoffuelperyearandreducecarbondioxideemissionsbyover51millionpoundsperyear. Theteamexpectsthatgrowersintheregionwill seeincreasedprofitsof$3,000peracreperyear,whichtranslatestoincreasedprofitsof$40million.Thetotalannualeconomicimpactonrural economieswillbealmost$90million.

job growth through ncrcrdThemichigan state university-ledNorthCentralRegionalCenterforRuralDevelopment(NCRCRD),inits12-statecoordinatingrole,developedasetofcommonbenchmarksforprogrammingtoenhancejobretentionandgrowthintheregion.NCRCRD’shighlyacclaimedwebinarserieshelpedstakeholdersidentifybestpracticesinruraleconomicandcommunitydevelopment.TheNorthCentralregionhasdocumentedover32,000jobscreatedorsavedasaresultofNCRCRDprograms.Asanexample,university of Wisconsin extensionhelped3countiesmergetheireconomicdevelopmentefforts,whichresultedin$2millioninbusinessassistancegrants,$15millioninprivateinvestmentinlocalbusinesses,and450newjobs.

e-beat gets mississippi connectedMississippiansrankdigitalliteracyasoneoftheirgreatestneeds.mississippi state university cooperative extensionandtheSouthernRegionRuralDevelopmentCenter’se-BEATdeliveravariety ofprogramsthatintroduceInternetapplications tomultipleaudiences,includinglocalgovernment,communityorganizations,smallbusinesses,and thepublic.Face-to-faceandonlineprogramsteachpeoplewhybroadbandInternetisimportantandhowtheycanimplementtechnologytobettertheirlives.CooperativeExtensionteammembershaveworkedwithstateagencypartnerstocarryouttechnicalassistanceactivities,includingwirelessprovider/carrierinteractions,smallcity/town Wi-Fiprojects,individual/smallbusinessaccessassistance,andbusinessdevelopment.

cyfar programs support at-risk youthChildren,Youth,andFamiliesatRisk(CYFAR)projectsserve26,600youthagespre-Kto19 andtheirparentsthroughtheCooperativeExtensionprogramsof42LGUs.CYFARreceivesitsqualityresearchinformationandprogrammaterials fromCYFERnet,theChildren,Youth,andFamilyEducationalResourceNetwork.CYFARprojectscrossdisciplines,programareas,andgeographiclinestoempowerfamilymembersofallagesthroughcomprehensive,intensive,community-basedprograms.Examplesinclude:TheCommunityGardensinnorth carolinaprojectaddressed hunger,poordiet,andat-riskyouthbyprovidingunder-served,low-incomepeoplewiththe resourcesnecessarytogrowtheirownfresh fruitsandvegetables.Familieswhoparticipated inthehands-onnutritionandcommunitygardencurriculumgrewtheirownfruitsandvegetables,savedmoney,andenhancedthenutritional qualityoftheirmeals.Tworuralnebraskacountiesdevelopedcommunitycoalitionstoincrease familyself-sufficiency,strengthenpositive parentingskills,supportyoungpeoples’pursuit ofhighereducation,andincreasepositive youthbehaviors.Theirprogramisavailable inbothEnglishandSpanish.

oregon-led cooperative improves revenues for small and mid-sized organic farms oregon state universityisleadingagroupofresearchersandeducatorstoformtheNorthernOrganicVegetableImprovementCollaborative(NOVIC)toaddresstheseedandplantbreedingneedsoforganicfarmersintheNorthernUnitedStates.Successinorganicagriculturerequires plantsthatthriveunderorganicproductionchal-lengessuchasweedcompetition,low-inputfertility,andpestanddiseasepressure.Successinorganicmarketsalsodemandssuperiorflavor,nutrition, andlocalavailability.NOVICpartnerswithsmall andmid-sizedorganicfarmerstobreednewvarietiesofbroccoli,carrot,snappea,sweetcorn,andwintersquash;identifyexistingvarietiesthatperformbestfororganicagriculture;andeducatefarmersonorganicseedproductionandplantvarietyimprovement.

enhancing organic apple production through research, education, and extension ApplesareanimportantcomponentofNewEngland’sdiversifiedagriculture,butchallengesassociatedwithgrowingthetraditionalapple(McIntosh)haslimitedthenumberoforganicappleorchardsintheregion.Thisuniversity of Vermont projectusedNIFAOREIfundingtoeducateorganicgrowersonhowtotransitiontoHoneycrisp, GingerGold,Macoun,Liberty,andZestar!apples.“OrganicA”Projectoutputsincludeanorganicappleproductionwebsite,anundergraduatecourseonorganicfruitproduction,workshopsandorchardtours,andpresentationsatmeetingsfromlocal tointernationallevels.Theprojectiscreatingachangeinactionamongprogramparticipants.


agricuLturaL economics and ruraL communities


when was nifa established?

do afri caps usually support more than one institution?

what is your largest competitive grants program?

does nifa fund small business research and development?

how does nifa get stakeholder input and what does it do with it?

does nifa support graduate students or post-doctoral training?

NIFAwasestablishedonOctober8,2009,andtraces itslegacybackthroughUSDA’sCooperativeState,Research,Education,andExtensionService,whichitselfwascreatedin1994fromthemergeroftheCooperativeStateResearchServiceandtheExtensionService.The2008FarmBillauthorizedtheestablishmentofNIFA asanindependent,science,andpolicy-settingagency forthefoodandagriculturalscienceswithacharge offacilitatingournation’sinvestmentsinagriculturalresearch,education,andextension.NIFA’smissionis

toleadfoodandagriculturalsciencestocreateabetterfutureforthenationandtheworld.NIFAseekstoeffectivelyserveourstakeholdersandtoenhancethequality,relevance,andperformanceofprograms.Asanagency,NIFAcomprisesfourscience-basedinstitutesthatfocusonnationalscienceandeducationprioritiesandoutcomes:InstituteofBioenergy,Climate,andEnvironment;InstituteofFoodProductionandSustain-ability;InstituteofFoodSafetyandNutrition;andInstituteofYouth,Family,andCommunity.

Yes.CAPawardssupportlarge-scalemulti-milliondollarprojectstopromotecollaboration,opencommunication,andtheexchangeofinformation;reduceduplication ofeffort;andcoordinateactivitiesamongindividuals,

institutions,states,andregions.Asanexample,themapaboveshowsthenationalpublic/privatepartnershipsresultingfromseveralbioenergyCAPawardsthatNIFAmadesincetheenactmentofthe2008FarmBill.

AFRIisNIFA’slargestcompetitivegrantsprogram, andfundsresearch,education,andextensionactivitiesthatprovidescience-basedsolutionstoaddressmajoragriculturalchallengesofnational,regional,andmulti-stateimportance.AFRIprojectsarealignedwiththe2008FarmBillprioritiesandaddress:•Planthealthandproductionandplantproducts;•Animalhealthandproductionandanimalproducts;•Foodsafety,nutrition,andhealth;

•Renewableenergy,naturalresources,andenvironment;•Agriculturesystemsandtechnology;and•Agricultureeconomicsandruralcommunities.Ofthemorethan$900millionworthofAFRIawards

madesincetheenactmentofthe2008FarmBill,45percenthavesupportedCoordinatedAgriculturalProjects.Thesearelargerandlonger-terminvestmentsthatoperateonagreaterscalethanthegrantsNIFAhashistoricallyoffered.AFRICAPsinclude:

Yes.USDA’sSmallBusinessInnovationResearchprogramishousedwithinNIFA’sInstituteofBioenergy,ClimateChange,andEnvironment.Theprogramawardsgrantstoconducthigh-quality,advancedconceptsresearchrelatedtokeyscientificproblemsandeconomicopportunities.From2008to2012,531SBIRgrantswereawarded,totaling$96,477,516.Theprogramcreated

economicopportunitiesandjobsthroughresearchanddevelopmentin:ForestandRelatedResources,SmallandMid-SizeFarms,PlantProductionandProtection-Engi-neering,PlantProductionandProtection-Biology,AnimalProductionandProtection,SoilandWaterResources,FoodScienceandNutrition,RuralandCommunityDevelopment,Aquaculture,andIndustrialApplications.

NIFAgathersstakeholderinputtoidentifypriorityareasfornewgrantprogramsand/ortomodifyexistinggrantprogramssoitmayrespondtoemergingissuesrelatedtofoodandagriculturalscience.NIFAcollectsinputfromindividuals,commoditygroups,industry,inter-agencyfederalworkgroups,theNationalAcademyofSciences,

non-governmentalorganizations,scientificsocieties, anduniversitypartners.StakeholderinputisobtainedthroughsolicitationinallofNIFA’sRequestsforApplica-tions,atlisteningsessionsorworkshops,fromothergovernmentandprivate-sectoreventsandpublications,andthroughinteractionwithstakeholders.

Yes.Theseindividualsareanimportantpart oftheresearch,education,andextensionenterprise. Thistrainingpreparesthefutureworkforcetomeet theagriculturalindustry’sincreasinglycomplexand technologicallyfocuseddemands.NIFAestimates thatitsprogramsemploy4,441undergraduatestudents,graduatestudents,andpost-doctoralworkersas researchers.AFRIalonesupportedthefollowing:

afri researcher type 2009 2010 2011

UndergraduateStudents 342 596 597

GraduateStudents 526 811 753

PostdoctoralResearchers 191 351 274

total 1,059 1,758 1,624

bioenergy•SystemforAdvancedBiofuels ProductionfromWoodyBiomass InthePacificNorthwest(AdvancedHardwoodBiofuels-Northwest)

•NorthwestAdvanced RenewablesAlliance: ANewVistaforGreenFuels, Chemicals,andEnvironmentallyPreferredProducts

•Agro-ecosystemApproach toSustainableBiofuels ProductionViathePyrolysis- BiocharPlatform

•ARegionalProgram forProductionofMultiple AgriculturalFeedstocks andProcessingtoBiofuelsand BiobasedChemicals(SustainableBioproductsInitiative)

•SoutheastPartnership forIntegratedBiomass SupplySystems

•NEWBio:NortheastWoody/ Warm-seasonBiomassConsortium

•PineGenomeReference SequencingCAP

childhood obesity prevention

•Children’sHealthyLivingProgram forRemoteUnderservedMinorityPopulationsinthePacificRegion

climate change•ClimateChange,Mitigation, andAdaptationinCorn-Based CroppingSystemsCAP

•RegionalApproachestoClimate ChangeforPacificNorthwest AgricultureCAP

•PINEMAP:MappingtheFuture ofSouthernPineManagement inaChangingWorldSystemCAP

•ImprovingBarley&Wheat GermplasmforChanging EnvironmentsCAP

•ClimateChangeMitigation andAdaptationinDairy ProductionSystemsofthe GreatLakesRegionCAP

•ResilienceandVulnerability ofBeefCattleProductioninthe SouthernGreatPlainsunder ChangingClimate,LandUse andMarketsCAP

food safety•Shiga-toxigenicEscherichia coli intheBeefChain:AssessingandMitigatingtheRiskbyTranslationalScience,Education,andOutreach

•BuildingCapacitytoControlViralFood-borneDisease:ATranslational,Multi-DisciplinaryApproach

food security•CommonBeanCAP•TranslatingSolanaceaeDiversity andTraitVariationintoAppliedOutcomesThroughIntegrative Research,Education,andExtension

•SustainableSolutionstoProblemsAffectingHealthofManagedBees

•TheBeeInformedPlatform: ANationwideNetworkforMonitoringandMaintainingHoneyBeeHealth andPollinationServices

•AdvancingInnovativeTechnologies andIntegratedStrategiesfor SustainableManagementof Thrips-TransmittedTospoviruses

•APredictiveModeltoIncrease AdoptionofIPMofAMite-Virus DiseaseComplexinWheat

•ReducingLossestoPotato andTomatoLateBlight byMonitoringPathogen Populations,ImprovedResistant Plants,Education,andExtension

•IntegratedManagementof OomyceteDiseasesofSoybean andOtherCropPlants

•IntegratedProgramforReducing BovineRespiratoryDiseaseinBeef andDairyCattle

•IntegratedStrategiestoControlandReducetheImpactofPorcineReproduc-tiveRespiratorySyndromeVirus

frequentLy asked questions about nifa

louisiana state university$17 million, energy cane, sorghum

pennsylvania state university$10 million, non-food sources (willow, miscanthus, switchgrass)

iowa state university$25 million, perennial grasses

washington state university$40 million, woody biomass

university of washington $40 million, woody biomass

university of tennessee $15 million, switchgrass and woody biomassprimary institution

partner institution

36 | the 2008 farm bill: making an impaCt through nifa

what type of review does nifa programming undergo?

is there any focus to the science you pursue as you address general topics in the farm bill priority areas?

NIFAprogrammingisorganizedintosubjectmatterareasandevaluatedas“portfolios,”suchasAgriculturalSystems,PlantSystems,NutritionandHealthierFoodChoices,andFoodSafety.Teamsofreviewersrateourworkbasedonitsrelevance,quality,andperformance.Theagencyconductsinternalreviewsannuallyand

externalreviewsona5-yearcycle.TheNationalResearchCounciliscurrentlyconductingacompletereviewofAFRI.NIFA’scapacity-buildinggrantsarereviewedannuallythrougha5-yearplanofwork andannualreportingprocess.

Definitely.FollowingNIFA’sreorganizationin2009,theagencyrefineditsfocustoworkwithintheFarmBill prioritiestoaddressfiveprimarychallengeareas.Thesechallengesareincludedinthe2010Research, Education,andEconomicsRoadmap.TheRoadmapstatesthatUSDAsciencesupportsthefollowingchallenges:

frequentLy asked questions about nifa (continued)

- • • • • • •

• - - • • • -

- • - • • • •

- • • • • • -

- • - - • • •

• • • • • • •

PlantHealthandProductionandProducts

FoodSafety,Nutrition,andHealth

AgriculturalSystemsandTechnology

AnimalHealthandProductionandProducts

RenewableEnergy,NaturalResources,andEnvironment

AgriculturalEconomicsandRuralCommunities

2008 farm bill afri priority area

afri request for applications

ch

ild

ho

od

obe

sit

y

preV

ent

ion

ch

all

eng

e a

rea

cli

ma

te

Vari

abi

lit

y a

nd

c

ha

ng

e c

ha

llen

ge

are

a

foo

d s

ecu

rit

y

ch

all

eng

e a

rea

foo

d s

afe

ty

c

ha

llen

ge

are

a

fou

nd

at

ion

al

pr

og

ram

nif

a f

ello

Wsh

ips

g

ran

t p

rog

ram

sust

ain

abl

e bi

oen

erg

y

ch

all

eng

e a

rea

KeepAmericanagriculture competitive, secure,and sustainable

Improve nutrition andend childhood obesity

Improve foodsafety forall Americans

Secure America’s energy future

Mitigate andadapt toclimate change

1 2 3 4 5

Thetablebelowoutlinesthecomplete“crosswalk”betweenthelegislativelydefinedFarmBillAFRIpriorityareas andthefivemainNIFAchallengeareas,aspursuedbyAFRI.

i n v e s t i n g i n :

a m e r i c a’ s yo u t h

s e C u r i n g :

future scientists

Use of commercial and trade names does not imply approval or constitute endorsement by USDA | July 2013

n i fa | i n V e st i n g i n s c i e n c e | s ec u r i n g o u r f u t u r e | W W W. n i fa . u s da .g oV

TheU.S.DepartmentofAgriculture(USDA)prohibitsdiscriminationagainstitscustomers,employees,andapplicantsforemploymentonthebasesofrace,color,nationalorigin,age,disability,sex,genderidentity,religion,reprisal,andwhereapplicable,politicalbeliefs,maritalstatus,familialorparentalstatus,sexualorientation,orallorpartofanindividual’sincomeisderivedfromanypublicassistanceprogram,orprotectedgeneticinformationinemploymentorinanyprogramoractivityconductedorfundedbytheDepartment.(Notallprohibitedbaseswillapplytoallprogramsand/oremploymentactivities.)

Ifyouwishtofileanemploymentcomplaint,youmustcontactyouragency’s EEOCounselorwithin45daysofthedateoftheallegeddiscriminatoryact, event,orinthecaseofapersonnelaction.Additionalinformationcanbefound onlineathttp://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_file.html.

IfyouwishtofileaCivilRightsprogramcomplaintofdiscrimination,completetheUSDAProgramDiscriminationComplaintForm,foundonlineathttp://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html,oratanyUSDAoffice,orcall(866)632-9992torequesttheform.Youmayalsowritealettercontainingalloftheinformationrequestedintheform.SendyourcompletedcomplaintformorlettertousbymailatU.S.DepartmentofAgriculture,Director,OfficeofAdjudication,1400IndependenceAvenueSW,Washington,D.C.20250-9410,byfax(202)690-7442oremail [email protected].

Individualswhoaredeaf,hardofhearingorhavespeechdisabilitiesandyou wishtofileeitheranEEOorprogramcomplaintpleasecontactUSDAthroughtheFederalRelayServiceat(800)877-8339or(800)845-6136(inSpanish).

Personswithdisabilitieswhowishtofileaprogramcomplaint,pleasesee informationaboveonhowtocontactusbymaildirectlyorbyemail.Ifyourequirealternativemeansofcommunicationforprograminformation(e.g.,Braille,large print,audiotape,etc.)pleasecontactUSDA’sTARGETCenterat(202)720-2600(voiceandTDD).

making an impacT Through niFa · 3 introduction 4 nifa partnerships 6 nifa grants to u.s. states...

Documents

Transcript of making an impacT Through niFa · 3 introduction 4 nifa partnerships 6 nifa grants to u.s. states...