USDA-NIFA’S WATER FOR AGRICULTURE: A MECHANISM TO FUND A BROADER PORTFOLIO IN

GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY

JAMES P. DOBROWOLSKI NATIONAL PROGRAM LEADER FOR WATER

USDA NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

NIFA: FEDERAL ASSISTANCE—A SMALL AGENCY WITH A BIG BUDGET

• DISMAYED THAT WE AREN’T ON THE “TIP OF THE TONGUE” FOR WATER RELATED AG RESEARCH/OUTREACH/EDUCATION

• $1.7 BILLION

• CAPACITY PROGRAMS

• COMPETITIVE GRANTS

•  TARGETED PROGRAMS

• AGREEMENTS WITH OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES

USDA-NIFA’S MISSION

“INVEST IN AND ADVANCE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION TO SOLVE SOCIETAL CHALLENGES.”

STRATEGICALLY WE PLAN TO:

• CATALYZE EXEMPLARY AND RELEVANT RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND EXTENSION PROGRAMS

• ADVANCE AMERICA'S GLOBAL PREEMINENCE IN FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES

HAVE WE UNDERFUNDED

GROUNDWATER?

•  PERHAPS….BUT WE ARE CATCHING UP.

• WE AWARDED 53 GROUNDWATER IDENTIFIED PROJECTS FOR TOTAL OF $41,406,000 IN THE LAST TWO YEARS

OK SO HOW DO WE DO THAT?

• AGRICULTURE AND FOOD RESEARCH INITIATIVE (“AFRI” FLAGSHIP FUNDING LINE)

•  WATER FOR AGRICULTURE CHALLENGE AREA—CURRENT

FY2016 RFA IS ACTIVE AT $21.7 M •  DEVELOP NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOCUSED ON INTENTIONAL

ARTIFICIAL RECHARGE; FOCUS OUR ABILITY TO CREATE, ASSESS AND APPLY GOOD DATA TO BALANCE SUPPLY AND DEMAND;

•  NEW TECHNIQUES TO IMPROVE ADOPTION AND SUPPORT DECISION AND POLICY MAKING—E.G., HOW TO MOVE GROUNDWATER RECHARGE TOWARDS CONSIDERATION AS A BENEFICIAL USE

OK SO HOW DO WE DO THAT?

•  AGRICULTURE AND FOOD RESEARCH INITIATIVE (“AFRI” FLAGSHIP FUNDING LINE)

•  FOUNDATIONAL BIOENERGY, NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT (BENRE)—CURRENT FY2016 RFA ACTIVE AT $18 M

•  ABILITY TO FOCUS ON REACTIVE NITROGEN TECHNOLOGIES—E.G., REDUCE UNDESIRABLE RESULTS, PROMOTE LOCAL EFFORTS WITH REGIONAL BENEFITS;

•  N & SALT TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT—ARE THEY DOING IT RIGHT?

OK SO HOW DO WE DO THAT?

•  INNOVATION AT THE NEXUS OF FOOD, ENERGY AND WATER (INFEWS) PARTNERSHIP WITH NSF

•  THE OVERARCHING GOAL OF INFEWS IS TO CATALYZE THE WELL-INTEGRATED INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH EFFORTS TO TRANSFORM SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE FEW NEXUS IN ORDER TO IMPROVE SYSTEM FUNCTION AND MANAGEMENT, ADDRESS SYSTEM STRESS, INCREASE RESILIENCE, AND ENSURE SUSTAINABILITY—CURRENT FY2016 RFA CLOSED AT $45 M, NSF; $5 M NIFA

•  SYSTEMATICALLY STUDY GROUNDWATER SECURITY TO GROW THE HIGH VALUE CROPS THE MIDDLE CLASS WANTS TO BUY; THE ENERGY FEEDSTOCKS FOR BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS (“GREEN” BIOECONOMY)

•  ABILITY TO IDENTIFY THE SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM

OK SO HOW DO WE DO THAT?

•  SPECIALTY CROP RESEARCH INITIATIVE •  THE PURPOSE OF THE SCRI PROGRAM IS TO ADDRESS THE

CRITICAL NEEDS OF THE SPECIALTY CROP INDUSTRY BY AWARDING GRANTS TO SUPPORT RESEARCH AND EXTENSION THAT ADDRESS KEY CHALLENGES OF NATIONAL, REGIONAL, AND MULTI-STATE IMPORTANCE IN SUSTAINING ALL COMPONENTS OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, INCLUDING CONVENTIONAL AND ORGANIC FOOD PRODUCTION SYSTEMS—CURRENT FY2016 RFA CLOSED AT $48 M.

•  SYSTEMATICALLY STUDY GROUNDWATER AVAILABILITY ISSUES (WATER QUALITY + WATER QUANTITY)

•  ISSUES WITH THE USE OF NONTRADITIONAL IRRIGATION AND PROCESSING WATER

WATER FOR AGRICULTURE PRIORITIES FOR FY 2016

• WATER AVAILABILITY FOR DIVERSE AGRICULTURAL USES: THE RIGHT WATER FOR THE RIGHT PLACE AND TIME.

•  GOAL IS TO CONSERVE WATER THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF COST-EFFECTIVE, ADOPTABLE AND SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES AND TECHNOLOGIES FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS AND PROCESSORS;

•  ONE TO THREE, $5 M INTEGRATED CAP PROJECTS OVER 5 YEARS AT THE WATERSHED OR REGIONAL SCALE. 10

PRIORITIES FOR FY 2016 • UNDERSTANDING DECISIONS AND

BEHAVIORS CONNECTED WITH AGRICULTURE AND POST-HARVEST PROCESSING INDUSTRY WATER USE.

•  GOAL IS TO IMPROVE WATER AVAILABILITY THROUGH THE UNDERSTANDING OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR, THE POTENTIAL FOR TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION AND IMPROVED DECISION-MAKING, AND GIVE DECISION MAKERS GREATER CAPACITY TO MANAGE WATER FOR AGRICULTURE

•  $500 K STANDARD RESEARCH PROJECTS AT THE WATERSHED OR REGIONAL SCALE. 11

PRIORITIES FOR FY 2016

•  UNDERSTANDING THE HUMAN HEALTH IMPACTS TO EXPOSURE FROM NONTRADITIONAL WATER USED IN AGRICULTURE.

•  GOAL IS TO FUND A PORTFOLIO OF RESEARCH THAT IMPROVES OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE HUMAN EXPOSURE PATHWAYS TO NONTRADITIONAL AGRICULTURAL WATER AND POTENTIAL HUMAN HEALTH RISKS;

•  NIFA AND EPA (U.S. EPA NATIONAL CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH) COLLABORATION;

•  $500 K STANDARD INTEGRATED PROJECTS AT THE FARM OR WATERSHED SCALE. 12

WHAT CAPS DID WE FUND IN FY 14?

•  MANAGING WATER FOR INCREASED RESILIENCY OF DRAINED AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPE—PURDUE

•  DEVELOPING AND PROMOTING WATER-, NUTRIENT-, AND CLIMATE-SMART TECHNOLOGIES TO HELP AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS ADAPT TO CLIMATE AND SOCIETAL CHANGES—MICHIGAN STATE

•  SUSTAINABLE WATER RESOURCES FOR IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE IN A DESERT RIVER BASIN FACING CLIMATE CHANGE AND COMPETING DEMANDS: FROM CHARACTERIZATION TO SOLUTIONS--UTEP

WHAT CAPS DID WE FUND IN FY 14?

•  THINKWATER II: GROWING KNOWLEDGE TO SOLVE WATER PROBLEMS—U. WISCONSIN

•  ENHANCING CLIMATE RESILIENCY AND AGRICULTURE ON AMERICAN INDIAN LANDS OF THE GREAT BASIN REGION—U. NEVADA

•  INCREASING THE RESILIENCE OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION IN THE TENNESSEE AND CUMBERLAND RIVER BASINS THROUGH MORE EFFICIENT WATER RESOURCE USE—U. TENNESSEE

RECENTLY FUNDED PROJECTS SUPPORTING GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY

•  SUSTAINABLE ON-FARM SOLUTIONS ARE NEEDED TO ENABLE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS TO CONSERVE GROUNDWATER THROUGH:

•  THE SAFE USE OF EMERGING NONTRADITIONAL WATER SOURCES

•  IN MARYLAND, A TEMPERATE STATE WITH AN AMPLE GROUNDWATER SUPPLY, 35 SITES ARE CURRENTLY REGISTERED USERS OF RECYCLED WATER FOR SPRAY IRRIGATION OF CROPS (OR LANDSCAPES)

RECENTLY FUNDED PROJECTS SUPPORTING GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY

•  SUSTAINING AGRICULTURE THROUGH ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT TO PRESERVE THE OGALLALA AQUIFER

•  THE OGALLALA AQUIFER SUPPORTS 30% OF U.S. CROP AND ANIMAL PRODUCTION, INCREASES AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION BY MORE THAN $12 B ANNUALLY, IMPACTING GLOBAL FOOD SUPPLIES.

•  PROJECT LEADERS PLAN TO OPTIMIZE USE OF GROUNDWATER IN THE OGALLALA AQUIFER REGION (OAR) TO SUSTAIN FOOD PRODUCTION SYSTEMS, RURAL COMMUNITIES AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES.

•  IMPROVE USE BLUE OR GREEN WATER BY:

1.  INTEGRATING HYDROLOGIC, CROP, SOIL AND CLIMATE MODELS;

2.  DEVELOPING THE BEST IRRIGATION TECHNOLOGIES, TOOLS AND CROP MANAGEMENT PRACTICES;

3.  ANALYZING SOCIAL, POLICY, AND ECONOMIC FRAMEWORKS TO IDENTIFY INCENTIVES AND POLICIES FOR ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT;

4.  ENABLING THE ADOPTION OF TOOLS AND STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE WATER CONSERVATION.

YOU NEED TO “SEE YOURSELF” IN OUR RFAS •  IMPROVING OUR FUNDING OF GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES

ACROSS THE U.S.

•  TAKE ADVANTAGE OF REVIEW PANEL MEMBERSHIP

•  YOU ARE AN IMPORTANT STAKEHOLDER GROUP

JIM DOBROWOLSKI

JDOBROWOLSKI@NIFA.USDA.GOV

202-401-5016

THANKS