The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has received over $4 million to help support specialty crop research. The funding support comes from the Specialty Crop Multi-State Program (SCMP) from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). A total of 14 collaborative projects impacting 28 states have been awarded nearly $10 million through the program. The competitive funding is awarded to state departments of agriculture that partner with stakeholder organizations in two or more states.
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“The specialty crop industry faces unique challenges, and with funding from the Specialty Crop Multi-State program, USDA provides resources for recipients to work across state lines to find innovative, research-based solutions that address problems at both the regional and national levels,” USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt said in a press release. “This year’s funded projects will address of a range of those challenges, from energy and water saving in vine plants, finding cost-effective solutions for heat tolerance and drought, to addressing food safety risks for produce.”
A project to better understand and improve nitrogen use efficiency in spinach production has been awarded $795,194. CDFA and other collaborators will also be working to develop a new tool to enhance pollinator habitat in blueberries with a $554,663 award. A project to enhance specialty crop seed germination, seeding vigor, and pest management using cold plasma technology also received financial support. CDFA received an award of $915,263 and will be working with in collaboration with four institutions, UC Davis, University of Minnesota, University of Maryland, and Cornell University.
A total of $878,971 has been awarded to a specialty crop research project evaluating climate resilience in vine plants. The project will include five study sites that span Arizona, California, Utah, and Washington. A project looking at the impact of smoke on grape juice and wine has received an award of $871,052. Incorporating partners in California, Oregon, and Washington, the project seeks to develop a novel treatment option to remove smoke impact compounds in grapes without adversely affecting quality.
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