Researchers net agri grants to cultivate salt-tolerant food crops and develop resilient food systems

11 Apr 2023 --- Purdue University in the US has been awarded two grants, worth US$1 million each, to work on five-year-long sustainable agriculture projects. The grants are part of a US Department of Agriculture (USDA) US$70 million investment in a sustainable agricultural system that integrates research and education efforts.

The first grant is part of a US$10 million project to develop more resilient food systems for coping with multiple disasters, including pandemics, tornadoes and flooding. 

“The grant is about looking at sustained multiple shocks,” says Maria Marshall, professor of agricultural economics at Purdue University.

“You have climate change that is already affecting different parts of the supply chain. Now you add COVID-19 on top of that. And then you add, for example, a train derailment. It’s one thing on top of another on top of another,” she continues.

The second grant is part of a US$10 million project that aims to develop a controlled-environment agriculture platform for cultivating salt-tolerant food crops using saline irrigation water. 

Hydroponic cultivation
According to Purdue University, the long-term goal of the Clemson project is to develop a method for hydroponic cultivation of high-value crops using saline irrigation water in the US states of North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida.

Purdue University is collaborating with Clemson University to advance the use of a controlled-environment platform for cultivating salt-tolerant food crops.“The concept here is how we can grow crops with reduced water intake,” says Rama Radhakrishna, professor and head of the department of agricultural sciences education and communication at Purdue University.

Agriculture accounts for about 70% of freshwater withdrawals, making it a leading cause of water issues in many countries. 

Radhakrishna will conduct a needs assessment and stakeholder analysis to identify potential issues the research team may need to address that would hinder the adoption of safe, productive and sustainable saline irrigation water in coastal areas, explains the USDA.

These two grants are in addition to two other US$10 million grants Purdue received earlier this year. One of the grants focuses on improving the economic resilience and sustainability of Eastern US forests, while the other aims to enhance Midwestern seafood production and consumption.

In other funding initiatives, last month the USDA announced it will make US$9.5 million available for Compost and Food Waste Reduction (CFWR) pilot projects this year. The initiative is designed to support projects that develop and test strategies for planning and implementing municipal compost plans and food waste reduction plans.

Edited by Marc Cervera