US: USDA grants focuses on organic pest control
The grants disbursed include more than $3 million through the Organic Transitions Program. USDA’s flagship program to fund organic production, the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative, currently remains unauthorized to continue until a new Farm Bill is passed by Congress.
Other grants:
• University of Florida received $675,719 to develop sustainable whole-farm systems for organic pecan production in the Southeast.
• Michigan State University received $464,482 to develop alternatives to antibiotics for fire blight control in organic crops.
• University of Minnesota received $718,225 to create a series of online, interactive educational modules with a focus on the fundamentals of organic agriculture and how to transition to organic farming.
• University of Texas Pan American received $746,973 to launch a new academic program that engages students in rigorous, well-designed research projects designed to address real-world problems faced by organic farmers in South Texas.