NIFA Announces $1.85 million for potato breeding research

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced the availability of $1.85 million in funding for regional potato breeding research to support the development of superior-performing varieties that can be brought to market as soon as possible. The United States is one of the top potato producers worldwide, and industry sales estimates topped $3.6 billion in 2015.

“Potatoes constitute a significant proportion of our diets, and there’s urgent need to continue to develop varieties with value-added traits, including a nutrient profile that promotes growth and development in children,” said Sonny Ramaswamy, director of NIFA.

The Potato Breeding Program is part of NIFA’s Plant Breeding, Genetics & Genomics Programs that invest in science to deliver robust crops capable of withstanding or recovering from present and future pests, environmental constraints and climate change that could threaten our nation’s food security. This request for applications (RFA) seeks regional projects with the potential to rapidly develop potato varieties that have high commercial value.

source: nifa.usda.gov

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