University of Idaho’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences is set to receive up to $55 million, the largest grant in the university’s history, to help Idaho farmers and ranchers combat climate change through agricultural practices.
The award, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is twice as large as any prior U of I grant. In addition to supporting research on building cropping systems that are more resilient to climate change, the five-year grant stimulates the state’s economy by paying more than half of the funds directly to Idaho agricultural producers.
The grant will directly benefit more than 100 Idaho farmers and ranchers. Research will focus on the state’s staple commodities, such as potatoes, beef, sugar, wheat, barley, hops and chickpeas. The grant will drive climate-smart practices on about 10% of Idaho’s active cropland, preventing the emission of up to 100,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year into the atmosphere.
Source: potatonewstoday.com