U.S. gov’t invests in ag research

Jan 13, 2020

The Department of Energy will provide US$75 million in funding over five years

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

The American government is prepared to invest millions of dollars into crop research.

The Department of Energy (DOE) is committed to providing up to US$75 million over five years for research to develop sustainable bioenergy crops that are tolerant of environmental stress, the department announced Friday.

Lawmakers are optimistic that, with this funding, researchers can develop variety streams for crops that are only used in biotechnological applications.

“With this research, the U.S. will lead the way in laying the agricultural foundation for the emerging bioeconomy,” Paul Dabbar, the undersecretary for science, said in a Jan. 10 statement. “It’s critical for crops grown for bioenergy and bioproducts to be able to survive and thrive under marginal growing conditions and maintain resiliency to environmental stresses and changes to avoid competing with food production.”

Interested parties must apply to receive funding. The federal government will supply the funding in the form of five-year grants ranging from $1 to $3 million per year.

Universities, industry groups and non-profit research institutions can submit applications. They may also collaborate with the DOE and other federal agencies.

Successful applicants are expected to use tools and techniques found in genomics (the study of genes and their functions), proteomics (the large-scale study of sets of proteins found in an organism) and metabolomics (the study of metabolites), the DOE said.

Metabolites are the end products of cellular regulatory processes.

The funding announcement also coincides with President Trump recognizing January as National Biotechnology Month.

Farms.com has reached out to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and members of the crop science and bioenergy community for comment.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.