By Selina Meiners
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced grants to bring safer, more effective pest management approaches to farms and communities.
“Insects, weeds, and diseases are ever-evolving challenges for U.S. agriculture,” said NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy. “NIFA is making investments to develop sound scientific approaches to increase production and provide continued food security in the face of these threats.”
These grants are awarded through three NIFA pest management programs. The Crop Protection and Pest Management program supports research and extension projects that address critical state, regional, and national pest management challenges and help ensure food security. The Minor Crop Pest Management (IR-4) program supports pest management solutions primarily for specialty crops, such as fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and nursery crops (including floriculture). The Methyl Bromide Transition program supports research for new, effective pesticides and approaches to managing pests that can replace methyl bromide, an older, ozone-depleting treatment used in farming, storage, shipment, and quarantine.
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