The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is requesting applications for its Alfalfa Seed and Alfalfa Forage Systems to support the development of improved alfalfa forage and seed production systems.
Donor Name: National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 05/25/2023
Size of the Grant: $900,000
Grant Duration: 3 years
Details:
Alfalfa is essential to sustainable agricultural production systems and is an economic engine for rural communities. Value for soil conservation, nitrogen fixation, energy savings, crop rotation benefits, and wildlife habitat is high. However, to provide these societal benefits, the production of alfalfa must be profitable to farmers through market outlets so they will be willing to maintain or expand the use and acreage of alfalfa.
The AFRP is aligned with the following strategic goals outlined in the FY 2022-2026 USDA Strategic Plan:
- Strategic Goal 2: Ensure America’s Agricultural System is Equitable, Resilient, and Prosperous
- Strategic Goal 3: Foster an Equitable and Competitive Marketplace for All Agricultural Producers
- Strategic Goal 4: Provide All Americans Safe, Nutritious Food
- Strategic Goal 5: Expand Opportunities for Economic Development and Improve Quality of Life in Rural and Tribal Communities.
Proposals submitted to ASAFS should address one or more of the following priorities:
- Improving alfalfa forage and seed yield through better nutrient, water and/or pest management;
- Improving persistence of alfalfa stands by lessening biotic or abiotic stresses;
- Improving alfalfa forage and seed harvesting and storage systems to optimize economic returns;
- Improving estimates of alfalfa forage quality as an animal feed to increase forage usage in animal feeds; and/or
- Breeding to address biotic and abiotic stresses that impact forage yield and persistence and the production of seed for propagation.
In FY 2023, under Assistance Listing 10.330, AFRP will support the development of improved alfalfa seed and forage production systems, practices, and supporting technologies. NIFA is soliciting applications for FY 2023 under the following areas:
- Increasing alfalfa forage and seed yields and forage quality through improved management practices, plant breeding, and other strategies to reduce biotic and abiotic stresses and costs of production.
- Improving alfalfa forage and seed harvest and storage systems, including automation that reduces labor costs, to optimize economic returns to alfalfa producers as well as endusers including milk producers.
- Developing methods to estimate alfalfa forage yield and quality to support marketing as a livestock feed and instruments to reduce producer risks.
- Exploring new uses for alfalfa such as in fish feeds, nutritive supplements, alternative protein sources for human consumption, high-value chemical manufacturing, or other novel uses.
- Developing improved insect, disease and weed management strategies, including spotted aphid in alfalfa seed production and potential herbicide carry-over issues.
- Documenting the contribution of alfalfa production systems to climate-smart agriculture, including the sequestration of carbon.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $4,000,000
- Award Ceiling: $900,000
- Award Floor: $300,000
Project Period
Project period of up to three years.
Eligibility Criteria
Applications for AFRP may only be submitted by
- State agricultural experiment stations;
- Colleges and universities;
- University research foundations;
- Other research institutions and organizations;
- Federal agencies;
- National laboratories;
- Private organizations, foundations or corporations;
- Individuals who are United States citizens or nationals; or
- A group consisting of two or more of the entities described in (1) through (8).
- Award recipients may subcontract to organizations not eligible to apply provided such organizations are necessary for the conduct of the project. Failure to meet an eligibility criterion by the application deadline may result in the application being excluded from consideration or, even though an application may be reviewed, will preclude NIFA from making an award
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
