The US Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Nutrition and Agriculture (NIFA) has awarded four grants to projects related to improving the quality and resistance of potatoes to pests. Funding for these projects from September 1, 2021 to August 31, 2023 will amount to $ 2,666 million.
The projects are aimed at creating and testing the best commercial potato varieties using classical breeding and advanced molecular and biotechnological methods.
Funding is distributed as follows:
Washington State University (Tri-State Breeding Program), $ 943k
Michigan State University, $ 797
University of Maine, $ 510
Texas A&M University, $ 415
Project research will help improve potato quality and increase pest and disease resistance.
NIFA supports the latest research in plant breeding, genetics and genomics. Innovation in agricultural production leads to the production of more agricultural products with less impact on the environment.