Biotech Updates

USDA Funds Specialty Crops

October 10, 2008

More than US$28 million has been allotted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) to address specialty crop issues. The SCRI concentrates on five focus areas: 1) improve crop characteristics through plant breeding, genetics and genomics; 2) address threats from pests and diseases; 3) improve production efficiency, productivity and profitability; 4) develop new innovations and technologies; and 5) develop methods to improve food safety.

Research and extension projects will be done by 17 institutions although collaborative work across states will be a feature. All of the awards get 100 percent matching funds from non-federal sources.

For details of projects and institutions involved, see http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_2KD?contentidonly=true&contentid=2008/10/0260.xml