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Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service

College Station, TX

$34,443,653

Total funding

49

Grants

Funding over time

peak $8.9M · FY2008–25

$10M$7.5M$5M$2.5M$0

'08

'09

'10

'11

'12

'13

'14

'15

'16

'17

'18

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'20

'21

'22

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'25

Funding mix

By agency

USDA$16,654,485 · 37

DOD$16,380,729 · 8

CDC$783,000 · 1

NSF$625,439 · 3

By mechanism

—$33,660,653 · 48

U58$783,000 · 1

Investigators at Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service

Investigator-initiated All funding

Investigatorsi

Rising Stars

First grant in the last 5 yrs

Not enough data

Emerging Leaders

6–10 yrs in

Not enough data

All-Time

Most funded here, all years

Not enough data

Largest grants

ADD WORK$8,694,138

· FY2018 · Department of the Army

USING FAMILY FOCUSED GARDEN, NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PROGRAMS TO REDUCE CHILDHOOD OBESITY$3,975,999

· FY2011 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture

THE SOUTHERN REGION WATER RESOURCE PROJECT$2,670,000

· FY2010 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture

MOD TO EXERCISE OPT PERIOD 1 AND INCREASED EFFORT TO TASK 1 THROUGH 5.$2,370,417

· FY2014 · Department of Defense

ITAM IN SUPPORT OF INFANTRY TRAINING MISSIONS ON FT. HOOD$2,217,000

· FY2011 · Department of the Army

NATURAL RESOURCE ASSISTANCE$1,325,913

· FY2008 · Department of Defense

THE SOUTHERN REGION WATER RESOURCE PROJECT$1,270,000

· FY2009 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture

USING FAMILY FOCUSED GARDEN, NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PROGRAMS TO REDUCE CHILDHOOD OBESITY$990,000

· FY2011 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture

Working on Wellness (WOW)$783,000

U58 · FY2014 · DP

** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** URBAN BIO-TECH ENVIRONMENTAL AGRICULTURE MODEL (UBEAM) IS A FOUR-YEAR NON-FORMAL EDUCATION PROJECT LED BY TEXAS A&AMP;M AGRILIFE EXTENSION SERVICE - HARRIS COUNTY WITH COLLABORATORS PROJECT REMIX VENTURES (NONPROFIT) AND UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, SUGAR LAND. OBJECTIVES INCLUDE IMPROVING KNOWLEDGE AMONG JUSTICE-INVOLVED YOUTH (YOUTH) THAT HAVE BEEN RELEASED FROM RESIDENTIAL DETENTION CENTERS (SOME ON PROBATION) ABOUT THE SAFE USE OF BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY AND ABOUT CAREERS IN THE FOOD, AGRICULTURE, NATURAL RESOURCES, AND HUMAN SCIENCES. YOUTH (467) WILL GAIN THIS KNOWLEDGE THROUGH 4-H YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, HORTICULTURE, EXPANDED FOOD NUTRITION EDUCATION PROGRAM, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND BIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES ADAPTED AND TAILORED FOR THEM. AGAL BIOMASS WILL BE THE PERVASIVE TOPIC IN ALL PROGRAMS FOR LEARNING ABOUT BIOTECHNOLOGY BECAUSE RESEARCH SHOWS THAT MICROALGAE CAN SEQUESTERCO2 TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GASES AND USED AS A FOOD SUPPLEMENT AND FERTILIZER. OBJECTIVES INCLUDE YOUTH CONSTRUCTING A MULTI-STATION STATIC DEMONSTRATION SITE AND SERVING AS DOCENTS IN NON-FORMAL CONTEXTS TO DISSEMINATE THE SAFE USE OF BIOTECHNOLOGY. YOUTH WILL DEVELOP LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS TO SHARE THIS KNOWLEDGE WITH PARENTS (135) DURING PARENT MEETINGS, SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN (450) DURING FIELD TRIPS, AND COMMUNITY LEADERS AND MEMBERS (600) DURING OPEN HOUSES. UBEAM IS EXPECTED TO NOT ONLY IMPACT THE YOUTH BY IMPROVING THEIR KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES TO PROPEL THEM INTO THE EMERGING BIOTECHNOLOGY WORK FORCE OR TO GUIDE THEM TO A PATH TOWARD HIGHER EDUCATION STEM/BIOTECHNOLOGY STUDIES BUT ALSO TO ALLAY MISUNDERSTANDINGS RELATED TO THE USE OF BIOTECHNOLOGY, PARTICULARLY IN THE PRODUCTION AND AVAILABILITY OF HEALTHY FOODS AMONG URBAN DWELLERS.$749,996

· FY2024 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture

** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** TEXAS RICE PRODUCERS BELIEVE THEIR INDUSTRY IS EXPERIENCING AN EXISTENTIAL THREAT DUE TO WATER COST INCREASES AND AVAILABILITY DECREASES. OTHER PRESSURES INCLUDE LOSS OF GOOD FERTILE LAND TO COMPETING INTERESTS IN REAL ESTATE/URBAN SPRAWL, AND UNPREDICTABLE MARKETS. THE NEED FOR TEXAS-SPECIFIC RESEARCH ON HOW TO DECREASE WATER INPUTS IN TEXAS RICE TO PRESERVE A 100+ YEAR TRADITION IN AN IMPORTANT RICE PRODUCING STATE IS URGENT. AND IT CAN BE DONE.TEXAS RANKS 5TH IN THE US IN RICE PRODUCTION (FIGURE 1). PRODUCERS HERE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THEIR INDUSTRY DUE TO INCREASES IN THE COST OF IRRIGATION WATER, DECREASES IN ACCESS TO WATER, THE RISING COST OF LAND, AND THE SPREAD OF URBANIZATION DISPLACING FERTILE RICE PRODUCTION FIELDS (PERSONAL CONVERSATIONS WITH LEADING FARMERS). WATER CONSTRAINTS ALONE ARE BLAMED FOR THE DECREASE IN (CERTIFIED) ACREAGE FROM 600,000 TO ~ 180,000 ACRES IN THE STATE OVER THE LAST 2 DECADES. IN 2022, A DECLINE OF 6.3% WAS REPORTED IN TEXAS COMPARED TO 2021 (NASS, 2022).DESPITE AN ALARMING DECLINE IN ACREAGE, THE TEXAS RICE INDUSTRY CONTRIBUTES ~1 BILLION USD TO THE STATE ECONOMY ANNUALLY (NASS, 2021). APPROXIMATELY HALF OF THAT VALUE IS ATTRIBUTED DIRECTLY TO THE GRAIN CROP AND THE OTHER HALF IS ATTRIBUTED TO HUNTING, BIRDWATCHING, AND OTHER OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES. IN FACT, TEXAS RICE PRODUCERS ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN THE MAINTENANCE OF WINTER-FEEDING GROUNDS FOR MIGRATORY BIRD SPECIES, INCLUDING MANY THAT ARE PROTECTED. TEXAS RICE PRODUCERS AND THEIR ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS US RICE AND TEXAS RICE COUNCIL REGULARLY ENGAGE WITH WATER POLICY MAKERS TO SECURE OUTCOMES THAT FAVOR SUSTAINABILITY OF THE INDUSTRY. OFTEN, HOWEVER, WATER POLICY DECISIONS CONTINUE TO FAVOR INCREASING MUNICIPAL SUPPLY AT THE COST OF AGRICULTURAL USE. STILL, PRODUCERS EAGERLY SEEK TO INCORPORATE INNOVATIONS THAT REDUCE THEIR WATER INPUTS AND METHANE (CH4) EMISSIONS, TO BE PART OF A SOLUTION TO THE WATER AND CLIMATE CRISES THAT FACE THE WORLD.THISPROJECT SEEKS TO ENSURE THE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF RICE PRODUCTION IN TEXAS THROUGH SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION IN THE QUANTITY OF WATER REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE COMPARABLE GRAIN YIELDS WHILE REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS (GHG) EMISSION. BY INSERTING AERATION EVENTS INTO THE PRODUCTION SEASON, THIS PROJECT WILL EVALUATE THE WATER SAVINGS AND EFFECT ON GRAIN YIELD IN RICE. THE LONG-TERM GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS TO INCREASE ADOPTION OF WATER SAVING PRACTICES IN TEXAS AND ARM RICE PRODUCERS WITH REAL KNOWLEDGE OF THEIR IMPACT ON CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION. THE PROJECT WILL MEASURE REDUCTIONS IN CH4 EMISSIONS IN INTERMITTENTLY AERATED FIELDS COMPARED TO CONTINUOUSLY FLOODED RICE FIELDS. THIS AERATION PRACTICE HAS BEEN CALLED ALTERNATE WET DRYING (AWD) IRRIGATION. HOWEVER, THERE ARE CONCERNS AMONG FARMERS THAT THE INTRODUCTION OF AEROBIC CONDITIONS MAY ALSO RESULT IN FERTILIZER NITROGEN (N) CHEMICAL TRANSFORMATIONS IN SOIL THAT CAN LEAD TO LOSSES OF N FERTILIZER USE EFFICIENCY, AND PERHAPS OF MORE CONCERN,, INCREASED EMISSIONS OF N2O. THEREFORE, SHORT TERM GOALS ARE TO DEVELOP BETTER INFORMATION ON THESE PROCESSES THAT MAY BE COUNTER TO CLIMATE SMART INTENTIONS.$749,340

· FY2023 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture

** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** STUDENT CAREERS IN AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, LEARNING, AND EXTENSION TRAINING (SCARLET) SEEKS TO ESTABLISH A MULTI-STATE AND MULTI-INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERSHIP WITH VARIOUS UNIVERSITIES IN TEXAS AND PUERTO RICO. IN ADDITION, SCARLET WILL ESTABLISH A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE USDA-ARS-TARS IN PUERTO RICO. THE OBJECTIVE IS TO SERVE 50 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN 5 YEARS TO EDUCATE AND TRAIN THEM IN AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE-RELATED SKILLS TO IMPROVE THEIR COMPETITIVENESS FOR THE WORKFORCE. THIS PROJECT SEEKS TO SERVE STUDENTS, PARTICULARLY FROM MINORITY-SERVING INSTITUTIONS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED AND UNDERSERVED GROUPS. SCARLET WILL PROVIDE AN 8-WEEK INTERNSHIP PROGRAM FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN A 1:1, MENTOR: MENTEE APPROACH TO DEVELOP DESIRED SKILLS TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR THE AGRICULTURAL WORKFORCE AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO CONTINUE GRADUATE STUDIES. SCARLET INCLUDES EXPERT MENTORS IN PLANT PATHOLOGY, AGRONOMY, PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, SOIL HEALTH, PRECISION AGRICULTURE, AND REMOTE SENSING. THIS PROJECT WILL TRAIN STUDENTS IN APPLIED AND FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH, EXTENSION EDUCATION, AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS. ACTIVITIES INCLUDE EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN, DATA AND SAMPLE COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS, DISEASE DIAGNOSTICS, AND TRAINING TO IMPROVE VERBAL AND WRITTEN SKILLS. UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WILL BE SELECTED FROM ALL COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS; 4 FROM UPR-M, 2 FROM TAMU, 2 FROM WTAM, AND 2 FROM TTU FOR A TOTAL OF 10 STUDENTS PER YEAR. STUDENTS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED AND UNDERSERVED BACKGROUNDS WILL COMPRISE MORE THAN 50% OF THE SELECTED APPLICANTS. THE INTENDED IMPACT IS TO PREPARE STUDENTS TO BE MORE COMPETITIVE IN AGRICULTURAL-BASED CAREERS, TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO PURSUE CAREERS IN AGRICULTURE INCLUDING GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, INDUSTRY, NON-PROFIT, ACADEMIA, AND EXTENSION; AND TO PURSUE GRADUATE STUDIES.$749,119

· FY2022 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture

**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** PERSISTENT STRAINS OF ENTOMOPATHOGENIC NEMATODES (EPNS), UNLIKE CURRENTCOMMERCIAL STRAINS OF EPNS, PERSIST FOR DECADES FOLLOWING A SINGLE APPLICATION. THESE STRAINS ARE BEING INVESTIGATED BY NUMEROUS ENTITIES FOR WIDESPREAD CONTROL OF WESTERN CORN ROOTWORM, THE LEADING PEST OF CORN IN THE UNITED STATES. HERE, WE PROPOSE TO INVESTIGATE THE MULTI-YEAR IMPACTS OF APPLYING PERSISTENT EPN STRAINS TO TWO FIELDS IN EACH OF THREE STATES (TEXAS, NEBRASKA, AND ILLINOIS). BY DOING SO, WE EXPECT TO MINIMIZE POTENTIAL NEGATIVE EFFECTS AND UNDERSTAND POTENTIAL BENEFITS MISSED BY CURRENT RESEARCH EFFORTS.WE WILL INVESTIGATE THE IMPACTS OF PERSISTENT EPN STRAINS BY MEASURING ABUNDANCE OF BENEFICIAL AND PEST INSECTS CAPTURED IN CORN AGROECOSYSTEMS BY USE OF PITFALL TRAPS AND EMERGENCE CAGES, RESPECTIVELY. USING PLOTS ESTABLISHED TO MONITOR IMPACTS TO PEST AND BENEFICIAL SPECIES, SOIL SAMPLES WILL BE TAKEN FROM EACH PLOT IN THE SPRING AND FALL TO EVALUATE PRESENCE OF NATIVE AND NON-NATIVE EPN SPECIES AND STRAINS. INFECTIVE JUVENILES OF EPNS RECOVERED FROM WHITE TRAPS WILL BE USED FOR DNA EXTRACTION AND METABARCODING. GENETIC SEQUENCING AND FOLLOWING ANALYSES WILL THEN BE USED TO DETERMINE WHICH EPN SPECIES AND POPULATIONS (I.E., HAPLOTYPES) ARE PRESENT IN PLOTS ACROSS THE TRIAL LOCATIONS. DATA FROM THESE TRIALS WILL BE USED TO MORE HOLISTICALLY DISCUSS THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THIS PROPOSED MANAGEMENT STRATEGY IN CORN GROWING STATES REPRESENTING TENS OF MILLIONS OF ACRES.$748,083

· FY2023 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture

SUPPORT FOR LONGLEAFPINE RESTORATION AND REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS PROMOTING MILITARY READINESS$734,000

· FY2011 · Department of the Army

SUPPORT FOR LONLEAF PINE RESTORATION$720,303

· FY2012 · Department of Defense

INTEGRATING COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS & ORGANIC FARMERS THROUGHOUT FEASIBILITY STUDIES IN PEST MGMT & HORTICULTURE PRODUCTION IN SO. TX.$697,012

· FY2010 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture

BUSINESS OWNERS AND COMMUNITIES ARE OFTEN INTERESTED IN EXPANDING AN INDUSTRY IN THEIR AREA. DESPITE THE GROWING BODY OF LITERATURE HIGHLIGHTING EFFECTIVE ECONOMETRIC METHODS TO MEASURE DEMAND THRESHOLDS ON ESTABLISHMENT COUNTS IN RURAL AREAS, THERE IS A DEARTH OF STUDIES USING MORE ACCURATE MEASURES OF INDUSTRY SIZE (E.G., EMPLOYMENT OR PAYROLL), OR USING BIG DATA TO FIND MORE ACCURATE AND DETAILED MEASURES OF COMMUNITY THRESHOLDS FOR BUSINESSES OF VARIOUS TYPES IN THE RURAL UNITED STATES. EXTANT RESEARCH INTO DEMAND THRESHOLDS HAS FOCUSED ON RETAIL BUSINESSES ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY AND IS LIMITED IN DETAIL DUE TO A LACK OF ACCESS TO DATA, OR LIMITED IN SCOPE DUE TO RELIANCE ON STATE TAX DATA. OUR STUDY WILL ADVANCE RESEARCH ON THRESHOLDS IN NOTABLE WAYS. FIRST, ALMOST ALL DEMAND THRESHOLD ANALYSIS CONDUCTED TO DATE HAS USED THE CENSUS' PUBLICLY AVAILABLE COUNTY BUSINESS PATTERNS (CBP) DATA, RESULTING IN SEVERAL LIMITATIONS:IN LARGE PART DUE TO DISCLOSURE CONCERNS, CBP DATA IS OFTEN SUPPRESSED, ESPECIALLY WHEN EXAMINING VERY SPECIFIC INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATIONS.THE UNIVERSE OF CBP BUSINESSES IS ONLY FOR EMPLOYERS. THUS SMALL SELF-PROPRIETARY ESTABLISHMENTS WITH NO FORMALLY PAID EMPLOYEES - COMMON TO RURAL AREAS - ARE NOT INCLUDED. AS A RESULT OF THIS OMISSION, ESTIMATED THRESHOLDS ARE BIASED UPWARDS.THRESHOLDS BASED ON CBP IGNORE THE FACT THAT BUSINESSES OF THE SAME INDUSTRY CODE ARE OF DIFFERENT SIZES. FOR EXAMPLE, A COMMUNITY MAY BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THREE SMALL GROCERY STORES, BUT ONLY ONE LARGE GROCERY STORE. HENCE, THIS TECHNIQUE COULD BE IMPROVED IF NUMBER OF BUSINESSES IN AN INDUSTRY WERE REPLACED WITH MORE DESCRIPTIVE INFORMATION SUCH AS EMPLOYMENT IN AN INDUSTRY OR PAYROLL IN AN INDUSTRY, FOR EXAMPLE.MOST PRIOR STUDIES HAVE FOCUSED ON POPULATION-BASED ESTIMATES, WHICH IS SENSIBLE FOR RETAIL TRADE AND OTHER SERVICE INDUSTRIES, BUT PERHAPS LESS GERMANE TO OTHER TYPES OF INDUSTRIES. FOR EXAMPLE, TO BE VIABLE, A MEAT PROCESSING PLANT MAY NEED LOCAL ANIMAL PRODUCTION MORE THAN IT NEEDS LOCAL CONSUMERS. THUS, THIS PROJECT WILL ALSO CONSIDER SUPPLY-BASED THRESHOLDS, THEREBY EXPANDING CURRENT RESEARCH IN SUCH A WAY THAT IS ONLY FEASIBLE WITH BIG DATA.ALTHOUGH THE CENSUS BUREAU PROVIDES NONEMPLOYER STATISTICS PUBLICLY, RESEARCHERS ENCOUNTER THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE CBP DATA: THE EXACT COUNTS OF NONEMPLOYERS IN A PARTICULAR NAICS CODE ARE OFTEN SUPPRESSED TO AVOID DISCLOSURE. FURTHER, EVEN SEEMINGLY SMALL EMPLOYMENT RANGES IN CBP SIZE CLASSES (E.G. 10-19 EMPLOYEES) ARE RELATIVELY LARGE IN RURAL AREAS. BELOW WE SHOW TWO MAPS BELOW TO EMPHASIZE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS LIMITATION. COUNTIES IN THE MAPS ARE COLORED DARK RED IF THE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE CBP DOES NOT DISCLOSE A COUNT OF THE EMPLOYMENT AND ANNUAL PAYROLL IN THE FOOD MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY OR FLORIST INDUSTRY, RESPECTIVELY. THE LIMITATIONS IN OTHER INDUSTRIES ARE SIMILAR AND WORSEN WITH INDUSTRY SPECIFICITY.GIVEN THE EXTENSIVENESS OF THE DISCLOSURE LIMITATIONS, AN EXACT COUNT WOULD YIELD MUCH MORE PRECISE MODELS. A FEDERAL STATISTICAL RESEARCH DATA CENTER (FSRDC) IS THUS A NATURAL PLACE TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO EXISTING RESEARCH. BY USING BIG DATA ONLY AVAILABLE TO APPROVED PROJECT IN AN FSRDC, WE WILL IMPROVE EXISTING RESEARCH WITH:UNBIASED MINIMUM AND TOTAL ESTABLISHMENT COUNTS DUE TO THE INCLUSION OF NON-EMPLOYERS. NATURALLY ONE CANNOT RELEASE THESE MINIMUM AND TOTAL COUNTS, BUT THIS WILL HELP US DEVELOP UNBIASED COEFFICIENTS IN OUR REGRESSION RESULTS.INCREASED ACCURACY IN THE MEASUREMENT OF INDUSTRY SIZE BY USING EMPLOYMENT AND PAYROLL, RATHER THAN ONLY THE NUMBER OF ESTABLISHMENTS, IN A BROADER RANGE OF INDUSTRIES THAN PREVIOUS RESEARCH HAS ADDRESSED.DEMAND THRESHOLD ANALYSIS HAS EXISTED IN GENERAL FOR YEARS, AND EXTENSION AUDIENCES CONSISTENTLY ASK FOR THIS TYPE OF INFORMATION, BUT THE IMPACT OF SUCH STUDIES HAS BEEN LIMITED AS A RESULT OF LIMITED AVAILABILITY AND SPECIFICITY OF DATA. TO CAPITALIZE ON DEMAND THRESHOLD ANALYSIS AND POSSIBLY EXTEND IT TO SUPPLY THRESHOLD ANALYSIS, RURAL FIRMS AND COMMUNITIES NEED DETAILED INFORMATION ON SPECIFIC INDUSTRIES TO HELP TO DEVELOP STRATEGIES AND PROGRAMS TO EXPAND OR ENGAGE IN EFFECTIVE INDUSTRIAL DIVERSIFICATION EFFORTS. WITH THE NEWLY AVAILABLE (THOUGH LIMITED-ACCESS) BIG DATA FROM THE BUREAU OF THE CENSUS, SUCH DETAILED AND SPECIFIC THRESHOLD ANALYSIS IS NOW POSSIBLE. THIS ANALYSIS CAN SIGNIFICANTLY AND POSITIVELY IMPACT THE GROWTH AND EMPLOYMENT IN RURAL AREAS BY FOCUSING THEIR EFFORTS INTO INDUSTRIES THAT ARE MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED. FURTHER, FOR SUCH ANALYSIS TO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON RURAL FIRM AND COMMUNITY PLANNING, THE RESULTS MUST BE DISSEMINATED TO INTERESTED FIRMS AND COMMUNITIES, AND IN A FORMAT SUCH THAT THE RESULTS ON EXISTING OPPORTUNITIES ARE READILY CONSUMABLE. FINALLY, THE RESULTS CAN HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT ON RURAL BUSINESSES, INCLUDING AGRICULTURAL PROCESSING AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS, BY IDENTIFYING NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT.$499,996

· FY2017 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture

SINCE 1996, BT HAS BEEN UTILIZED IN COTTON AND CORN TO CONTROL CATERPILLAR PESTS. BT REFERS TO A PROTEIN TOXIN THAT IS PRODUCED BY THE SOIL BACTERIUM, BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS. THE BACTERIA PRODUCES CRYSTALLINE PROTEINS THAT ARE TOXIC TO MANY CATERPILLARS. THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF THESE TOXINS, CRY PROTEINS AND VIP PROTEINS. THESE PROTEINS ACT BY BINDING TO THE MIDGUT OF THE CATERPILLAR, RESULTING IN ULCERS THAT ALLOW GUT CONTENTS TO MOVE INTO THE BODY OF THE INSECT RESULTING IN DEATH. THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT KINDS OF CRY PROTEINS, CRY1AS, CRY1F AND CRY2AS, USED FOR CATERPILLAR CONTROL. ALL OF THESE PROTEINS DIFFER SLIGHTLY IN HOW THEY BIND TO THE MIDGUT. CURRENTLY THERE IS ONLY ONE VIP PROTEIN USED, VIP3A, AND THIS PROTEIN BINDS VERY DIFFERENTLY THAN THE CRY PROTEINS, BUT CAUSES THE SAME TYPE OF INJURY. COTTON AND CORN HAS BEEN GENETICALLY MODIFIED (GMO) TO PRODUCE THESE TOXINS BY INSERTING THE GENE FROM THE BACTERIUM THAT EXPRESSES THE VARIOUS BT PROTEINS, INTO THE PLANT. THESE CROPS ARE TERMED, BT CORN OR BT COTTON. TO HELP PREVENT BT RESISTANCE, THESE BT PROTEINS ARE USED TOGETHER WITHIN A SINGLE PLANT; THIS IS CALLED PYRAMIDING. CORN EARWORM OR COTTON BOLLWORM, HELICOVERPA ZEA IS A MAJOR TARGET OF BT CORN AND BT COTTON IN THE U.S. OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, GROWERS, AGRICULTURAL CONSULTANTS AND STATE EXTENSION PROFESSIONALS HAVE BEEN REPORTING INCREASING INCIDENCES OF H. ZEA SURVIVING AND INJURING BT CORN AND COTTON IN THE SOUTHERN U.S., AND FIELD-EVOLVED RESISTANCE HAS BEEN REPORTED TO ALL OF THE CRY PROTEINS IN MUCH OF THE SOUTHERN U.S. THUS, THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF DEPENDENCE ON VIP3A FOR MAINTAINING CONTROL OF H. ZEA IN BT CORN AND COTTON.IN 2018 AND 2019 THERE HAVE BEEN UNEXPECTED OCCURRENCE AND DAMAGE OF H. ZEA ON BT CORN AND COTTON EXPRESSING THE VIP3AA PROTEIN IN SOME FIELDS OF TEXAS, LOUISIANA AND MISSISSIPPI. ADDITIONALLY, IN 2019 WE DETECTED A VIP3A RESISTANT GENE IN H. ZEA IN TEXAS, WHICH ESSENTIALLY RENDERS THE INSECT IMMUNE TO THE VIP3A PROTEIN. THESE INCIDENCES SUGGEST THAT THE RISK OF EVOLUTION OF VIP3AA RESISTANCE IN H. ZEA COULD BE HIGH, AND THAT THE VIP3A RESISTANT H. ZEA STRAIN WE HAVE SHOULD BE FURTHER STUDIED TO DETERMINE THE RISK IT POSES TO CORN AND COTTON EXPRESSING VIP3A.IN OUR PROJECT WE WILL CONDUCT MATING STUDIES USING THE VIP3A RESISTANT AND SUSCEPTIBLE H. ZEA TO DETERMINE IF THE RESISTANCE IS DOMINANT OR RECESSIVE, AND IF IT IS SEXUALLY LINKED. IF RESISTANCE IS DOMINANT THAN MANAGING RESISTANCE WILL BE MUCH MORE DIFFICULT, AND WILL MEAN THAT CURRENT RESISTANT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES PROBABLY WILL NOT WORK. WE WILL ALSO INVESTIGATE HOW FIT THE VIP3A RESISTANT H. ZEA IS ON DIFFERENT HOST PLANTS. MANY TIMES, RESISTANT INSECTS SUFFER VARIOUS PENALTIES SUCH PRODUCING FEWER EGGS, OR GROWING MORE SLOWLY THAN NORMAL INSECTS. WE WILL MEASURE HOW VIP3A RESISTANT H. ZEA GROW AND HOW MANY EGGS THEY PRODUCE WHEN FED ON NON-BT CORN, COTTON AND AN ARTIFICIAL DIET. IF THERE ARE FITNESS COST ASSOCIATED WITH VIP3A RESISTANT H. ZEA THEN RESISTANCE SHOULD BE MORE EASILY MANAGED.WE WILL TEST HOW WELL THE VIP3A RESISTANT H. ZEA SURVIVE ON THE CRY1 AND CRY2 BT PROTEINS AND VARIOUS BT CORN AND COTTON TO SEE IF THERE IS CROSS-RESISTANCE AMONG THE BT PROTEINS. WE WILL ALSO INVESTIGATE THE STABILITY OF THE VIP3A RESISTANCE BY SEEING IF THE RESISTANCE PERSISTS OVER MULTIPLE GENERATIONS UNDER NO SELECTION. IF RESISTANCE IN NON-PERSISTENT, THEN IT WILL BE MORE EASILY MANAGED. SIMILARLY, WE WILL CROSS THE VIP3A RESISTANT STRAIN WITH A STRAIN THAT IS RESISTANT TO CRY1 AND CRY2 PROTEINS TO SEE HOW WELL THEY SURVIVE ON VARIOUS BT CORN AND COTTON VARIETIES, AND HOW STABLE STRAINS WITH MULTIPLE RESISTANCES ARE OVER MULTIPLE GENERATIONS.LASTLY, WE WILL COORDINATE COLLECTING BT RESISTANCE DATA FROM H. ZEA DAMAGING AND SURVIVING IN BT CORN SENTRY PLOTS PLANTED THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHERN U.S. RESULTS GENERATED WILL PROVIDE ESSENTIAL INFORMATION CONCERNING THE RISK OF DEVELOPING FIELD-EVOLVED, PRACTICAL RESISTANCE IN H. ZEA TO VIP3AA, WHICH IS VALUABLE TO BT RESISTANCE MODELERS AND FEDERAL REGULATORS FOR MAKING SOUND SCIENCE-BASED DECISION REGARDING BT RESISTANCE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES. THE PROJECT WILL ADDRESS THE RESEARCH PRIORITY LISTED IN THE 2020 RFP OF THE PROGRAM: 5. OTHER RESEARCH TOPICS DESIGNED TO FURTHER THE PURPOSES OF THIS PROGRAM, I) RESEARCH TO UNDERSTAND THE FREQUENCY AND MECHANISMS BY WHICH PESTS OR DISEASES OVERCOME PLANT PEST OR DISEASE RESISTANCE TRAITS CONFERRED BY ENGINEERED GENES (INCLUDING WHERE RELEVANT HOW THIS COMPARES TO RESISTANCE TO TRADITIONAL APPROACHES).$499,449

· FY2020 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture

RISK ASSESSMENT FOR TRANSGENIC BT CROPS FROM BT RESISTANT HELICOVERPA ZEA$492,409

· FY2017 · National Institute of Food and Agriculture

CAREER: CAS-Climate: Assessing Manure Management and Climate Emissions on Animal Feeding Operations via Satellite Remote Sensing$467,551

· FY2025 · ENG