Grant Recipients
Here are previous recipients of the AGRI Crop Research Grant, by fiscal year.
Fiscal Year 2025
| Project Title | Organization | Researcher / Contact |
|---|
| Best Management Practices for African Green Crops: Cassava, Bitterleaf, Spiderwisp, and Jute Mallow | University of Minnesota | Paulo Pagliari |
| Breeding Apples with Durable Resistance to Fungal Pests | University of Minnesota | Matthew Clark |
| Epidemiology and Development of Management Practices for Aster Yellows in Cultivated Garlic in Minnesota | University of Minnesota | Robert Alvarez Quinto |
| From Soybeans to Dry Beans & Beyond: Evaluating the Expanding Threat Posed by the Soybean Gall Midge | University of Minnesota | Robert Lee Koch |
| Multipronged Approach for Management of Soilborne Pathogens in Potato Production | University of Minnesota | Ashish Ranjan |
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Fiscal Year 2024
| Project Title | Organization | Researcher / Contact |
|---|
| Direct Harvest Canola – Strategies to Increase Harvest Efficiency and Profitability | Minnesota Canola Council | Jon Dockter |
| Frost Seeding to Establish Legume Cover Crops in Climate Smart Crops in Northern Minnesota | University of Minnesota | Nancy Ehlke |
| Identifying Optimal Management Practices for Minnesota Table Grape Farmers | University of Minnesota | Soon Li Teh |
| Improving Winter Survival in Perennial Ryegrass Cultivars for Seed Production in Northern Minnesota | University of Minnesota | Eric Watkins |
| Oat Variety Development for Minnesota | University of Minnesota | Kevin P. Smith |
| Protecting Manoomin (Wild Rice) for Seven Generations | Leech Lake Tribal College | Joey Riley |
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Fiscal Year 2023
| Project Title | Organization | Researcher / Contact |
|---|
| Developing certifiable Minnesota hemp seed and THC-compliant varieties for grain and fiber production | University of Minnesota | George Weiblen |
| Achieving multiple value chains for Minnesota farmers with wide-row corn and cover crops | Clean River Partners | Alan Kraus |
| Tall waterhemp and other herbicide-resistant weed control options for crop rotations in northern Minnesota | Minnesota Turf Seed Council | Nancy Ehlke |
| Evaluating performance of organic alfalfa juice as a foliar fertilizer | Lynn Brakke Organic Farms | Lynn Brakke |
| Improving fruit and vegetable nutritional quality and yield in organic and conventional systems | University of Minnesota | Paulo Pagliari |
| Understanding the impact of cover cropping on disease development and soil health in Minnesota | University of Minnesota | Megan McCaghey |
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Fiscal Year 2022
| Project Title | Organization | Researcher / Contact |
|---|
| Hemp grain characterization for food applications | University of Minnesota | Sarah Swan Ray |
| Advancing New Technologies for Fungal Disease Control in Cultivated Wild Rice | Minnesota Cultivated Wild Rice Council | Beth Nelson |
| Seed Production and Ecosystem Services from Climate Smart and Cover Crops in NW Minnesota | University of Minnesota | Nancy Jo Ehlke |
| Supporting new farmers with fresh market grape production and sales in Minnesota | University of Minnesota | Matthew Clark |
| Biological control for soybean gall midge, a new pest of soybean in Minnesota | University of Minnesota | Robert Koch |
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Fiscal Year 2021
| Project Title | Organization | Researcher / Contact |
|---|
| Developing Nutrient Recommendations for East African Leafy Crops Grown in Minnesota | University of Minnesota | Paulo Pagliari |
| Increasing High Tunnel Vegetable Productivity through Improved Soil Health | University of Minnesota | Julie Grossman |
| Expanding the Use of Hail Netting for Non-Chemical Insect Pest Management in Apple | University of Minnesota | Annie Klodd |
| Accelerating the development of winter barley cropping systems for Minnesota | University of Minnesota | Kevin P. Smith |
| Developing molecular markers for selecting and improving Minnesota hemp | University of Minnesota | George Weiblen & Tom Michaels |
| Hybrid Rye as a grain and forage crop for Minnesota | University of Minnesota | Daniel Kaiser |
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Fiscal Year 2020
| Project Title | Organization | Researcher / Contact |
|---|
| Use of Cover Crops to Optimize Early Spring Soil Moisture in Raised Bed Systems | University of Minnesota | Cindy B.S. Tong |
| Hybrid Rye - A new rotational crop for the turf-seed growing region of northern Minnesota | Minnesota Turf Seed Council | Dave Grafstrom / Marvin Zutz |
| Optimizing Hard Red Spring Wheat Seeding Rates in On-Farm Trials - read more on Minnesota Wheat’s On-Farm Research Network page | Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council | Melissa Carlson |
| Residue Management in Kernza® and MNHD Hard Fescue Seed Production | University of Minnesota | Nancy Jo Ehlke |
| Chili pepper production, quality, drying methods, and market viability for Minnesota farmers - see the Chile Pepper Variety Evaluation report for more information | University of Minnesota | Natalie Hoidal |
| Assessing Characteristics, Quality, and Flavor of Kernza® Malt | Sprowt Labs | Christopher Abbott |
| Increasing multi-year seed production of fine fescue through plant breeding and agronomics - see Turfgrass Cultivar Evaluation Results Overview for more information | University of Minnesota | Eric Watkins |
| Establishing new opportunities for fresh market specialty potatoes in Minnesota | University of Minnesota | Laura Shannon / Thomas Stefaniak |
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Fiscal Year 2019
| Project Title | Organization | Contact |
|---|
| Going Greener: Improving Cultivated Wild Rice Integrated Disease Management to Reduce Fungicide Use | University of Minnesota | Beth Nelson |
| Wheat Variety and Sourdough Product Analysis for Anti-Nutrient Levels Related to Digestibility – learn more at AURI Partnerships: Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council, Breeding Wheat That's Easier to Eat (webinar), and AURI Helps Drive Research for Wheat Digestibility Issues Amid Slumping Demand | Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI) | Becky Philipp |
| Novel cropping systems for economic and environmental improvement in hard fescue seed production – find out more about Seed Production Research at Magnusson Research Farm | University of Minnesota | Eric Watkins |
| Addressing trade-offs between weed control and cover crops using a systems approach | University of Minnesota | Gregg Johnson |
| Developing two-rowed barley varieties for farmers, maltsters, brewers, and the environment | University of Minnesota | Kevin Smith |
| Building on the foundation of the Minnesota Oat Breeding Program | University of Minnesota | Kevin Smith |
| Evaluating 2nd Generation Hybrid Hazelnut Germplasm for Minnesota - read more at Upper Midwest Hazelnuts and Hazelnuts 101: Choosing Hazelnut Plants (PDF), and Hazelnut Germplasm Improvement (PDF) | University of Minnesota | Lois Braun |
| Development and Evaluation of Cold Hardy Table Grapes | University of Minnesota | Matthew Clark |
| Management Practices to Improve Seed Yields and Stability of Tall Fescue in Northern Minnesota - learn more at Seed Production Research at Magnusson Research Farm | University of Minnesota | Nancy Ehlke |
| Developing seed tests for regulatory compliance and improving Minnesota industrial hemp - learn more by reading A genetic test predicts THC versus CBD in Cannabis plants, Research shows that, genetically, high-CBD “hemp” plants are mostly marijuana, and Validating a predictive model of cannabinoid inheritance with feral, clinical, and industrial Cannabis sativa. | University of Minnesota | George Weiblen and Thomas Michaels |
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Fiscal Year 2018
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Fiscal Year 2017
| Project Title | Organization | Contact |
|---|
| Improving sustainable management practices for SWD, an emerging pest of small fruit in Minnesota | University of Minnesota | Mary Rogers |
| Increasing the capacity of an applied, genomics-assisted Kernza breeding program | University of Minnesota | James A. Anderson |
| Identification and Characterization of the Soybean Cyst Nematode Resistance in Dry Bean | University of Minnesota | Senyu Chen |
| Reducing Canola Input Costs through Singulation and Row Spacing | Minnesota Canola Council | Nancy Ehlke |
| Developing Vitamin D3-enriched tomato varieties for Minnesota growers | University of Minnesota | Changbin Chen |
| Utilizing structural engineering principles to develop lodging resistant oats | University of Minnesota | Kevin P. Smith |
| Breeding Barley and Soybean for a Dual Cropping System | University of Minnesota | Aaron Lorenz |
| Developing a hybrid hazelnut production package for Minnesota - see Upper Midwest Hazelnut Development Initiative (UMHDI) Resources for Growers | University of Minnesota | Lois Braun |
| Agronomic and breeding strategies for improved pennycress grain yield and oil content | University of Minnesota | M. Scott Wells |
| Plant Growth, Development and Yield Influenced by Sulfur Applied in Soybean, Spring Wheat | Minnesota Turf Seed Council | Nancy Ehlke |
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Fiscal Year 2016
| Project Title | Organization | Contact |
|---|
| Laying the foundation for an applied, genomics-assisted oat breeding program at the University of Minnesota | University of Minnesota | Kevin Smith |
| Optimizing soil management to enhance potato yields & soil health in fumigated soil | University of Minnesota | Linda Kinkel |
| Integrated disease management for cultivated wild rice | Minnesota Cultivated Wild Rice Council | Beth Nelson |
| Barley breeding for the Minnesota craft brewing industry | University of Minnesota | Kevin Smith |
| New winter hardy perennial ryegrass to improve the profitability of grazing and haymaking | University of Minnesota | Nancy Ehlke |
| Sustainable protein for aquaculture from alfalfa | USDA Agricultural Research Service | Deborah Samac |
| Increasing adoption of cover cropping systems through research-based education | University of Minnesota | Scott Wells |
| Investigating genetic resistance to foliar phylloxera in cold hardy hybrid grapes | University of Minnesota | Matthew Clark |
| Fine fescue: a new grass seed crop for Minnesota | University of Minnesota | Eric Watkins |
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Fiscal Year 2015
| Project Title | Organization | Contact |
|---|
| Using High Tunnels to Increase Crop Production, Market Access, and Vegetable Crop Diversity in Minnesota | University of Minnesota | Chris Philips |
| Determining Best Agronomic Practices for Winter Barley Production in Minnesota | University of Minnesota | Brian Steffenson |
| Spring and Winter Barley Variety Development and Production Practices | Busch Agricultural Resources | Joshua Butler |
| Old Heirloom and English Hard Cider Apple Varieties For Minnesota | Wild River Vineyards | Irving Geary |
| Developing New Hairy Vetch Varieties for Winter Cover | University of Minnesota | Nancy Ehlke |
| Evaluation of Processability and Storage Stability of Intermediate Wheatgrass for Food Applications | University of Minnesota | Baream Ismail |
| Digital Imagery-Precision Agriculture | Northland Community & Technical College | Dave Grafstrom |
| Improving Canola Yields and Quality Through Best Management Practices for Diseases | Minnesota Canola Council | Beth Nelson |
| New Regionally-Adapted Heirloom Dry Beans for Organic Production | University of Minnesota | Thomas Michaels |
| Proper Nitrogen Crediting from Cover Crop Species Grown Prior to Com | University of Minnesota | Daniel Kaiser |
| Hazelnut Micropropagation: Plant Acclimatization from Flask to Field | University of Minnesota | Jerry Cohen |
| Flavor/Sensory Analysis of Different Winter Rye for Distillery Industry; find out more in the report, The Rye Study: Variety Determines Flavor | Far North Spirits | Michael Swanson |
| Increasing the Availability and Adoption of Aphid-resistant Soybean for More Sustainable Soybean Production | University of Minnesota | Robert Koch |
| Greening the Brown Period of the Corn and Soybean Rotation with Self-perpetuating Winter Annual and Perennial Cover Crop Systems | University of Minnesota | Don Wyse |
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Fiscal Year 2014
| Project Title | Organization | Contact |
|---|
| Improving Alfalfa Production, Quality and Value | Midwest Forage Association | Craig Sheaffer |
| Remote Scouting of Insect Damage Using unmanned Aerial Systems | University of Minnesota | Ian MacRae |
| Agronomic Value of Crop Rotations in Northwest Minnesota | Minnesota Canola Council | Nancy Jo Ehlke |
| Intermediate Wheatgrass: Managing a new perennial grain for food, forage and bioenergy | Minnesota Turf Seed Council | Marvin Zutz |
| Growing polycultures for multiple high-value outputs: natural products, seed and biomass | University of Minnesota | Craig Sheaffer |
| Utilizing Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) to record and analyze Crop Nutrient Research | Minnesota Turf Seed Council | Nancy Jo Ehlke |
| Developing Spring and Winter Two Row Barley to Diversity Minnesota Agriculture | University of Minnesota | Kevin Smith |
| Millet as a second crop in Minnesota to add value to farmers and consumers | University of Minnesota | Baraem Ismail |
| Yields and Practices of Profitable Apple and Tomato Producers | Central Lakes College | Thaddeus McCamant |
| Northwest Minnesota on-farm Research network: Grower driven, field scale solutions to priority wheat production issues | Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council | David Torgerson |
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