South

Southern SARE Awards Research and Education Grants for 2020

GRIFFIN, Georgia – The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SSARE) program has announced its 2020 Research and Education Grant awards. Funding includes both research-based and education-based projects awarded to NGOs, university researchers, government agency specialists and other ag professionals to further sustainable agriculture production and marketing practices across the region. Research Grants are competitive […]

Producer Grants Funded for 2020 to Further Sustainable Agriculture on the Farm

GRIFFIN, Georgia – The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SSARE) program has awarded its 2020 Producer Grants to farmers interested in conducting on-farm research to further sustainable agriculture practices across the region. Funded projects, totaling $112,691, include: FS20-321 Sustainable Sidedress Nitrogen Applications for Early Corn and Cotton Using Unmanned Aerial Systems, $14,961, Louisiana FS20-322 […]

Southern SARE On-Farm Research Grants for 2020 Announced

GRIFFIN, Georgia – The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SSARE) program has awarded its 2020 On-Farm Research Grants to university Extension specialists and other ag professionals working with farmers to further research in sustainable agriculture production and marketing across the region. Funded projects, totaling $147,117, include: OS20-132 Fertilizer Mismanagement Impacts on Pasture Health, $19,828, […]

Southern SARE 2021 Research & Education Grant Call for Pre-Proposals is Now Open

GRIFFIN, Georgia -- The Southern region of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program has released its Call for Pre-proposals for the 2021 Research & Education Grants program. Applicants have a choice of whether they want to submit a systems research-based pre-proposal, or an education-based pre-proposal. Education-based grants are different than the Professional Development […]

2020 SSARE Graduate Student Grant Call for Proposals Now Open

GRIFFIN, Georgia – The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SSARE) program has released the 2020 Call for Proposals for Graduate Student Grants. Southern SARE Graduate Student Grants are very competitive.  To be considered for funding, proposals must demonstrate a direct relationship between the approach and methods used and the project’s relevance to sustainable agriculture. […]

Cover Crops Improve Soil Quality in Plaintain Production Systems

GURABO, Puerto Rico -- In humid, tropical environments where soil organic matter decomposes at a rapid rate, efforts are being made to maintain and improve soil health using cover crops, specifically in high intensive cropping systems like plantain production. In a Producer Grant project, farmer Duamed Colon-Carrion studied the potential benefits of cover crops on […]

Using Row Covers to Protect Squash from Insect Pests

DURANT, Oklahoma -- Using row covers on squash protects the vegetable crop from insect pests such as the squash bug, but timing of their removal can impact pollination and subsequent plant yields, according to Oklahoma State University research. In a two-year study, horticulturist Jim Shrefler analyzed pest and pollinator incidences and measured squash yields using […]

Preparing Producers for the Grass-fed Beef Industry

MISSISSIPPI STATE, Mississippi -- Livestock producers in the Southeast are getting the educational resources and training they need to meet the consumer demand for grass-fed beef. In states like Mississippi and Alabama, where production and marketing materials, field events, enterprise budgets, and training programs in forage-finished beef are lacking, researchers at Mississippi State University, Auburn […]

Using Mineral Clay to Manage Pests and Increase Fruit Quality and Yield in Blackberries

SEARCY, Arkansas -- Primocane blackberries, which can extend the fruiting season by months over traditional plant varieties, are changing the way farmers are growing berries. But they don’t come without their pest and production challenges, which University of Arkansas researchers are trying to solve with a naturally occurring soil mineral. In a Research and Education […]

The Effects of Probiotics on the Survival Rate of Farmed Shrimp

BOLIGEE, Alabama -- In an effort to reduce incidences of disease and increase the survival rate, and subsequent yields, of farmed shrimp, an aquaculture farmer received a Southern SARE Producer Grant to determine if probiotics could be a sustainble way to boost the health of the animals. Probiotics are commonly used in hatcheries, but their […]

Transforming Existing Forested Land into Silvopasture Systems

GREENVILLE, South Carolina – Livestock producers with patches of established forested land on their farm can turn to agroforestry practices as an option to increase economic stability while enhancing environmental quality. Researchers at Furman University, through a Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SSARE) grant, studied the feasibility of transforming forested land on farms in […]

Mississippi Crop Farmers Using Irrigation Management Tools to Save Water While Staying Profitable

STONEVILLE, Mississippi – Will Hart, a young 30-something farmer who produces corn and soybeans on 3,000 acres in the Mississippi Delta, remembers the “old way” his grandfather determined whether the crops needed water. “We’d go out in the field and kick the dirt,” said Hart. “If it was dry, then the crops got water.” Today, […]

Mississippi State University Leading Efforts to Help Landowners Implement Conservation Practices on the Farm

STARKVILLE, Mississippi – Mississippi State University is leading by example when it comes to adopting and implementing conservation land practices. Leslie Burger, a conservation education specialist with the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, along with Extension professor Beth Baker, are part of a large team of university scientists who are leading efforts to improve […]

Young Researchers Learn More About Sustainable Agriculture

GRIFFIN, Georgia – The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Grant program (SSARE) is giving young researchers an opportunity to learn more about sustainable agriculture. Through the James Harrison Hill, Sr. Young Scholar Enhancement Grant program, high school and undergraduate students are working alongside researchers on SSARE-funded projects, ranging from soil health to organic pest […]

Cover Crops Incorporated into Rotational Grazing Improves Soil Health

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana – Over-seeding a diverse cool-season cover crop mix into a rotationally grazed warm-season grass pasture appears to improve soil health, especially when the system is managed over a longer period of time. In a limited study, funded by a Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SSARE) Graduate Student Grant, Louisiana State University […]

Low-external-input Sustainable Agriculture Provides Environmental Benefits and Economic Gains in Rice Production

STARKVILLE, Mississippi – Rice, for all of its importance as a global food staple, can have a number of environmental tradeoffs. Intensively managed, the crop can put a strain on natural resources, particularly soil and water. But a more sustainable production system may enhance environmental quality at an economic gain for the farmer, based on […]

Grafting Can Help Control Diseases in Organic High Tunnel Tomatoes

GAINESVILLE, Florida – Grafting can help control diseases in organically grown high tunnel tomatoes, according to the results of a University of Florida study. In the study, funded by a Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SSARE) On-Farm Research Grant, specialty tomatoes grafted onto two disease-resistant rootstocks effectively managed Fusarium wilt and improved the overall […]

More Targeted Use of Horticultural Oils in Peach Trees Better Manages San Jose Scale, UGA Researchers Find

ATHENS, Georgia – Using horticultural oil sprays as an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy to control San Jose scale in peach trees can be an effective alternative to chemical applications, and University of Georgia researchers have found that the best control comes after trees have been pruned, allowing for lower application rates than previously recommended. […]

Look to a Trap Crop-Cover Crop Mix as an IPM Strategy in Vegetable Production

GAINESVILLE, Florida – Vegetable farmers looking to curtail pesticide use may find alternative pest management strategies in the form of a trap crop/cover crop mix. Through a Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SSARE) Graduate Student Grant, University of Florida researchers studied the application of African Marigold (Tagetes erecta) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) for Integrated […]

Finding Common Ground with Farmers and Policymakers on Urban Agriculture Development in Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The damage to small farms in Puerto Rico from Hurricanes Maria and Irma in 2017 brought to light the disconnect between communities interested in urban agriculture initiatives and local governments that don’t recognize their social and economic benefits. To provide solutions, researchers at Ana G. Méndez (formerly Metropolitan University) in […]