The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) granted Rob Myers, the director of the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU) Center for Regenerative Agriculture, a five-year grant of $10 million to help double the acreage of cover crops in the U.S., according to a release.
Cover crops are plants that are planted during a time when other crops are not grown. The plants protect and improve the soil while also helping to reduce erosion, smother weeds, control both pests and diseases and improve biodiversity. With the goal of doubling the cover crop acreage, it is projected the U.S. will have 40 million of these acres by 2030.
“It was really pivotal to get this funding because one of the biggest factors that could limit future growth in acres of cover crops is having an adequate seed supply,” Myers said. “We also really need improved varieties that are well-adapted to different regions, soil types and cropping systems, so that farmers can get maximum benefit from the cover crops they are using.”
Collaborating on this project were 14 MU faculty, 38 scientists from 17 states and 12 universities, three seed companies, the American Seed Trade Association, three USDA Agricultural Research Service locations and three USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Plant Materials Centers.
“It’s exciting to see scientists from so many disciplines at MU collaborating with colleagues across the country on groundbreaking research,” said Mun Choi, University of Missouri president. “By bringing together animal scientists, crop scientists, soil scientists and agricultural economists, we can discover more effective solutions that will be transformational for farmers, Missourians and Americans nationwide. This project will add economic value to farms while our researchers work to preserve the soil that is so critical for future food growth.”
Seed protection for cover crops will be doubled and distributed nationwide to farmers. The team will also farmers about cover crops and inform on which types are best depending on a variety of factors.
“This project will provide great collaboration with farmers and seed companies to provide new cover crop varieties helping protect and improve soils across the U.S.,” said Christopher Daubert, vice chancellor and dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. “It’s the type of integrated effort involving research, extension and education that we strive to support through the College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources.”
Myers grew up on an Illinois farm that utilized cover crops. He said this project could potentially have huge impacts on farms across the U.S.
“Whether it’s cover crops or other plants, we tend to just notice the part of the plant we can see above the ground, but the roots below the ground are equally important. One challenge is that we currently don’t know a lot about how different varieties of cover crops perform with the growth of the roots because we can’t see it,” Myers said. “For this project, we will examine how different cover crop roots help put carbon in the soil, which is a helpful adaptation in the midst of climate change.”
The $10 million grant is the largest grant MU has earned from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Myers recently earned a $25 million grant — the largest federal grant ever awarded to an MU faculty member — to help Missouri farmers adopt climate-smart practices.
“Agriculture is the largest industry in Missouri, and the experts we have here at MU are not only improving farming practices throughout the Midwest, but also across the country,” said Michael Williams, chair of the UM System Board of Curators. “MU research is critical to improving the health and well-being of Missourians, and these large grants are only awarded to scientists who have demonstrated they are among the best in the country.”
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