USDA Conservation Innovation Grants aims to find new tools [Video]

Texas A&M AgriLife Research has been awarded $11.4 million in Conservation Innovation Grants, CIG, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, NRCS.

CIG On-Farm Trials projects feature collaboration between NRCS and partners to implement on-the-ground conservation activities and evaluate their impact. CIG On-Farm Trials support the widespread adoption and evaluation of innovative conservation approaches alongside agricultural producers.

The grant funding is part of a $90 million investment by USDA across 53 projects in the U.S. that support the development of new tools, approaches, practices and technologies to further natural resource conservation on private lands.

Soil health management

Soil Health Demonstrations to Increase Regenerative Agricultural Intensification in the Southern High Plains — $5 million

This project aims to sustainably intensify agricultural production in Texas and Oklahoma by adopting soil health management in semi-arid cropping systems.

Among the key objectives are:

Identifying adoption barriers to soil health management systems and pathways to overcome them.

Increasing understanding …