The Minnesota Corn Growers Association recently announced the projects selected for its Innovation Grant Program.

The grant program funds farmer-led research that focuses on improving on-farm conservation and sustainability.

This year’s proposals included projects addressing new corn uses, and ways to improve nutrient efficiency and water quality. Fourteen recipients were selected to take part this year.

To date, the 2021 Innovation Grant Program has invested nearly $850,000 in 78 original projects identifying practical innovations that can be replicated by Minnesota farmers and farmer-led research.

The following projects will move forward this spring. All locations are in Minnesota unless noted otherwise:

• Minimizing corn plant variability using a planter weight distribution system; Mark Enninga, Nobles County

• Reducing nitrate in a surficial sand aquifer; Steve Lawler, Mower County

• A corn trial teaching tool and ag research; Adam Alford, Lyon County

• Establishing a paired watershed to prepare for conservation practice assessment (Year 2); Gary Feyereisen, Faribault County

• Pushing the limits on nitrate removal: a watershed-scale bioreactor (Year 3); Amy Huber, Faribault County

• Soil health demonstration site; Van Johnson, Wilkin County

• Performance and cost-benefit analysis of bioreactor systems for phosphorus mitigation; John Swanson, Polk County

• Nitrogen use efficiency increased with biologicals; Allan Dose, Sibley County

• Evaluating the value of a microbial nitrogen in corn production; Les Anderson, Goodhue County

• Investigating “living carbon” composted manure to improve nutrient mineralization; Gary Prescher, Faribault County

• Digital Crop Doc, a digital diagnostics service for Minnesota producers; Angie Peltier, across Minnesota

• Value-added use of corn byproducts as nanocarriers of biopesticides; Lingling Liu, Ames, Iowa

• Nitrogen dynamics and losses in artificially drained agricultural fields; Lindsey Pease, Polk County

• On-farm generation of nitrogen fertilizer; Pete Kennedy, Swift County

Each individual chosen will receive up to $7,000 for a one-year study, or up to $30,000 for replicated research. The investment in farmer-led research and innovation is made possible through corn farmers’ investment in the Minnesota corn checkoff.

Visit mncorn.org/research to learn more about ongoing or completed research projects.

Source: Minnesota Corn Growers Association, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all of its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.