Farm Progress

UNL, NDA receive grants for specialty crop research

Nebraska receives USDA grants to study hops, dry beans, winegrapes, pests and healthy snacking in schools.

November 20, 2018

5 Min Read
BOOST FOR HOPS: Nearly $700,000 in USDA specialty crop grants will be awarded to projects focusing on hop production.

Specialty crop research in Nebraska is getting a boost from almost $700,000 awarded by USDA to study hops, dry beans and winegrapes; to monitor invasive pests; and to encourage healthy snacking in schools. The awards, administered by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, were for 10 projects in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources and four at NDA.

The grants were awarded by USDA's Specialty Crop Block Grant Program to support research, development and marketing of specialty crops.

NDA was awarded $55,656 to administer the Nebraska program.

UNL projects
University projects include:

• Herbicide drift in specialty crops, $79,854. This project regards injury, yield loss and residue persistence. The partnership between NDA and UNL will research off-target crop injury from dicamba and 2,4-D choline plus glyphosate drift. Results will increase knowledge among Nebraska farmers about the potential economic consequences of herbicide drift in specialty crops. The project will be led by Samuel Wortman in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture.

• Hop cultivar performance evaluation, Phase 2, $24,703. IANR researchers will evaluate eight commercial hop cultivars at four locations across the state to determine their potential for commercial production. Results and educational programming will provide information for growers interested in this specialty crop. The project lead is Stacy Adams in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture.

• Maximizing hop yields by modeling plant growth, $45,900. Researchers will implement Arable Mark P001 sensors at five hop production sites in eastern Nebraska to collect data on the environment and hop growth over three growing seasons. Growth potential models will be developed from the data to provide growers with information on pruning, training and harvest dates, as influenced by environmental factors. Agronomist Keenan Amundsen will lead the project.

• Development of optimal hop drying techniques for Nebraska, $116,259. UNL’s Industrial Agricultural Product Center in Biological System Engineering will conduct a series of experiments to determine the optimal drying conditions for hops in Nebraska. Results will be shared through a hop quality and safety manual, meetings and related organizations. The lead is David Mabie,  in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering.

• Response of chickpea and dry yellow field pea to inoculum, fungicide and endomycorrhizal fungi, $25,281. UNL researchers will evaluate types of inoculum to determine which is best suited for western Nebraska. The secondary objective is to evaluate other seed treatments, like fungicides and endomycorrhizal fungi, to identify whether yields can be improved with their use. Cody Creech, Panhandle Research and Extension Center, will lead the project.

• Slow-darkening pinto bean winter seed increase in New Zealand, $60,050. UNL's Dry Bean Breeding Program will increase the seed of promising varieties of slow-darkening pinto beans with high yield potential, multiple disease resistance, and broad adaptation in winter nurseries in New Zealand. The next crop season they'll test them in western Nebraska. The goal is to release at least one slow-darkening pinto cultivar that's well adapted to western Nebraska. PREC’s Carlos Urrea Florez will lead the project.

• Identifying a cowpea variety with high yield, quality and disease resistance for western Nebraska, $19,440. Replicated yield trials will be conducted on 10 to 20 varieties of cowpea in three western Nebraska counties. Researchers will collect data on flowering, foliar disease, plant height, maturity and seed yield. Cowpea seed will be assessed for quality and compared with an industry standard, and results will be shared with growers. Project lead is Dipak Santra, PREC.

• Evaluation of row spacing and plant population on dry bean direct harvest and weed suppression, $25,920. Field studies will be conducted over three years to evaluate optimal row spacing and planting populations to maximize dry bean yield and quality, facilitate direct harvest, and improve weed suppression. A trial will be established over two years at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center to determine optimal dry bean populations at different row spacings. Nevin Lawrence, PREC, will be project lead.

• Snack time with specialty crops — increasing specialty crop consumption through access and tastings at schools, $39,363. UNL’s Buy Fresh Buy Local Program will promote increased consumption of specialty crops by distributing them at established mobile food pantries at Lincoln schools. The sampling will provide a visceral experience that shows students new ways to consume healthy snacks. Ag economist Larry Van Tassel will lead the project.

• Grafting to delay spring bud break for Nebraska winegrapes, $74,309. UNL will graft an early bud breaking grape cultivar onto a rootstock of a grape cultivar that breaks winter dormancy later in the spring. Delaying bud break by as little as three to four days could mean the difference between a productive year and a nonproductive one. If successful, this grafting technique will have an immediate and positive impact on the grape and wine industry. Project lead is agronomist Paul Read.

Ag department surveys
NDA projects include:

• Japanese beetle survey, $36,600. A survey will document the presence or absence of Japanese beetles in Nebraska and provide certification to facilitate out-of-state shipments of Nebraska-grown nursery stock. This survey will help keep interstate and international markets open to Nebraska nursery stock.

• Potato cyst nematode survey, $41,615. This project is designed to maintain Nebraska's potato cyst nematode pest-free status by requiring official soil surveys of 20% of seed potato and 2% of commercial potato production fields to confirm the presence or absence of PCN. If PCN is found, survey data can be used to determine the extent of the infestation and potentially mitigate the impact on trade.

• Columbia root knot nematode survey, $24,300. This project is designed to maintain Nebraska's Columbia root knot nematode pest-free status by conducting comprehensive soil surveying to confirm the presence or absence of CRKN in Nebraska. Nebraska has a CRKN exterior quarantine to protect the state from the introduction of this pest.

• Thousand cankers disease of walnut survey, $26,450. The Nebraska Department of Agriculture will conduct a survey for walnut twig beetle across the state and confirm compliance with the Nebraska thousand cankers disease of walnut quarantine through inspections.

Source: Nebraska Department of Agriculture

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