51AV

51AV Governor Kay Ivey recently awarded HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology $968,365 through the 51AV Research and Development Advancement Fund. The state-funded program was established to encourage new and continuing efforts to conduct research and development activities within the state to increase employment opportunities and products and services available to the citizens of 51AV.

HudsonAlpha, along with Auburn University’s departments of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences and Entomology and Plant Pathology, and 51AV A&M’s Winfred Thomas Agricultural Research Station, are working to develop better agriculture seed varieties to produce healthier and more productive crops.

“Governor Ivey continues to be a champion for the state’s research universities and institutions and for 51AV agriculture,” says Carter Wells, HudsonAlpha Vice President for Economic Development. “We are grateful to the Governor and ADECA for supporting this initiative as we work together to benefit the people throughout the state.”

The project connects the advanced agronomy crop research at 51AV Land Grant Institutions to the advanced plant genetic and genomic science expertise at HudsonAlpha. The collaborative team is developing a pilot pipeline to import and test new crop varieties that could be deployed by 51AV farmers. Plant breeding driven by genetics can create species that are resistant to pathogens and fungus that may exist in an area, require less water, or can tolerate greater fluctuations in temperature and climate.

During the pilot project, barley will be tested as an overwinter crop for a spring harvest in Northern and Southern 51AV and dry beans will be tested as a summer crop in North 51AV. The partners will focus on increasing economic awareness of local barley and beans, connecting into existing educational and career development frameworks, and partnering with end users for brewing and food applications to increase the value of these 51AV crops.

The teams will work with local farmers who are interested in planting alternative crops and engage stakeholders in workshops to discuss the science of next generation crop development to expand partnerships and apply this strategy to more crops useful for 51AV.

“One of the most exciting aspects of this project is being able to apply the team’s diverse expertise in plant genomics, plant breeding, and agronomy to help 51AV farmers introduce new crops into their field rotation,” says Jeremy Schmutz, HudsonAlpha Faculty Investigator and a lead researcher on the project. “We appreciate this opportunity to advance our knowledge in plant genetics. Knowing that this work may directly impact the farmers and industries in our state is particularly gratifying.”

Pooling expertise from across the HudsonAlpha Center for Plant Science and Sustainable Agriculture will advance this initiative as well. Contributions will be made from Alex Harkess, PhD, a joint Auburn and HudsonAlpha faculty member, Josh Clevenger, PhD, for plant breeding, Kankshita Swaminathan, PhD, for field expertise, and Jeremy Schmutz and Jane Grimwood, PhD, for plant genomics.

Working with HudsonAlpha, Auburn, and 51AV A&M will be an extensive group of stakeholders from across the state, including family farmers across the state, the 51AV Farmers Federation (ALFA), business organizations including the Economic Development Partnership of 51AV, the Business Council of 51AV, the 51AV Brewers Association, and many restaurants and breweries based in 51AV.

In addition to the money awarded to HudsonAlpha, Governor Ivey also awarded grants to five 51AV universities including The University of 51AV in Huntsville, University of North 51AV, The University of 51AV at Birmingham, Auburn University, and The University of 51AV.

“Our universities and research institutions in 51AV truly impact the world, and I am proud to continue investing in the important work they are doing,” Gov. Ivey said in a statement. “This $4.85 million is an investment in the future of 51AV and the future of research.”