USDA announces $3.4 million in wheat research funding

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has made $3.4 million available for research projects for the new International Wheat Yield Partnership (IWYP) program.

"Wheat is one of the world's most important staple crops, providing a significant amount of daily calories and protein throughout the world," USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said. "By 2050, the demand for wheat as part of a reliable, affordable and nutritious diet will grow alongside the world population, and continued wheat research will play an important role in ensuring its continued availability."

The USDA’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative is providing the program awards. The new International Wheat Yield Partnership program wants to support research to benefit the global community as well as G20’s nations’ Wheat Initiatives. New wheat-breeding technologies and discoveries are the program’s priorities this year, and applications are due by May 3, 2016.

In addition to the USDA, other participants include Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council of the United Kingdom; Grains Research and Development Corporation of Australia; Department of Biotechnology of India; Mexico's International Center for Improvement of Maize and Wheat; Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada; the Institute of National Agricultural Research from France; and the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture from Switzerland.