The Virginia Agricultural Council has awarded nearly $370,000 from the Virginia Agricultural Foundation Fund to 28 projects for agricultural research. Fund recipients received awards of up to $24,000 for projects focused on crops, livestock, insects, plant and animal diseases, turf grass, fertilizer and the development of research test plots.
The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services receives assessments on certain agricultural supplies such as lime, fertilizer, feed and motor fuel used for agricultural purposes, and transfers a percentage of monies received to the VAFF pursuant to 302§ 3.2-2905. Assessments received on lawn and turf sales go into a separate VAFF account, called the Seed Fund, and the VAC must award to projects involving lawn and turf research.
In 1966, the Virginia General Assembly established the VAC to provide financial assistance and support for agricultural research, education and services. Its purpose is to find new uses for agricultural products, to develop new markets for such products and to promote more efficient and economical methods of agricultural production.
The VAC accepts requests for financial assistance from any organized group within or serving Virginia’s agriculture industry and awards grants annually based on funding available and VAC’s determination of the project’s importance to Virginia’s agricultural economy. Recipients can include agricultural suppliers, farmers, marketers, Virginia Cooperative Extension centers, colleges and universities. The VAC will call for new research proposals to be submitted by November 15, 2017 for 2018-2019 funding. Interested parties may contact Larry Harris, Executive Director, at [email protected] or 804.786.3532.
The following projects received funding for 2017-2018:
| Project Name | Recipient | Award Amount |
| Increasing the economic value of brewer’s spent grain by producing high-protein and high-fiber products to support animal production in Virginia | Dr. Haibo Huang | $24,000 |
| Increasing profitability for Virginia’s double crop wheat-soybean system | David Holhouser | $20,093 |
| Rapid estimation of water, nutrient and pesticide needs using unmanned aerial vehicles for reduced inputs | David McCall | $20,000 |
| Understanding nitrogen fate to increase profitability in ornamental container-grown plant production | Dr. Jim Owen | $18,790 |
| Delivering probiotics to chicken embryos to enhance post-hatch performance and immunity | Dr. Rami Dalloul | $18,000 |
| Management of spreading troublesome weeds in Bermuda grass and tall fescue turf | Jeffrey Derr | $16,624 |
| Pre-bloom leaf thinning to increase grape aromas and aid bunch rot management | Tony Wolf | $16,254 |
| Identification and testing of novel, locally isolated biopesticides for fire blight control in Virginia | Dr. Boris Vinatzer | $16,000 |
| Establishing the efficacy of faecalibacterium prausnitzii as a probiotic to enhance pre-weaning health, growth and performance of beef calves | Dr. Vitor Mercadante | $15,650 |
| Alternative fencing and watering systems to enhance stream exclusion and grazing management | Matthew Booher | $15,578 |
| Mastitis in the developing bovine mammary gland | Dr. R. Michael Akers | $15,000 |
| Comparisons of exceptional quality biosolids and inorganic fertilizer on carbon and nitrogen dynamics and turfgrass production and quality | Gregory Evanylo | $15,000 |
| Improving honey bee colony health: Assessing the role of honey bee gut microbiota in mediating pesticide effects | Dr. Jennifer Walke | $13,497 |
| Release public, roundup ready soybean varieties | Dr. Bo Zhang | $12,000 |
| English cucumber as an alternative cash crop | Dr. Kedong Da | $11,800 |
| Early detection of soilborne diseases of peanut using multispectral and infrared sensor technology | Dr. David Langston | $10,997 |
| Enhancing opportunities for pasture-based beef production research at Virginia Tech | Dr. Robin White | $10,008 |
| Utilizing oocyte reconstruction to improve the heat tolerance of dairy cattle | Dr. Michelle Rhoads | $10,000 |
| Evaluation of alternative methods for the prevention and control of histomonosis (blackheads) in turkeys | Dr. Michael Persia | $10,000 |
| Evaluation of higher concentrations of butyric acid in broiler diets raised without antibiotics | Dr. Michael Persia | $10,000 |
| Testing a novel strategy for evaluating energy content of feed | Dr. Mark Hanigan | $9,959 |
| Mitigating the effects of iron deficiency anemia in pigs fed antibiotic-free nursery diets containing elevated levels of copper and zinc | Dr. Mark Estienne | $9,512 |
| Enhanced apple cider fermentation by selective light exposure | Dr. Robert Williams | $9,000 |
| Determining the feeding value of corn gluten feed in fescue forage-based rations | Dr. Bain Wilson | $8,543 |
| Increasing hops yield with phototherapy | Justin Dick | $8,000 |
| Low-cost nutritional intervention to improve growth and fertility of replacement heifers grazing endophyte infected tall fescue | Dr. RobinWhite | $7,798 |
| Management and cultivar effects on malt-type barley performance and end use quality in Virginia | Dr. Wade Thomason | $7,000 |
| Evaluating nutrient supplements to improve strawberry fruit yield and quality | Jayesh Samtani | $5,410 |
| Total | $364,513 | |
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