$10 million grant will help MU double the acreage of cover crops in the U.S. by 2030 // Show Me Mizzou // University of Missouri

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We also really need improved varieties that are well-adapted to different regions, soil types and cropping systems, so that farmers can get maximum benefit from the cover crops they are using.The project involves collaboration among 14 MU faculty, 38 scientists from across the country, 17 states, 12 universities, three seed companies, the American Seed Trade Association, three USDA Agricultural Research Service locations and three USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Plant Materials Centers.Its exciting to see scientists from so many disciplines at MU collaborating with colleagues across the country on groundbreaking research, said Mun Choi, University of Missouri president. This project will add economic value to farms while our researchers work to preserve the soil that is so critical for future food growth.Along with doubling the seed production for cover crops and distributing them to farmers nationwide, Myers team will educate farmers about new varieties of cover crops and examine which types are best suited for different regions of the country, depending on geography, weather conditions and types of soil.This project will provide great collaboration with farmers and seed companies to provide new cover crop varieties helping protect and improve soils across the U.S., said Christopher Daubert, vice chancellor and dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. Its the type of integrated effort involving research, extension and education that we strive to support through the College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources.Myers, who grew up on a farm in Illinois that uses cover crops, said the project has the potential to have an enormous impact on farmland across the U.S.Whether its cover crops or other plants, we tend to just notice the part of the plant we can see above the ground, but the roots below the ground are equally important. Myers recently earned a $25 million grant the largest federal grant ever awarded to an MU faculty member to help Missouri farmers adopt climate-smart practices.Agriculture is the largest industry in Missouri, and the experts we have here at MU are not only improving farming practices throughout the Midwest, but also across the country, said Michael Williams, chair of the UM System Board of Curators. MU research is critical to improving the health and well-being of Missourians, and these large grants are only awarded to scientists who have demonstrated they are among the best in the country.

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