Arizona Board of Regents awards $3 million in grants for sustainable agriculture research

PHOENIX — The Arizona Board of Regents has awarded $3 million in grants to create the Arizona Hub for Agriculture Innovation Research.

The tri-university initiative will focus on precision agriculture, soil health and crop varietal research to make the industry more sustainable given water challenges and the fact that agriculture accounts for about 72% of the state’s water use.

The grant money was approved by during a special board meeting in Yuma and will be dispersed over three years.

What will the sustainable agriculture research focus on?

Precision agriculture will look at different technologies to implement, like automation and sensors, to make farming more efficient.

“You’re not applying more water than you need to, you’re not applying more fertilizer than you need to. You’re doing things at the right time and the right amount so you’re using just the bare minimum that you need,” Arizona Department of Agriculture Director Paul Brierley told KTAR News 92.3 FM.

He added that this will not only help farmers save water, but money as well.

Researchers will also look for ways to improve soil health to create more nutrient-dense food.

“Because we’re irrigated agriculture and it’s hot, we do tend to build up salts and salinity in the soil and that can make it where you can’t farm,” Brierley said.

The director explained that healthier soil can hold more water capacity and fight off diseases.

In addition, crop varietal research will examine ways to modify crops’ genetic makeup to adapt them to drought conditions.

“You can use different breeding, different varieties and end up with crops that aren’t as sensitive to that so that maybe you can get away with more salt in the soil,” Brierley said.

Where will the agriculture research take place?

Researchers from Arizona State University, the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University will work with industry leaders in Yuma to solve the region’s unique problems, in the hopes that their agriculture solutions can become a nationwide model. All three universities have a presence in the southwest city, and they grow high-value crops year-round.

“From the research it needs to get commercialized. It needs to turn into services or products the industry can buy or use,” Brierley said.

The Yuma area produces 90% of all leafy greens during the winter season making it critical for the U.S. food supply. With more demand on our water supply, Brierley stated that the grant program will create solutions to help Arizona’s agriculture industry stay viable.

“There is less water coming down the Colorado River, there’s less water available from groundwater basins because those have been dropping. There’s no question there needs to be some drawbacks in water use,” Brierley said.

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