Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA NIFA OP 009882
The Alfalfa Seed and Alfalfa Forage Systems (ASAFS) program is a competitive grant opportunity from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) designed to strengthen how alfalfa is produced, managed, and utilized in the United States. The overall aim is practical, systems-focused improvement of both alfalfa forage production and alfalfa seed production, with an emphasis on approaches that can raise productivity, protect stand longevity, and improve profitability and feed value. Projects are expected to generate usable outcomes for growers and the broader forage and livestock industries, whether through improved management practices, better measurement tools, or advances in breeding that translate into more resilient and higher-performing alfalfa systems.
ASAFS invites proposals that address one or more of five priority areas. The first priority focuses on improving forage and seed yields through better nutrient management, water management, and/or pest management. This can include strategies to optimize fertilization and soil health, irrigation scheduling and water-use efficiency, and integrated pest management approaches that reduce yield loss while supporting sustainable production. The second priority targets the persistence of alfalfa stands, meaning efforts to keep stands productive for longer by reducing damage from biotic stresses (such as diseases, insects, nematodes, or weeds) and abiotic stresses (such as drought, heat, cold, salinity, flooding, or other environmental extremes). Because stand failure can sharply increase replanting costs and reduce farm income, persistence-oriented work can have a direct economic impact for producers.
The third priority addresses harvesting and storage systems for both alfalfa forage and seed, with the goal of optimizing economic returns. This area can include improving harvest timing and methods to reduce losses, preserve quality, and increase efficiency, as well as post-harvest handling and storage practices that maintain forage value or seed viability. The fourth priority centers on improving estimates of alfalfa forage quality as animal feed, specifically to encourage greater and more effective use of alfalfa in livestock rations. Work under this priority could involve better sampling and testing approaches, improved prediction of digestibility or nutrient availability, and tools that help translate forage testing into feeding decisions that increase adoption and value. The fifth priority is breeding-focused and supports efforts to develop alfalfa varieties better able to withstand biotic and abiotic stresses that limit forage yield, persistence, and reliable seed production for propagation. This can include breeding for disease and insect resistance, stress tolerance, and traits that stabilize performance across variable conditions.
Eligibility is broad and includes many common research and development performers. Applications may be submitted by state agricultural experiment stations, colleges and universities, university research foundations, other research institutions and organizations, federal agencies, national laboratories, private organizations (including foundations or corporations), and individuals who are United States citizens or nationals. Proposals may also be submitted by groups or partnerships made up of two or more eligible entity types. While only eligible applicants can apply directly, award recipients are allowed to subcontract to organizations that are not eligible to apply, as long as those partners are needed to carry out the work. A key compliance point is that eligibility must be met by the application deadline; failing to meet any eligibility requirement can lead to the application being excluded from consideration or prevent NIFA from issuing an award even if the proposal is reviewed.
The opportunity is offered as a discretionary grant under CFDA 10.330. The funding opportunity number is USDA NIFA OP 009882. The original closing date listed for applications was May 25, 2023, and the opportunity record shows an award ceiling of $900,000. The program was posted with a creation date of April 6, 2023.Apply for USDA NIFA OP 009882
- The National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Alfalfa Seed and Alfalfa Forage Systems" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.330.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2023-04-06.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-05-25. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $900,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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