The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) has granted $4.5 million to the Circular Economy that Reimagines Corn Agriculture (CERCA) project. CERCA is led by USDA-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) and 13 university partners and it aims to enhance nitrogen efficiency in U.S. corn production.

The project focuses on developing corn varieties that recycle nutrients, reduce fertilizer reliance and tolerate colder temperatures. This enables earlier planting when soil nitrogen is abundant. The initiative aims to decrease nitrogen losses which currently contribute to water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and high farming costs.

The research combines genetics, agronomy and soil science to lower nitrogen demand by optimizing the corn’s ability to recycle nitrogen. The project aims to cut nitrogen losses by over 50%. This would significantly reduce environmental impacts and boost economic returns for farmers. FFAR emphasizes this research has the potential to revolutionize sustainable corn production.

Read more on efforts to enhance nitrogen efficiency in corn production here.