Science Policy Report

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21 March 2018

In This Issue:

Policy News

International Corner

Research, Education, Extension Funding Opportunities

Science News

Policy News

Congressional leaders and the White House have struck a preliminary deal on a roughly $1.3 trillion fiscal 2018 omnibus appropriations bill. GOP and Democratic aides were putting the finishing touches on the mammoth package and were expected to file it later Wednesday morning for House floor consideration. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Speaker Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California were expected to meet shortly to go over the details. The tentative agreement, if finalized, would put Congress in striking distance of ending a long-running saga marked by five stopgap continuing resolutions since the fiscal year began Oct. 1, and two brief partial government shutdowns that raised questions about lawmakers’ ability to govern. Read the full article.

A record number of members of the U.S. House of Representatives signed on to a “Dear Colleague” letter in support of the USDA competitive grants program, the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI). Representatives Rodney Davis, (R, IL-3), Suzan DelBene (D, WA-3), and Jimmy Panetta (D, CA-20) sent out a letter asking their fellow House members to show strong support for AFRI in the FY2019 appropriations process. 88 House members signed on to the bipartisan letter. Thanks to those Society members who reached out to Congress urging them to sign on to the letter. See the full list of signatories here.

Representative Daniel Lipinski (D–IL)—an antiabortion Democrat who voted against the Affordable Care Act and who only recently has embraced a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants—knows that he’s out of step with progressives on many social issues. Next week, Lipinski will find out whether voters in Illinois’s third congressional district on Chicago’s southwest side feel there’s still room for him in the Democratic Party. If the seven-term legislator loses his primary race to the more liberal Marie Newman, his defeat would also silence one of the most vocal and persistent advocates for research in Congress. Read the full article.

With the Easter recess soon to start and no draft farm bill yet released, hopes for a bipartisan bill from the House of Representatives Agriculture Committee appear to be fading. Democrats on the House Agriculture Committee were balking at proposed Republican changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. House Agriculture chairman Michael Conaway, R-Texas, has been promising a farm bill since January but the SNAP controversy has apparently derailed the attempt to move the bill, said Ferd Hoefner, senior strategic advisor for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. Read the full article.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) currently manages and stores valuable producer data, but the data can be better utilized to inform producer understanding about which conservation practices reduce risk and improve profitability. A new bipartisan bill would aggregate and anonymize the farmer data that USDA already manages, making it accessible to land-grant university researchers while maintaining producer privacy. U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D., Minn.) and John Thune (R., S.D.), senior members of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, introduced bipartisan legislation to improve agriculture data research of conservation practices to help farmers reduce risk and increase profitability. Read the full article.

Representative Lamar Smith (R–TX) has repeatedly criticized the peer-review process at the National Science Foundation (NSF) since becoming chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives’ science committee in 2013. It was no surprise, then, that during a hearing on NSF’s 2019 budget request he railed against a handful of grants from NSF’s $6 billion research portfolio as a waste of taxpayer dollars. What was surprising is that the agency’s friends—both the NSF officials who testified and Democratic legislators who have staunchly defended the agency’s grantmaking practices—appear to have accepted Smith’s premise that NSF has lost sight of its obligation to fund research “in the national interest” and agree that Congress needs to keep NSF on a short leash. Read the full article.

U.S. EPA chief Scott Pruitt is expected to roll out plans soon to restrict the agency's use of science in rulemakings, pitting him against critics who say it would threaten public health and environmental protections. In a closed-door meeting at the Heritage Foundation, Pruitt told a group of conservatives that he has plans for additional science reform at the agency, according to multiple attendees. EPA hasn't formally shared details of the plan, but it's widely expected to resemble an effort that Republican lawmakers and conservative groups have been pushing for years. It's been met with staunch resistance from Democrats and many scientists. Read the full article.

Representatives Darren Soto (FL-09) and Mark Pocan (WI-02) introduced the Seeds for the Future Act, legislation that will put the power of the seed back into the hands of American farmers and land-grant institutions by reinvesting in our public seed breeding and research programs, and improving coordination across the federal agencies that support these activities. The Seeds for the Future Act will ensure American farms can remain resilient and competitive by: ensuring that federal investments are sufficient to support farmers and researchers in developing seeds that work for a diversity of farming systems and locations, prioritizing “farmer-ready” public cultivar development in federal grant programs, encouraging commitment to seed diversification and regional adaptation, and increasing efficiency and improving coordination across federal agencies. Read the full article.

International Corner

China unveiled a sweeping revamp of its bureaucracy that is expected to reap benefits for public health, the environment, and combatting climate change—while raising questions about the management of basic research. The plan would create a Ministry of Ecological Environment that would put a single entity in charge of policies related to climate change, water resource management, and pollution. The new arrangement “can potentially give enforcement teeth to climate regulations,” says Ranping Song, a climate change expert with the World Resources Institute in Washington, D.C. Read the full article.

A new bill will be brought before parliament this year mandating, for the first time, measures and targets to preserve and improve the health of the UK’s soils, amid growing concern that we are sleepwalking into a crisis of soil fertility that could destroy our ability to feed ourselves. The UN has warned that the world’s soils face exhaustion and depletion, with an estimated 60 harvests left before they are too degraded to feed the planet, and a 2014 study in the UK found matters are not much better, estimating 100 harvests remaining. Read the full artcile.

The study was mammoth. It cost $54 million, and involved some 1,000 researchers and 65,000 local bureaucrats. But academics around the globe are calling the results an agricultural miracle. From 2005 to 2015, researchers working under guidance from the China Agricultural University in Beijing conducted more than 13,000 on-the-ground field studies throughout China, taking note local farming practices. Following those studies, researchers developed geographically-specific advice for farmers growing rice, corn, and wheat. That advice emphasized the idea that a one-size-fits-all farming method isn’t as efficient as methods tailored for specific crops, regions, and weather conditions. Read the full article.

Research, Education, Extension Funding Opportunities

The U.S. Forest Service will support projects in the Great Lakes basin that implement the following strategic, priority actions: restore tree canopy lost to infestation by emerald ash borer; create or improve green infrastructure through planting of trees and other vegetation; restore the function of coastal wetland areas through planting of native trees and diverse vegetation. Deadline, May 11. Read the full announcement.

The Whitehall Foundation assists scholarly research in the life sciences through its research grants and grants-in-aid programs. 1) Research: Research grants of up to $225,000 over three years will be awarded to established scientists of all ages working at an accredited institution in the United States. Grants will not be awarded to investigators who have already received, or expect to receive, substantial support from other sources, even if it is for an unrelated purpose. 2) Grants-in-Aid: One-year grants of up to $30,000 will be awarded to researchers at the assistant professor level who experience difficulty in competing for research funds because they have not yet become firmly established. Grants-in-Aid can also be made to senior scientists. To be eligible, applicants must hold the position of assistant professor or higher; have Principal Investigator status; and be considered an "independent investigator" with his/her own dedicated lab space or have lab space independent of another investigator. Letter of Intent deadline, April 15. Read the full announcement.

FFAR seeks to encourage the development of unique partnerships to support innovative and potentially transformative research. FFAR anticipates funding at least one meritorious proposal in each of our seven Challenge Areas. To be considered, proposals must address and provide solutions to an intractable problem and/or accelerate innovation within FFAR's Challenge Areas. Proposals may be new projects or expansions of ongoing projects. If a request is to expand an ongoing research project, the request must adequately explain why additional funding will enhance innovation or accelerate the project. Pre-proposal deadline, April 18. Read the full announcement.

Projects supported by the Higher Education Challenge Grants Program will: (1) address a state, regional, national, or international educational need; (2) involve a creative or non-traditional approach toward addressing that need that can serve as a model to others; (3) encourage and facilitate better working relationships in the university science and education community, as well as between universities and the private sector, to enhance program quality and supplement available resources; and (4) result in benefits that will likely transcend the project duration and USDA support. Deadline, May 7. Read the full announcement.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is announcing availability of Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies. Proposals will be accepted from the following several states. See the links for full announcement details and deadlines.

Idaho – Deadline May 11

New Mexico – Deadline May 11

Pacific Islands Area – Deadline May 11

Rhode Island – Deadline May 11

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announces the availability of funds to solely enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops. Specialty crops are defined as fruits and vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, horticulture and nursery crops (including floriculture). State departments of agriculture interested in obtaining grant program funds are invited to submit applications to AMS. State departments of agriculture, meaning agencies, commissions, or departments of a State government responsible for agriculture within the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands are eligible to apply. State departments of agriculture are encouraged to conduct outreach regarding the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program – Farm Bill to specialty crop stakeholders, socially disadvantaged, and beginning farmers and conduct a competitive grant proposal process. Deadline, May 24. Read the full announcement.

NLGCA Institutions may use the funds: (a) to successfully compete for funds from Federal grants and other sources to carry out educational, research, and outreach activities that address priority concerns of national, regional, State, and local interest; (b) to disseminate information relating to priority concerns to interested members of the agriculture, renewable resources, and other relevant communities, the public, and any other interested entity; (c) to encourage members of the agriculture, renewable resources, and other relevant communities to participate in priority education, research, and outreach activities by providing matching funding to leverage grant funds; and (d) through: (1) the purchase or other acquisition of equipment and other infrastructure (not including alteration, repair, renovation, or construction of buildings); (2) the professional growth and development of the faculty of the NLGCA Institution; and (3) the development of graduate assistantships. Deadline, May 25. Read the full announcement.

Science News

Four new videos highlighting ASA, CSSA, and SSSA scientists in action are now available. The series, “A Day in the Life,” explains the science of agronomy to the general public. Look for more in the future! See the videos here.

Abstract submission is now open for the 2018 ASA & CSSA International Annual Meeting, “Enhancing Productivity in Changing Climate” on November 4-7 in Baltimore, MD. Submit by May 22 to save money; final deadline to submit is June 5. The International Soils Meeting, “Soils Across Latitutes,” on January 6-9, 2019 in San Diego, CA is now accepting proposals for a special session, tour, or workshop. Submit online now through April 27. ASA & CSSA Meeting deadlines and information here. SSSA Meeting deadlines and information here.

Plant breeders have been enhancing desirable traits in crops like flavor, yield, and pest resistance since the birth of agriculture. Some of these transformations have dramatically changed the appearance of crops. One example is maize. Breeding practices have taken maize from a grass with little seed production to the top grain crop produced worldwide. Even with the high-yielding maize varieties available, there is great demand for maize to be used in food products, animal feed, and biofuel. Increasing yield potential is a combination of genetics and management practices. For maize, there are two main traits that breeders can focus on to increase maize production without increasing the number of acres planted. Read the full article.

Plants convert solar energy to chemical energy at a global rate of 90 terawatts through photosynthesis. Scientists at Vanderbilt University discovered that combining a natural dye from blackberries with photosynthetic proteins extracted from spinach leaves creates a device that can produce vastly more voltage than a solar cell made from spinach protein alone. Biohybrid solar cells that incorporate natural materials can become a cost-effective source of electricity if their energy is increased. The technology is at an early stage, comparable to silicon solar cells of 30 to 40 years ago that were limited to powering electronic watches and calculators. Read the full article.

Soil biology is central to the concept of soil health. However, measuring soil biology can be costly and difficult to translate into management recommendations. Mineralizable C (or respiration upon rewetting) has gained popularity as a soil health metric because it addresses both of these issues simultaneously. While this metric has been used extensively by researchers, more information is needed before extension agents and growers can use it reliability and in a standardized platform of soil health diagnostics. In a recent Soil Science Society of American Journal paper, researchers used soils from 72 sites across the United States to evaluate different procedures of soil mineralizable C and its reliability. Read the full article.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has released its evaluations of two draft reports, the draft Fourth National Climate Assessment (NCA4) – a congressionally mandated report that evaluates the state of climate science and the broad range of impacts of climate change in the United States every four years – and the draft Second State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR2) – a report that feeds into the overall assessment process developed by the USGCRP. The Academies committee concluded that the draft NCA4 accurately describes the science of climate change and impacts occurring and likely to occur this century across the nation. A separate committee appointed to review the SOCCR2 draft concluded that it is a very informative overview of current scientific understanding of carbon cycle dynamics across North America. Read the full article.

Canola is a rapeseed and one of the largest oil, protein meal, and vegetable oil crop sources. Previously published research on this crop was focused on one factor at a time; therefore, the mechanism of how multiple factors interact to influence canola yield and the level of their significance was rarely reported. Improving research knowledge on the production management of this crop is needed to propose potential avenues for narrowing the yield gap, defined as potential minus actual on-farm yields. In the January-February issue of the Crop Science, researchers report on a synthesis of >100 reports in peer-reviewed journals, extension publications, and websites all from the North America region; constructing a large database on canola production to quantify the effect of diverse management factors on canola yields. Read the full article.

Annie’s, Inc. will launch a new boxed macaroni and cheese this month with ingredients that were made using regenerative farming practices, a series of steps that could help fight climate change by sequestering carbon in the soil. The brand, which was purchased by General Mills in 2014, is already known for using organic ingredients. But it wanted to go further: Regeneratively farmed ingredients are farmed with a more holistic set of practices that can promote soil health, increase biodiversity, and pull carbon from the air. The new boxed product will be limited edition, but Annie’s sees it as proof of concept for its larger vision to scale regeneratively farmed ingredients across its business. Read the full article.

The World Food Prize is the foremost international award recognizing the accomplishments of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity, or availability of food in the world. Nominations are sought of an individual or individuals having demonstrated exceptional achievement in any field involved in enhancing food production and distribution and increasing food availability and accessibility to those most in need. Any academic or research institution, private or public organization, corporate entity, or governmental unit may submit a nomination for The World Food Prize. Nominations are due, May 1. To learn more about the nomination process or to nominate a deserving individual see here. 

Sources: USDA; NSF; NAS; FFAR; AAAS; ScienceInsider; RollCall; The Packer; Feedstuffs; EE News; Fast Company;

Vision: The Societies Washington, DC Science Policy Office (SPO) will advocate the importance and value of the agronomic, crop and soil sciences in developing national science policy and ensuring the necessary public-sector investment in the continued health of the environment for the well being of humanity. The SPO will assimilate, interpret, and disseminate in a timely manner to Society members information about relevant agricultural, natural resources and environmental legislation, rules and regulations under consideration by Congress and the Administration.

This page of the ASA-CSSA-SSSA web site will highlight current news items relevant to Science Policy. It is not an endorsement of any position.