Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

Maggie Lawrence, Editor

Oct. 14, 2026

Making a Difference

Texas A&M Discovery Leads to Citrus Greening Treatment

Texas A&M AgriLife Research has developed a spinach‑derived antimicrobial peptide treatment that protects citrus trees from citrus greening disease, and it has now received full EPA registration. The technology, commercialized by Silvec Biologics, uses a modified, naturally occurring citrus tristeza virus strain to prompt trees to produce the protective peptide. The approval reflects extensive safety data and marks a major step toward offering growers a new tool against a disease that has devastated U.S. citrus production. The breakthrough stems from long‑term collaborations among Texas A&M, the University of Florida, and citrus industry partners, supported in part by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Read more about the project here.

Dr. Kranthi Mandadi worked with collaborators for more than a decade to achieve commercial availability of a newly registered citrus greening treatment. Image courtesy of Sam Craft, Texas A&M AgriLife.

NIFA Soliciting FY27 Commodity Board Topics

NIFA is inviting commodity board organizations to propose research topics for potential co‑funding through future AFRI competitive grant programs. To qualify, boards must align their topics with AFRI’s priority areas and meet federal or state definitions of a commodity board. Topics must be submitted by Nov. 19 and will then be reviewed for inclusion in the Fiscal Year 2027 AFRI Foundational and Applied Science funding opportunity, while later submissions may be considered in future years. Boards must use NIFA’s online submission form and email the completed topic to the agency, which will confirm receipt. FAQs and additional guidance are available on the NIFA website. Find more information here.

Reminder: Correctly Handling Award Announcements

Project directors often receive notification of a grant award weeks and sometimes months before NIFA can make an official announcement. The appearance of a grant in any NIFA databases or other Federal government databases does not constitute an official announcement. Please remember that awards should not be announced in any manner by a grantee until they are officially and publicly announced in an issue of NIFA Update. This applies to press releases, newsletters, press interviews and web or social media postings. Find more information about award announcement embargoes as well as how to correctly acknowledge NIFA here.

• 1890 Institution Teaching, Research and Extension Capacity Building Grants Program
• Capacity Building Grants for Non-Land Grant Colleges of Agriculture Program
• Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Extension Program Pre-Applications
• Higher Education Challenge Grants Program
• Hispanic-serving Institutions Education Grants Program
• National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowship Grants Program
• Rapid Response to Weather Events Across Food and Agricultural Systems
• Rapid Response to Emerging and Re-emerging Pest and Disease Events Across Food and Agricultural Systems
• Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs Phase II
• Tribal College Extension Program
• Tribal College Research Grants Program

• Tribal Colleges Research Grant Program 2026 NOFO Technical Assistance Q&A Session- Phase III—Wednesday, Oct. 21, 3 p.m. EDT

• Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer Programs (SBIR/STTR) NOFO Technical Assistance Webinar, Phase II--Thursday, Oct. 22, 3 p.m. EDT

Continuously Accepted

• Rapid Response to Emerging and Re-emerging Pest and Disease Events Across Food and Agricultural Systems
• Rapid Response to Weather Events Across Food and Agricultural Systems

• Higher Education Challenge Grants Program—Oct. 15
• National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowship—Oct. 15
• Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Extension Program Pre-Applications—Nov. 2
• Tribal Colleges Extension Program: Special Emphasis—Nov. 2
• 1890 Institution Teaching, Research and Extension Capacity Building Grants Program—Nov. 4
• Capacity Building Grants for Non-Land-Grant Colleges of Agriculture Program—Nov. 10
• Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs Phase II—Nov. 17
• Hispanic-serving Institutions Education Grants Program—Dec. 3
• Tribal Colleges Research Grants Program, Phase III—Dec. 31

USDA Announces $180 Million Seed Sovereignty Initiative to Strengthen U.S. Agricultural Security

USDA has committed $180 million to launch the Seed Sovereignty Initiative, aimed at strengthening national agricultural security and advancing crop innovation. The funding will support major upgrades to the Agricultural Research Service’s National Plant Germplasm System, which maintains one of the world’s largest collections of plant genetic resources. The initiative will enable large‑scale sequencing of key crop collections to expand scientific understanding of genetic diversity, guide future breeding efforts, and identify gaps in current holdings. Read more about this initiative here.

Ag Outlook Forum Proposals Being Accepted

USDA is now accepting proposals for Science Innovation Exhibits at the 2027 Agricultural Outlook Forum. Innovations wholly or partially funded by USDA are eligible, and exhibitors must cover their own travel costs. Find more information about proposals here.

For NIFA-supported projects, send proposals to Dr. Jodi Williams at jodi.williams@usda.gov.

• Farms.com: OSU Research Helps Fill Information Gaps For Organic Seed Growers
• National Hog Farmer: Researchers Map Mating-Related Changes In New World Screwworm

USDA NIFA invests in research, education, and outreach that keeps American agriculture productive, profitable, and at the forefront of innovation. Through partnerships with the Land-grant University System, NIFA leverages more than 10,000 scientists, educators, and Extension professionals to turn discovery into real-world solutions for farmers, ranchers, families, and communities.

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is committed to ensuring that its programs and services are accessible to all individuals, including individuals with disabilities and individuals with limited English proficiency. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in any NIFA event, please contact the appropriate Program staff no later than 10 days prior to the event. To find Program staff by event, please visit the NIFA Calendar of Events. NIFA  Language access services, such as interpretation or translation of vital information, will be provided free of charge to limited English proficient individuals upon request.

If you need interpretation or translation services, please contact sm.nifa.eeo@usda.gov no later than 10 days prior to the event.

Keep informed about NIFA, USDA, our Land-grant and non-Land-grant university partners, and stakeholders with the NIFA Update. Read past issues online, sign up for email updates or follow us on X (formerly Twitter) @USDA_NIFA, #NIFAImpacts or LinkedIn @usda-nifa.

If you wish to submit a news item or information, send an email to NIFAUpdate.

USDA is an equal opportunity lender, provider, and employer.