To maintain a healthy ecosystem, it is crucial to have healthy soils that support plant and animal productivity and sustain water and air quality. Soils are the foundation of a healthy environment, and their health is essential for the well-being of plants, animals, and humans. To improve our understanding of soil health and develop sustainable agricultural production systems and ecosystem services, we need to develop new tools, practices, techniques, and innovations.
The Soil Health program area priority within the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative supports research projects that contribute to foundational and applied research. These projects aim to advance scientific understanding of soil physical and biogeochemical processes and interactions, as well as develop models, decision support tools, and new management and conservation practices to enhance soil health and productivity. The grants awarded under AFRI A1401 are part of this initiative.
Institutions such as Appalachian State University, Michigan State University, Mississippi State University, North Carolina State University, Northern Arizona University, Purdue University, Tennessee State University, University of Florida, University of Houston, University of Maine, University of Oklahoma