With $2.2 Million In Federal Funding, Mid-South Scientists Are Reimagining the Future of Rice and Wheat Crops

Researchers at A-State have received a $2.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to collaborate with universities in Kansas and Nebraska to study how to improve drought tolerance in rice and wheat crops. Dr. Argelia Lorence, a professor of metabolic engineering at A-State, says Arkansas rice farmers typically flood their crops which can use excessive amounts of water. Dr. Scott Mangan, a professor of ecology at A-State, explains one of their approaches is to study mycorrhizal fungi, which forms a mutually beneficial relationship with crops. They hope to find ways to utilize the relationship between crops and mycorrhizal fungi to reduce the amount of water needed for crops and ultimately reduce the costs of irrigation for farmers.