Kishore Chittem, doctoral student in the Department of Plant Pathology, has been awarded a $9,964 grant from the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program for the project, "Determining Efficacy of Waste Lime in Managing Fusarium Root Rot of Field Peas." Chittem says he hopes to develop a cost effective, eco-friendly approach for root rot disease management and thereby increase profitability and sustainability of pea production.
Chittem’s adviser is Rubella Goswami, assistant professor of plant pathology.
The grant was awarded as part of the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program Graduate Student Grant Program, which funds Graduate Student Grants in Sustainable Agriculture for projects that address sustainable agriculture issues and are part of the student's degree program. This year, 15 projects have been selected for funding in the region.
Funding considerations are made based on how well the applicant articulates the nature of the research and education components of their sustainable agriculture grant proposals. The North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program administrative council members decide which projects will receive Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education funds. A collection of farm and non-farm citizens, the administrative council includes a diverse mix of agricultural stakeholders in the region. Council members hail from regional farms and ranches, the Cooperative Extension Service, universities and nonprofit organizations.
For more information on the grant program, contact Marie Flanagan at (612) 625-7027, www.sare.org/ncrsare or ncrsare@unm.edu.