Mitch Daniels, president of Purdue University, says the school’s newly dedicated Indiana Corn and Soybean Innovation Center “will play a big part” in helping to assure enough food for the rising world population. The center is the first field phenotyping facility in North America.
The 25,500-square-foot facility will support automated field phenotyping, the process of observing and analyzing observable plant characteristics, says Purdue.
Kevin Plaut, research director for the Purdue College of Agriculture, says phenotyping has lagged behind advances in the ability of scientists to sequence genetic code of key crops. “This center will close this gap to enhance crop yield, nutritional attributes and protect the environment,” he said.
Separately, USDA announced $18.9 million in grants to build or improve agricultural and food-science research facilities at 19 historically black land-grant universities. The largest, $1.51 million, went to Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View, Texas.