FFAR taps Danforth Center plant scientists for crop research to preserve soil and water health

(Press-News.org) ST. LOUIS, MO, May 12, 2025 — The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) and matching funders today awarded two Seeding Solutions grants totaling over $5 million to the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center (Danforth Center) for crop development research.

FFAR, the Danforth Center, Kansas State University, The Land Institute, the Perennial Agriculture Project and Saint Louis University provided $2,926,098 to a project accelerating the domestication of perennial crops, which are planted once and harvested over several growing seasons. Additionally, FFAR, the Danforth Center, Pennsylvania State University and Valent BioSciences LLC awarded $2,196,825 for research extending the root system of corn to improve synthetic fertilizer efficiency and preserve soil and water health.

“These projects open opportunities for farmer income growth and lower consumer costs by developing efficient, high-performing agricultural systems,” said Dr. Kathy Munkvold, FFAR scientific program director.

The grantees include:

Allison Miller, PhD, Member, Danforth Center; Professor, Saint Louis University

Farming annual crops, like wheat and corn, requires high input costs and can degrade soil over time. Perennial crops, however, have deep roots that can lower farming costs by conserving nutrients and water. Still, few herbaceous perennial species have been domesticated for large-scale agricultural production. Together with collaborators, Miller aims to optimize and expedite the domestication of perennials by developing strategies for screening potential breeding candidates at early life stages. This research team is screening plants at early stages of their lifespan—seeds and seedlings—using genetics and spectral traits separately and in combination to learn which method creates the largest gains in targeted traits and yield. This team is conducting this research on perennial crops in pre-breeding stages—wild species with limited or no breeding—and those in more advanced stages of domestication to establish if the stage of domestication influences a screening method’s success.

“For more than 40 years, perennial alternatives to major grains and legumes have been recognized for their potential to feed people and, through their deep, persistent roots, to provide critical ecosystem services to agricultural lands,” said Miller. “Although perennial herbaceous species are abundant in nature, they were not domesticated by early farmers. This project builds on previous work where we demonstrated that spectral data taken on seeds and seedlings can be used to predict performance of these promising emerging crops. Building on that success, the current project aims to further hone perennial grain development, with the goal of broadening the diversity of species entering the domestication pipeline and shortening the time it takes to develop new crops that benefit people and the planet.”

Christopher Topp, PhD, Member, Danforth Center

Industrial farming relies on large applications of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer. However, a significant portion of fertilizer is not used by the plants, which costs producers money and can affect soil and water health. Topp and his team are exploring the impacts of deep rooted corn, and the symbiotic relationship between corn and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, both of which can increase the reach of corn roots. The research team is leveraging unique genetics controlling root system architecture and fungal-corn interactions, including the use of wild corn relatives to optimize root systems for greater nitrogen uptake, increasing yield. The research results can increase producer profits through greater yield and lower input costs, while also improving farmland health.

“This project is born out of a nearly decade-long collaboration with Valent BioSciences to study the interactions of corn roots and mycorrhizal fungi, which are ubiquitous and abundant in agricultural soils,” said Topp. “We have strong preliminary evidence that increasing rooting depth and interactions with mycorrhizal fungi can, separately, capture more nitrogen and increase grain production. This new support from FFAR and Valent BioSciences will allow us to scale the analysis up and test the potential combinatorial effects of deep roots and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. We aim to develop nitrogen-smart root systems that leverage natural biological processes to improve the efficiency of crop nitrogen nutrition that will boost yield and reduce input costs, all with fewer environmental downsides.”

About the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
Founded in 1998, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is a nonprofit research institute with a
mission to improve the human condition through plant science. Research, education and outreach
aim to have an impact at the nexus of food security and the environment, and position the St. Louis
region as a world center for plant science. The Center’s work is funded through competitive grants
from many sources, including the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, U.S.
Department of Energy, the Gates Foundation and through the support of individuals and
corporations. Learn more at danforthcenter.org

Media Contacts: 
Danforth Plant Science Center, Karla Roeber, kroeber@danforthcenter.org
FFAR, Ryan Conley, rconley@foundationfar.org

Images available upon request

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