Congress has allotted more than $2.5 million for research
projects at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural
and
Environmental
Sciences.

The funding is included in the Fiscal Year 2001 Agricultural
Appropriations Bill, passed by the U.S. House of Representatives
on Oct. 6 and the U.S. Senate on Oct. 18. The bill now goes to
President Bill Clinton for his signature.

Eight Projects Funded

The UGA CAES, in cooperation with various agricultural
commodity
and interest groups, submitted funding requests for eight
research
projects. All eight requests, which impact important Georgia
commodities
such as peanuts, Vidalia onions and beef cattle, received $2.57
million in congressional funding. The bill was supported by
Georgia
Senators Max Cleland (D-GA) and Zell Miller (D-GA) and
Congressman
Jack Kingston (R-GA).

“We are encouraged by the commitment Congressman Kingston
and other members of Congress have for important agricultural
research that supports Georgia’s number one industry,” said
Gale Buchanan, dean and director of the UGA CAES.

Kingston, who serves on the Agricultural Appropriates
Subcommittee,
was instrumental in obtaining the research funds for the
college.”With
these funds, the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences will remain one of the leading
research
institutions in the country,” he said. “The projects
will help farmers find solutions to some of the problems they
face and go a long way in ensuring Georgia’s commodities remain
competitive and strong.”

Peanuts and Onions

The bill will benefit two research programs for the peanut
industry. Some $500,000 is earmarked for research to reduce
peanut
food allergy risks. This research will include breeding new
peanut
varieties, collaborating on the development of vaccines for
peanut
allergies and reducing peanut allergy risks through marketing,
handling and processing methods.

The National Center for Peanut Competitiveness will receive
$400,000 to support research on breeding pest- and
disease-resistant
peanut varieties, studying the peanut’s health-promoting
qualities
and analyzing the industry to keep U.S. peanut farmers
competitive.
The center is a partnership between UGA CAES, Auburn University,
the University of Florida, and the Alabama and Florida
Cooperative
Extension Services.

Vidalia onion producers will get $250,000 to fund an
intensive
study on marketing and promoting Georgia’s specialty onion. The
project will measure factors that determine the market demand
for Vidalia onions, both in the United States and abroad.

Tomato Spotted Wilt and Water
Quality

The bill also provides $250,000 to fight Tomato Spotted Wilt
Virus, a disease that causes an estimated $80 million to $100
million in losses to peanuts, tobacco and other Georgia crops
each year.

A research project focusing on non-point sources of water
contamination
in Georgia’s lakes and streams will receive $300,000.
Researchers
will pinpoint the sources of contaminants in 580 impaired stream
segments and develop a plan for reducing contaminants.

Safer Food and Better
Beef

The bill also provides $285,000 for improving the safety of
vegetables grown using animal manure as fertilizer. Manure can
contain pathogens that contaminate water and crops. Outbreaks
of food-borne illness have been linked to eating organically
grown
lettuce, drinking fresh-pressed apple juice and swimming in
manure-contaminated
lakes. CAES researchers, along with USDA scientists, will launch
research on reducing the risk of spreading harmful
microorganisms
to crops through manure.

The Alliance for Food Protection, a cooperative program
between
UGA and the University of Nebraska, will receive $300,000 to
develop
and modify food processing and preservation methods. Such
methods
ensure our food safety by identifying undetected pathogens and
chemicals on food and enhancing the quality of processed
foods.

The National Beef Cattle Genetic Evaluation (NCE) Program,
another UGA cooperative program, will receive $285,000 to
improve
beef production and quality through genetic improvements. The
NCE Research Consortium includes UGA, Colorado State University,
Cornell University and Iowa State University. “These UGA
projects will be possible because of this funding are vital not
only to Georgia’s family farmers but to American agriculture as
a whole,” Miller said . “I am anxious to expand the
research being conducted at the university and I look forward
to its beneficial impact on the agriculture community.”