Takac: $1.1 million secured for PSU agricultural projects and programs

Rep. Paul Takac October 21, 2024 | 4:36 PM

STATE COLLEGE, Oct. 21 – New funding of nearly $1.15 million will support a wide range of programs and projects at the Penn State University College of Agricultural Sciences, state Rep. Paul Takac announced today.

Takac said the funding, secured through the Department of Agriculture, includes 13 grants that will support PSU’s Ag Resource Centers, the Center for Agricultural Law and multiple individual studies.

“PSU’s world-class College of Agricultural Sciences produces cutting-edge research that gives our farmers and growers the best possible tools to fight plant and livestock disease, boost productivity and keep our food supply safe,” Takac said. “The new funding is going to support a wide range of projects – from promoting pollination to detecting pathogens and improving cattle health – to keep PA a national leader in agriculture.”

Takac said the grant recipients and funding amounts include:

Ag Resource Centers – $300,000.
Center for Agricultural Law – $100,000.
Evaluating ammonium thiosulfate and lime sulphur as apple bloom thinners: efficacy and pollinator impact – $71,339.
Conversion of spent mushroom substrate and low-value trees to sprayable bioplastics for agriculture – $100,000.
Monitoring bee populations in Pennsylvania to improve information on wild pollinator populations and pollination services – $82,426.
Understanding the potential of predatory mites to control mushroom flies – $77,559.
Robotic solutions for sustainable weed management in perennial cropping systems – $72,275.
PSU Scranton – Enhancing picking efficiency and optimizing mushroom bruising levels in robotic mushroom picking – $100,000.
Enhancing pathogen detection systems to promote bovine udder health – $27,535.
Exploring precision technology to find sick calves – $56,042.
Progesterone supplementation: a strategy to enhance fetal and placental growth in sheep – $34,846.
Association of respiratory disease on liver abscess development in cattle – $55,198.
Ornithine supplementation in early pregnancy: a strategy to enhance conceptus development in swine – $67,926.