Core Domain Focus Areas

Food Security

Plant Breeding for Public Crops

Predictive Crop Performance tools are being developed at NDSU to ensure North Dakota’s public crops are sustainable against current and future abiotic and biotic stresses. Genotypic and phenotypic performance data is utilized to predict plant breeding lines that perform best in the face of variable growing conditions. The objectives of this effort include:

• Assessing the species wide genotypic variability of public crops in North Dakota by developing reference genome assemblies and annotations of lines representing the important variability found in the NDSU breeding programs
• Determining the variability of breeding lines in the NDSU breeding programs
• Identifying the genetic factors associated with sustainability of ND public crops in the facing of evolving abiotic and biotic stresses.

Soil Health and Sustainability

Soil health and soil water availability are critical elements to agriculture production. Research being conducted on dryland agriculture production in North Dakota and the region is focused on soil water impacts from varying crop rotations, the impact of cattle integration into the system, and the effect of full season cover crops (for grazing). These management practices are being studied for their potential to improve soil health and system resilience.

Weed Management

Weed management presents a significant operational cost for farmers and ranchers. The increasing prevalence of resistant weeds and expanding territory of invasive and noxious weeds is further challenging weed management strategies and technologies. Autonomous platforms, sensors, AI, and other technologies provide an opportunity for new solutions to address these challenges. FEWS research is investigating a variety of technology approaches to weed management. Effective solutions will vary across the spectrum of crops, weed species, and equipment platforms.

Controlled Environment Agriculture

Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) is growing sector of food production that utilizes greenhouse facilities and other types of protected spaces. The environmental growing conditions including water, nutrients, light, and other parameters are precisely controlled in these spaces to optimize production.

NDSU CEA research effort is focused on three areas critical to success of this type of agricultural production: water management, automation, and energy efficiency. Additionally, through partnership with United Tribes Technical College, CEA Tribal Food Sovereignty research is concentrating on the propagation, study and cultivation of culturally important seeds and plants towards potential use in large-scale growing projects.