Sept. 17, 2007

LUBBOCK – The Texas Department of Agriculture awarded more than $280,000 to cotton research in the state during a Sept. 10 ceremony at Lubbock.

Commissioner of Agriculture Todd Staples announced more than $1.2 million in grants to five Texas universities to fund 39 research projects designed to "bolster and enhance the state's food and fiber industry."

The grants were awarded through TDA's Food and Fibers Research Grant Program. Each project is required to leverage about $2.75 for each dollar received from the state, bringing the total amount of research to more than $3.3 million.

Texas A&M University System cotton research projects funded by these grants include:

- Broadening the Genetic Diversity of Cotton; coordinated by Dr. John Gannaway, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station cotton breeder at Lubbock.

- Improving the Genetic Potential of Cotton for Quality and Stress Resistance; coordinated by Dr. Wayne Smith, professor of plant breeding at College Station.

- Interspecific Introgression to Expand Cotton Germplasm; coordinated by Dr. David Stelly, professor of plant breeding and genetics at College Station.

- Irrigation Termination for Improved Fiber Maturity on the Texas High Plains; coordinated by Dr. Craig Bednarz, associate professor of crop physiology based at Lubbock.

- Comparison of Modern Harvesting Equipment on the High Plains of Texas; coordinated by Dr. Bryan Shaw, associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering at College Station.

- Engineered Systems for Seed Cotton Handling, Storage and Ginning; coordinated by Dr. Steve Searcy, professor of biological and agricultural engineering at College Station.

- Analyzing the Transportation Logistics Network for Texas cotton; coordinated by Dr. John Robinson, associate professor of agricultural economics and Texas Cooperative Extension cotton marketing specialist at College Station.

- Single Process Point Elimination of Aflatoxin and Gossypol in Cottonseed, Texas Engineering Extension Service.

- Better Feed and Fuel from Enzymatic Processing of Cottonseed, Texas Engineering Extension Service.

More details on these Texas Department of Agriculture grants are available online at http://www.agr.state.tx.us . Click on "News and Media," then "Press Releases."