MARSHALL — Since launching in 2016, the Minnesota Corn Growers Association’s Innovation Grant Program has provided farmers with the funding needed to complete 37 research projects with over $700,000 invested towards breakthroughs in sustainability and profitability for farms across the state.

The program will continue in 2021 with farmers able to submit a grant proposal from now until the deadline on Jan. 15 at 3 p.m. Farmers chosen to take part in the grant program can receive up to $7,000 “toward the development of a concept or best practice that could be replicated by Minnesota’s farmers.”

Up to $30,000 per year is also available for farm scale replicated trials. Replicated trials “must include a statistical design and analysis protocol in the proposal.”

Post-secondary research may receive up to to $15,000 in funding as well “to test an innovative or novel scientific approach or develop preliminary data to leverage greater funding concerning one of the previously identified priorities.”

Minnesota Corn Growers Association Vice President Bryan Biegler of Lake Wilson said the program is beneficial for local farmers and their neighbors in getting to test out new innovations in the industry.

“It’s a good program for the farmers and for the neighbors to see if this is going to work for them or not,” said Biegler. “(Also) just to showcase if a different project or innovation will work for your area and if it can improve on anything.”

“It’s a nice way to get a little financial help to make these projects work,” Biegler added.

Applicants are to focus on researching new uses of corn and corn co-products, improved nutrient use efficiency, comparative tillage innovations, advances in economic and management as well as production practices that enhance water quality.

Biegler said the program’s initial focus was to look for more efficient uses of Nitrogren.

“Since then, we’ve done quite a few projects with cover crop,” said Biegler. “Also (we’re) now working with phosphoruses and economic management and innovations. (And) ways to enhance water quality and then also to identify new uses for corn.”

With numerous ideas proposed by farmers over the years, the program has continued to expand according to Minnesota Corn Growers Association Research Director, Maciej Kazula.

“The Innovation Grant Program has grown over the years to match the forward-thinking mindset brought by corn farmers to every aspect of their operation,” Kazula said in a press release. “The research carried out by farmers next year through this program will identify the novel ideas that could help all farmers, greatly benefiting our ag sector.”

The program was utilized locally this past year by Southwest Minnesota State University and its Agricultural Department students as part of a hands-on training exercise using a 15-acre research plot made available by local alumni and farmers. The project–led by SMSU alumnus and certified crop adviser Tim Moline–examined differences in yield, moisture and test weight among three different seed varieties planted on June 6, 2019. The plots were harvested on Nov. 1, 2019 with results of the test reported in a final report at the start of 2020.

Additional details about the program and its requirements can be found at https://www.mncorn.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/RFP-MN-Corn-FY2021-Innovation-Grant.pdf. Proposals for the grant program are available at https://www.mncorn.org/research/.