MANHATTAN, KANSAS, US — Two innovation labs at Kansas State University working to advance global food security received government funding totaling $16.6 million over the next two years.

Funding for the Feed the Future Cereals Innovation Lab and the Feed the Future Sustainable Intensification of Targeted Agricultural Systems (SITAS) Innovation Lab was part of an award by the US State Department to eight labs in partnership with US land grant universities.

The Cereals Innovation Lab will focus on fortifying global cereal crops by advancing the breeding of wheat, millet, sorghum and rice to withstand environmental stressors and increase cereal grain resilience. These crops account for nearly half of the world’s caloric intake.

The lab is an upstream research and development program that advances plant breeding by identifying and leveraging genetic variation to improve crop performance under stressors — including heat, drought, cold and disease — and by increasing global capacity to harness emerging plant breeding methods, KSU said. The lab aims to increase global food security while ensuring these cereals are fortified against yield-limiting factors.

“The US is not immune to many of these plant stresses, with the 2026 Kansas wheat crop suffering nearly 40% yield reduction from drought conditions,” said Nina Lilja, Cereals Innovation Lab director and associate dean of international programs at KSU’s College of Agriculture. “Cereal crops are fundamental to food security in Kansas and around the world, and our work helps the farming industry be more resilient and prosperous.”

The funding is for collaborative, interdisciplinary research to improve the four crops. KSU’s implementing partners include Clemson University, Cornell University, Louisiana State University, Purdue University, Texas A&M University and the University of Florida. Scientists at these universities are working with their counterparts in Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Senegal to equip farmers with improved cereal varieties that deliver higher yields and economic opportunities under stressed conditions.

Working in eight countries across the Indo-Pacific, Central America and the Lobito Corridor, the SITAS lab will address local agricultural challenges and advance innovation. The lab will bring together researchers, extension professionals, farmers and businesses to adapt and combine innovations suited to local farming needs and conditions and to expand their use through extension services, digital tools, and public- and private-sector partnerships.

“Our goal is to turn agricultural research into practical and lasting benefits for farmers,” said Vara Prasad, SITAS Innovation Lab director, University Distinguished Professor and R.O. Kruse endowed professor of agronomy. “That starts with listening to farmers and working with local institutions and businesses to address their priorities. By connecting and bundling proven locally adapted technologies with training, services and markets, we can scale technologies and help farmers improve productivity and profitability while strengthening local expertise and institutions needed to sustain those benefits.”

KSU will lead this project with partners in the United States and host countries. Together, these partners will focus on crop productivity and farming systems, water use, fertilizer and soil, artificial intelligence and smart sensors in agriculture, and human and institutional capacity building.

The work will connect technical advances with practical advice, training and services that help farmers make informed decisions and adopt innovative approaches suited to their needs, KSU said. The research outputs and approaches developed from the programs will help inform crop production systems and resource management in Kansas and the United States.

SITAS Innovation Lab partners include Purdue University, Cornell University, the University of Maryland, the University of Texas — Arlington, the University of Texas — Tyler, the University of Florida, Oklahoma State University, Mississippi State University, Texas A&M University, the International Fertilizer Development Center, the International Rice Research Institute, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, national agricultural research and extension systems, local universities, and US and local private-sector partners and organizations.

Susan Reidy is senior editor with World Grain and editor of the Grain & Milling Annual. She has 21 years of experience covering the grain handling and milling industries, the past 17 years with Sosland Publishing Company. She received a bachelor’s of journalism degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Connect with Susan Reidy on LinkedIn or via email.