Where’s the Next Breakthrough in Agriculture Coming From?
The answer could be from the students participating in the Wilbur-Ellis Innovation Award, who are exploring innovative ideas for feeding a growing world
The 2023 Wilbur-Ellis Innovation Award recently concluded, and once again teams of college students proposed innovative ideas for feeding a growing world population.
“The Innovation Award was launched as part of the company’s 100th anniversary celebration in 2021. In the two years since the program began, 230 students have participated on 60 teams, bringing forward creative ideas to enhance agriculture and food production,” said Wilbur-Ellis President and Chief Executive Officer John Buckley. “Choosing the most promising ideas from such a great collection is difficult. But this year, one idea was particularly impressive – and that idea came from the Grain Science Team at Kansas State University, which received the Innovation Award’s top prize of $25,000.” The team proposed:
- Increasing production of perennial crops. The KSU team made the case that perennial crops require less soil-intensive practices than annual varieties, and outlined how increasing production of perennials could promote soil health, biodiversity, carbon sequestration, water quality, and agricultural systems that can adapt better to climate change.
During a celebration that included Innovation Award finalists, senior Wilbur-Ellis leaders and supporters of the program, additional $5,000 Honorable Mention awards were presented to four teams for these ideas:
- Tapping the potential of halophytic algae to desalinate salt water. The Retriever Essentials Team from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, outlined how this innovative approach could increase water supplies for agricultural production in coastal regions facing water scarcity.
- Using 3D biophysical crop models and Virtual Reality technology to help growers make better informed crop management decisions. The Helios Team from the University of California, Davis, outlined how greater use of this technology could improve crop productivity, resource efficiency and sustainability.
- Expanding production of mushrooms as a high-quality, economical source of protein, fiber and other nutrients. This idea was explored by the Controlled Environments Club at Iowa State University, which proposed growing mushrooms in highly controlled environments (like container farms), which could be especially beneficial in urban areas where land is limited.
- Increasing the diversity of pollinators, as well as expanding habitats and resources to help them flourish. The Kansas State University Entomology Team focused not only on honey bees – which are essential food pollinators, supporting more than 80 crops – but also on other pollinators, including birds, bats and butterflies.
To learn more about the Innovation Award and this year’s winners, visit https://www.wilburellis.com/innovation-award/. And congratulations to all the Innovation Award winners … your creativity is an inspiration for everyone who cares about the future of agriculture!
