EPA Wants Farmers to Invent New Crop-Drying Tricks
Published Date: 7/2/2026
Notice
Summary
The EPA is asking farmers, researchers, and companies to help find new, safer ways to dry crops without using traditional pesticides. They want ideas that keep crops healthy and ready for harvest while cutting down on chemical use. If you’re involved in farming or crop tech, share your thoughts by September 30, 2026, to shape this exciting Innovation Challenge!
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
$30M Prize Competition Opportunity
EPA plans an Innovation Challenge with a total prize pool of $30,000,000 to find alternatives to conventional pesticide chemicals for crop desiccation. Growers, equipment makers, processors, researchers, governments, NGOs, and other parties are invited to participate or comment; comments on the RFI are due September 30, 2026.
Stakeholders Can Shape Challenge Design
EPA is asking for public input to help shape the Innovation Challenge's scope, eligibility, evaluation criteria, phasing, and possible pilot or demonstration components. If you want to influence how prizes, phases, or eligibility are set, submit comments by September 30, 2026.
Eligible Solution Areas Identified
EPA lists potential alternatives that the Challenge may seek, including non-conventional pesticide desiccants, agronomic strategies, mechanical or physical methods, biological approaches (for example, plant breeding), precision agriculture tools, and postharvest conditioning technologies. Respondents may provide examples, data, or research related to these approaches as part of comments.
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