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Find similar grantsCurrently in RFI phase (public comment period); formal challenge launch with deadlines not yet finalized. Submissions via regulations.gov docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2026-3862.
EPA National Innovation Challenge for Alternatives to Conventional Chemical Crop Desiccation is sponsored by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This national innovation challenge seeks to support practical, cost-effective alternatives to conventional chemical crop desiccation, which is the practice of spraying pesticides to dry out crops before harvest.
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EPA Launches $30 Million Challenge to Help American Farmers Grow Healthy Food with Fewer Chemicals | US EPA EPA Launches $30 Million Challenge to Help American Farmers Grow Healthy Food with Fewer Chemicals A win for American families and farmers: EPA seeks public input on a national innovation challenge to find safer, science-based alternatives to chemical crop desiccation WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an opportunity for the public to help shape a national innovation challenge with up to $30 million in total prize funding.
The challenge will support practical, cost-effective alternatives to conventional chemical crop desiccation, the common practice of spraying pesticides to dry out crops in the final days before harvest. Grounded in gold standard science, this effort will help American farmers bring in their harvest with fewer conventional chemicals while protecting human health and the environment. This is a win on both ends of the dinner table.
Families get food grown with fewer conventional pesticides. Farmers get new, science-based tools that lower costs, protect their workers, and keep American agriculture strong and competitive in a changing global market. "American farmers feed our families, and they deserve the best tools to do that job safely," said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin .
"This challenge backs our farmers, protects the health of American families, and helps modernize our farms. By listening to growers, researchers, and communities, we can cut exposure risks and make America's food supply stronger and more resilient." American farmers are critical partners in the success of the Make America Healthy Again agenda.
This initiative directly supports the Trump Administration's broader effort to protect human health and modernize U.S. agriculture by promoting resilient, efficient, and sustainable farming systems. Acting under its legal authority to regulate pesticides and protect human health and the environment, EPA is putting real funding behind real-world solutions that bring better science to America's farms.
Desiccants are pesticides that farmers spray to dry out plants quickly. They are usually applied in the final weeks before harvest to help a crop ripen evenly and to make harvesting faster and easier. Common crops often include small grains, pulses (beans and peas), oilseeds, potatoes, and cotton.
These tools serve a purpose on modern farms, but because they are applied close to harvest, they can leave residue on food and may carry health risks for the workers who apply them. That is exactly why advancing safer, effective alternatives matters. It protects both the people who grow our food and the families who eat it.
Many of the solutions EPA hopes to encourage go hand in hand with regenerative agriculture—farming that works with nature to build healthier soil, cleaner water, and stronger crops. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices like smarter crop timing, natural drying methods, and precision technology can do the same job as chemical sprays with far less of them and at less cost to farmers.
Less pesticide use means healthier land, healthier farm workers, and healthier families. The Request for Information (RFI) released today will shape the design of the challenge—including its scope, who can take part, how entries will be judged, and how new ideas will be tested in the field.
EPA is particularly interested in cost-effective solutions that maintain or improve harvest readiness, crop quality, and operational efficiency across a range of crop systems, including small grains, pulses, oilseeds, potatoes, and cotton.
Possible alternatives include: Improved agronomic practices and crop scheduling Mechanical or physical drying methods Biological or lower-risk inputs Precision agriculture technologies Post-harvest conditioning innovations EPA is seeking input from a broad range of stakeholders, including growers, producer organizations, equipment manufacturers, researchers, public health experts, environmental organizations, Tribes and territories, state and local agencies, and any interested member of the public.
The agency is also requesting feedback on barriers to adoption, research gaps, equipment needs, supply chain considerations, and the performance standards necessary for viable alternatives. In addition, EPA welcomes recommendations on challenge design, including prize structure, phased development approaches, and eligible uses of prize funding.
EPA encourages concise responses that include contact information, organizational background, and relevant experience. Instructions for submission and additional details can be found under docket number EPA-HQ-OPP-2026-3862 at www. regulations.
gov once it is posted. Read the pre-publication RFI (pdf) . Headquarters | Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) Read other EPA News Releases about Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Read other EPA News Releases about Agriculture Contact Us about News Releases to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on July 1, 2026
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Broad stakeholder groups including farmers, equipment manufacturers, researchers, public health experts, environmental organizations, Tribes, and state/local agencies. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows up to $30 million total prize money. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
EPA National Innovation Challenge for Alternatives to Conventional Chemical Crop Desiccation is funded by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
Yes — this listing is flagged as national in scope, so applicants across the U.S. may apply, subject to the sponsor's other eligibility criteria.
Applications go through the funder's official portal — the Apply Now link on this page goes there directly.
National Environmental Leaders in Asthma is sponsored by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This program recognizes exemplary programs and community leaders who serve as national models for community asthma care improvement, including those addressing environmental asthma triggers. While not a direct grant for funding, it provides recognition and showcases achievements.
Conservation Partners Program is sponsored by National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) in partnership with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), The J.M. Smucker Co., PepsiCo, General Mills, Cargill, Nestlé, Walmart, and Sam's Club. The Conservation Partners Program funds locally-led projects that provide technical assistance to agricultural producers to adopt regenerative agriculture systems and conservation practices.
For FY2026 and FY2027, EPA is waiving the WIFIA application and credit-processing fees for communities of 25,000 or fewer — saving nearly $200,000 per loan — against roughly $11 billion in flexible financing that covers up to 80 percent of project costs. Here is why WIFIA has been underused by small systems, how the loan actually works, and how a rural utility should build a WIFIA strategy in 2026.
Read articleOn June 11, 2026, U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel ruled that the EPA's February 2025 termination of the $2.8 billion Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grant Program — created by Section 60201 of the Inflation Reduction Act — was arbitrary, capricious, and unlawful. The ruling voids the termination but does not order the EPA to resume the program, leaving the September 30, 2026 statutory deadline as the binding constraint. For the 116 grantees and the coalition of nonprofits, cities, and tribal partners that were already in award negotiations, the next 105 days will determine whether the program survives in any operational form or migrates entirely to the Court of Federal Claims as a damages action.
Read articleThe EPA Gulf of America Division announced up to $50 million on May 5 for 20-30 Farmer-to-Farmer demonstration grants of $1.5M-$2.5M each across EPA Regions 3-8. Applications close June 19, 2026. The geographic scope spans from Pennsylvania to Texas — eighteen states drained by the Mississippi-Atchafalaya system — and the funding model rebuilds the federal conservation playbook around farmer-led demonstrations rather than top-down agency design.
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