The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley has just secured a $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The university will partner with Valley farmers and use the grant to implement climate smart agriculture practices.

"How they are established, how much they cost, what are the benefits, what are the type of maintenance they need. Part of this grant will be used towards the outreach activities, but also will be used towards the measurement of the benefits of these practices," UTRGV soil scientist Dr. Engil Isadora Pereira said.

The overall goal is to help farmers increase soy fertility and soy carbon. They want to measure this overtime to see if the new climate friendly practices actually reduce greenhouse gases from soil.

Farmers who want to sign up can click here.