Policy and Automation Are Key Solutions to Ag Labor Shortages
31 August 2026, North Carolina: Talk to farmers today, and they will tell you finding workers is often the greatest challenge they
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N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative
Find the latest research, scientific breakthroughs, technology developments, partnerships, startup activity, and agricultural innovation from the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative (N.C. PSI). Stay informed on plant science, crop improvement, AI in agriculture, precision farming, crop protection, climate resilience, biotechnology, robotics, and sustainable agriculture.
The N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative (N.C. PSI) at North Carolina State University (NC State) is an interdisciplinary research and innovation initiative bringing together experts from academia, government, and industry to address complex challenges facing agriculture. Its work focuses on increasing crop yields, developing new varieties, extending growing seasons, improving environmental and economic sustainability, and translating research into technologies that can be used by farmers.
Headquartered at NC State’s Centennial Campus, the initiative operates from a state-of-the-art Plant Sciences Buildingwith research, greenhouse, prototyping, collaboration, education, and startup facilities. N.C. PSI brings together more than 100 faculty affiliates from nine NC State colleges, supporting interdisciplinary research across plant science, engineering, data analytics and other fields.
A major focus is translating research into practical agricultural technologies. Current work includes AI-enabled crop research, autonomous drones, agricultural robotics, field-data systems, precision agriculture, crop protection, plant adaptation to abiotic stress, and plant–microbe interactions. In 2026, an N.C. PSI team advanced autonomous drone-based data collection at agricultural research stations to improve data-driven crop research and ultimately support real-time decision-making for growers.
The initiative also supports commercialization through its Seed2Grow startup program and incubator, helping researchers and entrepreneurs turn plant-science discoveries into agricultural products and services. In March 2026, NC State moved the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative under its Office of Research and Innovation as part of a broader effort to strengthen interdisciplinary research and compete for large-scale research opportunities.
This category features N.C. PSI research, plant science discoveries, AI and robotics in agriculture, crop improvement, biotechnology, crop protection, climate-resilient agriculture, precision farming, agricultural data, startups, commercialization, farmer outreach, partnerships, and developments from NC State’s plant sciences ecosystem.