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Seed2Grow Spotlight: Rooted-in-tech’s Ricardo Hernandez

Dee Shore

Man standing in a farm field holds up red plastic pails full of fresh strawberries

Jun 30, 2026

NC State Fights an Emerging Strawberry Threat

N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative affiliates, NC State Extension specialists and other researchers are working on multiple fronts in the fight against a new disease taking a big bite out of North Carolina’s strawberry producers’ livelihoods. 
NC State research flies a drone over dormant warm-season turfgrass research plots.

Jun 3, 2026

Harvesting Data for Agriculture

New technology for better drone-based data collection and analysis is helping turn North Carolina’s agricultural research stations into farms of the future, and an N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative team is intent on delivering even more tech solutions that help farmers put data to work. 
a man wearing a plaid shirt points at a computer screen displaying data

Mar 2, 2026

Student Grows Ag Research Acumen and Power Skills Through the N.C. PSI

N.C. PSI programs help lay a foundation for success for an NC State master’s student exploring AI-powered tools to inform the creation of more resilient crops. 
Two people in a farm field, one monitoring a small chamber on the ground that measures nitrous oxide emissions

Feb 9, 2026

Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizer Can Cut Emissions, But Soil Type Matters

Recent research from NC State sheds light on the economic and environmental effects of adding inhibitors to synthetic fertilizers. Corn yields didn’t change much, but emissions of ammonia and, in some cases, nitrous oxide, were lower. 
In a greenhouse, a scientist stands next to a cornstalk, holding one ear.

Feb 2, 2026

Seed2Grow Spotlight: Elysia Creative Biology’s Eli Hornstein

Branching beyond a focus on methane emission reductions, CALS alumnus Eli Hornstein is developing a range of feed-based solutions for animal agriculture. 
Man in a laboratory

Oct 30, 2025

Eyes on the Ball

As Associate Dean Steve Lommel retires from NC State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, he remains focused on agriculture’s future. 
Student in a corn field holding two corn cobs.

Oct 10, 2025

Unlocking Heirloom Corn’s Untapped Potential

To protect the future of America’s biggest crop, NC State researchers are cataloging traits in almost a thousand types of corn that were nearly lost to history. 
peanut seedling against a white background

Oct 9, 2025

Researchers Share Images to Accelerate AI Use in Agriculture

An open-source plant image repository developed at NC State University could help close a gap in artificial intelligence for agriculture. 
Two scientists look at tomato plants growing inside

Aug 13, 2025

Growing NC Agriculture, One Startup at a Time

Through its Seed2Grow program, the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative helps budding entrepreneurs who want to turn scientific ideas into real-world agricultural solutions. 
Two people holding trays of seedlings in a lighted indoor space

Aug 13, 2025

Seed2Grow Spotlight: Rooted-in-tech’s Ricardo Hernandez

Building on a decade of research into creating conditions ideal for plant growth, an NC State horticultural scientist has launched an ag tech startup to deliver high-quality seedlings tailored to farmers’ and gardeners’ needs.