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N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative
N.C. State N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative Hackathon

Oct. 23-25, 2026

The N.C. PSI Hackathon is an annual event that gives undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoral scholars the chance to demonstrate their skills in a 3-day competition to solve ag tech related challenges for prizes and, of course, bragging rights.

With the goal to accelerate agricultural research using data analytics, machine learning, and hardware fabrication, our annual Hackathons have multiple tracks and are inclusive to participants with various levels of experience.

Impactful ideation. Authentic collaboration. Innovative solutions. That’s the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative (PSI) Hackathon experience.

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Learn about the 2026 Tracks

Experience

Hackathon participants enhance their technical skills through ideation, experimentation and innovation.

Advancement

Hackathon participants are offered unique opportunities, include industry networking and pre-event workshops.

Prizes

If bragging rights are not enough, Hackathon judges will award multiple prizes for each track at the end of the event.

Get Inspired!
Hear from 2023 organizers about why the N.C. PSI Hackathon is a unique opportunity. 

2026 N.C. PSI Hackathon

The 2026 N.C. PSI Hackathon offered different tracks for participants with various levels of experience to collaboratively create a unique solution from scratch. Learn about the 2026 tracks below!

Teams will use GenAI tools to visualize ecological resilience through prompt engineering. No prior programming experience required.

Before a robot ever touches the soil, it learns to “see” in a virtual world. Join us for a hands-on challenge where you build the Digital Twins that will power the autonomous farms of tomorrow.

Build an automated insect imaging system and train an AI model to detect and identify bugs in real time!

Develop cutting-edge computational tools that use AI to map cells and tissues by integrating spatial gene expression with advanced imaging data to drive breakthroughs in agriculture.

2026 N.C. PSI Hackathon

Interested in participating in the 2026 Hackathon?

Register now!

View and download photos from the 2025 Hackathon here!


For questions about the N.C. PSI Hackathon, contact our Events Manager Janelle Schwartz.

N.C. PSI Hackathon Supporters

Supporting the N.C. PSI Hackathon is a unique networking and recruitment tool for industry companies and a great opportunity to promote your organization! Thank you to the 2025 N.C. PSI Hackathon Supporters!

DELL Technologies, AWS and NC State University Phytotron

N.C. PSI Hackathon in the News

Three people making a presentation in front of a poster that says "Hackathon"

Creating Cutting-Edge Ag Tech

NC State students and postdocs tackle artificial intelligence challenges in agriculture in the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative’s fast-paced Hackathon competition.

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Seminar room with speaker at front and audience seated at long rows of tables

Third Annual N.C. PSI Hackathon Brings in Record Numbers

The third annual N.C. PSI Hackathon brought in a record 74 student and postdoc participants to compete across three days and three tracks for prizes and bragging rights.

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2022 Hackathon winners fathered outside

Hacking plants? N.C. State Plant Science Initiative to host hackathon as it works to create more agtech entrepreneurs

THE BUSINESS JOURNALS
October 4, 2022

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Hackers work amid plants, computers and a robotic camera

Plant Breeding AI Gets Schooled in New Student Competition

CALS News, NC State
October 25, 2021

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Upcoming PSI Events

All Events
May 08

Friday9:30 AM

N.C. PSI Coffee Social
May 28

Thursday4:00 PM

STEPS Center Research Spotlights & Networking Mixer
Jun 17

Wednesday9:00 AM

NCCC’s 2026 Annual Meeting for Members and Supporters