N.C. PSI News

Nov 30, 2024

Robots + Drones + AI = Hardier Tomatoes?

Each year, plant diseases take a bite out of agricultural yields and profits, causing estimated global agricultural losses of $30 billion to $50 billion. At NC State University, experts in optical… 

Nov 7, 2024

‘A Meaningful Impact’

Amid rising interest in the rapidly expanding field of artificial intelligence, promising undergraduate and graduate students at NC State University are gaining experience in applying AI and data analytics in agriculture.… 

Nov 4, 2024

Toward Faster Nematode Test Results

UPDATED: Feb. 24, 2026 Plant-parasitic nematodes that feed on crops cause an estimated $80 billion to $157 billion in damage around the world each year. Two North Carolina State University faculty… 

Oct 24, 2024

Creating Cutting-Edge Ag Tech

Nearly 50 NC State University undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral scholars spent a fall weekend competing in the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative’s fourth annual Hackathon, taking on real-world agricultural technology… 

Oct 21, 2024

Samulski Supports ‘Next Wave’ Genome Editing Technology at NC State

Jude Samulski has contributed $3 million to advance plant sciences research and help establish the Endowed Chair for the Genome Editing Center for Sustainable Agriculture at NC State University. 

Oct 18, 2024

Finding Could Help Turn Trees Into Affordable, Greener Industrial Chemicals

Specific molecular property of lignin in trees determines difficulty of using microbial fermentation to turn trees and other plants into industrial chemicals. 

Oct 17, 2024

Boundary-Crossing Research Paves Way for Fungal Crop Solutions

Think of fungi in agriculture, and you might think first of the crop diseases they cause. But since ancient times, farmers have been using the interactions among fungi and crops… 

Sep 25, 2024

New NC State Web Tool Delivers Precise Soybean Planting Recommendations

BeanPACK, a new soybean growers decision support tool designed to revolutionize on-farm recommendations, was released Oct. 1, in time to inform statewide planting decisions for the 2025 growing season. The… 

Sep 23, 2024

UPL Joins N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative’s Innovation Hub

The North Carolina Plant Sciences Initiative welcomes UPL, a leading provider ofsustainable agricultural solutions and services, as the 10th member of its Innovation Hub in NC State University’s Plant Sciences Building.… 

Sep 19, 2024

Precision Sensors: An Innovative Future for Agriculture

At the North Carolina Plant Sciences Initiative, NC State researchers are advancing sensor technology to help farmers face challenges like emerging plant diseases and climate change.