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Plant Scientists, Sensor Experts Connect to Grow Plant Breeding Solutions

N.C. PSI News

Visitors from New Zealand's Bioeconomy Science Institute outside the Plant Sciences Building

Mar 24, 2026

Visits Highlight N.C. PSI’s Place as Global Ag Innovation Hub

World-class scientists from both New Zealand and Serbia visited the Plant Sciences Building in March, strengthening collaborations to advance agriculture and protect natural resources through interdisciplinary research. 
Group of seven smiling professionals

Mar 23, 2026

Accelerating Ag Innovation Through Global Networking

N.C. PSI Plant Improvement Platform Director Ross Sozzani continues her longtime work to share critical plant sciences resources and expertise across borders. Her recent collaboration and networking in Japan also opened a new chapter in a 40-year partnership between Nagoya University and NC State. 
The team from NC State stands together onstage.

Mar 23, 2026

Accelerating Agricultural Innovation Through Global Networking

Professor Ross Sozzani is the Plant Improvement Platform director for the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative and co-deputy director of the STEPS Center (Science and Technologies for Phosphorus Sustainability). Sozzani’s research… 
Three people, with two making the shape of a wolf with their hands

Mar 12, 2026

‘You Want the Handprints You Make on People’s Lives To Be Good Ones’

Alumnus Larry Roberts recounts a life lesson learned and the returns he and his wife, Judy, see from their investment in a program that sparks young people’s interest in solving global food and agriculture problems. 
Two people talking in a farm field.

Mar 12, 2026

Lending Ground Truth to Ag Research

Sam Marshall draws on technical expertise, grounded in research, and solid relationships to make a difference for ornamental nursery and greenhouse growers. 
Two people tending an array of colorful plants in a greenhouse

Mar 11, 2026

Not Your Average Greenhouse

From the outside, the steel-and-glass structure on top of NC State’s Plant Sciences Building looks like an ordinary greenhouse, but inside the computer-controlled facility, researchers work year-round to tackle big agricultural challenges. 
NC State Feed Mill Education Unit on a university farm, with Raleigh skyline in background

Mar 11, 2026

Using AI and Advanced Sensors To Transform Feed Production

A collaborative workshop hosted by the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative and the Food Animal Initiative sparks feed milling research for increased food animal health and productivity. 
Student peering into a microscope

Mar 10, 2026

Plant Sciences Outreach Day Broadens Horizons for High School Students

North Carolina high school students gathered at NC State University in February to gain hands-on experience with plant sciences and get inspired for their futures. 
Standing in a field of hemp, a scientist speaks into a microphone

Mar 5, 2026

Extension Writing the Next Chapter for N.C. Fiber Hemp

As federal regulations reshape parts of the hemp industry, David Suchoff and others with Extension are helping N.C. farmers navigate uncertainty and position fiber hemp as a viable crop. 
Group of scientists at a round table, with one holding up a computer tablet.

Mar 5, 2026

Plant Scientists, Sensor Experts Connect to Grow Plant Breeding Solutions

An N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative workshop focuses on using advanced sensing technologies to break plant breeding bottlenecks.