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N.C. PSI News

Corn Research Field

Mar 10, 2025

Optimizing Corn Production for Greater Efficiency

To produce a profitable yield, corn needs nitrogen-based fertilizer, and that costs farmers money and time. Research in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the N.C. PSI is finding ways to allow farmers to optimize corn growth while managing nitrogen more efficiently. 

Man seated on the ground in an agricultural field.

Mar 7, 2025

The Heart of the N.C. PSI: Morgan Menaker

For Morgan Menaker, being a North Carolina Cooperative Extension field crops agent in Union County means being a linchpin in ensuring that the nation’s research-and-extension system continues to deliver agricultural… 

Large group of people standing behind a podium

Mar 5, 2025

Bridging Disciplines for Creative Solutions

Judging from the kind of creative thinking presented at last week’s BRIDGE Symposium at North Carolina State University, two heads can indeed be better than one when it comes to… 

three women hold small wheeled robots

Mar 3, 2025

Women in Ag: Lirong Xiang

As a recipient of the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research New Innovator Award, professor and agricultural engineer Lirong Xiang is building robots to neutralize one of agriculture’s biggest foes — weeds. 

Geoff Bock speaks to a group of students

Feb 28, 2025

The Heart of the N.C. PSI: Geoff Bock

There’s no one who knows the North Carolina Plant Sciences Initiative quite like Geoff Bock. Hired in 2016 as its first employee, Bock has seen it grow from a seed… 

Four professionals standing side-by-side

Feb 25, 2025

Cultiv8 Group, N.C. PSI Partner to Help AgTech Startups Deliver Solutions

The North Carolina Plant Sciences Initiative at NC State University and Cultiv8 Group — comprising Spark Labs Cultiv8 and Cultiv8 Funds Management of Orange, Australia — have entered a new partnership… 

Sarah Cochran-Murray presents a research poster

Feb 20, 2025

The Heart of the N.C. PSI: Sarah Cochran-Murray

Editor’s Note: As we gear up for NC State’s 2025 Day of Giving on March 26, the N.C. PSI is highlighting passion-inspired, donor-fueled staff, students and others behind our plant sciences research, extension and… 

Jevon Smith and Joe Chiera look at a computer in a greenhouse.

Feb 13, 2025

The Heart of the N.C. PSI: Jevon Smith

Editor’s Note: As we gear up for NC State’s 2025 Day of Giving on March 26, the N.C. PSI is highlighting passion-inspired, donor-fueled staff, students and others behind our plant sciences… 

Apple tree in orchard

Feb 12, 2025

N.C. PSI Seeds Project to Improve Apple Production

An interdisciplinary North Carolina State University team has kicked off new research exploring whether imaging technologies paired with artificial intelligence might prove useful for apple farmers. Seed funding for the… 

Feb 6, 2025

Debjani Sihi Joins NC State to Advance Agriculture with AI and Big Data

Meet Debjani Sihi, CALS' first interdisciplinary AI cluster hire, who's using AI and big data to make farming smarter and more sustainable.