Skip to main content
‘Fan of Innovation’ Puts Tech Expertise to Work in Agriculture

Dee Shore

Two people standing in a corn field

Sep 7, 2025

Seed2Grow Spotlight: Soteria Formulation’s Tahira Pirzada

NC State scientists came up with an ingenious way to use agricultural leftovers to boost crop performance in Africa. Their startup company, Soteria Formulations, is now taking the technology global, with CEO and NC State research scholar Tahira Pirzada leading the way. 
Front exterior of the NC State Plant Sciences Building

Sep 2, 2025

Startups Invited to Compete for Ag Tech Incubator Space

Entrepreneurs looking for a place to grow their early-stage ag tech companies are invited to compete for a year’s worth of free, state-of-the-art office and lab space in a leading hub for plant sciences innovation. 
Students gather round a man in a farm field and take notes.

Aug 14, 2025

Grad Students Dig Into AI for Ag

NC State’s GRAD-AID for Ag program got off to a great start this summer in preparing a future-proof workforce at the intersection of plant science and artificial intelligence, 
Two scientists look at tomato plants growing inside

Aug 13, 2025

Growing N.C. 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. 
abstract field of flowers

Aug 13, 2025

Plants in Focus

Art and science come together in a series of fall NC State events that invite us to think anew about plants and the role they play in our daily lives. 
Cooper howling wolf sculpture near greenery and benches

Aug 13, 2025

Sparking Student Entrepreneurism

An award from the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative is helping two Ph.D. students turn lab-based discoveries into commercial products for crop and animal production. 
Cameras are mounted to a beam that's attached to the top of a small tractor

Aug 5, 2025

Researchers Pursue Automated Staking for Ag Labor Savings

Amid agricultural labor shortages, a university horticultural scientist is working with the N.C. PSI's Makerspace to automate a labor-intensive process vital for tomato production. 
North Carolina map with 42 centrally located counties highlighted.

Jul 16, 2025

Experts Propose N.C. Agtech Innovation Corridor

A new report calls for an agtech innovation corridor across 42 counties to broaden how farmers participate in and benefit from innovation. 
Enrique Pena Martinez

Jul 10, 2025

‘Fan of Innovation’ Puts Tech Expertise to Work in Agriculture

Drawing on expertise gained as an NC State doctoral student in electrical engineering, Enrique Peña Martinez launches a career in agricultural technology. His goal: to help reduce the challenges that come with farming and increase its rewards.