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Get to know the N.C. PSI and tap into our expertise. We’re making the world better through leading-edge plant sciences research, ag tech innovation and world-class education.
For journalists, the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative is a gateway to the future of agriculture. Our interdisciplinary hub is ready to support your impactful stories, offering deep expertise in transformative fields like AI-enabled agriculture and genome editing.
About Us
The N.C. PSI is a leading hub for resilient agriculture, plant improvement and interdisciplinary data-driven sciences. In our quest to create a healthier, resilient and more prosperous future, we bring together over 100 faculty affiliates from nine North Carolina State University colleges engaged in problem-solving team science that advances agriculture and protects the environment. Our work is supported and guided by NC State’s Office of Research and Innovation and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Your News and Information Resource
We can help you connect to world-class experts, access high-resolution images and receive the latest updates on groundbreaking research related to agriculture. We are also your collaborative resource for timely information on topics hat are shaping our global food system.
Our Executive Director:
Adrian Percy
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AI at the N.C. PSI
the latest from N.C. PSI Faculty affiliates
Scientists identify ‘mystery beetle’ attacking blueberry farms across North Carolina
North Carolina’s blueberry farmers may have a beetle problem. A new study from North Carolina State University has identified destructive beetles inhabiting North Carolina blueberry fields as Prionus imbricornis, a species of longhorn beetle. Known for their long antennae, the wood-boring beetles are an emerging pest in NC blueberries. Female adults typically lay their eggs…
Lessons from Collard Greens: Celebrating Connections between Food & Place and Protecting the Invisible Helpers Below
You get home from school and see a large pot of leafy greens on the stove. The smell awakens a rumble in your stomach as you go find your mom…
Microbial partners may help plants respond to higher temperatures
New research suggests the microbiome near the surface of a plant’s roots, known as the rhizosphere microbiome, may play a role in helping crops respond to heat stress. When studying adaptation in living things, scientists sometimes analyze the interplay between genetics and environment to influence measurable traits, a phenomenon known as Genotype by Environment interactions…
Harvesting Genetic Solutions
Facts About Our Impact
The 2022 opening of the state-of-the-art Plant Sciences Building gave the N.C. PSI its formal start, providing common ground for the university, government and private industry to address ag’s biggest challenges.
Bright Ideas Start Here
From 2022-23 to 2024-25, N.C. PSI faculty affiliates filed 111 invention disclosures and won 19 patents.
$30 Million +
N.C. PSI faculty affiliates serve as principal investigators on grants awarded for new projects in FY2025.
10 Ag Tech Startups
The N.C. PSI supports 10 startup companies in our Seed2Grow entrepreneurship program, Our first graduate, Hoofprint Biome, fledged in 2025.
Select Photos
For high-resolution images, email Dee Shore (deeshore@ncsu.edu).
Ricardo and Liliana Hernandez founded Rooted-in-tech to provide farmers with healthy seedlings matching their farms’ needs. 
Grace Vincent is an electrical engineering Ph.D student working in computational intelligence at the Plant Sciences Initiative. She is using machine learning to identify and assess disease in maize. 
Vy Hoang drew on her studies in computer science and art to create C3POil, a tank-based cooling system for a tiny computer. 
Monteza uses 3D printers with advanced capabilities. 
Alex Woodley (left) and Raine Lookabill study greenhouse gas emissions from soils in the greenhouse as part of his efforts to find ways to lower them and mitigate their effects. 
Grayson Cothran (left) and Mike Beddoe are with NC State’s Phytotron, which operates two controlled environment plant laboratories, including the one at the top of the Plant Sciences Building. 
Electrical and computer engineering students Luke Holt (left) and Raul Hernandez demonstrate their prototype for a tomato-harvesting robot as N.C. Makerspace Director Andrea Monteza looks on. Photo by Marc Hall. 
Student points toward a large screen in front of an audience 
Hetzler updates Kathleen Denya, N.C. PSI’s director of innovation partnerships, on Verdia Diagnostics’ progress. 
Jevon Smith (right) with Joe Chiera in the Plant Sciences Building’s climate-controlled greenhouse. 
2023 N.C. PSI Hackathon
Our Platform Directors
Daniela Jones, Education and Workforce Development Platform
An assistant professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Jones has expertise in agricultural analytics and supply chain logistics, specifically focusing on renewable energy and biomass sustainability. She is the principal investigator for the REFRAME project, serves as director of NC State’s agricultural data science certificate and holds a joint faculty appointment with Idaho National Laboratory. dsjones5@ncsu.edu
Chris Reberg-Horton, Resilient Agricultural Systems Platform
Reberg-Horton is the Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation/W.K. Kellogg Distinguished Professor in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences and co-leads the national Precision Sustainable Agriculture network. Reberg-Horton’s expertise focuses on sustainable agriculture, cover crops and the application of artificial intelligence — specifically, computer vision — to help farmers make better management decisions. chris_reberg-horton@ncsu.edu
Ross Sozzani, Plant Improvement Platform
A William Neal Reynolds Professor in the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology and member of NC State’s Synthetic and Systems Biology cluster, Sozzani integrates genomics, computational modeling and bioimaging to unravel the complex mechanisms underlying plant growth and adaptation. A recipient of the university’s 2025 Outstanding Research Award, she also leads the NSF AccelNet project Accelerate Integration of Engineering and Agricultural Research using Artificial Intelligence, or AI2EAR and serves as a co-deputy director of the Science and Technologies for Phosphorus Sustainability (STEPS) Center. ross_sozzani@ncsu.edu
David Suchoff, Extension Outreach and Engagement Platform
An assistant professor and NC State Extension alternative crops specialist in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Suchoff is an expert on organic production systems and emerging crops, with current research activities centering on hemp, sesame and organic sunflowers. He is the director of the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research’s Hemp Research Consortium and is recognized for his leadership in transforming scientific discoveries into practical solutions for growers. dhsuchof@ncsu.edu
Cranos Williams, Data-Driven Plant Sciences Platform
Williams is the Goodnight Distinguished Professor of Agricultural Analytics with appointments in the departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Plant and Microbial Biology. His expertise lies in computational intelligence, machine learning and signal processing to quantify and predict the impact of genetic and environmental stresses on plants. Inducted into university’s Research Leadership Academy in 2021, he also directs the EnBiSys Research Laboratory, is a University Faculty Scholar and received the Alcoa Foundation Research Achievement Award. cmwilli5@ncsu.edu
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