The National Science Foundation’s AgTech Engine in North Dakota is awarding $500,000 to five projects aimed at improving farming and livestock production. The projects were selected from 89 proposals and will be tested with producers in 2027. The technologies include automated grain sampling, a combine-mounted system to destroy weed seeds, and real-time crop disease monitoring. Another project will test ear sensors designed to detect respiratory illness in cattle before visible symptoms appear. North Dakota State University researchers will also develop an artificial intelligence-powered cultivator that targets weeds while limiting soil disturbance.
