Twelve research projects at North Carolina State University and East Carolina University have received a total of $1 million in grants from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS). The funding, awarded through the department’s Project Management section, is aimed at supporting new crop development and advancing agricultural research to benefit the state’s agricultural economy.
The grant program, which began in 2013 with an initial focus on bioenergy, has since expanded to support a wider range of agricultural innovations. The program provides resources for researchers to explore potential new crops, value-added products, and other innovations that could help make North Carolina’s agriculture more competitive. In addition to supporting research, the grants also help fund marketing and education efforts necessary for commercializing these new crops or products.
“Investing in ag research is money well spent,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Every dollar invested returns around $20, which is significant. I’m also proud that our research stations collaborate with these researchers to provide a platform for most if not all of these projects.”
Among the funded projects are initiatives focused on rapid fungicide screening using artificial intelligence, genetic improvements for sheep production efficiency, developing disease-resistant pepper varieties through genome editing, refining hemp seed production methods, scaling up disease-resistant Fraser fir trees for Christmas tree growers, discovering new antibiotics from fungi for livestock health, testing improved methods for honeybee health management, optimizing fertilizer recommendations using machine learning and economic analysis, expanding pawpaw fruit markets with improved varieties and practices, safeguarding newly bred hop varieties through micropropagation techniques, implementing AI-enabled imaging systems for apple orchards to reduce labor costs and improve decision-making, and producing battery-grade graphite from local biomass to strengthen domestic supply chains.
These projects address key challenges such as crop diseases like Phytophthora root rot affecting peppers and Fraser firs; rising concerns over antimicrobial resistance in animal agriculture; ongoing threats to honeybee populations critical for pollination; as well as supply chain vulnerabilities highlighted by global restrictions on minerals like graphite needed for batteries.
The full list of recipients includes Dr. Lina Quesada (AI fungicide screening), Dr. Andrew Weaver (sheep immune fitness), Dr. Inga Meadows (genome-edited peppers), Dr. David Suchoff (hemp grain/seed production), Dr. Justin Whitehill (Fraser fir grafting), Dr. Michael Bradshaw (fungal antibiotics discovery), Dr. Lok Pokhrel (honeybee health methods), Dr. Luke Gatiboni (fertilizer optimization), Dr. Thomas Ranney (pawpaw innovation), Dr. Jeanine Davis (hop germplasm protection), Dr. Chenhan Xu (multi-spectral apple imaging) and Dr. William Sagues (biomass-derived battery materials).
According to NCDA&CS officials, the investment aims not only to advance scientific knowledge but also ensure that innovative solutions are available to growers statewide—helping them remain resilient amid changing market demands and environmental pressures.
