Location: Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory
Project Number: 3064-21600-001-142-A
Project Type: Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Aug 1, 2025
End Date: Jul 31, 2029
Objective:
Objective 1: Partner with industry to critically evaluate novel, state-of-the-art IoT, sensor, robotics, drone, autonomous technology and software solutions to enhance agricultural systems.
Objective 2: Partner with industry and researchers to implement and test IT infrastructure, data pipelines, and last-mile and last-acre connectivity to facilitate IoT, sensor, robotics, drone, and autonomous technology integration for enhanced research analytics and improved management decision-making.
Objective 3: Engage farmers, ranchers, processors, crop consultants, researchers, and industry stakeholders for collaborative development and application of new commercially available and in-development precision agriculture technologies and software products to solve challenges in agriculture relevant to farms of all sizes.
Approach:
This project will support the development, assessment, and deployment of high priority IoT, sensor, robotics, drone, autonomous technology and big data tools and analytics for agricultural systems. An innovation ecosystem that brings together corporates, startups, investors, government, and research institutions will be developed and maintained. This includes providing engagement opportunities that bring these institutions together, and spaces for testing technologies in the field and for interaction among the multiple institutional members. These engagements will include field days, training, and high-level support services and other innovative means of collaboration and technology transfer. The innovation ecosystem will focus on development and implementation of precision agricultural technologies that enhance the productivity, resilience and sustainability of small, medium, and large farms, ranches, and processors in the face of rapidly evolving challenges. This approach is designed to accelerate the development, transfer and adoption of novel and economically feasible data-driven solutions to these challenges.