The NC State Plant Sciences Initiative (PSI) is implementing the Multimodal Sensors in Agriculture program as part of its Connecting2Grow effort. This is an outgrowth of the prior GRIP4PSI effort which was previously supported by KIETS. Led by Adrian Percy (PSI Executive Director), Prof. Cranos Williams (PSI Platform Director) and Lauren Maynard (PSI Interdisciplinary Project Launch Director), this project extends and amplifies the collaboration and support between the PSI and the Institute for Connected Sensor Systems (IConS). This collaborative initiative supports proposals from faculty to provide multimodal sensor solutions for monitoring agricultural systems across one or more scales (e.g., molecular, physiological, or environmental). It seeks innovative and cutting-edge sensor technologies that can contribute to advancing sustainable agriculture practices, improving yield, and reducing the negative impact of extreme environmental conditions.
The anticipated impact of this seed funding program extends beyond the support of projects that develop multimodal sensor technology in agriculture. By providing funding that targets the support of collaborative graduate research assistantships, this initiative catalyzes advancements in sensor technology, while also nurturing a new generation of interdisciplinary agricultural researchers. Moreover, this program enables the collection of preliminary data, serving as a strategic foundation for faculty to pursue larger external grants. KIETS support complements funding being provided by the PSI and IConS to support two graduate research assistantships over a period of two years. PSI and IConS are also committing critical infrastructure, including support for research computing and data management, education & extension programming development, proposal development, innovative/industry engagement, and project launch support (valued at approximately $200,000/year in consulting hours).
The awarded proposals also have priority access at the reduced academic rate to the Plant Sciences Building and ASSIST facilities, including the greenhouse, growth chambers, N.C. PSI Makerspace, and ASSIST Center Prototyping Lab. Projects selected for FY 24-25 support include the following:
- Non-Invasive Detection and Measurements of Underground Tuber Plants with Radio-Frequency Signals and Stereo Imaging; PIs: Wenye Wang (Electrical and Computer Engineering), Lirong Xiang (Biological and Agricultural Engineering) and Ruozhou Yu (Computer Science);
- Agrivoltaics Synergy: Maximizing Agricultural Potential and Energy Harvest Via Solar Splitting; PIs: Ricardo Hernández (Horticulture); Michale Kudenov (Electrical and Computer Engineering); Brendan O’Connor (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering); Chris Reberg-Horton (Computer Science); Andrea Monteza (PSI); Mark Hoffman (Horticulture); Central Crops Research Station.