Build a tool that helps identify plant diseases that could threaten hawaii

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service awarded a $154,517 Cooperative Agreement to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity on July 1, 2026, to develop a predictive tool for identifying plant diseases that could threaten Hawaii's agriculture and environment. The tool will integrate data on pests, plants, climate, and trade with machine learning and agentic AI processes to forecast which pathogens are most likely to arrive and establish. The system will enable USDA and the Hawaii Department of Agriculture to prioritize surveys and strengthen agricultural and environmental protection efforts. Performance runs through June 30, 2027, in Hawaii.

The project will combine data about pests, plants, climate, and trade with machine learning and agentic AI processes to predict which pathogens are most likely to arrive and spread. This will help the united states department of agriculture and hawaii department of agriculture focus their surveys and strengthen efforts to protect agriculture and the environment.