Targeted expertise shortage area: plant productionmajor academic program: plant science and horticulture (code P)agricultural/biological engineering (code E) and agricultural marketing and…

The Pennsylvania State University received a $238,500 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA) under the Higher Education National Needs Graduate Fellowship Grants program (CFDA 10.210), awarded September 1, 2025, with completion targeted for August 31, 2030. The award supports a five-year graduate training initiative designed to address expertise shortages in plant production by training three doctoral-level fellows in precision agriculture and artificial intelligence (AI) applications for tree fruit production.

The primary deliverables include structured doctoral training and professional development services provided through an interdisciplinary faculty team with expertise spanning plant science, weed science, pathology, entomology, precision agriculture, machine learning, and agricultural economics. Fellows will receive comprehensive research mentorship, career planning guidance, and professional development opportunities including grant-writing instruction, conference presentations, and extension engagement. The program aims to develop systematic solutions that enable growers to monitor and manage environmental variables with high accuracy while optimizing water use, nutrient application, and pest control. Upon completion, the supported fellows are expected to become subject-matter experts capable of implementing precision tools and AI technologies across tree fruit production systems and serving as leaders and stakeholders across academia, industry, and government sectors.

Targeted expertise shortage area: plant productionmajor academic program: plant science and horticulture (code P)agricultural/biological engineering (code E) and agricultural marketing and management(includes agricultural economics) (code M).number of fellows trained: 3PHDPRECISION tools powered by artificial intelligence are essential for adapting the tree fruit industry to enable growers to monitor and manage environmental variables with high accuracy. These tools help optimize water use nutrient application and pest control reducing waste and increasing resilience to extreme temperatures irregular rainfall and accompanying biotic (pests diseases and weeds) pressures. There is a GAP in training of agricultural scientists not only on the development but also on the implementation of precision tools at the field level. In this proposal an interdisciplinary team with expertise in plant science weed science pathology entomology precision agriculture machine learning and economics will train three PHD students to develop systematic solutions to address the challenges in tree fruit production using precision and AI tools. We will offer research training mentorship career planning and professional development opportunities including grant-writing talks at scientific conferences and extension events. The fellows supported by this proposal will become pioneers in developing precision tools and AI to advance production. The interdisciplinary training will also equip them to become leaders in their respective fields and facilitate crosstalk and exchange with a wide range of stakeholders including academia industry and government.