Farmers depend on insects in two very different ways: pollinators such as bees and butterflies help produce crops, while insect pests can damage crops and reduce their value

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded Field Data Services LLC $641,719 on September 15, 2026, under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program (CFDA 10.212) to develop and field-test a battery-powered smart camera system for continuous insect monitoring in agricultural settings.

The system will integrate cameras, environmental sensors, and low-power motion-sensing technology to detect insect activity, distinguish different types of insect movements and behaviors, and transmit activity summaries from remote farm locations. The device will undergo repeated field deployments across varying crop, weather, lighting, and insect conditions, with results validated against video observations and field data. Farmers, pest control advisers, researchers, and agricultural extension personnel will provide feedback on information usefulness and presentation formats. The goal is to equip growers with timely, practical information about pests and pollinators to support better-informed management decisions, potentially reducing crop losses and unnecessary pesticide applications while improving pollinator effectiveness.

Performance occurs in Essex, Montana. The period of performance runs from September 15, 2026, through September 14, 2028. The SBIR program supports small businesses in developing innovative, disruptive technologies that advance from conception toward commercialization, with Phase I projects focused on demonstrating technical feasibility.

Yet growers and their advisers often have limited information about when these insects are present, how abundant they are, and how their activity changes across a farm or throughout the day. Current monitoring often depends on occasional field visits, traps, or cameras that require substantial power and produce large amounts of data that must be reviewed. This can make IT difficult to detect emerging pest problems, understand whether pollinators are providing adequate service, or make well-timed decisions about pesticide use, beneficial insects, habitat management, and commercial BEE hives. Better information could help farmers protect crops and income while reducing unnecessary chemical applications and supporting native pollinators and other beneficial insects. This project will develop and field-test a small, battery-powered smart camera system that can continuously monitor insects in agricultural settings. The system will combine cameras, environmental sensors, and low-power motion-sensing technology to detect insect activity, distinguish different types of insect movements and behaviors, and send useful summaries from remote parts of farms. Devices will be tested during repeated field deployments under different crop, weather, lighting, and insect conditions, and their results will be checked against video observations and other field data. Farmers, pest control advisers, researchers, and agricultural extension personnel will also provide feedback on the usefulness of the information and how IT should be presented. The ultimate goal is to provide growers with practical, timely information about pests and pollinators so they can make better-informed management decisions. If successful, the technology could help reduce crop losses and unnecessary pesticide use, improve the effectiveness of pollination and habitat-management practices, lower monitoring costs, and provide researchers and communities with better information about insects that are important to agriculture and healthy ecosystems.