NCSU and ECU agricultural research projects receive $1 million in grants from NCDA&CS to boost state’s agricultural economy

Twelve agricultural research projects based in North Carolina are benefiting from $1 million in grants from the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service. The projects, awarded through the department’s Project Management section, aim to boost new crop production or involve innovative research to advance the agricultural economy in the state.

Since 2013, the General Assembly has allocated funding for an agricultural research grant program, beginning with a focus on bioenergy to combat drastically rising prices of conventional fuels. The scope expanded to include new crops and agricultural innovations.

The grants help researchers identify potential new crops, value-added products and agricultural innovations. That funding for agricultural research also supports marketing and education necessary to make the new crops or products commercially viable and profitable for North Carolina’s growers and agribusinesses.

“Investing in ag research is money well spent,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Every dollar invested returns around $20, which is significant. I’m also proud that our research stations collaborate with these researchers to provide a platform for most if not all of these projects.”

Below is a list of grant recipients, along with the title and focus of each project awarded through the 2025-2026 funding cycle. Full abstracts of the projects are available upon request.

• Dr. Lina Quesada, NC State University, “AI Fungicide Screening for Rapid Response”

  • develop an AI-powered imaging platform to rapidly screen fungicides against emerging plant pathogens, dramatically shortening response time during disease outbreaks affecting North Carolina crops.

• Dr. Andrew Weaver, NC State University. “Antibodies and Efficiency: The future sheep”

• Dr. Inga Meadows, NC State University, “Genome-edited peppers to resist Phytophthora”

• Dr. David Suchoff, NC State University, “Hemp grain and seed production 2025-2026”

• Dr. Justin Whitehill, NC State University, “Micro-grafted disease resistant Fraser fir”

• Dr. Michael Bradshaw, NC State University, “Novel Antibiotics for North Carolina Agriculture”

• Dr. Lok Pokhrel, East Carolina University “Novel Methods for Improving Honeybee Health”

• Dr. Luke Gatiboni, NC State University, “Optimizing Fertilizer Recommendations for Economic Return”

• Dr. Thomas Ranney, NC State University, “Pawpaw Innovations for Expanded Commercial Markets”

• Dr. Jeanine Davis, NC State University, “Protecting the NC Hops Breeding Germplasm”

• Dr. Chenhan Xu, NC State University. “Multi-spectral Imaging for Data-driven Apple Production”

• Dr. William Sagues, NC State University, “Securing Domestic Battery Materials from Biomass”

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Dr. Lina Quesada, NC State University, “AI Fungicide Screening for Rapid Response”
•     Emerging plant pathogens threaten North Carolina’s agricultural economy by outpacing the development of effective management tools. Current fungicide screening methods are labor-intensive and slow, delaying response during outbreaks. This project will develop and validate an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled microplate imaging platform to rapidly evaluate fungicide efficacy against emerging fungal and oomycete pathogens. Using Colletotrichum scovillei—an emergent pathogen causing pepper anthracnose—as a case study, the project will establish a proof-of-concept workflow that integrates automated image capture, AI-based growth inhibition analysis, and data export for fungicide performance assessment. The resulting platform will greatly shorten the time from pathogen detection to management recommendations, strengthening preparedness for future disease threats. This innovation supports the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ mission to enhance agricultural resilience through applied research and technology adoption. By creating a scalable, in-state capability for rapid fungicide screening, this project will expand North Carolina’s capacity to respond swiftly to emerging pathogens and protect the productivity and profitability of specialty crop industries statewide.

Dr. Andrew Weaver, NC State University. “Antibodies and Efficiency The future sheep”
•    As population growth continues and resource availability for animal-based protein production is challenged, improving production efficiency is critical to enterprise sustainability from an economic, environmental, and societal standpoint. Improving revenue potential while controlling production costs will improve profitability with limited land and labor resources. If production efficiency is defined as the amount of product (lamb) sold relative to the energy required to generate (ewe + lamb feed), then increasing lamb survival and number available to market while reducing feed required per unit of weight gain, has the potential to make significant efficiency improvements. Thus, the objective here is to develop novel selection metrics for immunological fitness and feed efficiency that will improve the efficiency of sheep production in North Carolina. Katahdin sheep in the NC Sheep System will be bred at the NC State Small Ruminant Educational Unit. Antibody concentration will be measured in ewes pre-lambing and at-lambing, in colostrum, and in lambs at three days of age and 60 days of age. Ram lambs will be developed on pasture to quantify parasite resistance and ewe lambs will be developed in the Vytelle Sense system for feed efficiency quantification. Data will be aggregated to develop selection metrics for implementation.

Dr. Inga Meadows, NC State University, “Genome-edited peppers to resist Phytophthora”
•    North Carolina is the 5th leading pepper-producing state with a value of $15 million, a fraction of the $500 million generated nationally. Phytophthora root rot undermines production because management tools are insufficient due to limited host resistance and the complex biology and genetic heterogeneity of the pathogen (Phytophthora capsici). Phytophthora susceptibility (S) genes, when disabled, impair pathogenicity of Phytophthora species, have been identified in potato and tomato. S genes are intriguing genome editing targets because disabling them can increase resistance in a strain-independent manner and the edited alleles tend to have higher durability than the canonical resistance (R) genes. Unfortunately, genome editing in pepper has proven difficult due to its recalcitrance to transformation. We propose to deliver Phytophthora resistance alleles to pepper by disabling S gene(s) through a CRISPR viral delivery system based on an infectious, non-disease-causing tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV). Using TSWV for genome editing represents a significant technology breakthrough: this virus can infect over 1,000 plant species including most pepper cultivars, providing an avenue to modify elite germplasm. With global losses from Phytophthora diseases estimated at $100M in pepper, this innovation offers an opportunity to debilitate this acute threat and secure revenue for NC pepper growers.

Dr. David Suchoff, NC State University, “Hemp grain and seed production 2025-2026”
•    Industrial hemp continues to expand in North Carolina, driven by growing markets for both fiber and grain. This project builds on previous work to strengthen production systems that improve profitability and sustainability for hemp growers. Specifically, we aim to reduce fiber hemp seed costs by developing locally adapted seed production methods and to refine grain hemp production recommendations for North Carolina farmers. Current fiber hemp seed is imported and costly, posing a major barrier to farmer adoption. Our research explores late planting strategies that produce shorter, more easily harvested seed-bearing plants, potentially enabling domestic seed production and lowering input costs. At the same time, new market drivers are creating strong demand for locally produced hemp grain. Our preliminary results show that U.S.-developed grain varieties outperform northern-adapted types and that novel breeding approaches, such as those reducing male-to-female plant ratios, can substantially increase yield. It also became evident that harvest timing recommendations are lacking and must be developed if farmers are to maximize yield. By developing practical production recommendations for both fiber and grain systems, this project supports the continued growth of North Carolina’s hemp sector and enhances farmer competitiveness in emerging markets.

Dr. Justin Whitehill, NC State University, “Micro-grafted disease resistant Fraser fir”
•    The project is led by the NC State Whitehill Lab Christmas Tree Genetics (CTG) Program in close collaboration with the expert grafting company Rooted-in-Tech LLC, the N.C. Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) Upper Mountain Research Station in Laurel Springs, and the tissue culture company Rebel Cultures. The goal of this project is to scale-up production of clonal disease resistant tissue cultured momi fir to be used as a rootstock for micrografting of Fraser fir and commercial use by the N.C. Christmas tree industry. This project fits perfectly with the New and Emerging Crops program as we will be developing a new crop and product for North Carolina Fraser fir farmers that will solve their #1 problem, Phytophthora root rot (PRR). PRR threatens the continued success of North Carolina’s annual ~$125 - $400 million Fraser fir Christmas tree industry. Our goal is to develop a protocol for the commercial production of disease resistant micro-grafted Fraser fir using momi fir clonal rootstock. To achieve this goal, we propose three major project objectives outlined below. Project deliverables will enable commercial production of disease resistant Fraser fir and will provide immediate benefits to the N.C. Christmas tree industry through a novel disease management option.

Dr. Michael Bradshaw, NC State University, “Novel Antibiotics for North Carolina Agriculture”
•    Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is eroding the effectiveness of current drugs in animal agriculture, creating an urgent need for new antimicrobial strategies that protect livestock health and support stewardship. This project will leverage fungi—historic yet underexplored sources of antibiotics—to discover metabolites with novel modes of action that can strengthen North Carolina’s agricultural industry. Using a dilution-to-extinction pipeline, our NC State team has isolated ~6,000 cultures representing ~2,000 fungal species, including ≈100 likely undescribed taxa. In preliminary co-culture assays, 88 species produced inhibition zones against Enterobacteriaceae proxies, revealing broad, phylogenetically distinct antibacterial potential. Building on this foundation, we will (i) implement a resistance-informed screening workflow that challenges isolates against ATCC bacterial strains with defined resistance profiles, and (ii) employ IR-MALDESI mass spectrometry imaging and comparative metabolomics to localize and identify active compounds and synergistic combinations. In a proof of concept experiment, IR-MALDESI MSI has already detected and spatially resolved the metabolite penicillin G alongside several colocalized metabolites directly from fungal cultures, validating the platform’s capacity to detect known antibiotics and guide discovery of new ones. The results of the proposed pipeline will lay the groundwork for developing fungal-derived antimicrobials that reduce antibiotic dependence and enhance animal health across North Carolina’s livestock and poultry industries.

Dr. Lok Pokhrel, East Carolina University “Novel Methods for Improving Honeybee Health”
•    North Carolina, a prominent agricultural producer, leads the U.S. in per capita beekeepers, with honeybees pollinating over 130 different crops. However, current hive management practices, including the miticides and their methods of use, are unsustainable and ineffective for controlling Varroa mites, the major cause for the recent honeybee colony losses. Urgent development of sustainably effective treatment options is critical for protecting declining honeybee colonies for robust agroeconomy. Contributing factors including climate change and floral diversity loss exacerbate the nutritional stress faced by honeybees, further jeopardizing their health and overwintering success. In response, East Carolina University (ECU) has developed the Varr-Gate technology, a bee-touch-responsive liquid miticide delivery system targeting Varroa mites directly on to the bodies of bees, potentially improving treatment efficacy compared to traditional sticky/gel strips. Combined with ECU Buzz-Boost, a complete nutritional supplement for bees, the intervention aims to significantly improve overall bee/brood health, survival and overwintering success. Preliminary field studies showed promising results with Varr-Gate delivered liquid oxalic acid (VG-OAL) outperformed VarroxSan OA strips (OAS). A comprehensive two-year field study will evaluate the combined effectiveness of VG-OAL and Buzz-Boost against OAS treatments. This represents a low-risk, high-impact study aimed at improving overall honeybee health and overwintering success.

Dr. Luke Gatiboni, NC State University, “Optimizing Fertilizer Recommendations for Economic Return”
•    We will collect field data (2026–2027) from three long-term trials at the Tidewater (est. 1955), Peanut Belt (est. 1982), and Piedmont (est. 1985) Research Stations, and compile historical data from these and other soil fertility trials conducted across North Carolina over the past 70 years. Traditionally, these trials have defined soil test critical levels of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) - the nutrient levels needed to achieve 95% of maximum yield, beyond which additional fertilization is not justified. This project introduces a new framework based on economically optimized fertilizer rates. Using Return on Investment (ROI) as the guiding metric, we will determine fertilizer rates that maximize farmer profitability rather than yield alone. Machine learning tools will analyze the extensive long-term dataset to develop ROI-based fertilizer recommendations tailored to North Carolina cropping systems. An online tool will be created to recalculate P and K fertilizer rates based on economic return. By integrating soil test results, fertilizer costs, and commodity prices, the tool will identify the most economical fertilizer rates for growers.

Dr. Thomas Ranney, NC State University, “Pawpaw Innovations for Expanded Commercial Markets”
•    Pawpaws (Asimina spp.) are native North American trees bearing unique fruit with a tropical flavor - sometimes called custard apples. Common pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is the most cold hardy of the species with the largest fruit, but there are 11-18 other species native to the SE United States that offer showy flowers, more compact habits, heat tolerance, and unique fruit traits. As most of these species hybridize, there is considerable potential for the genetic enhancement of pawpaw as an improved specialty crop, with expanded markets (both orchard and edible landscapes), optimized for production in North Carolina. Cultivation of pawpaw on a large scale has been hampered by several factors including poor fruit set, short shelf life of fruit, and the large plentiful seeds that complicate fruit processing. We propose innovative approaches to develop improved varieties and production/post-harvest practices to address production issues and expand market potential of pawpaws. Ultimately, these improved crops and practices will help provide greater competitive advantages and grow our agricultural economy.

Dr. Jeanine Davis, NC State University, “Protecting the N.C. Hops Breeding Germplasm”
•    The New and Emerging Crops Program has been very supportive of the NC State University hops breeding project. Their support allowed us to breed 10 new hop lines specifically for the conditions and markets in North Carolina. The variety release process has been initiated for two of the lines that are currently of most interest to brewers and farmers in North Carolina and across the Southeastern United States. We are maintaining these lines in the greenhouse and hop yard on the research station in Mills River, NC. This area, however, was highly affected by Hurricane Helene and we realize just how vulnerable this whole collection is. We propose to place three lines in the NC State Micropropagation and Repository Unit in Raleigh for safe-keeping and to provide clean plant stock for future growers.

Dr. Chenhan Xu, NC State University. “Multi-spectral Imaging for Data-driven Apple Production”
•    Apple growers in North Carolina face major challenges from two labor-intensive orchard management tasks: dormant pruning and fruit thinning. They are essential for maintaining consistent yields and fruit quality. Current practices rely on manual inspection and chemical thinning methods that are time-consuming, costly, and prone to uncertainty, often leading to inconsistent results and significant labor shortages during peak seasons. Our team is developing a non-destructive, automated system that integrates AI-driven analytics with multi-spectral 3D imaging to identify apple flower buds and monitor fruit responses to chemical thinners. The system will capture high-resolution tomographic images of buds and fruits across multiple wavelengths (visible, infrared, and radio- frequency) and apply machine learning to assess bud type, water content, and fruit abscission. A prototype platform will combine these technologies to deliver rapid, accurate, and data-driven insights for growers. By reducing manual labor and improving decision-making, this innovation will enhance the efficiency, sustainability, and profitability of North Carolina’s apple industry.

Dr. William Sagues, NC State University, “Securing Domestic Battery Materials from Biomass”
•    The U.S. Geological Survey classifies graphite as both a critical and strategic mineral due to its essential role in energy storage, electronics and defense applications—coupled with the nation’s near-total dependence on foreign imports, over 90% of which originate from China. The fastest-growing demand for graphite is in lithium-ion battery anodes, composed entirely of high-quality graphite. This dependence creates a major vulnerability in the energy technology supply chain, worsened by China’s export restrictions on graphite, implemented in late 2023 and expanded in 2024. These actions threaten domestic battery manufacturing and highlight the urgent need for U.S. alternatives. Securing Domestic Battery Materials from Biomass (SEDBIO) addresses this challenge by producing high-performance graphite from sustainable North Carolina biomass. Building on PI Sagues’s advances in biographite synthesis5–11, SEDBIO will demonstrate a pathway to battery-grade graphite that decouples U.S. supply chains from reliance on China. The project will use switchgrass grown in North Carolina by Plantd Materials (Oxford, NC)—an advantaged feedstock whose natural silicon content serves as a dopant, enhancing electrochemical performance in the biographite. Partnering with Verenovo (Wilkesboro, NC), SEDBIO will integrate feedstock production, thermal conversion, and material refinement to position North Carolina as a leader in renewable graphite manufacturing.