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North Dakota Funds Program to use Drones to Scout for Weeds

By Bill Dubensky Jul 28, 2025 | 7:36 AM

(Photo courtesy of Grand Farm via the North Dakota Monitor)

 

(North Dakota Monitor) – A state-funded program will use drones and artificial intelligence to scout for noxious weeds in five North Dakota counties.

The North Dakota Department of Agriculture last week announced the award of a $300,000 grant for drone scouting in the 2025 and 2026 growing seasons. The project aims to help weed control officials respond to new infestations quickly.

Grand Farm, a research organization with a campus near Casselton, is taking the lead on the project.

Nathan Marcotte, senior program manager of technology and innovation at Grand Farm, said the state grant helps continue a first phase of the project that involves teaching an artificial intelligence system what a weed looks like by feeding it hundreds of photos of the plants at different growth stages and other variables, such as different times of the day.

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