North Dakota’s Bold $300,000 Bet on AI Drones to Crush Invasive Weeds Before They Strike

Imagine drones as your farm’s secret weapon against weeds that spread like wildfire. That’s North Dakota’s exciting new reality, with a fresh $300,000 grant powering AI detection across key counties to protect vital crops from disaster.

North Dakota has launched an innovative program harnessing drones and artificial intelligence to identify noxious weeds early, enabling swift responses from weed control officials and potentially safeguarding crop yields in soybean and sugar beet fields. The North Dakota Department of Agriculture announced the $300,000 grant last week, funding drone scouting operations across five southeastern counties during the 2025 and 2026 growing seasons.

Program Details and Technological Approach

Grand Farm, a research organization based near Casselton, leads this initiative. Researchers train an AI system by inputting hundreds of photos depicting weeds at various growth stages, under different lighting conditions, and across times of day, reports The Dakota Monitor. This builds a robust image library and detection model. The program initially focused on Palmer amaranth, a herbicide-resistant weed that spreads rapidly but has limited presence in the state. Nathan Marcotte, senior program manager of technology and innovation at Grand Farm, explained that the next phase expands this capability.

“The focus is, within those five counties, to build up a weed image library and model so it can detect more than just Palmer amaranth,” Marcotte said.

Drones from iSight Drone Services conduct the scouting flights. Operators notify landowners in advance of any flyovers, ensuring transparency. Farmers and property owners in Barnes, Cass, Richland, Steele, and Traill counties can participate by emailing info @ grandfarm.com. Detected weed locations remain confidential, reported only at the county level to protect privacy. This approach addresses practical concerns in agricultural drone applications, where data sensitivity often influences adoption rates.

Collaborative Partnerships Driving Innovation

The project unites several key players. Grand Farm collaborates with Thales, an aerospace company contributing expertise in advanced systems; iSight Drone Services, supplying the drone hardware and operational support; and North Dakota State University, providing academic research input. This partnership model leverages diverse strengths, from hardware to AI development, to tackle real-world farming challenges.

The funding stems from the 2025 North Dakota legislative session, reflecting state commitment to agricultural technology. Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring approved the grant, emphasizing its role in enhancing weed management strategies.

Implications for Drone Use in Precision Agriculture

This program highlights growing trends in drone integration for precision farming. Drones enable efficient scouting over large areas, reducing the need for manual inspections that can be time-consuming and less accurate. By detecting infestations early, officials can intervene before weeds compromise crops, potentially lowering herbicide use and associated costs.

However, this raises questions about scalability and regulatory hurdles. While the program confines operations to notified properties, broader drone deployments in agriculture must navigate FAA rules on airspace and privacy. The focus on AI-driven detection also underscores advancements in machine learning for environmental monitoring, where models improve with expanded datasets.

For drone professionals, this initiative demonstrates practical applications beyond recreation, such as in commercial services for crop health assessment. Recreational pilots might draw inspiration for similar tech explorations, though they should adhere to certification requirements for commercial operations.

Economically, the $300,000 investment could yield returns through preserved yields in vital crops like soybeans and sugar beets, which support North Dakota’s economy. If successful, the model might expand statewide or influence similar programs elsewhere, promoting drone tech as a standard tool in weed management.

Overall, North Dakota’s effort builds a foundation for smarter, tech-enabled agriculture. It balances innovation with caution, prioritizing quick responses to threats like invasive weeds while respecting stakeholder concerns.

Photo courtesy of Grand Farm