Center for Plant Excellence announces grant award recipients

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Center for Plant Excellence, a new initiative supporting Pennsylvania’s plant industries, announced recipients of its 2025-26 grants, awarding $125,000 across seven projects.

Launched earlier this year, the center is a partnership among the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, Penn State Extension and industry leaders. It is aimed at strengthening research, industry collaboration and resources that drive sustainability and economic growth in forestry, specialty crops and horticulture. These sectors contribute more than $52 billion annually to Pennsylvania’s economy.

To jumpstart innovation, the center offered $125,000 in grant funding through its inaugural request for proposals. Board members identified four priority areas: managing invasive pests and diseases, building a future-ready workforce, improving business resilience and innovation, and expanding industry visibility.

Below are award recipients in Track A: Research for Plant Industry Advancement:

• "Comprehensive Detection of Potato Pathogens by Targeted Long-Read Sequencing"
  • Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, $25,071
    • This project aims to develop a new diagnostic tool that can detect multiple potato pathogens from a single sample. Using fast, portable sequencing technology, the team will give growers quicker and more accurate information than current testing methods allow. The goal is to help producers make earlier, better decisions and strengthen potato production across Pennsylvania.
• "Bast Fiber Testing to Optimize Economic Impact" 
  • ​​​​​​​Thomas Jefferson University, $29,929
    • This project will test Pennsylvanian-grown hemp and flax to give farmers and processors clear, industry-standard feedback on fiber quality and market potential. By providing reliable data on characteristics such as strength, fineness and color, the work supports better decision making across the supply chain. The project will help advance the development of a more competitive natural fiber supply chain for the commonwealth.
• "PestNet: AI-Driven Early Detection for Emerging Pest Threats" 
  • ​​​​​​​Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, $30,000
    • This project will develop better tools to detect thrips early in high-tunnel tomato production, a major pest challenge that can significantly reduce crop quality and profitability. By comparing common monitoring methods and testing new artificial intelligence technology for faster, more accurate identification, the work will give growers clearer guidance for timely and effective pest management.

Following are award recipients in Track B: Plant Industry Career Development:

• "Growing Careers in Arboriculture and Urban Forestry" 
  • ​​​​​​​Landforce in Pittsburgh, $10,000
    • Landforce will provide a hands-on arboriculture and urban forestry training program that prepares participants for entry-level careers in Pennsylvania’s plant industries. Crew members will learn essential skills in tree care, pruning, species identification and safe equipment use while working on real projects across Allegheny County. The program expands the pipeline of job-ready workers and supports healthier, well-managed urban forests.
• "Cultivating Youth Leaders" 
  • ​​​​​​​LEAF Project in Landisburg, $10,000
    • LEAF Project will support a paid, hands-on agricultural training program that introduces high school youth to crop production, food handling and core agribusiness skills. Through real-world work experiences and business training, participants will learn how plants are grown, how food moves through the system, and how to make informed decisions on the farm. The program aims to strengthen Pennsylvania’s future talent pipeline by preparing young people for meaningful roles across the plant and food industries.
• "Seed to STEM: Building Horticulture Career Pipelines Through Educator Training"
  • ​​​​​​​Seed Your Future, statewide, $10,000
    • This project will train four Pennsylvania high school educators through the immersive Seed to STEM program, giving teachers direct exposure to the state’s horticulture industries. Educators will visit leading employers, develop plant-focused lesson plans and bring new career-connected learning back to their classrooms. The project expands student awareness of horticulture careers and strengthens the long-term talent pipeline for Pennsylvania’s plant industries.
• "New Kensington Community Development Corporation Commercial Corridor Green Asset Management Internship"
  • ​​​​​​​New Kensington Community Development Corporation in Philadelphia, $10,000
    • New Kensington Community Development Corporation will offer a green asset management internship program that gives young adults practical experience in plant care while supporting improvements along the Kensington Avenue commercial corridor. Interns will install and maintain planters, collect site data, and work directly with local businesses while gaining skills in plant identification, maintenance and basic pest management. This structured exposure is aimed at helping participants build confidence and gain skills relevant to careers in green industries.

Miranda Harple, interim director of the Center for Plant Excellence, said the center builds on Penn State Extension’s longstanding commitment to delivering science-based education to Pennsylvania’s agricultural communities.

The funded projects, she said, are designed to advance applied research and training that translate directly into solutions for growers and businesses across the commonwealth.

Projects will run through December 2026.