Pennsylvania Awards $125K to Boost Plant Industry Innovation

By Blake Jackson

The Center for Plant Excellence has announced the recipients of its 2025-26 grant awards, providing a total of $125,000 to support seven projects focused on strengthening Pennsylvania’s plant industries.

The center, launched earlier this year, is a collaborative effort involving the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, Penn State Extension and industry partners.

The initiative was created to advance research, workforce development and industry collaboration in forestry, horticulture and specialty crops sectors that contribute more than $52 billion annually to the state’s economy.

To encourage early innovation, the center released its first request for proposals and identified four priority areas: invasive pest and disease management, workforce development, business resilience and innovation, and increased industry visibility.

Three projects were funded under Track A, Research for Plant Industry Advancement. Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences received $25,071 to develop a diagnostic tool that uses portable sequencing technology to detect multiple potato pathogens from a single sample, helping growers make faster and more informed management decisions.

Thomas Jefferson University was awarded $29,929 to test Pennsylvania-grown hemp and flax, providing standardized data on fiber quality to support a stronger natural fiber supply chain. Another Penn State project received $30,000 to develop improved monitoring tools and artificial intelligence technology for early detection of thrips in high-tunnel tomato production.

Four additional grants were awarded through Track B, Plant Industry Career Development. Landforce in Pittsburgh received $10,000 to deliver hands-on arboriculture and urban forestry training. The LEAF Project in Landisburg was awarded $10,000 to support paid agricultural training for high school students.

Seed Your Future received $10,000 to train Pennsylvania educators through its Seed to STEM horticulture career program. The New Kensington Community Development Corporation was also awarded $10,000 to launch a green asset management internship that provides young adults with practical plant care experience while improving Philadelphia’s Kensington Avenue corridor.

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