Scientific collaboration tackles farming challenges

From soft robots crawling through crops to bio-based fertilizers that protect waterways, the future of farming lies at the intersection of scientific disciplines, according to a new study describing how agriculture’s toughest challenges require coordinated breakthroughs in biology, chemistry, engineering and data science.

The study, published in Global Change Biology, presents five case studies that demonstrate how this kind of deep collaboration can transform crop monitoring, fertilizer use and water management. It was completed by 25 researchers from two Science and Technology Centers (STC) of the National Science Foundation (NSF): the Center for Research on Programmable Plant Systems (CROPPS) led by Cornell and the Science and Technologies for Phosphorus Sustainability (STEPS) Center based in North Carolina State University.

“Working across disciplines doesn’t just expand our toolkit—it reshapes the questions we ask,” said Vesna Bacheva, a mechanical engineer in the Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Plant Biology Section of the School of Integrative Plant Science, who co-authored the research with Imani Madison, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology at North Carolina State University.

Feeding a growing global population while managing limited natural resources presents ongoing challenges for scientists, engineers, farmers and policymakers, the researchers said.

One case study features nanosensors and soft robotics developed through the Center for Research on Programmable Plant Systems (CROPPS) to help monitor plant water status in the field. Another, based at the Science and Technologies for Phosphorus Sustainability (STEPS) Center, explores fertilizer innovations and phosphorus recovery systems that may support more efficient nutrient use.

“These kinds of integrated solutions are possible because researchers in our centers are working creatively across disciplinary boundaries to achieve common goals,” said Abe Stroock, the Gordon L. Dibble ’50 Professor in the Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and adjunct professor in the School of Integrative Plant Science, director of CROPPS and a senior author of the study.

The study also examines how talking to agricultural stakeholders—including farmers, engineers and university collaborators—can inform research direction and help guide the development of practical technologies. Social science researchers involved in the project conducted interviews and surveys to understand adoption considerations for technologies related to phosphorus recovery and nutrient use.

The authors emphasize the value of institutional support for collaboration and training across disciplines. They also note that the approaches presented in the paper may be adapted to address other topics in agricultural innovation.

“This work is an example of how different kinds of scientific expertise can be brought together to develop new approaches to agricultural production and resource management,” said Margaret Frank, associate professor in School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell and one of the corresponding authors of the study.

Additional CROPPS authors include Mathew Baldwin, April Gu, Mehmet Ilman, Jen Liu, Sijin Li, Anand Mishra, Gloire Rubambiza, Robert Shepherd and Hakim Weatherspoon from Cornell University and Mark Beilstein and Jesse Woodson from the University of Arizona.