Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring has announced the availability of $300,000 in funding for drone detection of noxious and invasive weeds, with a focus on amaranth species and waterhemp. This initiative is authorized by the 69th Legislative Assembly.
“The North Dakota Department of Agriculture is seeking grant proposals for drone detection of amaranth species and other invasive weeds,” Goehring stated. “The project(s) will focus on sugar beet and soybean fields in participating counties during the 2025 and 2026 growing seasons, and may include areas where Palmer amaranth has been previously detected.”
The targeted counties are Steele, Traill, Cass, Richland, and Barnes. Additional counties may be included as needed. Grant recipients will work with the North Dakota Department of Agriculture, weed officers, and landowners when operating drones over fields. The project’s aim is to develop a library of images that can accurately identify and differentiate between various amaranth species. Locations identified during the survey will remain confidential at the county level.
Multiple grants may be awarded. Detailed information on applying for funds is available on the NDDA website at https://www.ndda.nd.gov/uasgrant. Applications must be submitted electronically by 4 p.m. CDT on July 10, 2025. A committee will review, score, and rank applications to determine awards.
For more details about the application process, contact Charles Elhard at 701-220-0485 or celhard@nd.gov.
