Central ND News

Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring has announced the availability of $300,000 for projects using drones to detect noxious and invasive weeds. The focus will be on amaranth species and waterhemp, following authorization 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,” said Goehring. He noted that the project(s) would concentrate on sugar beet and soybean fields in specific counties during the 2025 and 2026 growing seasons. Areas where Palmer amaranth has been previously detected may also be included.

The primary counties involved are Steele, Traill, Cass, Richland, and Barnes, though additional counties might be added as needed. Grant recipients will work alongside the North Dakota Department of Agriculture, weed officers, and landowners while operating drones over fields. The initiative aims to build a comprehensive image library to accurately identify different amaranth species. Any detections made during surveys will remain confidential and will only be reported at the county level.

There is potential for multiple grants to be awarded. Detailed information about applying for these funds can be found 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 awardees.

For further details about the application process, Charles Elhard can be contacted at 701-220-0485 or celhard@nd.gov.