AI Technology Helps Mid-Atlantic Farmers Cut Nitrogen Costs

Feb 10, 2026
By Farms.com

Optimizing Fertilizer with PlantMap3D

Farmers across Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania are set to benefit from a new USDA-backed initiative that uses artificial intelligence to better measure how cover crops contribute nitrogen to the soil.

The technology centers on PlantMap3D, developed by North Carolina State University. Cameras mounted on farm equipment capture detailed images of cover crops, while AI software identifies species and estimates nitrogen availability on an acre-by-acre basis.

By providing more accurate insights, the project aims to help growers maintain crop yields while reducing fertilizer costs, greenhouse gas emissions, and nutrient runoff into waterways. TNC estimates the initiative could eliminate the need for roughly 3 million pounds of purchased nitrogen fertilizer over time.

Led by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and supported by $16 million in funding from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS), the program will help producers adopt advanced nitrogen management tools either directly or through agribusiness partners.

The effort is part of the USDA-NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) and brings together TNC, universities, private sector companies, and state and federal agriculture agencies. Its focus is on improving nitrogen decisions for corn planted after multi-species cover crops, an area where many farmers currently lack precise data.

Over the next four years, the program is expected to reach up to 150,000 acres across the Chesapeake Bay watershed, including about 20,000 acres in Pennsylvania, 92,500 acres in Maryland and 37,500 acres in Delaware with the first growing season beginning this spring.

“Knowledge is power, and this program arms TNC and our agricultural partners with unparalleled data that will boost biodiversity, water quality and farmers’ bottom lines in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, a globally important conservation landscape,” said Amy Jacobs, Chesapeake Bay director at The Nature Conservancy.

“We are thrilled to be working with partners that are leaders in their field to deploy this new technology to support farmers with solutions that are both good for the environment and their businesses.”

Farmers can apply to participate through February 15, 2026, with more information available in the PlantMap3D RCPP Fact Sheet.

Photo Credit: PlantMap3D

Video: Spring 2026 weather outlook for Wisconsin; What an early-arriving El Niño could mean

Northeast Wisconsin is a small corner of the world, but our weather is still affected by what happens across the globe.

That includes in the equatorial Pacific, where changes between El Niño and La Niña play a role in the weather here -- and boy, have there been some abrupt changes as of late.

El Niño and La Niña are the two phases of what is collectively known as the El Niño Southern Oscillation, or ENSO for short. These are the swings back and forth from unusually warm to unusually cold sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean along the equator.

Since this past September, we have been in a weak La Niña, which means water temperatures near the Eastern Pacific equator have been cooler than usual. That's where we're at right now.

Even last fall, the long-term outlook suggested a return to neutral conditions by spring and potentially El Niño conditions by summer.

But there are some signs this may be happening faster than usual, which could accelerate the onset of El Niño.

Over the last few weeks, unusually strong bursts of westerly winds farther west in the Pacific -- where sea surface temperatures are warmer than average -- have been observed. There is a chance that this could accelerate the warming of those eastern Pacific waters and potentially push us into El Niño sooner than usual.

If we do enter El Nino by spring -- which we'll define as the period of March, April and May -- there are some long-term correlations with our weather here in Northeast Wisconsin.

Looking at a map of anomalously warm weather, most of the upper Great Lakes doesn't show a strong correlation, but in general, the northern tiers of the United States do tend to lean to that direction.

The stronger correlation is with precipitation. El Niño conditions in spring have historically come with a higher risk of very dry weather over that time frame, so this will definitely be a transition we'll have to watch closely as we move out of winter.