HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania is expanding investment in agricultural technology after an initial grant program drew demand far exceeding available funding, with state officials highlighting a drone-based orchard management project designed to help fruit growers address mounting production challenges.
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding toured Penn State University’s Fruit Research and Extension Center on Thursday to review a $19,000 Agricultural Innovation Grant-funded project that is testing precision drone scanning and spraying technology for fruit orchards. State officials say the technology could help growers improve efficiency and respond to weather-related threats, including the late-season freezes that damaged crops across Pennsylvania this spring.
The demonstration comes as Gov. Josh Shapiro seeks a $19 million investment in the 2026-27 state budget to expand Pennsylvania’s Agricultural Innovation Grant Program, which launched in 2024 as the nation’s first initiative of its kind. The proposal follows strong demand for the program, which received more than $68 million in funding requests for its initial $10 million round and attracted another 317 applications seeking $73 million during the second funding cycle.
The Penn State project is one of 88 initiatives funded during the program’s first round. Researchers are evaluating the drone system under commercial growing conditions to determine how effectively it can target spray applications and improve crop management practices for orchard operators.
“Helping farmers do what they need to do to compete and continue leading the nation is the reason the Shapiro Administration launched Ag Innovation Grants,” Redding said during the visit. “This investment — combined with millions in state funds backing industry excellence, research and development — is working across Pennsylvania.”
The grant complements broader state investments in agricultural research. Earlier this year, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture directed $300,000 to Penn State’s Agricultural Resource Center as part of a $2.2 million research funding package supporting specialty crop innovation.
Shanthanu Kumar, an associate professor of tree fruit at Penn State who leads the project, said the funding has accelerated efforts to move drone technology from research into commercial use.
“The Ag Innovation Grant has helped advance our drone research from concept into practical application,” Kumar said. “We are now developing best management practices for drone use in orchards, including testing optimal spray coverage and application strategies.”
Pennsylvania ranks among the nation’s leading producers of apples, peaches, grapes, cherries and strawberries, making specialty crop production a significant component of the state’s agricultural economy.
State officials said projects funded through the innovation grant program include technologies intended to improve farm efficiency, generate renewable energy, reduce nutrient waste and support carbon-storing agricultural practices.
The proposed budget expansion would increase annual funding for the program by $9 million, including $7 million for grants and $2 million for a regional biodigester pilot project.
The administration is also seeking an additional $20 million in assistance for farmers impacted by April’s freeze events, which severely affected portions of Pennsylvania’s fruit industry.
Agriculture contributes an estimated $132.5 billion annually to Pennsylvania’s economy, supports nearly 600,000 jobs and includes more than 48,800 farms statewide, according to state figures.
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