USDA seeks AI tools to accelerate crop breeding from germplasm data

The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to seek artificial intelligence solutions that could help plant scientists analyze the agency’s extensive germplasm data and shorten the development cycle for more productive and resilient crop varieties.

USDA expects to launch an Agricultural National Science and Technology Challenge later in 2026 through the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority and the federal Genesis Mission. Participating teams will be asked to build tools capable of integrating multiple data types, including crop images, field observations and laboratory results, to identify important plant and seed characteristics more quickly. The department has not yet disclosed funding, eligibility requirements or an application schedule.

The challenge will give selected teams access to the American Science and Security Platform, a Department of Energy-led infrastructure network connecting high-performance computing systems, scientific facilities, datasets and AI tools. The platform is a central component of the Genesis Mission, launched by executive order in November 2025 to accelerate scientific research through collaboration among federal laboratories, universities and private companies.