New AI Program PlantMap3D Helps Farmers Cut Fertilizer Use in Chesapeake Bay

The Nature Conservancy, North Carolina State University, Willard Agri-Service, GROWMARK FS and USDA-NRCS Launch PlantMap3D, an AI-Informed Program to More Accurately Predict Farms’ Fertilizer Needs, Improving Soil and Water Quality in the Chesapeake Bay

AI machine learning meets traditional farming machinery in new project that is expected to save farmers money by quantifying the nitrogen supplied by cover crops and reducing the amount of fertilizer needed to grow crops on 150,000 acres in the Chesapeake Bay watershed

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Farmers in Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania will soon have access to AI-powered intel about their cover crops’ unique nitrogen contributions, thanks to a partnership led by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS). $16 million will support farmers directly or through their agribusiness partner to implement this technology on their farms.

This initiative—part of the USDA-NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)—brings together TNC, private sector agribusinesses, universities, and federal and state departments of agriculture to address a gap in our knowledge related to nitrogen management for corn following multi-species cover crops.

The program’s goal is to help farmers better understand and adapt their true nitrogen needs while maintaining yields, avoiding greenhouse gas emissions, and improving soil and water quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. TNC expects this program to offset 3 million pounds of nitrogen that farmers would have otherwise had to purchase and apply to their farmlands.

Over four years, this conservation project will touch down on up to 150,000 acres of farmland across the Chesapeake Bay watershed—92,500 acres in Maryland; 37,500 acres in Delaware; and 20,000 acres in Pennsylvania. The first growing season using this program begins this spring.

Using a tool called PlantMap3D developed by North Carolina State University, Willard Agri-Service and GROWMARK FS will outfit farm equipment with special cameras that take detailed field images of cover crops. Images will then be analyzed using AI software trained in cover crop species identification. The result: a map that shows, in acre-by-acre detail, where nitrogen from cover crops is available, providing farmers with new insight on adjusting their nitrogen application accordingly, applying nutrients only where they are needed.

“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,” said Amy Jacobs, Chesapeake Bay director at The Nature Conservancy.

Cover crops, like clover and rye, are an essential component of regenerative agriculture. Acting as sponges, these plants absorb nitrogen from the air and soil and hold onto it in plant tissue during the offseason. At the start of a new growing season, farmers terminate the cover crops, which release stored nitrogen back into the soil as they decompose.

Some of this project’s funding will help Pennsylvania farmers implement mixed-species cover crops on their fields, because the state does not yet have a centralized cover crop program like in Maryland and Delaware, where cover crops are used more widely.

“GROWMARK FS is excited to partner in this innovative RCPP project,” said John Richman, retail division manager at GROWMARK FS. “It is important for universities, state and federal agencies, The Nature Conservancy and agribusiness to pool their knowledge and resources to help growers succeed. Data management and AI are evolving quickly, and the opportunity to utilize new tools and approaches to address environmental concerns, while maximizing productivity, is essential.”

Farmers interested in participating in this program can apply now through February 15, 2026. Eligibility requirements—which can be reviewed in detail in the PlantMap3D RCPP Fact Sheet—and application instructions include:

• Location: In Delaware, farmers in all counties are eligible (New Castle, Kent, Sussex); in Maryland, farmers must be located in Baltimore, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Dorchester, Harford, Kent, Talbot, Queen Anne's or Wicomico counties; in Pennsylvania, farmers must be in Adams, Cumberland or York counties.
• Farms must already be using multi-species cover crops that include a legume, with plans to terminate this spring (spring 2026).
• To apply, contact Amanda Bunn, applied agricultural conservationist at The Nature Conservancy, at amanda.bunn@tnc.org.

“Willard Agri-Service is committed to helping our customers take their crop production and environmental stewardship to new levels of profitability and excellence. Working collaboratively with all the partners in this grant and our growers, we are more excited than ever about the future for profitable Mid Atlantic agriculture and an even healthier Chesapeake Bay Watershed,” said Mike Twining, vice president of sales & marketing at Willard Agri-Service.

"AI-powered camera systems are how we can finally bring precision and sustainable agriculture together,” says Chris Reberg-Horton, a North Carolina State University professor and partner on the project. “We hope this program will help farmers reduce their costs while also improving environmental outcomes."

For more information, visit nature.org/chesapeakebay or contact Amanda Bunn at The Nature Conservancy.