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Calling all high school, undergraduate, and graduate students! The Center for Digital Agriculture at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is hosting the Precision & Digital Agriculture Hackathon, March 6-8, 2026, at the John Deere Technology Innovation Center. This is your opportunity to help shape the future of agriculture by addressing real-world agricultural challenges as we continue to transform how we feed and support a changing agricultural landscape through the use of foundational artificial intelligence, generative AI, machine learning techniques, computer vision, and more.
- High school students will participate virtually
- Undergraduate and graduate students will participate in person
- The hackathon begins at 5 p.m. Friday, March 6, and continues throughout the weekend.
- The registration deadline is Feb. 27, 2026. Visit the event website for a complete schedule and registration details.
Why Precision Agriculture?
Global agriculture is undergoing a digital transformation. With rising climate pressures, soil degradation, and food demand, precision agriculture offers smarter, sustainable ways to farm.
Through sensors, AI, drones, robotics, and IoT, farmers can optimize water use, reduce waste, boost yields, and protect the environment. This hackathon is your chance to build tech that matters — in the field and beyond.
Who Can Participate?
Open to students, professionals, researchers, and startups across fields:
- Software Developers
- Data Scientists & AI/ML Engineers
- Agronomists & Environmental Scientists
- IoT & Robotics Engineers
- Designers, Entrepreneurs, and more!
- No farming background required — just curiosity and a drive to make a difference.
Themes & Challenges
1. 🌾 Smart Crops Track
- Focus: Applying digital tools to optimize crop production.
- Themes: Drone and satellite imaging, precision irrigation, soil sensors, and yield prediction models.
2. 🐖 Smart Livestock Track
- Focus: Enhancing animal welfare, health, and productivity with digital monitoring.
- Themes: Wearable sensors, computer vision for behavior analysis, automated weight/condition scoring, precision feeding.
3. 🖥️ GenAI Track
- Focus: Harnessing generative AI to make agricultural data more accessible, interactive, and creative
- Themes: Large language models, multimodal AI (e.g., text + image + sensor data), conversational assistants, generative scenario planning.
4. 📈 Analytics & Decision Support Track
- Focus: Turning diverse farm data into structured, actionable insights for producers.
- Themes: Predictive analytics, interactive dashboards, digital twins, and integrated farm management platforms.