Research Update

Jul 14, 2025·
N. Ace Pugh, Ph.D.
N. Ace Pugh, Ph.D.
· 1 min read

Update

I’m excited to share an update on my ongoing research projects at USDA-ARS. This summer has been unusually wet, which may affect some of our irrigation treatments in our studies. Nonetheless, we should collect a lot of valuable data this year.

Drone-Based Crop Monitoring

Our team has been deploying small unoccupied aircraft systems (sUAS) to monitor crop health and predict yield outcomes. Recent flights over sorghum, cotton, and peanut fields have generated high-resolution multispectral imagery that we’re using to:

  • Estimate biomass accumulation
  • Estimate the presence of diseases
  • Detect early signs of drought stress (hopefully)
  • Predict final yield weeks before harvest

Collaboration Opportunities

Reminder: I’m always looking for new collaboration opportunities! If you’re working in:

  • Agronomics
  • Cotton genetics or production
  • Abiotic stress tolerance
  • Plant breeding programs

Please don’t hesitate to reach out. I believe the best science happens when we work together across disciplines.

Interested in learning more about my research? Check out my publications or feel free to contact me.

Research Update Remote Sensing Machine Learning Agriculture Drones Blog
N. Ace Pugh, Ph.D.
Authors
N. Ace Pugh, Ph.D.
Research Plant Scientist