The University of Texas at Arlington has opened the Smart Agriculture Research Center (SARC), a new hub using artificial intelligence and data science to tackle agriculture's most pressing challenges. Backed by the USDA, SARC brings together UTA faculty, students, and USDA scientists to apply machine learning to real-world agricultural problems, from predicting plant disease to forecasting outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (bird flu).
Why it matters
The SARC center is UTA's direct response to the national call for climate-smart agriculture and resilient food systems. By connecting North Texas talent with national agricultural research networks, the center aims to train the next generation of AI-enabled agricultural scientists, strengthen food and environmental resilience, and help producers respond to emerging biological and climate threats.
The details
Opened in August 2025, SARC serves the entire UTA campus through four core pillars: providing AI capacity and data discovery tools for agriculture research projects; serving as a resource hub for faculty pursuing agriculture-related research; securing major USDA and external training and center grants; and serving as UTA's institutional gateway for external partners focused on sustainability and global environmental impact. The center brings together UTA faculty, students, and USDA-ARS scientists to apply machine learning to real-world agricultural problems, from predicting plant disease and modeling soil health to forecasting outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
