October 22, 2026 | By Josh McGill
Alabama specialty crop growers are set to benefit from more than $660,000 in federal funding supporting 17 agricultural research, marketing and education projects across the state. The investment, awarded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, will help strengthen Alabama’s fruit, vegetable, nursery and other specialty crop industries.
The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) announced the projects, which include research into artificial intelligence, new crop opportunities, improved production practices and technologies designed to reduce costs for growers.
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Alabama Announces 17 Specialty Crop Research and Marketing Projects
New Technologies Could Help Alabama Specialty Crop Growers
Several funded projects focus on technologies that could help farmers improve efficiency, reduce labor expenses and extend the marketability of their crops.
At Auburn University, researchers will develop artificial intelligence tools to help nursery growers automate inventory management and improve plant counts. The technology could help nurseries reduce the time and labor required to track plant inventories.
Another project will investigate affordable cooling technologies designed to extend the shelf life of vegetables such as collards, okra, sweet corn and southern peas.
Researchers will also evaluate thornless blackberry varieties for production in the Gulf Coast’s hot, humid climate, potentially identifying new options for growers interested in expanding blackberry production.
Research Explores Tea, Strawberries and Disease Management
One of the more unusual projects is a three-year investigation into the commercial potential of tea production in Alabama. Researchers will evaluate whether tea could become a viable specialty crop for the state’s farmers.
Additional projects will examine improved disease management strategies for peaches, biochar applications in strawberry production and methods to control thrips and tomato spotted wilt virus.
The grants also support watermelon marketing initiatives, pecan grower education and programs designed to help beginning veteran farmers enter specialty crop production.
Alabama Specialty Crop Industry Continues to Grow
Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate says the state’s specialty crop industry has experienced significant growth, with fruits, vegetables, tree nuts and nursery crops becoming increasingly important to Alabama agriculture.
The department says the funded projects are intended to build on that growth by helping growers improve production, adopt new technologies and develop additional markets.
The Alabama funding is part of a nationwide $86.6 million investment through USDA’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.
Unlike direct farm assistance programs, these grants support research, education and marketing activities intended to improve the competitiveness of specialty crop producers across the industry.
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