Iowa State Develops AI App to Help Farmers Identify Pests

New 'Pest ID' tool uses machine learning to quickly detect weeds, insects, and crop diseases.

Apr. 6, 2026 at 4:29pm

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A highly textured, abstract painting featuring sweeping geometric shapes and botanical patterns in earthy tones of green, brown, and ochre, conceptually representing the complex natural systems and interconnected challenges of agricultural pest management.An innovative AI tool developed at Iowa State University aims to empower farmers with faster, more accurate pest identification to protect their crops.Burlington Today

Researchers at Iowa State University have created a new artificial intelligence-powered mobile app called 'Pest ID' that allows farmers to quickly identify weeds, insects, and crop diseases in their fields by uploading photos. The technology has been in development for nearly a decade, using thousands of images and expert data to train the system to provide fast and accurate pest identification along with guidance on how to manage the issues.

Why it matters

Pest management is a critical challenge for farmers, as unidentified or unchecked weeds, insects, and diseases can significantly impact crop yields and profitability. This new AI-powered app aims to make pest identification faster and more accessible, empowering farmers to respond more effectively in the field and protect their crops.

The details

The Pest ID app lets users upload photos of suspected pests, which the AI system then analyzes to provide identification and management recommendations. Researchers have spent about 10 years developing the technology, compiling thousands of images and expert data to train the machine learning models. The goal is to make pest detection and response more efficient for farmers, helping them address issues before they become major problems in their fields.

  • The Pest ID app has been in development for about a decade at Iowa State University.
  • The current version of the Pest ID app is already available for use by farmers.

The players

Iowa State University

A public research university located in Ames, Iowa, known for its agricultural and engineering programs.

Pest ID

A new mobile app developed by researchers at Iowa State University that uses artificial intelligence to help farmers quickly identify and manage weeds, insects, and crop diseases in their fields.

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What’s next

Researchers are working to expand the Pest ID app's capabilities to include identification of additional plant diseases that can impact crop yields.

The takeaway

This new AI-powered pest identification tool from Iowa State University demonstrates how emerging technologies can empower farmers to be more proactive and effective in managing the complex challenges they face, from weeds to insects to diseases, helping to protect their crops and livelihoods.