Iowa youth lead the way in National 4-H AI in Agriculture Challenge
The National 4-H AI in Agriculture Challenge has announced its 2025 fall winners, with Iowa youth taking center stage. The challenge celebrates youth innovators nationwide, inviting youth to design AI-powered solutions that tackle real-world agricultural challenges, support farmers, strengthen food systems and advance the future of agriculture.
Henry Zou of Johnston and Polk County 4-H member captured first place in the Ages 16–18 Division with his project “DeGLS: Automated Detection System for Gray Leaf Spot.” The Johnston team of David Shi, Srihari Kumaresan and Syon Aggarwal earned second place with “CropFlow.” These groundbreaking projects demonstrate how Iowa’s youth are leveraging artificial intelligence to address pressing agricultural challenges.
Zou’s DeGLS AI system enables farmers and researchers to capture an image of a corn leaf and receive an immediate disease diagnosis, severity level and recommended management steps. Designed to bring expert-level crop scouting into the hands of farmers, DeGLS bridges the gap between AI and agriculture — one leaf at a time — with the long-term goal of helping farmers worldwide combat crop diseases more effectively.
CropFlow is an AI-powered application designed to help farmers adapt to the challenges of climate change. By analyzing real-time soil and weather data, CropFlow predicts yield outcomes and provides actionable insights to support more intelligent, more resilient farm management. Together, these projects demonstrate Iowa’s leadership in advancing AI-powered solutions for the agricultural sector.
“AI in agriculture isn’t just the future — it’s the present. Our 4-H youth are proving that young people have the creativity, talent and drive to solve some of the most pressing challenges facing our world,” said Alexa Groff, Iowa 4-H STEM education specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, who also is the National 4-H AI specialist. “These students are not only learning advanced technologies; they are applying them with purpose, impact and hope for the future of food production.”
Recognizing excellence from coast to coast, the following list highlights all national winners of the 2025 Fall Challenge.
2025 Fall National 4-H AI in Agriculture Challenge Winners
Ages 13–15 Division
- First Place – Aarush Muthukrishnan, Pennsylvania, with “TerraScan,” an AI system designed to analyze soil and nutrient composition with high precision to support sustainable land management
- Second Place – Melody Lin, Ohio, with “Using AI to Help Eliminate Spotted Lanternflies,” a machine learning tool to detect invasive pests and support early intervention
- Third Place – Juliet Johnson, North Carolina, with “Sweet Potato AI Database,” a digital tool to assist growers with identifying and categorizing sweet potato varieties for improved crop management
Ages 16–18 Division
- First Place – Henry Zou, Iowa, with “DeGLS: Automated Detection System for Gray Leaf Spot,” a mobile AI tool enabling farmers to instantly detect gray leaf spot in corn, assess severity and receive management recommendations
- Second Place – Team: David Shi, Srihari Kumaresan and Syon Aggarwal, Iowa, with “CropFlow,” an AI application that analyzes soil and weather data to help farmers predict crop yields under changing climate conditions
- Third Place – Kassandra McKinney, Florida, with “Startup PRO: NLP-Based Agricultural Management Assistant,” a natural language processing tool that supports farmers with real-time insights and agricultural decision-making
View the AI in Agriculture Showcase
All submitted projects from across the nation are available to explore in an interactive online showcase.
According to National 4-H, the Spring 2026 AI Challenge will focus on AI and Your Community. Youth will be invited to design AI-driven solutions that address real-world needs in their communities, whether related to agriculture, public health, energy, the environment, education,or community well-being. More details will be released in early 2026.
For more information, participants may contact Alexa Groff of Iowa State University [email protected], Mark Light of North Carolina A&T University, [email protected], or Rachel Haselby of Purdue University [email protected]
For more information on the Iowa 4-H Youth Development program, please contact your ISU Extension and Outreach county office or visit the Iowa 4-H website.
