Key Takeaways
- SAS is collaborating with North Carolina State University, the NC State Plant Sciences Initiative, and East Carolina University on a pilot project deploying affordable agricultural sensor systems in Hyde County, NC.
- The sensors measure water depth, soil moisture, and salinity in real time, feeding data into SAS Analytics for IoT to identify areas most likely to flood.
- The project builds on the Ag Analytics Platform, developed through collaboration between NC State, SAS, and North Carolina A&T University, built on SAS Viya.
- North Carolina's agricultural sector contributes $111 billion annually to the state's economy but faces increasing threats from flooding and saltwater intrusion.
- Tyson Echentile, Global Lead for IoT Solutions at SAS, will present on breakthrough flood resilience innovations at the ClimateTech Connect conference in Washington, DC on April 8.
SAS Technology Addresses Agricultural Challenges
Eastern North Carolina farmers are confronting significant challenges from flooding, increased soil salinity, and saltwater intrusion that destroy crops and damage equipment. The pilot project in Hyde County combines affordable sensors with SAS Analytics for IoT to provide real-time monitoring of water depth, soil moisture, and salinity levels.
Recent weather events, including Hurricane Helene and Tropical Storm Chantal, have caused extensive crop losses for North Carolina farmers over the past two years. The new sensor systems aim to provide farmers with advance warning and better understanding of saltwater intrusion patterns.
University Extension Drives Innovation Partnership
The collaboration emerged from a 2025 SAS Innovate conference presentation about real-time flood prediction modeling in Cary, NC. Brad Lewis, NC State Ag Analytics Platform Manager, recognized the potential to apply this technology to protect vulnerable farmland through an existing partnership with SAS.
