A Pennsylvania farmer spotting unusual damage on a corn leaf late in the day no longer has to wait until morning for answers. With a quick photo upload and a few taps, a new artificial intelligence-powered tool from Penn State Extension can provide research-based guidance in seconds.
The tool, called Tilva, was unveiled this month at the 2026 Pennsylvania Farm Show. Designed to give farmers and agricultural professionals round-the-clock access to trusted information, Tilva draws on decades of science-based Extension resources to answer questions related to crops, livestock, food systems, the environment and more.
Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding said the tool reflects the land-grant mission of Penn State while helping agriculture keep pace with modern challenges.
Built for time-constrained producers, Tilva allows users to ask questions in plain language or upload images for immediate support. Image recognition can help identify pests, diseases and plants, and users can also upload soil test results from Penn State’s Agricultural Analytical Services Laboratory for interpretation. While aimed primarily at production agriculture, the tool also serves agribusiness professionals, educators, policymakers, homeowners and gardeners.
Tilva is free to use and available through the Penn State Extension website by clicking the “Ask Tilva” button. Responses are offered in both English and Spanish.
Beyond answering questions, Tilva recommends relevant Extension workshops, online courses and certificate programs based on user interests. It also connects users to validated data sources, including the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and national market data.
Jeffrey Hyde, director of Penn State Extension, said the tool expands Extension’s capacity by handling routine inquiries while directing users to experts for more complex issues. High-risk topics such as pesticide use, food preservation and animal medication trigger safeguards that route users to county educators and other professionals.
Tilva is built on Penn State’s PlantVillage AI platform, which began as a mobile crop-diagnostic tool and has grown into a global agricultural AI system used in dozens of countries. Before its public launch, Tilva was tested for about six months by Extension program teams and industry advisors to refine accuracy and usability.
Extension leaders emphasized that human oversight remains central. More than 260 Extension educators across Pennsylvania monitor and help validate responses, preserving what college officials describe as a more than century-long trust relationship between Penn State Extension and the public.
Future updates are expected to include expanded language options, additional personalization and continued improvements based on user feedback. Developers say Tilva is intended to grow smarter over time while remaining firmly grounded in peer-reviewed research.
Source: psu.edu