Melody Lin, a 15‑year‑old 4-H member from Butler County, recently earned second place in the National 4-H AI in Agriculture Challenge for her project, “Using AI to Help Eliminate Spotted Lanternflies.”
She first learned about the challenge through the National 4-H Instagram page and felt inspired to participate after seeing the impact Spotted Lanternflies were having in her community. Living on a farm and surrounded by neighboring farms, Melody witnessed firsthand how quickly the invasive insect was spreading.
Spotted Lanternflies, originally from Asia, were first detected in Ohio in 2020 and pose a serious threat to grapevines, fruit trees, black walnuts, and other nursery plants. In recent years, Melody noticed increasing damage to apple orchards across southwest Ohio, reinforcing the need for a practical solution.
Developing ideas came naturally to Melody because the issue was so close to home but selecting the most realistic and affordable solution required extensive testing. She ultimately created a geographic risk‑prediction map that uses AI to forecast areas most likely to be affected. Her goal is to give farmers, communities, and local governments a tool to better understand their risk and take timely action.
Melody has compiled her research and resources into a functional website, offering accessible information for anyone hoping to manage Spotted Lanternflies in their area. She hopes her platform becomes a useful tool for communities facing the same challenges she observed.
She is especially proud of building her application using Claude AI, which allowed her to explore multiple AI platforms and determine which tools best supported her project. The experience strengthened her interest in agricultural technology and expanded her skills in emerging digital tools.
This project deepened Melody’s passion for agriculture, and she hopes to pursue a major in the field, at the intersection of earth science and AI. “I know that AI is going to continue to be used in the future, and I want to familiarize myself with it,” she shared. Through 4-H, she has gained confidence, communication skills, and the opportunity to explore a growing field.
Melody is currently competing in the Presidential AI Challenge, where she will continue refining her project and looks forward to learning from other youth innovators across the country.
To learn more about her project, visit her project board: Using AI To Help Eliminate Spotted Lanternflies.