Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/765975
102 POTATO GROWER | JANUARY 2017 KENT WASDEN - (208) 390-7878 RHETT WARREN - (208) 860-8197 OFFICE - (208) 356-7800 Post Harvest Specialists 162836GrouAg13.indd 1 11/7/16 9:16 AM Diggin' In Diggin' In Diggin' In Diggin' In Diggin' In Diggin' In TECHNOLOGY | Industry Report Creators of phenotyping station seek investors Deeper Look Researchers at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis are leveraging expertise in crop phenotyping with the development of the PheNode, a "smart", farm-ready, solar-powered environmental sensor and phenotyping station for crops. "With a suite of diverse sensors on the PheNode, we can continuously monitor field crops for growth rate, stem diameter, height, leaf shape, leaf angles, canopy closure, light interception and the relationship of these traits to enhanced canopy photosynthesis," says Nadia Shakoor, a research scientist in the Todd Mockler laboratory. "The PheNode will help crop science innovators to identify ideal canopy architectural and leaf metabolic features to breed crops for increased yield. We see a need for more sustainable crop production with minimal water and energy inputs, and a need to anticipate changing environmental conditions, like elevated CO 2 levels, that will affect farming." The prototype was developed by Shakoor, Mockler and other colleagues, and was recently highlighted at the 2016 Ag Innovation Showcase and SXSW Eco in Austin, Texas. Modular sensors and cameras on the PheNode take real-time measurements of temperature, humidity, CO 2 , rainfall, air quality, wind speed, light quantity and quality, soil moisture, soil temperature, pH and nutrient composition. The PheNode allows researchers, breeders and growers to monitor directly within the plant canopy, providing crucial information for both crop improvement and precision agriculture.