How a St. Louis scientist is developing a zero-carbon smart farm system

With autonomous drones and solar-powered crop-monitoring stations, Nadia Shakoor’s work is just one example of St. Louis’ groundbreaking agtech scene.

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When Nadia Shakoor began searching for a streamlined way to collect data on crop growth, the seed was planted for a revolutionary idea: to create a fully integrated smart farm system.

A breeding and genetics researcher at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Shakoor and her team developed the PheNode, a solar-powered crop-monitoring station resembling a miniature antenna, complete with remote imaging and onboard diagnostics. As farmers expressed interest in how the station might help measure crop conditions and irrigation, the idea quickly expanded beyond the research lab and an even more ambitious concept took flight. Shakoor launched a startup, Agrela Ecosystems, to bring the phenotyping device to market and started searching for ways to capture field conditions beyond a single station.

Last summer, Shakoor received a three-year $1.4 million grant to develop FieldDock, a zero-carbon platform with a base station, wireless sensor network, and autonomous drone that could generate a daily set of critical data, including plant traits, water usage, environmental and soil conditions, and snapshots of how crops are performing. “We expect the FieldDock to transform the way crop scientists, breeders, and farmers interact with agricultural technology,” says Shakoor, “and have a significant impact on the sustainability of food production.”

Shakoor’s innovative project is just one example of the groundbreaking work being done in St. Louis, known as Silicon Prairie. Since 2019, 11 early-stage agtech companies, including St. Louis–based Pluton Biosciences, were selected to participate in the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2) and received funding from the Well Fargo Foundation and expertise from scientists at the Danforth Center, the world’s largest nonprofit independent plant science institute.

“St. Louis is the right place to be for us, because it works,” says Orlando Saez, CEO of Aker Technologies, which was part of the first IN2 agtech cohort. “When you need to innovate, you need the best—the best talent, the best support, the right place. St. Louis offers a great balance for emerging companies like us in agriculture.”

The region provides a vast network of resources for agtech entrepreneurs and scientists, the result of a concerted effort by local leaders, including the late Dr. William Danforth. “They sought to capitalize on the assets that we have here in research, universities, and companies to make St. Louis the global epicenter of plant science,” says Stephanie Regagnon, executive director of innovation partnerships at the Danforth Center.

Today, the St. Louis metropolitan area is home to more than 1,000 plant science Ph.D. scientists from around the globe. At the Danforth Center's campus, the Bio Research & Development Growth Park also provides bioresearch facilities and offices for 16 enterprises, including startups and mid-stage companies, helping bridge innovative ideas with commercial success. “There are all kinds of core facilities that companies, especially startups, can’t really afford,” says Regagnon. “They come here to partner with the Danforth Center and use these great facilities.”

The 39 North innovation district in Creve Coeur is building on that momentum. Trails and green space will connect the 600-acre mixed retail, residential, and office space, providing an ideal gathering place for highly skilled professionals. “It’s a multi-use park where you can come with your family to grab lunch over your lunch break,” says Regagnon, “or your company can come and use the green spaces.”

Collaboration is fundamental to St. Louis’ agricultural biotech community, which also spans such industry leaders as Bayer and Bunge, as well as renowned startups such as Benson Hill, CoverCress, and NewLeaf Symbiotics. “The companies want to be connected to the scientists at the Danforth Center, but they also want to be connected to each other,” says Regagnon. “They want to understand what other companies are doing in this space, because they’re that excited about our region being the place where these things happen.”

At the same time, they understand St. Louis’ larger place in the Midwest, which makes it a natural hub for plant science. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, about 77 percent of all U.S. corn acres and 81 percent of all U.S. soybean acres are within 500 miles of St. Louis, and nearly 100,000 farms surround the metro region. “We have rivers, transportation, and access to farmers,” says Regagnon. “There really is this broader infrastructure that supports innovation.”

As Shakoor’s work exemplifies, the groundbreaking work being done in the lab and field has powerful implications for these farmers and the world’s food supply. “The Danforth Science Center has a unique mission,” says Regagnon, “to bring innovation to market and into the hands of farmers.”

This post was created by SLM Partner Studio on behalf of Greater St. Louis, Inc., in partnership with the St. Louis Development Corporation.