November 17, 2023 /CSRwire/ – The Ray and the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), in partnership with Agrela Ecosystems and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, announce the deployment of Agrela’s highly effective plant and soil monitoring expertise, PheNode®. A primary-of-its-kind venture launched on a freeway roadside, PheNode® will probably be used to gather air and soil information and monitor wildflower meadow plots at three places alongside the Ray C. Anderson Memorial Highway, an 18-mile stretch of Interstate 85 in West Georgia.

This venture brings collectively leaders in sustainable transportation infrastructure and agricultural expertise to validate, quantify and promote the pure options and worth, referred to as “natural capital,” that freeway proper of manner (ROW) can contribute to communities and the surroundings. Georgia DOT, The Ray and the University of Georgia College of Environment and Design handle a number of experimental plots of wildflowers, grasses and different groundcover species alongside “The Ray Highway” at exits 6, 14 and the Georgia Visitor Information Center (VIC), which bloom seasonally to create an interesting show for motorists, however are leveraged for learning the ecosystem providers that roadside meadows of native, perennial crops may ship. This so-called “Landscape Lab” is a singular testing web site designed to advance a mission of net-zero transportation as Zero Carbon and Zero Waste, and is house to pollinator gardens, bioswales and Kernza® perennial grain plots.

PheNode®will probably be used for quite a lot of monitoring capabilities, together with information assortment for all Landscape Lab plots. PheNode® is supplied with temperature, humidity, rainfall, wind, mild, air high quality and soil sensors. Coupled with wi-fi connectivity, Georgia DOT and The Ray can constantly monitor and accumulate information on environmental circumstances throughout the plots, together with temperature variations, humidity ranges, mild depth and air high quality or air pollution ranges, and soil circumstances. PheNode® information may also be used to evaluate the general well being of the plots by alerting to environmental modifications that may point out potential stressors or disturbances within the ecosystem, permitting for early intervention or mitigation efforts. For tasks carried out after PheNode® set up, the machine will be capable to present strong information regarding the well being and wellness of the realm each earlier than and after plantings. Georgia DOT and The Ray will be capable to monitor enhancements or points from the beginning of extra tasks, permitting researchers to acquire a larger understanding of the impression these tasks have on the encircling areas.

“Georgia DOT is glad to be part of an innovative deployment such as the PheNode,” stated John Hibbard, Director of Operations and Maintenance for the Department.

In addition to the capabilities of PheNode® to watch plant development and climate and soil circumstances, the PheNode® set up on the Georgia Visitor Information Center will give guests the distinctive alternative to see the machine in motion on the Center’s pollinator meadow offering real-time academic data on the well being of the meadow’s ecosystem.

“With the addition of the PheNode® monitoring technology, these initiatives not only bring advantages to the local vicinity but also establish a hub of innovation that can be scaled regionally and nationally, aligning with The Ray’s mission to create net-zero transportation infrastructure across the county,” stated Allie Kelly, Executive Director of The Ray. “State DOTs throughout the nation can maximize sustainability and productiveness of America’s roadways.”

Techniques explored at the Landscape Lab on The Ray Highway include slope stabilization to address and mitigate erosion and sedimentation; weed blanket applications to suppress invasive species in new plots; cost-effective installation from seed and ongoing management of roadside meadows without irrigation, and; evaluating seed mixes for cost, resilience, aesthetics and successive blooming. The services and capital that “regenerative roadsides” vegetation can provide include:

1. Stormwater management – Plants secure roadside soils from erosion, which prevents sedimentation into waterways
2. Stormwater pollution remediation – Plants capture litter and filter metals, chemicals and other pollutants from roadway runoff before stormwater reaches local waterways.
3. Conservation of critical habitat – Maintain beautiful roadside aesthetics and colorful wildflower meadows, while supporting high-quality habitat for pollinator species such as honeybees and butterflies.
4. Carbon sequestration – Perennial plants grow complex, far-reaching root systems that shuttle airborne CO2 deep into soils. Healthy soils, left untilled, are natural long-term carbon sinks.
5. Resiliency – Plants that are native to a region, and perennial plants whose permanent root systems support flowers and foliage year after year, are more likely to survive extreme weather conditions such as flash flooding, prolonged drought and record high and low temperatures.

“Establishing roadside meadows with pollinator-friendly plants is crucial to pollinator diversity and equally important to erosion control. Seeing the impact of these sites from a soil health approach is imperative. With the use of PheNode® monitoring technology, we can now track the impact roadside meadows are having on soil health and, in the future, carbon sequestration,” said Josh Weaver, Ph.D., Natural Capital Manager of The Ray.

“We’re thrilled to carry the PheNode®expertise to The Ray Highway, merging sustainable transportation infrastructure with agricultural tech innovation,” stated Nadia Shakoor, PhD, CEO and principal investigator of Agrela Ecosystems. “By monitoring the intricacies of the surroundings and plant well being, PheNode® offers real-time insights that not solely profit the native ecosystem but in addition set a precedent for sustainable transportation nationwide. Our partnership underscores the significance of harnessing expertise to foster wholesome ecosystems, focusing on freeway ROWs and realizing the imaginative and prescient of a net-zero transportation future.”

“Smart infrastructure has always been a part of our broader vision for PheNode®, and we’re very excited about this partnership,” stated Bill Kezele, president of Agrela Ecosystems. “Together with The Ray, we stay up for evolving the present panorama towards a extra sustainable future.”

About Georgia DOT

Georgia Department of Transportation plans, constructs and maintains Georgia’s state and federal highways. We’re involved in bridge, waterway, public transit, rail, general aviation, bike and pedestrian programs. And we help local governments maintain their roads. Georgia DOT and its nearly 4,000 employees are committed to delivering a transportation system focused on innovation, safety, sustainability and mobility. The Department’s vision is to boost Georgia’s competitiveness through leadership in transportation.

About The Ray

The Ray is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity and net-zero highway testbed, located on 18 miles of Interstate 85 between Lagrange, Georgia and the Georgia-Alabama state line. This stretch of interstate is named in memory of Ray C. Anderson (1934-2011), a Georgia native recognized as a leader in green business when he challenged his company, Interface, Inc., to pursue a zero environmental footprint. Our mission is to reimagine how we connect our communities, our lives and the world in a way that is safer, more responsive to the climate, more regenerative to the environment and more capable of creating economic opportunity through innovative ideas and technologies that will transform transportation infrastructure. The Ray Highway is paving the way for a zero carbon, zero waste, zero deaths highway system that will build a safer and more prosperous future for us all. Learn more at www.TheRay.org.

About Agrela Ecosystems

Founded by plant scientists, Agrela Ecosystems believed there should be a flexible, remote phenotyping device for researchers, by researchers. Agrela Ecosystems aims to accelerate the crop breeding process by filling the quantitative gaps in remote field phenotyping, guaranteeing research quality data collection and demonstrating operational consistency across all its devices. Learn more at https://www.agrelaeco.com.

About Danforth Plant Science Center

Founded in 1998, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is a not-for-profit research institute with a mission to improve the human condition through plant science. Research, education and outreach aim to have an impact at the nexus of food security and the environment and position the St. Louis region as a world center for plant science. The Center’s work is funded through competitive grants from many sources, including the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Learn more at https://www.danforthcenter.org.

MEDIA CONTACT

Dallen McLemore, Communications Specialist, The Ray

229.449.6168 | dallen@theray.org | @TheRayHighway

Ray C. Anderson Foundation

Ray C. Anderson Foundation

The Ray C. Anderson Foundation was created in honor of the late Ray C. Anderson (1934-2011), founder of Interface, Inc. During his time at Interface, Ray championed the notion of businesses doing well by doing good. It’s these noble qualities of advancing knowledge and innovation around environmental stewardship and sustainability that recognized Ray as a pioneer in industrial ecology.

The purpose of the Foundation is to perpetuate these shared values and continue the legacy that Ray left behind. Through research and funding, the Foundation aims to help create a better world for future generations—tomorrow’s child. Join us as the story of the Foundation continues to unfold.

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