A process for preparing a polymeric membrane for soil materials used in crop production comprising providing an aqueous dispersion of polyurethane and spraying the aqueous dispersion onto soil materials to be used in crop production to form a polymeric membrane.

Devices and methods for attaching objects to living trees. Various forms of the devices employ a cable that is sized to be wrapped around a circumference of a portion of the living tree and engaged by at least one friction generating member to retain the cable attached to the portion of the living tree without human intervention until another circumference of the portion of the living tree exceeds a length of the cable to enable the cable to automatically disengage the portion of the living tree without the human intervention.

Devices and methods for attaching objects to living trees. Various forms of the devices employ a cable that is sized to be wrapped around a circumference of a portion of the living tree and engaged by at least one friction generating member to retain the cable attached to the portion of the living tree without human intervention until another circumference of the portion of the living tree exceeds a length of the cable to enable the cable to automatically disengage the portion of the living tree without the human intervention.

A system for autonomous crop monitoring, the system comprising a mobile platform having one or a plurality of imaging devices configured to autonomously travel a path to scan a plurality of inspection regions in a field of crop and obtain images of the inspection regions; and a processor configured to analyze the acquired images to detect an agricultural condition that requires attention (ACRA) and determine the location of that ACRA.

A system for autonomous crop monitoring, the system comprising a mobile platform having one or a plurality of imaging devices configured to autonomously travel a path to scan a plurality of inspection regions in a field of crop and obtain images of the inspection regions; and a processor configured to analyze the acquired images to detect an agricultural condition that requires attention (ACRA) and determine the location of that ACRA.

The present invention relates to a slurry comprising water, bentonite, and a compound selected from fertilizer, a plant growth regulator, a fungicide and an insecticide. The present invention also relates to an agricultural product comprising a slurry comprising water and bentonite, and a plant propagative material. Methods of using the bentonite to enhance a growth-related trait, such as drought tolerance, in a plant are also described.

The present invention relates to a slurry comprising water, bentonite, and a compound selected from fertilizer, a plant growth regulator, a fungicide and an insecticide. The present invention also relates to an agricultural product comprising a slurry comprising water and bentonite, and a plant propagative material. Methods of using the bentonite to enhance a growth-related trait, such as drought tolerance, in a plant are also described.

Containers for transporting plants are provided that can include a base having a base recess for receiving a plant and a growing medium or soil, a lid that can attach to the base such that the lid can extend over and enclose the plant within the container, a cover for holding the plant within the base recess that can be mounted within a base opening into the base recess and abutting against the growing medium or soil, at least one light source mounted to an upper surface of the cover, and a tamper-resistant attachment mechanism for attaching the lid and the base together. Methods for enclosing and transporting plants within containers are also provided.

To estimate an event occurrence time when an event caused by a pest and leading to damage to a crop has occurred. Provided is an information processing device including an acquisition unit that acquires pest occurrence information including information on an occurrence time of damage to a crop caused by a pest and environment information including an cultivation environment for the crop; an event period determining unit that determines, using the pest occurrence information, an estimated event occurrence period during which an event leading to the occurrence of the damage to the crop is suspected to have occurred and an event-free period during which the event leading to the occurrence of the damage has not occurred; and an event estimation unit that estimates, by comparing the environment information in the estimated event occurrence period with the environment information in the event-free period, an event occurrence time when the event has occurred from the estimated event occurrence period.

To estimate an event occurrence time when an event caused by a pest and leading to damage to a crop has occurred. Provided is an information processing device including an acquisition unit that acquires pest occurrence information including information on an occurrence time of damage to a crop caused by a pest and environment information including an cultivation environment for the crop; an event period determining unit that determines, using the pest occurrence information, an estimated event occurrence period during which an event leading to the occurrence of the damage to the crop is suspected to have occurred and an event-free period during which the event leading to the occurrence of the damage has not occurred; and an event estimation unit that estimates, by comparing the environment information in the estimated event occurrence period with the environment information in the event-free period, an event occurrence time when the event has occurred from the estimated event occurrence period.