A system and method are provided for the indoor and outdoor cultivation of larger fruiting plants. Improved lighting techniques, plant layouts, and space utilization are provided to improve the quality and yields of harvested products from large fruiting plants on a per plant and unit area basis. The uniformity of artificial light is improved from the top to the bottom of tall plants and vines, and overcome the lack of light penetration through the canopy of the plant by changing the orientation of lights from a horizontal to vertical alignment along the side of the plant verses over the top of the canopy, as well as increasing the number of light sources to reduce shading. Plants are trained to grow in specific directions and orientations in a grid system to enable an optimal and uniform light distribution and to improve space utilization in a given growing area.

An upward, vertically extending agricultural gas distribution system is disclosed. The gas distribution system is useable for orchards, plantations, and other permanent or semi permanent crops. The gas delivery system includes a gas supply, a flexible tube, and a rigid tube. The gas supply is adapted to be disposed proximate the bottom of a plant. The flexible tube is connected to the gas supply and has a lumen for communication of gas from the gas supply. The flexible tube is adapted to be oriented vertically along the vertical length of the plant. The rigid tube is connected to the flexible tube and also has a lumen for communication of gas from the flexible tube. The rigid tube has at least one gas emitter for release of gas from the rigid tube lumen to the exterior environment. The rigid tube is adapted to be oriented vertically along the vertical length of the plant, above the flexible tube. Tree couplers, gas wands, gas flow indicators, and gas flow control valves are also disclosed.

An upward, vertically extending agricultural gas distribution system is disclosed. The gas distribution system is useable for orchards, plantations, and other permanent or semi permanent crops. The gas delivery system includes a gas supply, a flexible tube, and a rigid tube. The gas supply is adapted to be disposed proximate the bottom of a plant. The flexible tube is connected to the gas supply and has a lumen for communication of gas from the gas supply. The flexible tube is adapted to be oriented vertically along the vertical length of the plant. The rigid tube is connected to the flexible tube and also has a lumen for communication of gas from the flexible tube. The rigid tube has at least one gas emitter for release of gas from the rigid tube lumen to the exterior environment. The rigid tube is adapted to be oriented vertically along the vertical length of the plant, above the flexible tube. Tree couplers, gas wands, gas flow indicators, and gas flow control valves are also disclosed.

A black pepper trellis system. A method of growing black pepper plants is described including constructing a continuous trellis system including vertical and horizontal vine support lines, where the vertical lines are up to 5 meters high and are up to 50 centimeters apart, covering up to 20 acres of soil or more, and growing pepper vines up and across the vertical and horizontal lines, resulting in a dense hedgerow of pepper plants and enhanced black pepper yield per acre. The trellis system and black pepper per acre produced by the above system processes is also described.

An Integrated dual-use machine is for harvesting and treating fruit on trees, in order to harvest the fruit when in season and treat the fruit on the tree with phytosanitary products. The machine includes a moveable structure, intended to shelter the fruit trees. The moveable structure includes a collection unit for the fruit that has been brought down, and is supported on one or two traction vehicles. The vehicles include at least one device for projecting and orienting air currents, at least one infrared camera, at least one collection belt, at least one load container, at least one conveyor belt that connects the collection belt to a load trailer, and a traction system that actuates tractor treads.

Methods for predicting a yield of fruit growing in an agricultural plot are provided. At a first time, a first plurality of images of a canopy of the agricultural plot is obtained from an aerial view of the canopy of the agricultural plot. From the first plurality of images, a first number of detectable fruit is estimated. At a second time, a second plurality of images of the canopy of the agricultural plot is obtained from the aerial view of the canopy of the agricultural plot. From the second plurality of images, a second number of detectable fruit is estimated. Using at least the first number of detectable fruit and the second number of detectable fruit and agricultural plot information, predict the yield of fruit from the agricultural plot.

A plant cover apparatus includes a bag having an interior encompassed by a wall that extends from a top end of the bag and tapers inwardly to a bottom end of the bag. The bottom end includes a rim that laterally circumscribes a plant-receiving opening formed through the bag. The bag has a slot that extends vertically from the opening through the wall. The slot includes opposed margins having cooperatively interlocking parts that can temporarily be joined and separated to increase the size of the opening. The bag may be vertically suspended from a support member positioned next to the plant. An exterior perimeter of the bag may be rigid enough to help the bag maintain its shape when suspended.

A plant cover apparatus includes a bag having an interior encompassed by a wall that extends from a top end of the bag and tapers inwardly to a bottom end of the bag. The bottom end includes a rim that laterally circumscribes a plant-receiving opening formed through the bag. The bag has a slot that extends vertically from the opening through the wall. The slot includes opposed margins having cooperatively interlocking parts that can temporarily be joined and separated to increase the size of the opening. The bag may be vertically suspended from a support member positioned next to the plant. An exterior perimeter of the bag may be rigid enough to help the bag maintain its shape when suspended.

The present invention relates to a decision support method for the management of an orchard of fruit trees, the method comprising the following steps: Receiving (10) a plurality of digital images acquired in color, Then for each current image of the plurality of images: Converting (20) the current digital image acquired, into a converted HSL image coded in Hue Saturation and Lightness components, Filtering (30) the Hue Saturation and Lightness components, Combining (40) the filtered Hue Saturation and Lightness planes (5, 6, 7) to obtain a Combined plane (12), Calculating (50) a Work plane (13) from the Combined plane (12), Counting (60) the objects of interest in the Work plane (13), Determining (70) a blossoming level for each current image as a function of the number of objects of interest counted for said current image.

Various embodiments relate generally to computer vision and automation to autonomously identify and deliver for application a treatment to an object among other objects, data science and data analysis, including machine learning, deep learning, and other disciplines of computer-based artificial intelligence to facilitate identification and treatment of objects, and robotics and mobility technologies to navigate a delivery system, more specifically, to an agricultural delivery system configured to identify and apply, for example, an agricultural treatment to an identified agricultural object. In some examples, a method may include identifying an agricultural object being associated with a subset of agricultural objects, identifying an action corresponding to a subset of agricultural objects responsive, selecting an emitter with which to perform an action associated with the agricultural object, configuring an agricultural projectile delivery system to activate an emitter to propel an agricultural projectile to intercept an agricultural object.