The application provides a method for improving nutrient supply of female floral branches of Populus deltoides artificial hybridization. According to the technical links of the hybridization operation, the method separately integrates and improves the cultivation of female floral branch nutrient-supply seedlings (i.e., grafting rootstocks of floral branches), the pre-management of female floral branch nutrient-supply seedlings, the hydroponic management of floral branches, the Marching between female floral branches and rootstocks, the management of female floral branch nutrient-supply seedlings and the hydroponic management of female floral branches, so the goal of improving the seed-setting rate and quality of poplar hybrid seeds which came from the floral branches cultured in water has been achieved. Compared with the conventional method, the method of the invention not only can realize good seed quality, but also improve the seed-setting rate, and has a remarkable effect when applied to Populus deltoides artificial hybridization.

The application provides a method for improving nutrient supply of female floral branches of Populus deltoides artificial hybridization. According to the technical links of the hybridization operation, the method separately integrates and improves the cultivation of female floral branch nutrient-supply seedlings (i.e., grafting rootstocks of floral branches), the pre-management of female floral branch nutrient-supply seedlings, the hydroponic management of floral branches, the Marching between female floral branches and rootstocks, the management of female floral branch nutrient-supply seedlings and the hydroponic management of female floral branches, so the goal of improving the seed-setting rate and quality of poplar hybrid seeds which came from the floral branches cultured in water has been achieved. Compared with the conventional method, the method of the invention not only can realize good seed quality, but also improve the seed-setting rate, and has a remarkable effect when applied to Populus deltoides artificial hybridization.

Embodiments of the disclosure relate to soilless growth media with light reflecting and light absorbing surfaces for indoor farming and methods of using the media to germinate seeds and develop plants. In some embodiments, the soilless growth media can be a fabric made from two webs that can be joined together with a tie-in yarn linking the light reflecting plant supporting surface web yarn and the light absorbing web base yarn together in the fabric. The soilless growth media in embodiments of the disclosure can be used to reduce evaporation from nutrient delivery systems and improve controlled environmental agriculture operating efficiency.

A system for vertical hydroponic plant growing. The system, and associated apparatuses and methods, may include or use sprockets, a sprocket drive device that is connected to at least one sprocket among the sprockets, a first continuous loop chain that is mounted on the sprockets, a second continuous loop chain that is mounted on the sprockets, and trays. Each tray includes a first end and a second end that includes a drain hole. The trays are attached to the first continuous loop chain and to the second continuous loop chain. The system also includes a fluid-dispensing device that is configured to dispense a fluid into a tray that is moved by the chains to a position adjacent to the fluid-dispensing device. The chains are configured to longitudinally tilt a tray downward towards the drain hole while the tray is near the position adjacent to the fluid-dispensing device.

A hydroponic growth system for plant growth is disclosed. The hydroponic growth system comprises a nutrient reservoir for containing a nutrient solution, and a plurality of growth vessels. The hydroponic growth system further comprises a nutrient delivery system for delivering the nutrient solution from the nutrient reservoir to the growth vessels. The nutrient delivery system comprises at least one water pump, a first liquid tube, and a second liquid tube, and each of the liquid tubes being connected to and in fluid communication with a water growth vessel at a first end, and being connected to and in fluid communication with a respective pump at a second end. The hydroponic growth system further includes an overflow tube extending between a first one of the growth vessels and a second one of the growth vessels.

A vertically-stacked growing system includes vertical beams and horizontal shelves respectively arranged on different vertical levels. Each horizontal shelf has a length and a width, and includes horizontal structural supports coupled to at least some of the vertical beams, decking coupled to the horizontal structural supports, and multiple walls to form a shallow pond when the horizontal shelf contains a plant nutrient water culture, thereby constituting a growing layer of the growing system. The walls include two side walls along the length and two end walls along the width. Each horizontal shelf further includes a loading and/or unloading apparatus to facilitate loading and/or unloading of a plurality of rafts into and/or out of the shallow pond, via the two end walls, wherein respective rafts of the plurality of rafts include a plurality of germinated plants. At least a first horizontal shelf further comprises a raft conveyance system to move at least a first raft of the plurality of rafts through a first shallow pond contained in the first horizontal shelf.

A vertically-stacked growing system includes vertical beams and horizontal shelves respectively arranged on different vertical levels. Each horizontal shelf has a length and a width, and includes horizontal structural supports coupled to at least some of the vertical beams, decking coupled to the horizontal structural supports, and multiple walls to form a shallow pond when the horizontal shelf contains a plant nutrient water culture, thereby constituting a growing layer of the growing system. The walls include two side walls along the length and two end walls along the width. Each horizontal shelf further includes a loading and/or unloading apparatus to facilitate loading and/or unloading of a plurality of rafts into and/or out of the shallow pond, via the two end walls, wherein respective rafts of the plurality of rafts include a plurality of germinated plants. At least a first horizontal shelf further comprises a raft conveyance system to move at least a first raft of the plurality of rafts through a first shallow pond contained in the first horizontal shelf.

Disclosed herein are devices and a system for hydroponically growing plants. A pod comprising a top surface, a bottom surface and at least one side surface, said side surface connecting the top surface and the bottom surface is disclosed. The pod body comprises an indentation. A contour of the top surface of the pod body is larger than a contour of the bottom surface of the body. Additionally or alternatively to the contours geometry, the pod comprises a protective layer forming a barrier between at least part of said indentation and surrounding medium. The system for growing plants comprises the pod and a socket configured to receive the pod. A contour of the bottom surface is smaller than a contour of the socket opening and a contour of the top surface is larger than a contour of the socket opening.

The patent discloses a method for efficiently collecting and purifying Orobanche cumana (O. cumana) germination stimulants using aeroponic system and solid-phase extraction (SPE), including the following steps: (1) sunflower seeds germination, then planting sunflower seedlings in aeroponic device, and cultivating the sunflower seedlings in the aeroponic system; at the aeroponic stage, phosphorus-containing aeroponic nutrient solution is first used to cultivate the sunflower seedlings for 20 to 25 days, and phosphorus-free aeroponic nutrient solution is then used instead to subject the sunflower seedlings to starvation cultivation for 5 to 7 days; and (2) passing all nutrient solutions in the aeroponic device through an SPE cartridge for SPE to extract O. cumana germination stimulants. The obtained O. cumana germination stimulants are diversified, and have high concentration and purity.

A synthetic growing media, such as for a hydroponic growing system, includes a plastic body having multiple legs pointing in different directions. One or more of the legs has a bulbous tip. A synthetic growing medium comprising an aggregate of synthetic growing media and hydroponic system for plant cultivation are also disclosed.