An inclined belt conveyor capable of mixing particulate material, such as agricultural seed or fertilizer. Inserting a plurality of mixing baffles into the stream of the particulate material induces a backflow of the particulate material. In the case of wet, freshly treated plant seed, this backflow causes a mixing, polishing, and drying of the plant seed. The mixing distributes the seed treatment into an even coat by rubbing the individual seeds of the seed flow stream together. The inclined belt conveyor may also be used to blend multiple varieties or types of particulate material. The mixing baffles are oriented to induce backflow and sideways lateral movement and may incorporate a passage to allow increase particulate material flow rate. The mixing baffles can selectively deploy between an angle of 20 degrees to 70 degrees to enable the mixing inclined belt conveyor to have a transfer-speed-maximizing mode and a mixing mode.

The present invention relates to a method of treating seed, comprising applying at least one plant treatment agent to said seed; and applying a dry formulation comprising/consisting of spores of P. bilaii and talc powder to said seed. The invention furthermore relates to a formulation for use in seed treatment comprising spores of P. bilaii and talc powder, seed treated with such formulation and methods of improving applicability and quality of P. bilaii spores and methods of improving plant growth, plant health or plant vigor.

An improved device and process for the production of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) having a novel plasma reactor assembly (105) with a gas and water injector (104) that mixes gas (10) and water (103) to produce gas and micro-fine water droplets (106) and injects same into a plasm reactor vessel (125) between electric diodes (128, 129) to yield a nitrous-rich plasma product (107) which is useful in a variety of commercial, agriculture, medical and industrial arenas.

An improved device and process for the production of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) having a novel plasma reactor assembly (105) with a gas and water injector (104) that mixes gas (10) and water (103) to produce gas and micro-fine water droplets (106) and injects same into a plasm reactor vessel (125) between electric diodes (128, 129) to yield a nitrous-rich plasma product (107) which is useful in a variety of commercial, agriculture, medical and industrial arenas.

A change of state of weed seeds to having reduced germination viability in one minute by illuminating a seed in a processing theater to achieve at least one of 0.66 J/cm2 cumulative illumination energy, and 0.06 W/cm2 irradiance, of at least one of an Indigo Region Illumination Distribution (IRID), and Medium Wavelength Infrared (MWIR) radiation, preferably 2-8 microns, with no high energy transfers, scalding, heat shock, cooking or incineration. The MWIR radiation from heated borosilicate glass or glass powder at just under 500 C offered a peak MWIR emission of 3.75 microns, and was unexpectedly effective, and can be used in a radiant and transmissive weed seed accumulator transport belt. The process can be incorporated into a harvester combine to convert a tailings flow prior to discharge on an agricultural field. An illuminated harvest combine using an illuminator according to the invention allows reduction of the weed seed bank.

Provided herein are methods, compositions, and devices relating to administration of UV-B to a seed.

Provided herein are methods, compositions, and devices relating to administration of UV-B to a seed.

This application relates to methods and materials for providing a benefit to a seed or seedling of an agricultural plant (e.g., an agricultural grass plant), or the agricultural plant derived from the seed or seedling. For example, this application provides purified bacterial populations that include novel seed-origin bacterial endophytes, and synthetic combinations of seeds and/or seedlings (e.g., cereal seeds and/or seedlings) with heterologous seed-derived bacterial endophytes.

A travel route generation device for a field work vehicle includes a memory and circuitry. The circuitry is configured to generate, based on field data stored in the memory, a travel route. The circuitry is configured to determine a getting-off point in the travel route at which a driver gets off the field work vehicle. The circuitry is configured to determine a getting-on point in the travel route at which the driver gets on the field work vehicle. The circuitry is configured to define a first partial route in the travel route between the entrance and the getting-off point and a second partial travel route in the travel route between the getting-on point and the entrance as a manual travel route. The circuitry is configured to define a third partial travel route in the travel route between the getting-off point and the getting-on point as an automatic travel route.

Processes for direct seeding of guayule seeds into a field and fields produced by the processes. According to these direct seeding processes, treated guayule seeds are mixed with a seed starting mixture to produce a planting mixture that is applied to exposed soil of a field. The applied planting mixture is then pressed or compressed which facilitates germination of the guayule seeds into seedlings.