Agricultural implements are used to transport material, such as inputs in the form of fertilizer, seed, treatment, or some combination thereof, to row units that apply the material to an area of a field. Metering systems can aid in metering and providing a desired amount of material, such as on-demand, to the row units. The metering systems move the metered material to the row units, such as with pneumatics or other fluids. The metering system can be improved by having primary and secondary nozzles of different sizes, which aid in increasing the speed of the fluid moving the material towards the row units. For example, a smaller diameter for the secondary nozzle will provide improved suction and air speed.

Coir plugs have spherical plugs of coir pith having a diameter in the range of 1 to 3 inches having a seam between two halves of the plug, and indentations in a surface of the plugs, configured to receive a seed. A method of producing coir plugs includes at least one compressing of coir material using opposed half ball cup cylinders to produce spherical plugs having a diameter in the range of 1 to 3 inches and a seam between the two halves, and forming an indentation in a surface of the spherical plugs.

A harvesting and sowing integrated compound operation machine, including a combine harvester, a stubble cleaning device, a topsoil loosening device, a fertilization device, a rotary tillage and ditching device, a sowing device, a detection device, a first driving device, a second driving device and a control device, wherein the stubble cleaning device is mounted below a header of the combine harvester; and the topsoil loosening device, the fertilization device, the rotary tillage and ditching device and the sowing device are mounted at a rear of a chassis of the combine harvester.

The present invention relates to a planting system including a container including a wall and a floor defining an internal volume and a grate located within the container and spaced apart from the floor for defining portions of the internal volume of the container above the grate and below the grate. The portion above the grate is for receiving planting medium wherein the grate is adapted for supporting the planting medium and roots of a plant planted therein. The portion below the grate is located between the grate and the floor of the container and is comprised of empty space. The plate includes a plurality of apertures that are adapted for allowing the roots of the plant to grow and to pass through the grate to the portion of the internal volume below the grate. The planting system includes an air supply device for providing a supply of air to the portion of the internal volume below the grate and to the roots passing through the grate and to the planting medium through the apertures in the grate.

Systems and methods for seed germination and planting include: a germinator unit providing an environment for seeds to germinate in water, and means to deliver the germinated seeds in batch form, suspended in an aqueous hydrogel; and a planting unit to accept batches of suspended seeds and dispense the seeds, preferably in singulated manner, to selected locations in a planting environment. The planting unit may be man-portable, mounted on a trailer or autonomous vehicle, or substantially stationary for use in a greenhouse. The planting environment may be a field or it may be a planting tray, pot, or other container for use in a greenhouse.

A tool assembly for a planter row unit resides at the forward end of the row unit beneath the tool bar. The assembly includes a bracket assembly connected to the row unit, with a ground engaging tool removably mounted on the bracket assembly for movement between raised and lowered positions. A linear actuator controls the position of the tool. The tool may also include a depth control mechanism. Different tools can be interchanged on the bracket assembly.

The disclosure provides an aseptic sowing and raising seedling method for distant hybridization seeds of Phalaenopsis and Rhynchostylis retusa, which takes Phalaenopsis as female parent and Rhynchostylis retusa as male parent to obtain hybridization fruit pods by artificial pollination, the fruit pods are pretreated, and the seeds are aseptically sowed, germinated, protocorm proliferated and differentiated, strong seedlings rooted, acclimatized and transplanted to obtain distant hybridization offspring groups. The disclosure has the advantages of high seed germination rate, large seedling number, short seedling time and good seedling quality, which solves the problems that the seeds of Phalaenopsis distant hybridization process are difficult to succeed due to affinity, and are extremely difficult to germinate and raise seedlings under natural conditions. Therefore, a large number of seedlings can be obtained in a short period by aseptic sowing and artificial propagation, which lays a foundation for breeding excellent varieties of Phalaenopsis distant hybridization.

The disclosure provides an aseptic sowing and raising seedling method for distant hybridization seeds of Phalaenopsis and Rhynchostylis retusa, which takes Phalaenopsis as female parent and Rhynchostylis retusa as male parent to obtain hybridization fruit pods by artificial pollination, the fruit pods are pretreated, and the seeds are aseptically sowed, germinated, protocorm proliferated and differentiated, strong seedlings rooted, acclimatized and transplanted to obtain distant hybridization offspring groups. The disclosure has the advantages of high seed germination rate, large seedling number, short seedling time and good seedling quality, which solves the problems that the seeds of Phalaenopsis distant hybridization process are difficult to succeed due to affinity, and are extremely difficult to germinate and raise seedlings under natural conditions. Therefore, a large number of seedlings can be obtained in a short period by aseptic sowing and artificial propagation, which lays a foundation for breeding excellent varieties of Phalaenopsis distant hybridization.

A system for detecting plugging of an agricultural implement includes a frame member and a ground-engaging tool rotatably coupled to the frame member. The ground-engaging tool is configured to engage soil within a field as the agricultural implement is moved across the field. The system also includes a tool scraper positioned relative to the ground-engaging tool such that the tool scraper is configured to remove field materials from the tool as the tool engages the soil. Moreover, the system includes a sensor configured to detect a parameter indicative of a load on the tool scraper and a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor. The controller is configured to monitory the load on the tool scraper based on data received from the sensor and determine when the tool is experiencing a plugged condition based at least in part on the monitored load.

An electric-powered bulk material dispersing system and method of use. The electric power is provided by a battery system with one or more electric motors to replace traditional internal combustion engines. The electric motor or motors are used to provide pressure to one or more pumps that may be used in conjunction with various tubes, hoses or related conduit and spray nozzles in order to disperse a bulk material such as seed, mulch, compost, chipped wood, grain, hay, fertilizer, herbicide, pesticide, plastic pellets, salt, sand or the like that has been combined or suspended within a fluent material. In one form, the bulk material dispersing system may be used as a bulk hydroseeder.