This invention relates to a coating for seeds comprising a polymeric material, a method of making and using the coating for improving the adherence of seeds to sloped surfaces, and seeds containing said coating. The invention also relates to a horticulture system for distributing the coated seeds to landscaping and/or agricultural surfaces.

A hydromulching material includes a mixture of: Kurapia cut seedlings prepared by cutting Kurapia stem into pieces each on the order of averagely 4 cm in length; seeds of sterile annual plant; and soil dressing.

In a method of coating a particulate material, a particulate material is fed into a mixing chamber. The particulate material is agitated within the mixing chamber and conveyed to a mixing chamber outlet. A coating is directed into the mixing chamber and the flow of the coating is controlled based on the volumetric flow rate of the particulate material into the mixing chamber. The coating includes at least one compound selected from herbicides, insecticides, nutrients, wetting agents, surfactants, fungicides, biologicals, inoculants, and mixtures thereof.

Implementations set forth herein relate to using fiducial markings on one or more localized portions of an agricultural apparatus in order to generate local and regional data that can be correlated for planning and executing agricultural maintenance. An array of fiducial markings can be disposed onto plastic mulch that surrounds individual crops, in order that each fiducial marking of the array can operate as a signature for each individual crop. Crop data, such as health and yield, corresponding to a particular crop can then be stored in association with a corresponding fiducial marking, thereby allowing the certain data for the particular crop to be tracked and analyzed. Furthermore, autonomous agricultural devices can rely on the crop data, over other sources of data, such as GPS satellites, thereby allowing the autonomous agricultural devices to be more reliable.

The present disclosure provides novel paper sheet mulch products having benefits over prior sheet mulches, which may include brown or recycled fibers, as well as additives, such as opacity, water-resistant, and strength additives, resulting in mulch products with an improved combination of basis weight, stretch, strength, opacity, and/or water-resistance characteristics.

A method for making a growing medium includes a step of combining tree bark and/or wood components together to form an initial composition; heating the initial composition to a temperature greater than about 149 C. under steam in a pressurized vessel; processing the initial composition through a refiner with a plurality of opposing disks to obtain the fibrous growing medium, the refiner separating fibers from each other; wherein the growing medium has total porosity of 88 volume % or more.

A method for making a growing medium includes a step of combining tree bark and/or wood components together to form an initial composition; heating the initial composition to a temperature greater than about 149 C. under steam in a pressurized vessel; processing the initial composition through a refiner with a plurality of opposing disks to obtain the fibrous growing medium, the refiner separating fibers from each other; wherein the growing medium has total porosity of 88 volume % or more.

Some variations provide an emulsion-colloid system for forming a colloidal barrier material disposed on a substrate, the system comprising a hydrophilic first liquid, an acid, a gelling agent, a hydrophobic second liquid, a plasticizer, and optionally additives, wherein the emulsion-colloid system is characterized by (1) a first instance that is a flowable emulsion above 60 C. and less than the boiling point of the first liquid, and (2) a second instance that is a colloid below 40 C. The emulsion-colloid system is capable of reversible transition, mediated by temperature, between the first instance and the second instance. The disclosed colloidal barrier material provides the functionality of plastic alternatives while removing disadvantages. The disclosed colloidal barrier material reduces labor-intensive application of the barrier, such as the case for covering grain piles with plastic tarps. The disclosed colloidal barrier material also eliminates the need for removal when barrier protection is no longer required.

Methods and processes for producing mulch products are disclosed. A mulch product that includes a fertilizer, at least one seed, and a mulch, and methods and processes for producing mulch products are detailed. The mulch includes wood pellets formed from processed raw sawdust that has been ground. The ground sawdust is formed into pellets, such as by compression. The pellets are then crumbled to form the wood pellets to have a substantially regular outer surface that minimizes engagement with the at least one seed.

A conversion is provided to adapt a salt truck spreading apparatus to a mulch blowing delivery system by replacing a centrifugal spreader with an air lock and blower while providing means to address clogs in the feeding of mulch.