A plant growth media composition, articles made therefrom, and methods of making and using the same are described. The plant growth media composition includes a combination of one or more plant growth substrate materials and an additive such as cellulose fibers, clay, carrageenan, alginate, chitosan, or combinations thereof.

A method for hydroponic cultivation of crops by using mycorrhizal fungi and their partner bacteria includes growing a partner plant between rows of the crops, and inoculating a mycorrhizal fungal strain and a partner bacterial strain to infect the partner plant or the crop with the mycorrhizal fungal strain, wherein the partner bacterial strain is compatible and coexists with the mycorrhizal fungal strain, and the partner plant facilitates growth of the mycorrhizal fungal strain and the partner bacterial strain.

A composite including a first fabric layer having a water permeability W.sub.1 and adjacent to a second fabric layer having a water permeability W.sub.2, wherein W.sub.2 and W.sub.1 fulfill the relation W.sub.2<W.sub.1, and wherein the composite is folded to exhibit a folded structure, wherein the folded structure includes a plurality of folds. Furthermore, a greening system, a device for thermal insulation, a device for acoustic noise insulation and a multifunctional device for greening and/or thermal insulation and/or acoustic insulation including the composite described before.

A culture support substrate comprising: a first part, making up the backbone of the substrate and representing more than 70% of the total volume of the substrate, composed of particles P.sub.>100 m with particle size greater than 100 m, the particles as a whole consisting of hard particles P.sub.H>100 and/or of resilient particles P.sub.R>100, wherein the resilient particles make up a proportion by volume PV of between 0% and 100% by volume of this first part; a second part of corpuscular components P.sub.<100 with a particle size of less than 100 m, and making up from 0 to 450 g/l of the substrate; a third part, making up from 0 to 200 g/l of the substrate, composed of fine fibers between 3 mm and 100 mm in length and between 5 m and 35 m in diameter; and a fourth part, making up from 0 to 200 g/l of the substrate.

Techniques for reducing water evaporation from soil and other fresh water mediums, such as open bodies of water are provided that include forming a hydrophobic capillary layer thereon. The hydrophobic capillary layer includes a plurality of hydrophobic capillaries configured to push or otherwise direct water provided in the soil or the fresh water medium downward or back into the soil or the fresh water medium while allowing water vapor, oxygen and other gases to pass. This increases the diffusion resistance for the water molecules to pass through the hydrophobic capillary layer and thereby reduces the rate of evaporation of water from the underlying soil or fresh water medium. In an aspect, the hydrophobic capillary layer is formed via soil particles respectively coated with a hydrophobic coating. The reduction to water evaporation from a soil layer covered with the hydrophobic capillary layer results in an increased amount of water retention in the soil layer, which in turn enhances plant growth while conserving water.

The present invention relates to the cultivation (preferably indoor) of Hydrangea species for increased production of phyllodulcin and the provision of a plant material, preferably a dried plant material, having an increased content of phyllodulcin.

The invention is a plant cultivation system for growing plants in or on a body of water. The system includes a plant support that is at least partially buoyant in the water or sinks below a surface of the water. The system further includes a plurality of plant seeds positioned on a top surface of the support. The seeds germinate and grow into plants within the structure, using the body of water as a nutrient source. Advantageously, as the plants grow, they remove pollutants from the water, such as nitrogen and phosphorous. As a result, nutrient pollution from the water is reduced and cultural eutrophication is reversed, thereby preventing deadly algal blooms, and increasing the health of the aquatic ecosystem.

The present invention includes a material and method of installing a construction material for dry or arid climates, comprising: a growth media comprising an abiotic porous material and activated charcoal such as biochar; and at least one of a compost, grain hulls and nut shells, wherein plants in the material are able to survive without exogenous water for use in areas comprising at least one of Aw, BS, BW, Csa, Csb, Ds or Dw climates according to the Koppen-Geiger climate classification.

Described is a hydroponic system wherein a feed formulation comprising a plant's nutritionally required mineral nutrients is applied to the foliage of the plant and the roots of the plant are in contact with an incomplete water solution that may comprise only hydrogen and oxygen. The feed formulation, methods of feeding a plant or plant seed, and plants produced thereby are also described.

A hydroponic substrate includes a three-dimensional self-supporting, vertically stable fibrous body having an inner portion including a first fiber density and an outer crust portion including densified fiber having a second fiber density, the second fiber density being different than the first fiber density, the inner portion and the outer crust portion forming horizontal and vertical liquid pathways structured to distribute liquid throughout the body.