A method and apparatus for cultivating vegetation at an arid location includes rooting immature vegetation in a mat combined with a super absorbent polymer (SAP) and, in embodiments, fertilizer, sand, and/or soil; placing the mat at the arid location; covering the mat with a perforated, transparent or semi-transparent cover; collecting urine in a water purification system; and providing purified water extracted from the urine to the mat. A water barrier can be placed below the mat. The cover can be placed on or suspended above the mat. SAP, seeds, and/or additional water barriers can be placed between mats in a stack. The opacity of the cover can be increased to emulate shade from natural vegetation. A water distribution system can be included for continued support of the vegetation, and can include a water reservoir and/or at least one solar still.

A dynamic controllable system for moderating energy absorption at the earth's surface includes a series of panel units mounted above the earth's surface over land and water masses or on buildings. Each panel unit supports rotatable shafts, with panels joined to or integrally formed with the shafts. Each panel (forcing) has a radiation reflective surface and a radiation emissive surface opposite the radiation reflective surface. The panels are selectively rotated into a predetermined one cardinal positions: reflective, emissive and neutral, or into an intermediate position between cardinal positions. The programmable controller receives various data including top of atmosphere satellite data, air temperature and relative humidity at panel units, weather data, time of day, position of panel units, radiation insolation, and combinations thereof. Responsive to real-time data, both local and regional, the programmable controller directs rotational orientation of panels, causing a desired reflection of shortwave and longwave radiation away from the earth's surface.

A process for regulating the water retention of soil materials used in agriculture involving providing a composition comprising a polymer selected from the group consisting of a urethane, a urethaneurea, a thiocarbamate and mixtures thereof, said polymer comprising hydrophobic and hydrophilic segments; and applying the composition onto soil materials used in agriculture to form a polymer film thereon, wherein the hydrophobic and hydrophilic segments together provide reversible hydrophobic-hydrophilic switching in response to water, such that the film surface switches from a relatively hydrophobic state in dry conditions to a relatively hydrophilic state in response to the presence of water in contact with the film surface.

Polylactide fibers are made from a blend of polylactides. One of the polylactides has a ratio of R-lactic and S-lactic units from 8:92 to 92:8. The second polylactide has a ratio of the R-lactic and S-lactic units of 97:3 or 3:97. The ratio of the R-lactic units to S-lactic units in the blend is from 7:93 to 25:75 or from 75:25 to 93:7. The polylactide fiber contains at least 5 Joules of polylactide crystallites per gram of polylactide resin in the fiber.

A woven fabric formed of fabric fibers or threads coated with a hydrogel, wherein said hydrogel is not crosslinked or is partially crosslinked to the fabric fibers or thread, wherein the hydrogel has a number of excess reactive molecules that are available for a reaction with one or more molecules solvated in an aqueous solution, and wherein the reactive molecules of the hydrogel can reversibly bond with the molecules solvated in an aqueous solution, such that the reactive molecules of the hydrogel attract the molecules solvated in aqueous solution when the hydrogel coated fabric substrate is exposed to an aqueous solution.

The present invention relates to a composition comprising a fluorescent material and a matrix material, a color conversion sheet and a light emitting diode device. The present invention further relates to the use of the composition in a color conversion sheet fabrication process, to the use of the color conversion sheet in optical devices or for agriculture purposes, and to the use of the fluorescent material and the matrix material in light emitting diode devices. Additionally, the invention relates to an optical device comprising the color conversion sheet and to a method for preparing the color conversion sheet and the optical device.

A process for preparing a polymeric membrane for materials used in crop production comprising: a) providing an aqueous dispersion of a polyurethane or polyurethane-urea elastomer comprising segments formed from the copolymer segment of Formula I

A.sup.1-[Y.sup.1].sub.n-L-[Y.sup.2].sub.q-A.sup.2 Formula I

wherein A.sup.1 is an end capping group; A.sup.2 is hydrogen or an end capping group; each [Y.sup.1].sub.n and [Y.sup.2].sub.q is independently selected from a polyether macrodiol, polycarbonate macrodiol, polyester macrodiol, and wherein at least one of [Y.sup.1].sub.n and [Y.sup.2].sub.q is a polyester macrodiol; L is a divalent linking compound independently selected from urethane, urea, carbonate, ester, and phosphonate; n is an integer of 2 to 50; q is an integer of 2 to 50; and b) spraying the aqueous dispersion onto materials to be used in crop production to form a polymeric membrane on the materials.

A ground cover in the form of a mulch, allowing air and moist to permeate, which includes a paper substrate originating from fibre-bearing pulp, preferably emanating from lignocellulosic material, which has been web-formed or sheet-formed, characterized in that the substrate has been impregnated with supercritical fluid, preferably CO2, alternatively a fluid under high pressure such as near supercritical conditions, wherein also one or more colorant(s) is (are) present in said fluid. Also a method for its manufacture and use thereof are disclosed.

The present invention relates to a ground cover in the form of a mulch, comprising a microfibrillated polysaccharide. Also methods for its manufacture and use thereof are disclosed.

A biodegradable, degradable or bio-polymer mulch film comprising a stretching guide operatively attached thereto is provided. The stretching guide may comprise a mark on a surface of the film or a built-in/integrated tension monitor. A method for manufacturing the mulch film and a method of using the mulch film are also provided.