A self-propelled stall cleaning apparatus has a frame assembly, a pair of drive wheels, a motor attached to the assembly for driving the drive wheels and a motor driven collector head. The collector head has a pivoting fork with tines for collecting manure and debris. The fork picks up the manure and debris and tosses it onto a sifting conveyor. The sifting conveyor separates the manure from the bedding and delivers the manure to a lift conveyor which drops the manure into a collection bin. The collection bin is moveable from a stowed position to a dumping position and then back to a stowed position.

Provided is a method for planting a mixed forest of yew trees and fig trees. Yew trees and fig trees are interplanted based on characteristics of yew trees and fig trees. A seedling bed method is used in the plain zones, and a terrace field method is used in mountain zones in order to improve land utilization rate and make full use of complementary advantages of ecological niches. In the present disclosure, ground and underground spaces on tree growing site are fully used. Fig trees grow fast and have large leaves, thus shading part of sunlight for yew trees and savings costs required for building shade shelters for yew trees. By using the method for constructing a mixed forest in the present disclosure, the constructed mixed forest not only allows for increase of biomass, but also provides higher paclitaxel content in yew trees than that in pure forest.

A timber marking system includes a portable back pack mounted user, the pack carrying a paint storage tank and a pressurized gas tank. The storage tank is pressurized and coupled with a manually operated trigger to allow filed operated timber marking. A method to mark timber includes preparing the tank system with pressurized gas, selectively marking a preidentified tree at the trunk and stump.

The invention provides components, structures, methods, and assemblies for applying feeding materials to plants. The invention may include a permeable structure constructed of a woven material incorporating nutrient-rich material (such as compost, fertilizers, soil amendments, soil supplements, or other material). The structure may be substantially closed around the edges and allow for the flow of water and other material therethrough to plants and surrounding vegetation.

A method and apparatus for cultivating vegetation at an inhospitable location includes rooting immature vegetation in a mat combined with a super absorbent polymer (“SAP”) and, in embodiments, fertilizer, sand, and/or soil; providing a water reservoir below grade at the inhospitable location; placing the mat at the inhospitable location over the water reservoir; extending at least one wick from the mat to the water reservoir; and covering the mat with a perforated, transparent or semi-transparent cover. The wick can be infused with nutrients and/or fertilizer. Hollow tubes can extend downward from the mat to enable excess water to flow into the reservoir. The hollow tubes can surround the wicks. The transparent cover can be placed on or suspended above the mat. SAP, seeds, and/or fertilizer can be placed between mats in a stack. A water distribution system can be included for supplying additional water to the water reservoir.

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.

Aspects of the disclosed embodiments relate to an aerial firefighting system for a helicopter, the firefighting system including: an external reservoir for storing water, wherein the reservoir includes a water outlet; a supporting frame coupled to an outer surface of the reservoir; and a moveable robotic nozzle fluidly connected to the water outlet and mounted on the supporting frame or attached to a hose reel for distributing water on a fire; wherein the moveable nozzle is operable by a user from within the helicopter to control the direction that the water is distributed.

The invention relates to a water scooping apparatus (2) for an aircraft (1), comprising a water scooping unit (7) that is associated with a water tank (10) via an extendible tubular member (5). The water scooping unit being provided with an intake opening (20) that is in fluidic communication with the extendible tubular member and arranged at a side of the water scooping unit facing away from the sky when the water scooping apparatus is in an active state, the water scooping unit (7) being provided with a plurality of surface-piercing hydrofoils (25, 26, 27, 28) arranged surrounding the intake opening (20) and configured to generate an upward force when being moved through a body of water to position the water scooping unit with respect to a surface (9) of the body of water in such a way to ensure water intake via the intake opening.

A system and method for extinguishing and preventing a forest fire. This system consists of a forest fire detection device that detects a forest fire, collects data from the forest fire, transmit the data to either the fire department and/or an operator/user via a website, mobile app, or a control room, and alert the public of a forest fire commencing. This system also presents a spray device that consists of a head, sprayer, rotating mechanism, and a reservoir all working together as one to extinguish and prevent a forest fire.

The present disclosure provides a fruit tree pollination method for preventing and controlling an Erwinia amylovora-caused disease, belonging to the technical field of plant protection and fruit tree cultivation. The method includes: (1) mixing a pollen nutrient solution with a bactericide, and adding refined pollen to obtain a pollen suspension; alternatively, mixing a bactericide powder with the refined pollen and a filler to prepare a mixed powder; where the bactericide is any one or more selected from the group consisting of albendazole, an antibacterial polypeptide, and zhongshengmycin; and (2) conducting pollination on a fruit tree with the pollen suspension or the mixed powder in a flowering stage.