The invention concerns a system for cultivating plant products without soil comprising a plurality of shelves for cultivating plant products. The shelves have a reference axis and comprise: a supporting frame, a plurality of cultivation bars which have an approximately rectilinear shape, extend along respective longitudinal axes, and are coupled to the supporting frame so as to be arranged approximately coplanar and alongside one another, and have the respective longitudinal axes parallel to the reference axis and mechanical spacing members, which are interleaved between the adjacent cultivation bars, and are each structured so that the actuation of a mechanical spacing member causes a variation of the distance transverse to the reference axis, between two cultivation bars immediately adjacent to the same member. The invention also concerns a method for cultivating plant products.

A method for manufacturing a urea-formaldehyde slow-release nitrogen fertilizer includes steps of: mixing and heating urea and formaldehyde solution with a predetermined molar ratio of urea to formaldehyde; adjusting a PH value of hydroxymethylation reaction of urea and formaldehyde solution to 7.5-10.5; heating the hydroxymethylation reaction of urea and formaldehyde solution to the initial reaction temperature of 50° C.; adding a catalyst to start the hydroxymethylation reaction of urea and formaldehyde solution, and conducting hydroxymethylation reaction intermittently or continuously; heating cold urea-formaldehyde solution using the reaction heat of hydroxymethylation; adjusting the pH value of the methylenation reaction of urea and formaldehyde solution to 3.5-5.0; adding a catalyst; completing the methylenation reaction of urea and formaldehyde solution within 1 to 10 minutes; and performing spraying granulation of slurry after the methylenation reaction of urea and formaldehyde solution in the granulator to obtain a urea-formaldehyde slow-release nitrogen fertilizer.

An indoor gardening appliance includes a grow module positioned within a grow chamber for receiving one or more plant pods. The indoor gardening system includes a hydration and sanitization system that includes a water supply for providing a flow of water into a mixing tank that is periodically discharged through a discharge nozzle to hydrate and provide nutrients to plants. A sanitization assembly includes an electrolytic hypochlorous acid generator that is fluidly coupled to the mixing tank for selectively generating hypochlorous acid that helps sanitize plants within the grow chamber.

Methods, apparatus, systems and processor-readable storage media for distributed farming are provided herein. A computer-implemented method includes facilitating transfer of one or more substrates and one or more crops at approximately a given stage of a growth cycle, from (i) a first location to (ii) one or more growing units, wherein the given stage of the growth cycle comprises a stage prior to completion of the growth cycle; processing data, captured via multiple sensors within the one or more growing units, wherein the data comprise (i) data pertaining to at least one of the one or more substrates and the one or more crops, and (ii) data pertaining to the one or more growing units; and performing one or more automated actions based at least in part on the processing of the data.

A system comprising a conditioning system with one or more cooling coils configured to allow air to pass through the cooling coils to reduce a temperature of the air as well as an extraction portion with a plurality of condensing plates configured to receive conditioned air and configured to cause a portion water vapor of the conditioned air to collect and form liquid water, and a reservoir configured to receive collected liquid water from the plurality of condensing plates.

A stackable pot assembly having pots arranged in horizontal and vertical directions to form the stacked pot assembly. The assembly includes two or more blocks mounted over each other. The first block mounted over the floor, the first block has one or more rows of twin-bases arranged lengthwise or side-by-side. The upper blocks mounted one over another, and the upper blocks mounted over the first block. The upper block comprises twin-pots and round-pots. The twin-pots and round-pots have feet configured in their bottom, wherein the twin-pot has two spaced-apart feet while the round pot has a single feet. A lid secures the twin-bases, twin-pots, and round-pots, wherein the lid has apertures for receiving the feet when a twin-pot or a round-pot is mounted over the lid secured to below block. The lid is further having a plant hole.

A motor creep control system includes at least one motor and a manifold fluidically coupled to the at least one motor and configured to control flow of a fluid through the at least one motor. The manifold includes an input port, an output port, at least one fluid control valve to control the at least one motor, and a motor creep control valve. A first state of the motor creep control directs the fluid from the input port, through the at least one fluid control and motor, and to the at least one output port. Meanwhile, a second state of the motor creep control in conjunction with the at least one fluid control valve being deactivated directs the fluid from the input port that leaks past the deactivated at least one fluid control valve to the at least one output port, while bypassing the at least one motor.

A smart hydroponic vase system, a method for growing a plant in a smart hydroponic vase, and a method of assembling a smart hydroponic vas is described. The smart hydroponic vase includes a housing having a plurality of chambers; a submersible pump located in each of the plurality of chambers; a plurality of pipes, wherein each pipe connects a different chamber to the first chamber, wherein each pipe is connected to a respective submersible pump; a plurality of measurement sensors including ultrasonic level sensors and a temperature sensor, and a microprocessor connected to receive measurement signals and the level signals and generate drive signals to actuate the plurality of pumps based on sensor signals. A wireless communications unit is connected to the microprocessor. The smart hydroponic vase communicates with a plant manager through a server.

An extended term hydroponic cultivation apparatus and method provide a growth environment for a plant to develop an oxygen root structure and a water root structure as the plant matures. The root structure of the plant is carried in a growth chamber containing an initial water level with an air gap defined above the water level for development of the oxygen root structure in the air gap. Water root structure development progresses downwardly to a bottom of the growth chamber as the plant consumes water contained within the system until reaching a terminal growth length in a terminal water level. A float valve maintains the water in the system at the terminal water level to sustain plant growth for an extended temporal duration. A drain valve allows for evacuation of water for replenishment with a fresh source of water to the terminal water level.

A ground working apparatus is supported on the toolbar of an agricultural implement for injecting liquid fertilizer into the ground. A disc arm is pivotally coupled to a mounting bracket on the toolbar to extend downwardly and rearwardly to a coulter disc rotatably supported on the lower end of the disc arm to cut the ground. An upright pivot assembly pivotally couples the upper end of the disc arm relative to the mounting bracket to pivot about an upright axis while preventing upward movement of the disc. A shank is pivotal on the disc arm to support a shovel trailing the disc to form an undercut trough connected to the ground cut formed by the coulter disc. A pressure mechanism prevents upward pivotal movement of the shovel relative to the disc arm until an upward pressure applied to the shovel exceeds a prescribed holding force of the pressure mechanism.