A system for testing for contaminants in an assembly line grow pod includes a tray moving along a track arranged in an assembly line grow pod, a plurality of cells arranged on the tray and a contaminant sensor. Each cell supports seeds, plants, or both, and a selected cell includes side walls and a base that define a cavity. The contaminant sensor is arranged in the cavity of the selected cell. The contaminant sensor includes a sensing device and a control device. The sensing device directly senses a characteristic of a content present in association with the selected cell. The control device is coupled to the sensing device and operable to receive a signal from the sensing device. The control device may determine a likelihood of contamination based on the received signal.

An automatic dry material dispenser for dispensing dry material such as fertilizer to pots or other containers passing by on a conveyor. The device is controlled by a photo-detector or mechanical switch to dispense material when the container is in the proper position. The device consists of a material reservoir, a flexible feed hose, a pipe and elbow which can be pivoted by an electric solenoid and electronics for control. As the pipe and elbow are pivoted to a stop by the solenoid material is expelled from the elbow and down into the passing pot. The amount of material dispensed is controlled by an insert-able cylinder and by selecting the number of dispensing cycles per pot.

In order to reduce a possibility of damaging a seedling in the event of transplant of unit nursery beds when the seedlings are replanted from a seedling tray that supports unit nursery beds individually planted with seedlings germinated from seeds to a hydroponic panel capable of securing a longer seedling-to-seedling distance, a seedling transplanter (1) includes: a seedling tray (3) supported by a frame (2) and configured to support a nursery bed (7) having unit nursery beds (71) separable from each other and arranged in two directions on a plane; a hydroponic panel (4) supported by the frame (2) and provided with holes (41) for storing the unit nursery beds (71), the hydroponic panel (4) serving as a transplant destination of the unit nursery beds (71) on the seedling tray (3); and a holding member (5) supported by the frame (2) pivotally around a vertical axis and vertically movably to separate the unit nursery bed (71) from the nursery bed (7) by holding any one or a plurality of the unit nursery beds (71) on the seedling tray (3) arranged in the outermost side of the nursery bed (7) from a lateral face side of the unit nursery bed (71) in a width direction of the unit nursery bed (71), insert the unit nursery bed (71) into the hole (41) of the hydroponic panel (4), and release the unit nursery bed (71).

In order to reduce a possibility of damaging a seedling in the event of transplant of unit nursery beds when the seedlings are replanted from a seedling tray that supports unit nursery beds individually planted with seedlings germinated from seeds to a hydroponic panel capable of securing a longer seedling-to-seedling distance, a seedling transplanter (1) includes: a seedling tray (3) supported by a frame (2) and configured to support a nursery bed (7) having unit nursery beds (71) separable from each other and arranged in two directions on a plane; a hydroponic panel (4) supported by the frame (2) and provided with holes (41) for storing the unit nursery beds (71), the hydroponic panel (4) serving as a transplant destination of the unit nursery beds (71) on the seedling tray (3); and a holding member (5) supported by the frame (2) pivotally around a vertical axis and vertically movably to separate the unit nursery bed (71) from the nursery bed (7) by holding any one or a plurality of the unit nursery beds (71) on the seedling tray (3) arranged in the outermost side of the nursery bed (7) from a lateral face side of the unit nursery bed (71) in a width direction of the unit nursery bed (71), insert the unit nursery bed (71) into the hole (41) of the hydroponic panel (4), and release the unit nursery bed (71).

A method for pumping seeds to an assembly line grow pods includes releasing seeds to a pipe in fluid communication with a pump, moving water from a water source to the pipe in fluid communication with the pump, combining the seeds released from the tank with the water from the water source in the pipe, and pumping the combination of the seeds released from the tank and the water from the water source to a grow pod line in fluid communication with the pump, and moving the seeds from the grow pod line to one or more carts of an assembly line grow pod.

A method for pumping seeds to an assembly line grow pods includes releasing seeds to a pipe in fluid communication with a pump, moving water from a water source to the pipe in fluid communication with the pump, combining the seeds released from the tank with the water from the water source in the pipe, and pumping the combination of the seeds released from the tank and the water from the water source to a grow pod line in fluid communication with the pump, and moving the seeds from the grow pod line to one or more carts of an assembly line grow pod.

The present invention relates to a device and method for sowing seeds. The invention relates more particularly to a device and method for sowing seeds as part of a plant. The system according to the invention comprises a separating device for separating a single seed relative to a remainder of the plurality of seeds, an optical recognition system (9) for recognizing the separated seed, a robot arm device (4) for picking up the separated seed and for sowing the picked-up seed, arid a control unit for controlling the separating device, the optical recognition system (9) and the robot arm device (4). With this system it is possible to sow seeds in a more accurate and less error-prone manner.

A method for pressurizing an assembly line grow pod system is provided. The method includes arranging a dual wall including an outer wall and an inner wall, controlling, with an air pressure controller, first air pressure in the first sealed area and second air pressure in the second sealed area, and controlling, with a master controller, operations of the air pressure controller. The first air pressure of the first sealed area is controlled to be higher than pressure of an exterior area to the outer wall by a predetermined amount.

The present invention relates to a device and method for sowing seeds. The invention relates more particularly to a device and method for sowing seeds as part of a plant breeding process. The system according to the invention comprises a separating device for separating a single seed relative to a remainder of the plurality of seeds, an optical recognition system for recognizing the separated seed, a robot arm device for picking up the separated seed and for sowing the picked-up seed, and a control unit for controlling the separating device, the optical recognition system and the robot arm device. With this system it is possible to sow seeds in a more accurate and less error-prone manner.

A smart seeder which significantly enhances efficiency in individual seed separation by enabling the seeds supplied onto a transfer plate to be spread more easily so that the seeds do not overlap, and consequently by enabling the seeds to be separated individually. Furthermore, the smart seeder can not only significantly reduce production costs due to the simple structure thereof, but also significantly enhance seed separation efficiency by separating one or multiple seeds, which may comprise fine seeds, such as lettuce seeds, or the like, whether the seeds are small seeds or large seeds.