An ultraviolet radiation blocking sheet for blocking ultraviolet radiation while allowing passage of visible light includes a film that is substantially transparent to light that has a wavelength of 495 to 570 nanometers. The film also is substantially absorbent of light that has a wavelength shorter than 495 nanometers. The film is configured to position between a light source and an object to be protected from ultraviolet radiation. The film absorbs the ultraviolet radiation emitted from the light source while allowing light that has a wavelength of 495 to 570 nanometers to pass through the film to illuminate the object.

A heated spray system for frost protection and prevention is described. Heated water, such as groundwater, is delivered through a spray system to the area surrounding the irrigated crops, thus increasing the temperature near the crops and preventing frost damage. Surface water is provided, by a drip irrigation line. The crops are protected from excessive irrigation with the addition of protective covers, a protective curtain, and a drainage system. When spraying groundwater for temperature control, the covers, curtain, and drainage system prevent the water from reaching the roots of the crops, and thus prevent the groundwater from damaging the roots due to contaminants and pollutants in the groundwater.

A collapsible and portable trellis which supports growing plants and increases their overall yield. The trellis includes a first half assembly, a second half assembly, and a locking mechanism. The first half assembly and the second half assembly are hingedly connected to each other through the locking mechanism and each includes a first lateral beam, a second lateral beam, a first crossbar, a second crossbar, a lattice, and an at least one support leg. The first lateral beam and the second lateral beam are positioned parallel and offset to each other. The first crossbar and the second crossbar are perpendicularly connected in between the first lateral beam and the second lateral beam to yield an overall rectangular shape. The support leg is connected to the second crossbar. The lattice is mounted to the first lateral beam, the second lateral beam, the first crossbar, and the second crossbar.

Protection system for the mechanized covering of plant crops which are usually planted in rows, of the type in which vertical poles (1) are arranged along the rows and have heights greater than those of the crowns of the plants to be protected, the poles being interconnected by longitudinal (3) and transverse (2) cables to form an overhead supporting lattice roof structure, the system comprising means for mechanizing the steps of extending flexible protective sheets (4) over the roof structure and removing them therefrom, characterized in that: the poles (1) are in a staggered or grid arrangement such that they are transversely aligned in even-numbered rows (F2, F4, etc.) only and in odd-numbered rows (F1, F3, etc.) only, the whole arrangement being such that the transverse connecting cables (2) intersect the longitudinal cables (3) alternately at points at which neither the transverse nor the longitudinal cables are supported by poles (1); in that the transverse cables (2) run above the longitudinal cables at the intersection points; and in that each protective sheet (4) is arranged so that its median longitudinal part slides on the longitudinal cable (3), passing alternately over a support pole (1), where it is supported from below by the longitudinal cable and by the portion of transverse cable (2) which interacts with the pole, and subsequently passing under a transverse cable (2) at the point of intersection with the longitudinal cable where the sheet is supported solely by the longitudinal cable, the whole arrangement being designed to form a protective covering which is supported from below and above by the support cables (2, 3), and which is therefore able to effectively withstand even considerable atmospheric turbulence.

A cover system is disclosed that comprises at least one cover sheet having four edges; a plurality of flexible rafters, each of the rafters is slidably connected to at least one of two opposite edges of the four edges; and at least one roller provided on at least one of two other opposite edges of the four edges, wherein the roller is configured to rotate, and the cover sheet is configured to wrap around the roller and be released from the roller, depending on a direction of rotation of the roller.

A frame includes a first frame assembly, where the first frame assembly includes an arm member having a first and second end, a leg member having a first and second end, a first fitting connecting the first end of the arm and leg members at an angle, and a flexible panel fastened to the arm and leg members. A method of building a frame includes assembling a first frame assembly by connecting a first end of an arm member having a first and second end with a first end of a leg member having a first and second end, at an angle using a first fitting, and fastening a first flexible panel to the arm and leg members.

Disclosed are a biodegradable coating composition for a mulching paper and a mulching paper. Out of these, the biodegradable coating composition for mulching paper to be coated on a surface of mulching paper comprises: spring water prepared by immersing a mineral substance powder that includes sericite powder and has a particle size distribution of 400 to 700 mesh in a container containing water for 10 to 20 days and thus dissolving a mineral component of a mineral substance in water at 45 to 72 parts by weight; charcoal powder having a particle size of 1,000 to 3,000 mesh at 3 to 8 parts by weight; calcium solution at 8 to 13 parts by weight; a filler including sulfur powder, illite powder, and expanded vermiculite powder at 5 to 15 parts by weight; starch at 5 to 8 parts by weight; and an additive at 10 to 20 parts by weight.

A system and method to facilitate the growth of a plant in a building. The system includes a substrate that is substantially solid, an inflatable raft, or that has an upper member and a lower member with a space therebetween to establish an interior of the substrate. Either form of substrate includes one or more plant retainers and a set of one or more gaseous fluid delivery ports located regularly or irregularly throughout the substrate, including localized in a vicinity of each of the one or more plant retainers. The system further includes a climate delivery subsystem including a gaseous fluid source, a gaseous fluid delivery apparatus, such as a pump and one or more conduits in the substrate, wherein each of the one or more conduits is in communication with each set of the one or more gaseous fluid delivery ports for delivery of the gaseous fluid to an underside of the plant, wherein the one or more conduits are coupled to the gaseous fluid delivery apparatus.

A sheet-like fiber structure (101) includes a plurality of first resin fibers with a plurality of gap portions, in which the plurality of first resin fibers each contain fine particles of tungsten-based oxide in a dispersed form. The content of the fine particles of tungsten-based oxide is preferably 0.5 wt % or more and 6 wt % or less relative to a total weight of the plurality of first resin fibers. By dispersing, into each of the plurality of first resin fibers that constitute the fiber structure (101), the fine particles of tungsten-based oxide having an optical wavelength-selective reflectivity of transmitting visible light and reflecting infrared light, it is possible to achieve both of high transmittance of visible light and high heat shielding performance.

A solar reactive mulch film comprising one or more layers of heat shrink material pre-strained at a predetermined temperature and tension. Immediately cooling the pre-strained layers retains molecular deformation stresses in the material which facilitate shrinkage but not expansion on exposure to solar radiation. The mulch film adapted to be laid over longitudinal growing beds and held tautly by burying its side edges in soil. Exposure of uncovered portions of film to solar radiation causes shrinkage in one or more directions whereby in combination with the weight of the soil holding it down, maintains tautness of the mulch over a growing period. Methods of manufacture and use of the same.