The invention relates to the field of watermelon grafting. In particular, double grafted watermelon seedlings and plants are provided and methods for producing such double grafted seedlings and plants.

A novel plant growth-promoting agent and a plant growth-promoting method using the same are provided. The plant growth-promoting agent contains a lactic acid bacterium having a plant growth-promoting action. Also, in the plant growth-promoting method, a seed, a plant body and/or a soil is treated with a lactic acid bacterium having a plant growth-promoting action. Lactobacillus plantarum strain FERM BP-21501 is suitable as the lactic acid bacterium having a plant growth-promoting action.

A device and a method for breeding blueberry-specific mycorrhizal fungi. The device includes a container, where a bottom of the container is laid with perlite to form a perlite layer; an absorbent cotton is arranged on the perlite layer; a hole for planting is provided in the absorbent cotton and blueberry tissue culture seedlings or moss seedlings are placed in the hole; and a spore transfer solution is provided around the blueberry tissue culture seedlings or moss seedlings. When used as a bacterial fertilizer for inoculation in the field, the pieces of absorbent cotton are buried directly around the blueberry roots; while used for research, one of the pieces of the absorbent cotton is washed with sterile water and filtered with a filter paper to obtain mycorrhizal fungi spores.

A cultivation and management device for fruit vegetable plants and fruit trees includes environment state information on an environment state of a fruit vegetable plant or a fruit tree to be cultivated, planned cultivation evaluation index information on a preplanned cultivation evaluation index of the fruit vegetable plant or the fruit tree, a calculation unit configured to determine and output a work including a shape change work for the fruit vegetable plant or the fruit tree with respect to inputs of the environment state information and the planned cultivation evaluation index information with a learning model, and an output unit configured to output the work including the shape change work for the fruit vegetable plant or the fruit tree.

A cultivation and management device for fruit vegetable plants and fruit trees includes environment state information on an environment state of a fruit vegetable plant or a fruit tree to be cultivated, planned cultivation evaluation index information on a preplanned cultivation evaluation index of the fruit vegetable plant or the fruit tree, a calculation unit configured to determine and output a work including a shape change work for the fruit vegetable plant or the fruit tree with respect to inputs of the environment state information and the planned cultivation evaluation index information with a learning model, and an output unit configured to output the work including the shape change work for the fruit vegetable plant or the fruit tree.

This invention relates to methods and materials for providing a benefit to a plant by associating the plant with a complex endophyte comprising a host fungus further comprising a component bacterium, including benefits to a plant derived from a seed or other plant element treated with a complex endophyte. For example, this invention provides purified complex endophytes, purified complex endophyte components such as bacteria or fungi, synthetic combinations comprising said complex endophytes and/or components, and methods of making and using the same.

A concentrated composition for plant nutrition. The composition includes a polymeric stabilizing agent having a high number of polar hydrophilic groups, such as microfibrillated cellulose (MFC), comprising calcium ions, sulfate ions and salts of other elements for plant nutrition. The concentration of calcium ions and sulfate ions and other essential elements exceeds the concentration corresponding to the normal solubility of calcium sulfate and other insoluble salts in water. The proportion of the polymeric stabilizing agent having a high number of polar hydrophilic groups is within a range of 1% and 99% w/w of the suspension. The availability of the nutrient elements is assured within a pH range of 1 to 13.

A tree eggplant and a cultivation method, a rapid propagation method and an application thereof are provided by the present disclosure. In the present disclosure, the Solanum wrightii is specifically selected as the female parent, and the Solanum torvum is used as the male parent, and the tree eggplant variety obtained by hybridization has fast growth, developed trunk, strong growth potential, and is perennial, and is strong in photosynthesis, strong in nutrient and water absorption capacity, high in affinity with the scion, fast in healing at the scion interface of the rootstock and good in healing; and has good resistance to soil-borne diseases such as fusarium wilt, verticillium wilt, bacterial wilt and root knot nematode; and the rapid propagation method of the tree eggplant has strong operability and high efficiency, and is easy to popularize in practical application.

It relates to a straightforward system, which can be used in any greenhouse, as it is not linked to the greenhouse, and which can maximise the area of crop plants per hectare. For this purpose, the invention proposes a system that is supported by struts (1) with a horizontal shaft (3) on which a support mechanism (4) for pairs of supports (5) of the hydroponic crop in question swings, so that they can adopt a position in which they are aligned horizontally, and another position in which they are aligned vertically, so that this position allows access to the plants for harvesting their fruit and therefore not having to leave unused spaces when the plants are aligned horizontally.

A method of predicting fruit quality in a crop before harvesting the crop, comprises receiving a fruit quality threshold for the crop, and selecting a sub-seasonal time-window and a growth threshold, based on the fruit quality threshold. The method also comprises monitoring growth of the crop before a beginning of the time-window, and continuing the monitoring throughout the time-window. If the monitored growth is below the growth threshold during at least 80% of the time-window, then the method provides a prediction output that the fruit quality is above the fruit quality threshold for at least a first percentage of the crop.