The invention discloses a high-yield integrated production method for cigar wrappers. This method builds a four in one production facility system that integrates seedling cultivation, transplanting, drying, and fermentation processes of cigar wrapper tobacco leaves. The system has a light intensity of 75-160 umol/(m.sup.2.Math.s), a temperature of 255 C. and a relative air humidity of 75%10%; when transplanting tobacco seedlings, using a nutrient solution, which is a high iron boron nutrient solution with an iron content of 0.3-0.7 mM calculated as Fe and a boron content of 9.5-13.0 mg/L calculated as boric acid. The invention achieves a cigar shell yield of over 65%, a 40% reduction in production facility investment, and a 20% reduction in labor force by accurately regulating the production environment and the supply of growth factors such as nutrients and light.

The invention disclosed herein relates to devices and systems used to grow, trellis, harvest and retain harvested plant material in a position that facilitates drying or curing the plant material. The devices and systems disclosed herein can be used to harvest and relocate plant material from growing areas to drying and/or curing areas more efficiently.

A method of growing Oriental tobacco, is provided. The method can include receiving a plurality of Oriental tobacco seeds; planting the plurality of Oriental tobacco seeds in one or more containers, wherein the containers are located in a greenhouse structure configured to maintain a first temperature of approximately 50-100 F., and a humidity of approximately 50-60%; allowing the seeds to grow into seedlings at least about 4 inches in height; transplanting the seedlings into a coconut core medium, wherein the coconut core medium is located in a greenhouse structure configured to maintain a second temperature of approximately 50-100 F., and a humidity of approximately 50-60%; and allowing the seedlings to grow into Oriental tobacco plants.

A method of growing Oriental tobacco, is provided. The method can include receiving a plurality of Oriental tobacco seeds; planting the plurality of Oriental tobacco seeds in one or more containers, wherein the containers are located in a greenhouse structure configured to maintain a first temperature of approximately 50-100 F., and a humidity of approximately 50-60%; allowing the seeds to grow into seedlings at least about 4 inches in height; transplanting the seedlings into a coconut core medium, wherein the coconut core medium is located in a greenhouse structure configured to maintain a second temperature of approximately 50-100 F., and a humidity of approximately 50-60%; and allowing the seedlings to grow into Oriental tobacco plants.

Methods and compositions are disclosed to improve biomass accumulation in Truncated Light-harvesting Antenna (TLA) crop plant canopies as compared to biomass accumulation measured in wild-type counterparts grown under the same high canopy-density, agronomic, and ambient sunlight conditions.

The invention relates to a method for producing for producing soluble potassium sulfate by recrystallization of crude potassium sulfate wherein the crude potassium sulfate contains an amount of potassium, calculated as K.sub.2O of about 15 wt % or higher preferably about 40 wt % or higher and has either more than about 0.07 wt % insoluble material, and/or a dissolution speed wherein at 3 min dissolution of 100 gram product in 1 L cold water (20 C.), without stirring the amount of dissolved potassium sulfate of less than about 90% and/or a pH of about 6 or higher as a 1% dissolved crude potassium sulfate, wherein the method comprises the following steps: crude potassium sulfate is dissolved, the dissolved potassium sulfate is subjected to a solid material removal step, potassium sulfate is crystallized, while optionally an acid is provided before, during or after the crystallization step of the potassium sulfate and whereafter the obtained potassium sulfate is separated and dried, wherein the particle size of the crystalline material is controlled to be within the ranges provided, optionally with sieving and/or grinding, preferably by sieving, such that the resulting potassium sulfate crystalline material conforms with the following characteristics: the amount of insoluble material is less than about 0.05 wt %, a 1 wt % solution of the potassium sulfate has a pH below about 6, and/or 1 pH unit lower than the pH of the crude potassium sulfate, the fraction obtained after crystallization has an average particle size within the following parameters: (i) d90<about 0.6 mm, (ii) d10>about 0.02 mm, and (iii) dust amounts to about 0.4 wt % or less, whereby the potassium sulfate contains more than 51% potassium, calculated as K.sub.2O.

Disclosed are methods of improving germination rates of plants/crops, as well as preventing or arresting water evaporation loss from targeted soil areas, which allows for improved water usage efficiency by crops, plants, grasses, vegetation, etc.

Disclosed are methods of improving germination rates of plants/crops, as well as preventing or arresting water evaporation loss from targeted soil areas, which allows for improved water usage efficiency by crops, plants, grasses, vegetation, etc.

Disclosed are methods of improving germination rates of plants/crops, as well as preventing or arresting water evaporation loss from targeted soil areas, which allows for improved water usage efficiency by crops, plants, grasses, vegetation, etc.

The present invention relates to tobacco products from plants comprising mutated berberine bridge enzyme-like nucleic acids and the recessive nic1 and/or nic2 alleles and methods of making the same.