The present invention provides a system for changing an interval between plants without performing thinning work or transplanting work of plants. The nutrient solution tray is configured to include: a receptacle part for housing a plant, a nutrient solution-inflow area for allowing inflow of water or nutrient solution, and a nutrient solution-outflow area having at least one nutrient solution-outflow port for allowing the water or the nutrient solution to flow out. At least the receptacle part, the nutrient solution-inflow area, and the nutrient solution-outflow area form a bottom surface of the nutrient solution tray. The nutrient solution tray includes a first installation surface pair comprising a first installation surface and a second installation surface. The first installation surface is formed in a side of the nutrient solution-inflow area in a longer side direction of the nutrient solution tray. The second installation surface is formed in a side of the nutrient solution-outflow area in the longer side direction of the nutrient solution tray. The first installation surface is farther away from the bottom surface than the second installation surface.

The present invention relates a plant cultivation apparatus using an up-down system enabling mass production of plants by allowing the entire area of a greenhouse to be used as a cultivation space.

The plant cultivation apparatus using the up-down system includes a driving unit 20 installed at trusses 12 installed at regular intervals in a forward and backward direction to horizontally cross tops of inner pillars 11 of a greenhouse 10 and including a deceleration motor 21, a drive shaft 22, driving sprocket members 23 installed at the drive shaft at regular intervals in the forward and backward direction and including first to fifth sprockets 231 to 235, and first to fourth left and right auxiliary sprockets 241 to 244 installed to be adjacent to left and right sides of the second to fifth sprockets respectively, an elevating unit 30 operably installed by the driving unit 20 including first to fifth elevating members 31 to 35, and left and right cultivation gutters 40 and 40 ascending and descending in a state of being coupled to left and right ends of the first to fifth elevating members respectively. The left and right cultivation gutters of the first to third elevating members simultaneously ascend and descend alternately in turn by using one deceleration motor and one driving shaft.

A high density horticulture growing system comprises a plurality of containers in which crops are grown and one or more elevator devices to automatically move the containers between vertically spaced levels of one or more modular racks. Each elevator device comprises a carrier to transport the containers between the vertically spaced levels and a ram to push the containers from the carrier onto one or more longitudinal supports at the vertically spaced levels. A first conveying device moves containers at least horizontally from a crop planting area to each rack and a second conveying device moves containers at least horizontally from each rack to a crop storage area. One or more processors control movement of the containers, watering of the crops, temperature, lighting and other parameters of the system. A plurality of the high density horticulture growing systems are in communication with a centralised data monitoring and collection system for the transmission and reception of data relating to the growing of crops.

The hydroponic growing system may include a gutter assembly configured to manage flow of a liquid solution to one or more components of the hydroponic growing system. Further, the hydroponic growing system may include at least one growing trough movably engaged to the gutter assembly and configured to hold one or more plants. Moreover, the hydroponic growing system may include an automation assembly movably engaged with the at least one growing trough and configured to move the at least one trough from a first position on the gutter assembly to a second position on the gutter assembly via one or more engagement devices.

The facility has a pair of side bars (1,1) acting as inclined supports for an upper sheet (2) with openings (8) for inserting the plants, a closed lower sheet (4) acting as a collector, and at least one intermediate sheet (3) with openings determining a cascade trajectory for the water with the nutrients. The multi-layer upper sheet (2) preferably includes four layers (2a, 2b, 2e and 2d), which together define narrow channels (7) such that at insertion, the root of each plant is placed in a channel (7) different from that used by the adjacent plants. The openings (8) for the insertion of the plants form two marginal and longitudinal lines, so than the roots of adjacent plants can be completely isolated during the first growth phase thereof, preventing interference therebetween and allowing plants with different growth rates and even different types of plants to be arranged on the facility, generating, in turn, continuous production and an improved yield from the facility.

A system for cultivating a crop includes a guide and a plurality of gutters. Each gutter is provided to contain a plurality of crop units and the guide is provided to guide the gutters in a first direction and to gradually increase the distance between adjacent gutters in said direction so that the number of crop units per square metre in the area substantially decreases. The area comprises first and second zones, and each gutter in the first zone contains crop units with a first intermediate distance and each gutter in the second zone contains crop units with a second intermediate distance. The first intermediate distance is considerably smaller than the second intermediate distance and the distance between gutters in the first zone at the position of a transition from the first zone to the second zone is considerably greater than the distance between gutters in the second zone.

The hydroponic growing system may include a gutter assembly configured to manage flow of a liquid solution to one or more components of the hydroponic growing system. Further, the hydroponic growing system may include at least one growing trough movably engaged to the gutter assembly and configured to hold one or more plants. Moreover, the hydroponic growing system may include an automation assembly movably engaged with the at least one growing trough and configured to move the at least one trough from a first position on the gutter assembly to a second position on the gutter assembly via one or more engagement devices.

A hydroponic growing system including an elongated trough. The trough includes at least a first side wall, an opposite second side wall, and a bottom wall, which all extend in the longitudinal direction of the trough and delimit a space in the centre of the trough, open at the top. The trough also includes a partition wall structure extending in the longitudinal direction of the trough and dividing said central space into two adjacent elongated grooves which are open at the top and into which one or more substrates can be placed for the cultivation of plants. In an example, the partition wall structure includes an elongated overflow channel extending in the longitudinal direction of the groove and guides the irrigation water past the grooves. The overflow channel may be arranged in an elevated position with respect to the bottom wall.

The facility has a pair of side bars (1,1) acting as inclined supports for an upper sheet (2) with openings (8) for inserting the plants, a closed lower sheet (4) acting as a collector, and at least one intermediate sheet (3) with openings determining a cascade trajectory for the water with the nutrients. The multi-layer upper sheet (2) preferably includes four layers (2a, 2b, 2e and 2d), which together define narrow channels (7) such that at insertion, the root of each plant is placed in a channel (7) different from that used by the adjacent plants. The openings (8) for the insertion of the plants form two marginal and longitudinal lines, so than the roots of adjacent plants can be completely isolated during the first growth phase thereof, preventing interference therebetween and allowing plants with different growth rates and even different types of plants to be arranged on the facility, generating, in turn, continuous production and an improved yield from the facility.

An open-top gutter for cultivation of plants. In an example, the open-top gutter includes a space limited by two side walls and a bottom wall and divided into trough-like compartments by at least one dividing wall. The dividing wall includes at least one water space formed by a double wall, open at the bottom of the gutter.