Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a potting apparatus, which includes a drill that is repositionable relative to a pot-driving conveyor such that the potting apparatus may be placed in a first potting configuration or a second potting configuration. In the first potting configuration, the drill is in a first position relative to the pot-driving conveyor such that the apparatus can provide the requisite drilling functionality for potting plant life with smaller vertical profiles. In the second potting configuration, the drill is in a second position relative to the pot-driving conveyor to provide sufficient vertical clearance above the pot-driving conveyor for potting plant life with larger vertical profiles. The potting apparatus may further include a soil delivery system adapted to receive and dispense soil to the pot-driving conveyor and a drive system operatively connected to the pot-driving conveyor.

A root socking process for efficient transplanting of vines and similar plants. Each plant is grown in its own plant-growing container followed by an automated process of covering the root mass or rootball of each plant with a sock, preferably biodegradable; filling a cardboard box with multiple root-socked plants; and stacking multiple cardboard boxes in pallets for transportation to the field. The plants are then transplanted in the field by picking up and dropping each root-socked plant from the cardboard box into a hole in the soil.

There is provided a plant-transplanting device that, with a simple structure and at a low cost, realizes speedy and stable transplantation, prevents damage to a plant, and is easily automated. A plant-transplanting device 100 that transplants a seedbed B from a plant holder 110 to a cultivation pallet 120 includes a holder retaining mechanism 130, a pallet retaining mechanism 140 for retaining the cultivation pallet 120 below a holder retaining position of the holder retaining mechanism 130, and a lowering mechanism 150 for lowering the seedbed B retained by a holder seedbed retaining part 111 downward and inserting the seedbed B into a pallet seedbed retaining part 121.

One variation of a method for automating transfer of plants within an agricultural facility includes: dispatching a loader to autonomously deliver a first moduledefining a first array of plant slots at a first density and loaded with a first set of plants at a first growth stagefrom a first grow location within an agricultural facility to a transfer station within the agricultural facility; dispatching the loader to autonomously deliver a second moduledefining a second array of plant slots at a second density less than the first density and empty of plantsto the transfer station; recording a module-level optical scan of the first module; extracting a viability parameter of the first set of plants from features detected in the module-level optical scan; and if the viability parameter falls outside of a target viability range, rejecting transfer of the first set of plants from the first module.

A harvest tray for carrying potted herbs, the harvest tray including a rectangular base portion, having two parallel long sides and two parallel short sides, wherein an extension direction of the two long sides defines a longitudinal direction of the harvest tray, a pair of side walls, each side wall arranged in the direction of the long sides of the base portion, respectively, and extending in a vertical direction from the base portion, said side walls defining two sides of a reception cavity, dividing elements, arranged in a row in said reception cavity, said dividing elements being distanced from the side walls defining the reception cavity, at least along a portion of their height, such that an open passage is formed on each side of the row of dividing elements along a portion of the height of the reception cavity in the longitudinal direction of said harvest tray.

There is provided a pick-and-plant head for planting plant cuttings in a cultivation medium. The pick-and-plant head is provided with a grasper comprising opposed grasping surfaces for grasping a portion of a cutting between them and with an abutment that abuts a cutting. The grasper and abutment are moveable relative to one another and are arranged so that during release of a cutting from the grasper the abutment passes between the opposed grasping surfaces and the cutting is abutted by the abutment.

A system that includes a vertical farming facility; a plant receptacle including a base element providing a cavity for a plant and at least two rim portions that extend outwardly from opposing sides of the base element, the at least two rim portions are part of a single-piece circumferential rim of the base element; and a gripper for handling the plant or the plant receptacle; the gripper includes a gripper head with a first and second gripping element, the first gripping element includes two first lateral holding arms and the second gripping element includes two second lateral holding arms; the gripper head is transferable between a clamping position, in which the first and second gripping elements clamp the plant or the plant receptacle, and a release position, in which the first and second gripping elements release the plant or the plant receptacle.

A rooting tray for supporting a plant, typically a bulbous plant, as it grows. The rooting tray includes a raised platform supported by a lower frame, and the raised platform defines one or more passageways that urge a direction of root growth of the plant below the raised platform. The raised platform is supported by a plurality of frame supports integrally formed around the periphery of the lower frame and raised outer frame. The raised platform also defines a plurality of pins extending above the raised platform. The rooting tray further includes one or more legs that elevate the lower frame above a base of a container to provide ample space for the roots to grow into and preferably entangle with other roots or around portions of the rooting tray.