An assembly line grow pod includes a seeding region, a harvesting region, a track that extends between the seeding region and the harvesting region, a cart including a tray for holding plant matter, and a wheel coupled to the tray, where the wheel is engaged with the track, and a weight sensor positioned on the cart or the track, where the weight sensor is positioned to detect a weight of the plant matter positioned within the cart.

This invention automatically rotates the plant pot so that all sides of the plant get even sunlight over the course of a day or week, without any manual intervention. This helps the plant grow more straight rather than bend on one side towards the sun.

One variation of a method for automating transfer of plants within an agricultural facility includes: dispatching a loader to autonomously deliver a first module—defining a first array of plant slots at a first density and loaded with a first set of plants at a first growth stage—from a first grow location within an agricultural facility to a transfer station within the agricultural facility; dispatching the loader to autonomously deliver a second module—defining a second array of plant slots at a second density less than the first density and empty of plants—to 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.

One variation of a method for monitoring growth of plants within a facility includes: aggregating global ambient data recorded by a suite of fixed sensors, arranged proximal a grow area within the facility, at a first frequency during a grow period; extracting intermediate outcomes of a set of plants, occupying a module in the grow area, from module-level images recorded by a mover at a second frequency less than the first frequency while interfacing with the module during the period of time; dispatching the mover to autonomously deliver the module to a transfer station; extracting intermediate outcomes of the set of plants from plant-level images recorded by the transfer station while sequentially transferring plants out of the module at the conclusion of the grow period; and deriving relationships between ambient conditions, intermediate outcomes, and final outcomes from a corpus of plant records associated with plants grown in the facility.

A distributed control system for use in an assembly line grow pod includes a master controller and a hardware controller device. The master controller includes a first processor and a first memory for storing a first set of instructions that dictates plant growing operations and a second set of instructions that dictates a plurality of distributed control functions. The hardware controller device is coupled to the master controller via a plug-in network interface. The hardware controller device includes a second processor and a second memory for storing a third set of instructions that dictate a selected control function of the plurality of distributed control functions. Upon the plug-in connection, the master controller identifies an address of the hardware controller device and sends a set of parameters defining a plurality of tasks relating to the selected control function.

An automated crop production system for controlled environment agriculture that includes a horizontal-to-vertical grow tower interface between a vertical grow structure that includes vertical grow towers and associated conveyance mechanisms for moving the vertical grow towers through a controlled environment, and a processing system that performs one or more processing operations—such as harvesting, cleaning and/or transplanting—on the grow towers in a substantially horizontal orientation. The present disclosure also describes an automated crop production system for controlled environment agriculture that selectively routes grow towers through various processing stages of an automated crop production system.

A method is proposed for remotely growing plants in a planting zone that is divided into multiple planting areas. Via an electronic device that communicates with a remote automated planting sub-system in the planting zone, a user may select desired planting area(s) and desired type(s) of plant precursors on the electronic device, and remotely cause the remote automated planting sub-system to plant the selected type(s) of plant precursors into the selected planting area(s).

An object of the present invention is to propose cultivation equipment that can curb complication and upsizing of the equipment even when the number of cultivation stages is increased. Cultivation equipment includes a storage shelf (1) and a plurality of cultivation tanks (3) that are stored in the storage shelf (1) and hold plants (P1) and a cultivation liquid (L1). The cultivation equipment further includes a discharge device (50) and a supply device (51). The discharge device (50) is movable among a plurality of cultivation tanks (3), and discharges the cultivation liquid (L1) from each of the plurality of cultivation tanks (3). The supply device (51) is movable among the plurality of cultivation tanks (3), and supplies the cultivation liquid (L1) to each of the plurality of cultivation tanks (3).

A mobile, self-powered, horticultural processing unit capable of facilitating the processing of a large number of plants, is disclosed. In particular a modular unit with a multi-level configuration and a compact footprint capable of performing a variety of different horticultural operations is the subject of present embodiments. The unit may utilize a wheel and suspension assembly attached to a hydraulic lift and towing hardware which permits the unit to be towed as a trailer. The unit may comprise a plurality of conveying platforms which permit access by a forklift, as to allow many plants to be input and removed from the unit at once. The unit may assist in the fully or partially automated pruning, canning, fertilizing, treating, and spacing of plants potted in individual containers. Collectively, the cost and labor involved with growing and maintaining plants in the field may be greatly reduced.

Automated transplanter assemblies and systems. For example, the disclosure sets forth a plug holder and assembly adapted to transplant plugs into tight-fitting plug holders. The disclosure also conveys a transplanter assembly useful in transplant operations where a plug holder is oriented at a non-perpendicular angle to the surface of a grow tower or other structure that contains the plug holder. The disclosure also provides a transplanter system useful in transplanting plugs into grow towers.