Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for a greenhouse indoor environment controller based on model predictive control (MPC), which can be integrated into existing greenhouse regulatory systems to optimally maintain critical climatic variables, including artificial lighting levels, CO.sub.2, indoor temperature, and humidity levels within acceptable limits. The objectives of the MPC may be to maximize the rate of crop photosynthesis while optimizing the use of the available water and energy resources, taking into account the unpredictability and intermittent nature of renewable energies and external atmospheric conditions. Accordingly, certain embodiments may facilitate the management of greenhouses by anticipating control actions for a better quality of production. For that, mathematical formulations of the optimal control problem may be described, and the numerical results related to the application of the MPC to case studies are described integrating the effects of greenhouse structural considerations and the influence of climate data on its operation.

A device including a work table having an upper plate elevated from a floor, a cultivation bed disposed on the upper plate and including an accommodation hole to accommodate soil or culturing solution therein, and a flow tube disposed in the soil or culturing solution to supply or drain water to and from the accommodation hole, a supply portion to circulate water in the flow tube to lower the temperature of water, a light emitting portion including a pillar adjustable in height and a UV light source emit UV light toward an upper portion of the cultivation bed, and a power generator including a servo motor disposed below the work table, and a bracket configured to adjust a location of the light emitting portion with respect to the side surface of the work table.

A container farm provides a grow zone and a work zone within an enclosure. Plants are grown in vertical grow towers within the grow zone supported by a rotatable carousel grow structure. The grow towers can be moved within the grow zone to a location in which they are accessible from the work zone. A seedling station can be provided within the work zone. Other systems, including an irrigation system, a lighting system, and a climate control system, can be provided to support the growth of plants within the container.

A method for tracking seeds in an assembly line grow pod having a plurality of carts is provided. A target seed is deposited in a selected cell which is a part of a selected tray located in a selected cart travelling on an assembly line grow pod. A position of the target seed is tracked in the selected cell by determining the position of the target seed in the selected cart and determining a position of the selected cart in the assembly line grow pod. Sustenance is provided to the target seed including the selected cell. A growth factor of the target seed is determined in the selected cell. Upon determination that the growth factor of the target seed in the selected cell is below a predetermined threshold, supply of the sustenance provided to the selected cell is adjusted.

The present invention relates to a plant factory, which provides the following effects. The mesh-shaped floor is formed through the layer division support frame in the cultivation chamber, and the floor is divided into the cultivation layers having a multi-layered structure of two or more layers, thereby minimizing input resources and maximizing space and energy utilization efficiencies. In addition, a horizontal airflow is generally formed in each of the cultivation layers divided by the cultivation chamber air circulation supply unit, and an interlayer circulation airflow is formed between the respective cultivation layers divided by the mesh-shaped floor through the interlayer air circulation unit, and the cultivation table air supply unit creates a planting layer vertical descending air flow divided inside the cultivation table, which evenly improves the airflow rate regardless of the place in the cultivation chamber, reducing the deviation in temperature and carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) concentration, and the net photosynthetic rate and plant may increase productivity by increasing the speed of growth.

A plant growing system has a number of modular units arranged together on a flat surface in side of a growing room. The modular units have rigid boxes therein with vertical holes therethrough inside of which is located a growing soil. Water and nutrients are pumped from a reservoir to a distributor located in a growing soil of the rigid boxes as called for by moisture sensors, which activates a controller to turn ON a delivery pump. When moisture and nutrients need to be removed from an impermeable flexible liner located below the modular units, the controller turns ON a return pump, which pumps the excess water and nutrients back to the reservoir.

A conveyor system (4, 5) moves vertical poles (2) in an agricultural facility between a growing area (20) and a workstation (W). Each pole carries plant growing containers (3) at multiple levels (H1-H9). An irrigation reservoir (30) may be mounted atop each pole. Irrigation lines (31-33) from the reservoir may be individually metered (35) at each level to compensate for differing water pressure with height. Sensors (40) in the reservoir and at each level of the poles may provide a controller (36) with data input. The controller may impose different growing conditions in different areas of the facility, including vertically different grow areas (20A, 20B), and controls pole movements and locations selectively to provide a sequence of poles at the workstation ready to harvest on a demand schedule. The workstation may have multiple heights (W1, W2, W3) for tall poles that increase plant density per facility footprint.

A plant cultivation apparatus includes a cabinet, a bed, an air adjuster, and a controller. The cabinet has a cultivation space defined therein in which a plant is cultivated. The bed is disposed in the cultivation space. The cultivator is seated on the bed and receives therein at least a portion of the plant. The air adjuster is disposed in the cabinet and configured to adjust an inflow amount of outside-air flowing into the cultivation space to adjust a carbon dioxide concentration in the cultivation space. The controller is disposed in the cabinet to control the air adjuster. The air adjuster includes a blower fan to cause flow of the outside-air. The controller performs a delayed cultivation mode in which the controller controls the air adjuster to reduce the carbon dioxide concentration to lower a growth rate of the plant.

A plant cultivation apparatus includes a cabinet, a bed disposed in the cabinet, a cultivator configured to be disposed on the bed and accommodate a cultivation medium therein, and a water supply configured to supply water to the cultivator. The cultivator includes a cultivation vessel that is configured to be disposed on the bed and defines a cultivation medium receiving space configured to accommodate the cultivation medium, and a nutrient feeder that is disposed in the cultivation medium receiving space and spaced apart from a bottom surface of the cultivation vessel, where the nutrient feeder is configured to accommodate a nutrient for the plant. The cultivator is configured to bring the water inside the cultivation medium receiving space into contact with the nutrient of the nutrient feeder and to supply the nutrient mixed with the water to the cultivation medium.

A plant cultivation apparatus includes a cabinet, a bed disposed in the cabinet, a cultivator configured to be disposed on the bed and to accommodate a cultivation medium therein, where the cultivation medium is configured to accommodate at least portion of a plant, and the cultivator defines a cover water channel at a top surface thereof, and a water supply disposed inside the cabinet and configured to supply water to the cover water channel, where at least a portion of the water supply is located above the cover water channel. The cover water channel is in fluid communication with an inside of the cultivator and configured to guide the water supplied from the water supply to the cultivation medium in the inside of the cultivator.