The invention relates to a coherent propagation growth substrate product (1) formed of man-made vitreous fibres (MMVF), the product (1) having two opposed top and bottom surfaces and at least one cavity (2) which is open at the top surface and which extends from the top surface towards the bottom surface, wherein a superabsorbent polymer (3) is provided in the cavity (2).

The invention relates to a coherent propagation growth substrate product (1) formed of man-made vitreous fibres (MMVF), the product (1) having two opposed top and bottom surfaces and at least one cavity (2) which is open at the top surface and which extends from the top surface towards the bottom surface, wherein a superabsorbent polymer (3) is provided in the cavity (2).

A gel plug comprised of a gel may be used for growth of plants. The gel may include two polysaccharide components, with a second of the two components providing increased rigidity Plants may be grown, including from seed, in the gel plug.

The present invention provides a slope repair method. The method includes pretreating a slope, so that an average roughness of the pretreated slope is not greater than ±8 cm to ±12 cm per linear meter; (2) hanging a hard protective mesh on the pretreated slope, where the distance between the hard protective mesh and the slope is 3-4 cm, and the hard protective mesh has an aperture size of 4-6 cm; and (3) spraying a loam-like matrix on the slope with the hard protective mesh hanged, where the loam-like matrix includes not less than 0.04/m.sup.2 of plant seeds; the plant seeds include tree seeds, shrub seeds and herb seeds with a mass ratio of (2.5-3.5):(4-6):(1.5-2.5). The method provided by the present invention effectively restores the mountain vegetation, and only needs 1-2 years of artificial maintenance after the restoration to form a cyclically stable ecosystem.

The present invention provides a slope repair method. The method includes pretreating a slope, so that an average roughness of the pretreated slope is not greater than ±8 cm to ±12 cm per linear meter; (2) hanging a hard protective mesh on the pretreated slope, where the distance between the hard protective mesh and the slope is 3-4 cm, and the hard protective mesh has an aperture size of 4-6 cm; and (3) spraying a loam-like matrix on the slope with the hard protective mesh hanged, where the loam-like matrix includes not less than 0.04/m.sup.2 of plant seeds; the plant seeds include tree seeds, shrub seeds and herb seeds with a mass ratio of (2.5-3.5):(4-6):(1.5-2.5). The method provided by the present invention effectively restores the mountain vegetation, and only needs 1-2 years of artificial maintenance after the restoration to form a cyclically stable ecosystem.

A stackable raising seedling device has a device body and a floating planting board. The device body has raising seeding hole parts disposed at intervals and holes disposed intervals. The raising seeding hole pans and the holes are staggered in parallel and with each other along a first direction, the raising seeding hole part and the holes are staggered in parallel with each other along a second direction, and the holes of the first direction and the raising seeding hole parts of the second direction are adjacently arranged. The raising seeding hole pan can receive a culture medium layer, the culture medium layer has an agar gel, and the agar gel is composed of a plant growth nutrient, agar powder and water. The present disclosure improves the overall seed germination rate and the quality of planted crops when massively planting the planted crops.

A stackable raising seedling device has a device body and a floating planting board. The device body has raising seeding hole parts disposed at intervals and holes disposed intervals. The raising seeding hole pans and the holes are staggered in parallel and with each other along a first direction, the raising seeding hole part and the holes are staggered in parallel with each other along a second direction, and the holes of the first direction and the raising seeding hole parts of the second direction are adjacently arranged. The raising seeding hole pan can receive a culture medium layer, the culture medium layer has an agar gel, and the agar gel is composed of a plant growth nutrient, agar powder and water. The present disclosure improves the overall seed germination rate and the quality of planted crops when massively planting the planted crops.

The present invention relates to a growing device for growing plants from seeds, comprising a water container, a seed pad support structure for receiving one or more seed pads in a predetermined growing position above the water container and a wicking structure for each seed pad configured to contact, when the corresponding seed pad is in the growing position, the bottom surface of the seed pad at a predetermined wicking interface area and configured to transport water from the water container into the seed pad through the wicking interface area via capillary action and wherein the seed pad support structure comprises a protrusion for each seed pad, the protrusion having a predetermined shape and orientation and being configured to interact with a correspondingly shaped perforation in the corresponding seed pad thereby defining the predetermined growing position.

The present invention also relates to a corresponding seed pad and a growing system comprising a growing device and one or more seed pads.

An automated system for plant growth may include a reactor to make a hydrogel solution. A hopper with a processor controlled valve or valves may deliver components to make the hydrogel solution in the reactor. The hydrogel solution may be poured into a tray to create a hydrogel mat or a hydrogel plug. A conveyor may move the hydrogel mat or the hydrogel plug to a nursery on a path in which the hydrogel mat or the hydrogel plug is seeded and is dibbled or scratched. The nursery may include a first position for a seed to germinate in the hydrogel mat or the hydrogel plug, and a second position for a plant to grow to a harvest state in the hydrogel mat or the hydrogel plug. The nursery may include a plurality of LED lights suitable for growth of a plant from the germinated seed.

Embodiments of the disclosure relate to soilless growth media with light reflecting and light absorbing surfaces for indoor farming and methods of using the media to germinate seeds and develop plants. In some embodiments, the soilless growth media can be a fabric made from two webs that can be joined together with a tie-in yarn linking the light reflecting plant supporting surface web yarn and the light absorbing web base yarn together in the fabric. The soilless growth media in embodiments of the disclosure can be used to reduce evaporation from nutrient delivery systems and improve controlled environmental agriculture operating efficiency.