To provide a seedsheet manufacturing apparatus that can increase a manufacturing speed and a seedsheet. A seedsheet manufacturing apparatus according to the present disclosure includes: a paste reservoir configured to store a paste in which a seed and a fluid are mixed; a plate cylinder disposed above the paste reservoir; a doctor blade configured to scrape a portion of the paste adhering to a surface of the plate cylinder; a pressing roller disposed such that the pressing roller faces the plate cylinder and a mounting paper is allowed to pass through a gap formed between the pressing roller and the surface of the plate cylinder; a supply unit configured to feed the mounting paper to the gap; and a recovery unit configured to recover the mounting paper that passes through the gap.

A seedling-package forming system includes a first conveyor including a first track and a first sheet arranged on the first track. A second conveyor is located at a downstream position and includes a second track and a second sheet arranged to lie on the second track. The second track is configured to transport the second sheet toward the first sheet. The first sheet and the second sheet are packed around a plurality of seedlings to form a seedling package.

A seedling package includes a seedling including a root structure in soil and a shoot structure protruding from the soil and a seedling-retainer band. The seedling-retainer band includes a first sheet arranged to partially surround a first side of the root structure of the seedling and a second sheet arranged to partially surround an opposite second side of the root structure of the seedling.

A seedling planter is configured to plant a plurality of seedlings in ground. The seedling planter includes a vehicle body, a seedling-storage unit, and a seedling-distribution unit. The seedlings are held together in the form of a seedling package that is stored within the seedling-storage unit. The seedling-distribution unit is configured to separate each seedling from the seedling package and plant each seedling in the ground as the vehicle body travels across the ground. A method includes forming the seedling package.

The present disclosure provides a seed slicer device (100), which includes: a first plate (102) provided with first holes (104); a second plate (106) provided with second holes (108), adapted to fit over the first plate; a sliding plate (110) slidably coupled to a top portion of the second plate, operable to cover the second holes; a third plate (112) provided with a third holes (114), adapted to fit over the second plate; and a cutting assembly (116) coupled to the third plate and adapted to slide over the third holes to provide a slicing action. The seeds are received by the third holes such that at least a first part of the seeds extend beyond the third holes, and, upon actuation of the cutting assembly, the seeds are cut by the cutting means to divide the seeds into corresponding first parts and second parts.

A seeding apparatus for seeding agricultural seeds, seedlings and/or clones into a manufactured growth media of an indoor hydroponic growth system. The seeding apparatus including a media strip supply line configured to supply a quantity of consumable media strip for positioning within a linear aperture of a manufactured growth media, a depth gauge configured to fold the consumable media strip into a first part and a second part with a fold positioned therebetween, and to force the fold towards a bottom of the linear aperture of the manufactured growth media with the first part and the second part of the consumable media strip residing against walls defined by the linear aperture, and a seed supply line configured to introduce a metered quantity of agricultural seeds, seedlings and/or clones into the folded, consumable media strip.

A particulate material sensing and agitation control system of an agricultural system includes a drive system configured to operate an agitating system, a plurality of sensors, in which each sensor of the plurality of sensors may detect presence of particulate material at the sensor, and a controller. The controller is configured to determine a functional status of each sensor of the plurality of sensors, and, in response to determining the functional status of a respective sensor of the plurality of sensor is functioning, determine a detection status of the respective sensor. The controller is further configured to output a control signal to instruct the drive system to operate the agitating system in a selected operating mode of a plurality of operating modes based on a position within the agricultural system, the functional status, and the detection status of each sensor of the plurality of sensors.

A high throughput system for sorting a plurality of different small object types into a plurality of cells of a plurality of small object cassettes is provided. The system comprises: at least one small object cassette having a plurality of small object cells; an automated conveyor system for transporting the cassette(s) from a loading location to a unloading location on the conveyor system; at least one cassette filling station disposed over the conveyor system such that the conveyor system extends under a small object distribution subsystem of each respective cassette filling station; and a computer based central control system structured and operable to control various operations of the conveyor system and each cassette filling station.

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.

A small object cassette processing station for depositing small objects into selected cells of a small object cassette. The station comprises a bulk small object bin structured and operable to retain a bulk quantity of small objects of a selected type. The station additionally comprises a small object counting and parsing subsystem configured to parse a plurality of groups of small objects received from the bulk quantity of the small objects retained in the bulk small object bin. Each group of small objects comprises a number of small objects by a central control system. The station further comprise a small object distribution subsystem configured to receive each parsed group of small objects and deposit each parsed group of small objects into one of a plurality of small object cells of a small object cassette as stipulated by the central control system.