Some variations provide an emulsion-colloid system for forming a colloidal barrier material disposed on a substrate, the system comprising a hydrophilic first liquid, an acid, a gelling agent, a hydrophobic second liquid, a plasticizer, and optionally additives, wherein the emulsion-colloid system is characterized by (1) a first instance that is a flowable emulsion above 60° C. and less than the boiling point of the first liquid, and (2) a second instance that is a colloid below 40° C. The emulsion-colloid system is capable of reversible transition, mediated by temperature, between the first instance and the second instance. The disclosed colloidal barrier material provides the functionality of plastic alternatives while removing disadvantages. The disclosed colloidal barrier material reduces labor-intensive application of the barrier, such as the case for covering grain piles with plastic tarps. The disclosed colloidal barrier material also eliminates the need for removal when barrier protection is no longer required.

The present disclosure provides novel paper sheet mulch products having benefits over prior sheet mulches, which may include brown or recycled fibers, as well as additives, such as opacity, water-resistant, and strength additives, resulting in mulch products with an improved combination of basis weight, stretch, strength, opacity, and/or water-resistance characteristics.

A mulch composition includes a blend of about 50-85 wt. % fibrous straw, based on the total weight of the composition; about 10-30 wt. % refined pulp fibers, based on the total weight of the composition; and about 10-40 wt. % fibrous wood components, based on the total weight of the composition, the blend having about 10-15 wt. % of particles having particle size of 2360 μm or greater.

Implementations set forth herein relate to using fiducial markings on one or more localized portions of an agricultural apparatus in order to generate local and regional data that can be correlated for planning and executing agricultural maintenance. An array of fiducial markings can be disposed onto plastic mulch that surrounds individual crops, in order that each fiducial marking of the array can operate as a signature for each individual crop. Crop data, such as health and yield, corresponding to a particular crop can then be stored in association with a corresponding fiducial marking, thereby allowing the certain data for the particular crop to be tracked and analyzed. Furthermore, autonomous agricultural devices can rely on the crop data, over other sources of data, such as GPS satellites, thereby allowing the autonomous agricultural devices to be more reliable.

Implementations set forth herein relate to using fiducial markings on one or more localized portions of an agricultural apparatus in order to generate local and regional data that can be correlated for planning and executing agricultural maintenance. An array of fiducial markings can be disposed onto plastic mulch that surrounds individual crops, in order that each fiducial marking of the array can operate as a signature for each individual crop. Crop data, such as health and yield, corresponding to a particular crop can then be stored in association with a corresponding fiducial marking, thereby allowing the certain data for the particular crop to be tracked and analyzed. Furthermore, autonomous agricultural devices can rely on the crop data, over other sources of data, such as GPS satellites, thereby allowing the autonomous agricultural devices to be more reliable.

A degradable aroma product with seeds wrapped therein includes plant seeds and growth carriers coated or mixed with plant nutrients and aromatizers. The degradable aroma product may be in the form of an aroma card with the growth carriers being made of paper pulp, or alternatively, in the form of an aroma sachet with the plant seeds and the growth carriers or the aroma card wrapped in a degradable packaging bag. When the degradable aroma product has been used over a period of time and no longer produces fragrance, it can be directly buried in soil without forming any pollutant and accordingly, meets the requirement of plastic and waste reduction. Further, with the plant nutrients, the plant seeds can grow into trees, flowers or fruits more easily to enable sustainable development of healthy circle of life (i.e. the product design concept of cradle-to-cradle), carbon reduction and environmental protection.

A method for providing landscaping materials wherein a predetermined layer of a rubber mulch is placed on a predetermined area of soil and the rubber mulch layer is sprayed with a urethane binder material. Also, there is a method for providing landscaping materials wherein a predetermined area of soil is prepared for treatment and then treated with a weed barrier. Then, a predetermined layer of rubber mulch is applied to the weed barrier treated soil and the rubber mulch layer is sprayed with a urethane binder material. Additional layers of particulate material and binder layer can be applied to the top binder layer in each method.

Lignin formulations for making light-selective mulch, methods of making such lignin formulations, light-selective mulches comprising substrates treated with lignin formulations, and methods of making such light-selective mulches. Some methods involve preparing aqueous lignin formulations that can be used as coatings that, in turn, can be applied to a substrate, such as a paper web, to form a biodegradable, light-selective mulch. Some such mulches blocks at least some light in the ultraviolet and blue/green ranges (350 nm to 500 nm) of the visible light spectrum to inhibit weed growth below the mulch, while also transmitting light in the red/infrared ranges to heat the soil below the mulch.

A hydromulch composition compromising an oil-extruded cottonseed meal processed from a non-delinted cottonseed. The oil-extruded fuzzy cottonseed meal can optionally be combined with one or more super absorbent polymers, such as polyaspartate and polyacrylate polymers and other additives. The hydromulch composition can additionally include one or more microorganisms including but not limited to bacteria and mycorrhizae configured to provide symbiotic relationship with treated soil and plants to increase water and nutrient uptake in the treated plants or soil. The hydromulch composition can further be combined with a dispersant, such as water to make slurry for spray on application to a desired treatment surface.

A compressed growing medium or mulch fiber opener comprising at least one set of adjacent rotating members, the rotating members having a surface and including at least one wire wound around at least a portion of the surface, wherein the wire includes a plurality of projections engaging compressed or partially opened growing medium or mulch fiber, and wherein a distance between the adjacent rotating members is sufficiently small to create at least one pinch point between the adjacent rotating members, the adjacent rotating members separating the fibers as the fibers pass through the at least one pinch point so that the density of the fiber is lowered by at least 50-95%.