The present disclosure refers to a keratin-based substrate, comprising a keratin derivative and natural biopolymer, where the keratin derivative and natural biopolymer are crosslinked. The present disclosure also refers to a method of forming a keratin-based substrate, comprising (i) mixing a solution of keratin derivative with a solution of natural biopolymer; and (ii) drying the resulting solution of step (i) to obtain the keratin-based substrate. The present disclosure further relates to the use of the substrate as a plant growth medium or hydroponic support medium. In a preferred embodiment, a substrate comprising keratin intermediate filament protein and cellulose nanofibers is provided.

A method for producing a biodegradable floral arrangement media that includes obtaining a pre-formed mixture by mixing together: (a) a matrix of natural or inert inorganic fibers and/or powders; (b) a water insoluble, meltable compostable binder; and (c) optionally, additives; and heating the pre-formed mixture to fuse the binder with the matrix. Also, a biodegradable floral arrangement media made by the process, which is preferably compostable.

A greenwall cladding system for the growth of organisms such as plants and fungi on the side of structures, such as internal and external walls of buildings, is provided. Methods for the production of organisms on a greenwall cladding system, such as plants and fungi are also provided herein.

An irrigation device includes: a cell plug that includes an opening facing upward and an accommodation part that accommodates a predetermined amount of culture medium in communication with the opening; a liquid supply unit that supplies a liquid to a culture medium of the cell plug; and a cell plug lifting unit that lowers the cell plug when a weight of the cell plug is increased by a liquid supplied by the liquid supply unit and lifts the cell plug when a weight of the cell plug is decreased by drying of a culture medium. The liquid supply unit includes a contact end that is intermittently brought into contact with a culture medium by lifting and lowering of the cell plug by the cell plug lifting unit, performs liquid supply while the contact end is in contact with a culture medium, and stops liquid supply when the contact end is separated from a culture medium.

An open plant cultivation device has a container, a medium layer, a plant, and a separation layer. The container has an inner side surface, a sterile accommodation space, and an open growing space. The medium layer is disposed in the sterile accommodation space. The separation layer is disposed on the medium layer and adjacent to the inner side surface. The sterile accommodation space and the open growing space are isolated by the separation layer. A method for preparing an open plant cultivation device includes: putting a container in a sterile space; feeding a medium colloid into the container and immersing a part of a plant in the medium colloid; solidifying the medium into a medium layer; disposing a separation layer onto the medium layer to form the open plant cultivation device. The present invention has the open growing space and the effect of protecting the medium layer from contamination.

An all Natural growing medium is taught wherein all natural ingredients are incorporated and bound with an all natural latex rubber. The all natural ingredients can include bark, ground bark, Finland peat moss, biochar, coconut fiber and worm castings. In some embodiments the biochar is specially processed in a vacuum chamber to remove small particulates and open pores enabling the absorption and holding of water. The growing medium is then formed into grow plugs or mats.

A device and a method for breeding blueberry-specific mycorrhizal fungi. The device includes a container, where a bottom of the container is laid with perlite to form a perlite layer; an absorbent cotton is arranged on the perlite layer; a hole for planting is provided in the absorbent cotton and blueberry tissue culture seedlings or moss seedlings are placed in the hole; and a spore transfer solution is provided around the blueberry tissue culture seedlings or moss seedlings. When used as a bacterial fertilizer for inoculation in the field, the pieces of absorbent cotton are buried directly around the blueberry roots; while used for research, one of the pieces of the absorbent cotton is washed with sterile water and filtered with a filter paper to obtain mycorrhizal fungi spores.

A device and a method for breeding blueberry-specific mycorrhizal fungi. The device includes a container, where a bottom of the container is laid with perlite to form a perlite layer; an absorbent cotton is arranged on the perlite layer; a hole for planting is provided in the absorbent cotton and blueberry tissue culture seedlings or moss seedlings are placed in the hole; and a spore transfer solution is provided around the blueberry tissue culture seedlings or moss seedlings. When used as a bacterial fertilizer for inoculation in the field, the pieces of absorbent cotton are buried directly around the blueberry roots; while used for research, one of the pieces of the absorbent cotton is washed with sterile water and filtered with a filter paper to obtain mycorrhizal fungi spores.

Embodiments of the invention are biodegradable pods containing materials to repair damaged turf (lawns, fields). Each pod is sized and configured to repair an area ranging in size from about 9 square inches to about 36 square inches (60 cm.sup.2 to 230 cm.sup.2). The pods contain granulated ingredients including fertilizer, grass seed, gypsum, humic acid and calcium, in a material that expands when moistened. The pods are covered with a water-disruptable covering such as a polyvinyl alcohol film or a biodegradable paper.

A tree eggplant and a cultivation method, a rapid propagation method and an application thereof are provided by the present disclosure. In the present disclosure, the Solanum wrightii is specifically selected as the female parent, and the Solanum torvum is used as the male parent, and the tree eggplant variety obtained by hybridization has fast growth, developed trunk, strong growth potential, and is perennial, and is strong in photosynthesis, strong in nutrient and water absorption capacity, high in affinity with the scion, fast in healing at the scion interface of the rootstock and good in healing; and has good resistance to soil-borne diseases such as fusarium wilt, verticillium wilt, bacterial wilt and root knot nematode; and the rapid propagation method of the tree eggplant has strong operability and high efficiency, and is easy to popularize in practical application.