In the field of hydroponic production of plants, a system is provided for line production of hydroponic systems. In addition, the hydroponic systems produced by the system for line production of hydroponic systems are also provided herein.

One variation of a method for automating transfer of plants within an agricultural facility includes: dispatching a loader to autonomously deliver a first module—defining a first array of plant slots at a first density and loaded with a first set of plants at a first growth stage—from a first grow location within an agricultural facility to a transfer station within the agricultural facility; dispatching the loader to autonomously deliver a second module—defining a second array of plant slots at a second density less than the first density and empty of plants—to the transfer station; recording a module-level optical scan of the first module; extracting a viability parameter of the first set of plants from features detected in the module-level optical scan; and if the viability parameter falls outside of a target viability range, rejecting transfer of the first set of plants from the first module.

A mass indoor production of vegetation system maintains a train in a stationary position on a rail system inside an indoor enclosure during a growing period of vegetation. The train has a plurality of plant-pots interconnected by a plurality of push-pull bars. Each of the plant-pots contains at least one plant. The train of the plant-pots may be moved on the rail system in either direction by pushing or pulling the plurality of push-pull bars. The plurality of plant-pots may be pulled out of the indoor enclosure during a time of harvesting the plant.

A method and a system for growing plants on multilayer principle in mobile gutter farming is described, whereby, in the process of growing plants planted in cultivation gutters, said plants are conveyed in cultivation layers present on top of each other in a cultivation space in a longitudinal direction of the cultivation space in one or opposite directions. The cultivation gutters and the plants contained therein, are treated in the cultivation space by means of a processing arrangement in a cultivation layer-specific manner, whereby the cultivation gutters and the plants contained therein are first of all conveyed by motion elements in each cultivation layer of the cultivation space in the longitudinal direction of the cultivation space in opposite directions and are treated by processing elements in each cultivation layer of the cultivation space separately, in a manner substantially independent of the other cultivation layers.

A vertical farming structure having vertical grow towers and associated conveyance mechanisms for moving the vertical grow towers through a controlled environment, while being exposed to controlled lighting, airflow, humidity and nutritional support. The present disclosure describes a reciprocating cam mechanism that provides a cost-efficient mechanism for conveying vertical grow towers in the controlled environment. The reciprocating cam mechanism can be arranged to increase the spacing of the grow towers as they are conveyed through the controlled environment to index the crops growing on the towers. The present disclosure also describes an irrigation system that provides aqueous nutrient solution to the grow towers.

One variation of a method for automatically redistributing plants throughout an agricultural facility includes, at a mobile robotic system: delivering a first module—defining a first array of plant slots at a first density and loaded with a first set of plants in approximately a second growth stage—from a grow area within a facility to a transfer station within the facility; delivering a second module—located within the facility and defining a second array of plant slots at a second density less than the first density—to the transfer station; and following transfer of a first subset of plants from the first array of plant slots in the first module into the second array of plant slots in the second module at the transfer station, delivering the second module to the grow area in the facility.

The present invention provides a flexible reciprocating linear seedling separating device for a pot seedling transplanter, including a frame, a seedling cup opening and closing device, a linear transmission device, a seedling cup moving device, several seedling cups and a control system. A flexible linear transmission device is fixed on the frame, a seedling cup moving device is fixed on the flexible linear transmission device, and a seedling cup opening and closing device is fixed on the seedling cup moving device. Several seedling cups are fixed on the seedling cup moving device. The control system is respectively electrically connected with a motor of the linear transmission device and a cylinder of the seedling cup opening and closing device. The control system controls the motor to drive flexible linear transmission device to move seedling cup moving device, thereby driving the seedling cups to reach a designated position and receive the pot seedlings. The control system controls opening and closing of the seedling cups through a seedling cup opening and closing device and drop the pot seedlings onto the designated falling point. The seedling separating device of the present invention has simple structure, controllable procedure and high reliability; through flexible transmission, the movement is smooth, which can greatly reduce the noise and vibration. The motor drives the seedlings cups to move left and right in a straight line; the cylinder pushes the cups to open and close; the seedling cup is vertically downward, the seedling falling posture is better.

A container, such as a pot, strip or tray, comprising at least one accommodation for at least one specimen from a group, comprising: plants; seeds; seedlings; cuttings and the like, where the accommodation is configured to be filled with a substrate and the container exhibits at least a side wall, a bottom and a top surface to accommodate the substrate and the specimen in the substrate, of which at least a portion of the top surface is open to enable growth of the specimen there through in a longitudinal direction. The side wall includes a completely open passage which is dimensioned for inserting or extracting a block of substrate with essentially a full size of an interior of the accommodation into or from the interior through the passage in a sideways direction relative to the longitudinal direction, where at least the side wall includes a cutting edge alongside the passage.

A vertical farming structure having vertical grow towers and associated conveyance mechanisms for moving the vertical grow towers through a controlled environment, while being exposed to controlled lighting, airflow, humidity and nutritional support. The present disclosure describes a reciprocating cam mechanism that provides a cost-efficient mechanism for conveying vertical grow towers in the controlled environment. The reciprocating cam mechanism can be arranged to increase the spacing of the grow towers as they are conveyed through the controlled environment to index the crops growing on the towers. The present disclosure also describes an irrigation system that provides aqueous nutrient solution to the grow towers.

A device for growing plants above a selected surface includes a bottom member disposed upon a selected surface; a top member disposed upon and secured to said bottom member via two longitudinal securing seams, whereby, said top member includes two outer longitudinal flap portions and a longitudinal center portion, which ultimately receives a growing material in which plants and/or seeds are disposed. The longitudinal flap portions are ultimately folded above the growing material whereby longitudinal edge portions of the flap portions are separated a predetermined distance for allowing water and light to engage the growing material. Pipe members are removably secured to longitudinal edge portions of each longitudinal side of the bottom member, thereby enabling the manual lifting and transport of the device for disposal upon a selected surface.

A modified device for growing plants upon an undulating surface includes the above device with multiple apertures disposed proximate to a selected inner portion of a folded lower flap portion of the top member; and at least one water retaining member disposed between the folded lower flap portion of the top member and a lower elevation side of the bottom member.