Methods systems and apparatus for cultivating densely seeded crops
US10785928B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 5, 2019 |
| Grant date | Sep 29, 2020 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 5, 2039 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02P60/21
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A horticultural raft includes a raft body, at least one top cavity, and a group of mid cavities. The top cavity includes an upper face defining a first projected area and a lower face defining a second projected area substantially equal to or less than the first projected area. The upper face provides a seeding pattern having one or two degrees of freedom in a growing medium disposed in the top cavity. Each mid cavity has an upper face defining a third projected area that is entirely contained within the second projected area. The mid cavities are configured to contribute to buoyancy of the floating horticultural raft, allow germinants in the growing medium to communicate via capillary action with a nutrient solution when the raft is floating in the nutrient solution, and mitigate hyperhydration and asphyxiation at respective root-stem junctions of the germinants.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.