System and method to improve the penetration of ultraviolet light into plant beds
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture
InventorFumiomi Takeda
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A strawberry treatment platform includes an outer housing with at least one UV-C light array enclosed in the outer housing, and at least one strawberry plant manipulating assembly that extends downwardly from the outer housing. The strawberry treatment platform is structured so that, as the strawberry treatment platform moves across a strawberry plant bed, the plant manipulating assembly combs through the strawberry plants and creates a canopy gap in the strawberry bed plant canopy so that radiation from the UV-C light array treats the strawberry plants in the strawberry plant bed.
Claims20
A plant treatment system comprising:
- a plant treatment platform including an outer housing;
- at least one UV-C light comprising a UV-C light array, the outer housing encompassing the UV-C light array, the outer housing at least partially blocking an entry of ambient light into an area illuminated by the UV-C light array;
- and,
- at least one plant manipulating assembly extending downwardly from the outer housing, the plant manipulating assembly creating a canopy gap in a plant canopy of a plant bed;
- wherein, as the treatment platform moves across the plant bed, the at least one plant manipulating assembly contacts and directly manipulates plants in the plant bed to create the canopy gap in the plant canopy so that an area under the plant canopy is exposed to and treated by the at least one UV-C light array.
A method for treating plants, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a plant treatment platform comprising an outer housing;
- (b) positioning at least one UV-C light array under the outer housing;
- (c) providing at least one plant manipulating means under the outer housing and adjacent to the at least one UV-C light array;
- and,
- (d) moving the plant treatment platform across a plant bed canopy so that as the at least one plant manipulating assembly contacts and directly manipulates plants in the plant bed to create a canopy gap in the plant bed canopy, the UV-C light array treats at least a portion of the plants below the plant canopy.
A system for treating plants, the system comprising:
- a plant treatment platform comprising an outer housing;
- at least one UV-C light array positioned under the outer housing;
- and,
- at least one plant manipulating assembly positioned under the outer housing and adjacent to the UV-C light array;
- wherein as the plant treatment platform moves across a plant bed canopy, the at least one plant manipulating assembly simultaneously contacts and directly manipulates plants to create a canopy gap in the plant bed canopy so that the UV-C light array is positioned to treat at an area between the plant canopy and a soil line.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.