High throughput root washing method, apparatus, and system

A method for cleaning a root ball of a corn plant, said method comprising:

• providing a field having a plurality of corn plants each having a stalk and a root ball;
• cutting the stalk of one of the corn plants to a predetermined height;
• removing the stalk and root ball having accumulated soil thereon from the surrounding field;
• inverting the stalk and root ball;
• placing the stalk and root ball onto a conveyor system;
• transporting the stalk and root ball past a sprayer assembly having at least one nozzle;
• rotating at least one of the stalk and root ball and the nozzle relative to the other;
• providing a stream of water from a reservoir through the sprayer assembly at a pressure configured to dislodge the accumulated soil from the root ball without breaking fine roots within the root ball;
• and
• removing the stalk and root ball from the conveyor system.

An apparatus for dislodging soil from a root system of a plant, said apparatus comprising:

• a water supply;
• a rotatable junction in fluid communication with the water supply;
• and
• a pair of nozzles attached to and in fluid communication with the rotatable junction,
• wherein the nozzles are angled so as to direct water onto the root system.