Soilless Growth Media for Indoor Agriculture
AssigneeJust Greens, LLC
InventorsEdward D. Harwood, James Zeiba
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments of the disclosure relate to soilless growth media with light reflecting and light absorbing surfaces for indoor farming and methods of using the media to germinate seeds and develop plants. In some embodiments, the soilless growth media can be a fabric made from two webs that can be joined together with a tie-in yarn linking the light reflecting plant supporting surface web yarn and the light absorbing web base yarn together in the fabric. The soilless growth media in embodiments of the disclosure can be used to reduce evaporation from nutrient delivery systems and improve controlled environmental agriculture operating efficiency.
Claims20
An article comprising:
- a root permeable substrate that supports the germination and development of plants, said root permeable substrate has a light reflecting plant supporting surface and an opposing light absorbing base surface, the root permeable substrate positioned atop a support, the support has a root side and a developing plant side, the substrate positioned atop the support with the light reflecting plant supporting surface of the substrate and the developing plant facing side of the support facing in the same direction;
- the light absorbing base surface of the substrate and the root side of the support face the same direction when the substrate is positioned atop the support;
- and
- the light reflecting plant supporting surface of the substrate reflects more light used for developing plants than the light absorbing base surface.
An indoor farming flat comprising:
- a soilless growth medium comprising a fabric having a first web that is a light reflecting plant supporting surface and a second web that is a light absorbing base surface, the fabric attached along peripheral areas to a tray, the tray has a root side and a developing plant side;
- the fabric attached to the tray with the light reflecting plant supporting surface of the fabric and the developing plant facing side of the tray facing in the same direction when the fabric is attached to the tray and the light absorbing base surface of the fabric and the tray root side of the fabric face the same direction when the fabric is attached to the tray;
- the light reflecting plant supporting surface has a napped texture and comprises a yarn that reflects more light than the light absorbing surface and the light absorbing base surface has a non-napped texture and comprises a yarn that absorbs more light than the light reflecting surface.
A method of indoor farming comprising:
- providing light suitable for developing plants to a soilless growth medium comprising developing plants and a light reflecting plant supporting surface and a light absorbing base surface, the light provided to the light reflecting plant supporting surface of the soilless growth medium, the soilless growth medium positioned along peripheral areas to a tray, the tray has a root side and a developing plant side, the soilless growth medium positioned on the tray with the light reflecting plant supporting surface of the fabric and the developing plant side of the tray facing in the same direction when the soilless growth medium is positioned on the tray and the light absorbing base surface of the soilless growth medium and the tray root side of the tray facing the same direction when the soilless growth medium is positioned on the tray;
- the light reflecting plant supporting surface has a rough texture and comprises a material that reflects more light of wavelength suitable for developing plants than the light absorbing surface and the light absorbing base surface has a flat texture and comprises a material that absorbs more light of wavelength suitable for developing plants than the light reflecting surface.
A method of maintaining a nutrient solution concentration in a growth chamber comprising a soilless growth medium that has a light reflecting plant supporting surface with developing plants thereon and a light absorbing base surface with roots extending therethrough;
- the method comprising:
- applying a nutrient solution onto the light absorbing base surface and roots of developing plants, said nutrient solution provided a nutrient source positioned below the light absorbing base surface of the fabric, the soilless growth medium positioned atop the tray with good drape over the outer edges of the tray and is absent scallops or gaps between the fabric and tray;
- and,
- providing light suitable for developing plants to the developing plants, reflecting a portion of the light from the light reflecting plant supporting surface, and absorbing a portion of the light by the light absorbing base surface.
An indoor farming flat comprising:
- a soilless growth medium comprising a light reflecting plant supporting surface and a light absorbing base surface, a tray that supports the soilless growth medium, the tray has a root side and a developing plant side, the soilless growth medium supported by the tray with the light reflecting plant supporting surface of the soilless growth medium and the developing plant facing side of the tray facing in the same direction when the soilless growth medium is supported by the tray and the light absorbing base surface of the soilless growth medium and the root side of the tray face the same direction when the soilless growth medium is supported by the tray.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.