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US 6,779,300 B2Granted
Plant growing system to maximize transplant yield
AssigneeTagawa Greenhouses, Inc.
InventorsKenneth K. Tagawa, George H. Tagawa, Randall E. Tagawa, Willliam A. Kluth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A growing system for plant seedlings that takes into consideration the varied requirements of the seedling; seedling and transplant environment; seedling cell (312) size; mechanical transplanter requirements; seedling leaf, stem and root development and coordinates all these requirements to increase transplanting yields may include larger containers that maximize yield and minimize damage. Aspects may eliminate left-over seedlings, reduce the number of manual steps, decrease labor, and increase transplant yields.
Claims61
A method of cultivating plants comprising the steps of
- a. determining at least one externally manifested punch-transplant-specific morphological growth criterion appropriate to a given plant species and a given transplant modality and involving at least one yield sensitive criterion;
- b. placing growth media and a plurality of propagules for said plant species in a first matrix of area extravagant propagule transplant containers adapted to achieve an enhanced production yield which is statistically increased over a traditional transplant production yield for said species,
- c. interconnecting said first matrix of propagule transplant containers by a substantially planar formable web;
- d. nurturing an initial growth of said propagules for said plant species in said first matrix of propagule transplant containers to create a first growth matrix of juvenile plantlets;
- e. establishing a matrix of individual transplant cohesive intermingled plant-media masses from a portion of said growth media and each of said juvenile plantlets;
- f. affirmatively establishing said at least one externally manifested punch-transplant-specific morphological growth criterion for a substantial portion of said plurality of juvenile plantlets while situated in said first matrix of propagule transplant containers;
- g. extruding a substantial portion of an individual transplant cohesive intermingled plant-media mass from a propagule transplant container at a time when said punch-transplant-specific growth criterion is substantially established;
- h. inserting at least one individual transplant cohesive intermingled plant-media mass in an adolescent plant container immediately after extruding a substantial portion of an individual transplant cohesive intermingled plant-media mass from said propagule transplant container;
- i. secondarily growing said juvenile plantlet in said adolescent plant container to create an adolescent plant;
- and
- j. achieving an enhanced production yield which is statistically increased over a traditional transplant production yield for said species.
8 more elements
A method of cultivating plants comprising the steps of:
- a. determining at least one growth speed enhanced growth criterion appropriate to a given plant species and a given transplant modality and involving at least one yield sensitive criterion;
- b. placing growth media and a plurality of propagules for said plant species in a first matrix of area extravagant propagule transplant containers adapted to achieve an enhanced production yield which is statistically increased over a traditional transplant production yield for said species;
- c. interconnecting said first matrix of propagule transplant containers by a substantially planar formable web;
- d. nurturing an initial growth of said propagules for said plant species in said first matrix of propagule transplant containers to create a first growth matrix of juvenile plantlets;
- e. establishing a matrix of individual transplant cohesive intermingled plant-media masses from a portion of said growth media and each of said juvenile plantlets;
- f. affirmatively establishing said at least one growth speed enhanced growth criterion for a substantial portion of said plurality of juvenile plantlets while situated in said first matrix of propagule transplant containers;
- g. extruding a substantial portion of an individual transplant cohesive intermingled plant-media mass from a propagule transplant container at a time when said punch-transplant-optimized growth criterion is substantially established;
- h. inserting at least one individual transplant cohesive intermingled plant-media mass in an adolescent plant container immediately after extruding a substantial portion of an individual transplant cohesive intermingled plant-media mass from said propagule transplant container;
- i. secondarily growing said juvenile plantlet in said adolescent plant container to create an adolescent plant;
- and
- j. achieving an enhanced production yield which is statistically increased over a traditional transplant production yield for said species.
8 more elements
A method of cultivating plants comprising the steps of:
- a. determining at least one externally manifested punch-transplant-specific morphological growth criterion appropriate to a given plant species and a given transplant modality;
- b. placing growth media and a plurality of propagules for said plant species in a first matrix of propagule transplant containers;
- c. interconnecting said first matrix of propagule transplant containers by a substantially planar formable web,
- d. nurturing an initial growth of said propagules for said plant species in said first matrix of propagule transplant containers to create a first growth matrix of juvenile plantlets;
- e. establishing a matrix of individual transplant cohesive intermingled plant-media masses from a portion of said growth media and each of said juvenile plantlets;
- f. affirmatively establishing said at least one externally manifested punch-transplant-specific morphological growth criterion for a substantial portion of said plurality of juvenile plantlets while situated in said first matrix of propagule transplant containers;
- g. extruding a substantial portion of an individual transplant cohesive intermingled plant-media mass from a propagule transplant container at a time when said punch-transplant-specific growth criterion is substantially established;
- h. inserting at least one individual transplant cohesive intermingled plant-media mass in an adolescent plant container immediately after extruding a substantial portion of an individual transplant cohesive intermingled plant-media mass from said propagule transplant container;
- and
- i. secondarily growing said juvenile plantlet in said adolescent plant container to create an adolescent plant.
7 more elements
A method of cultivating plants comprising me steps of:
- a. establishing a subdued density matrix of propagule transplant containers arranged in a rectilinear matrix, each propagule transplant container having a cross sectional area, a bottom, and having exterior dimensions;
- b. placing growth media and a plurality of propagules for said plant species in said propagule transplant containers;
- c. interconnecting said subdued density matrix of propagule transplant containers by a substantially planar formable web;
- d. nurturing an initial growth of said propagules for said plant species in said first matrix of propagule transplant containers to create a first growth matrix of juvenile plantlets;
- e. establishing a matrix of individual transplant cohesive intermingled plant-media masses from a portion of said growth media and each of said juvenile plantlets;
- f. extruding a substantial portion of an individual transplant cohesive intermingled plant-media mass from a propagule transplant container;
- g. inserting at least one individual transplant cohesive intermingled plant-media mass in an adolescent plant container immediately after extruding a substantial portion of an individual transplant cohesive intermingled plant-media mass from said propagule transplant container;
- and
- h. secondarily growing said juvenile plantlet in said adolescent plant container to create an adolescent plant.
6 more elements
A method of cultivating plants comprising the steps of:
- a. establishing a matrix of area extravagant propagule transplant containers arranged in a rectilinear matrix, each propagule transplant container having an extravagant cross sectional area relative to a transplant stage plantlet of a species, a bottom, and having exterior dimensions;
- b. placing growth media and a plurality of propagules for said plant species in said propagule transplant containers;
- c. interconnecting said propagule transplant containers by a substantially planar formable web;
- d. nurturing an initial growth of said propagules for said plant species in said first matrix of propagule transplant containers to create a first growth matrix of juvenile plantlets;
- e. establishing a matrix of individual transplant cohesive intermingled plant-media masses from a portion of said growth media and each of said juvenile plantlets;
- f. extruding a substantial portion of an individual transplant cohesive intermingled plant-media mass from a propagule transplant container;
- g. inserting at least one individual transplant cohesive intermingled plant-media mass in an adolescent plant container immediately after extruding a substantial portion of an individual transplant cohesive intermingled plant-media mass from said propagule transplant container;
- and
- h. secondarily growing said juvenile plantlet in said adolescent plant container to create an adolescent plant.
6 more elements
A method of cultivating plants comprising the steps of:
- a. establishing a matrix of volume extravagant propagule transplant containers arranged in a rectilinear matrix, each propagule transplant container having an extravagant volume relative to a transplant stage plantlet of a species, a bottom, and having exterior dimensions;
- b. placing growth media and a plurality of propagules for said plant species in said propagule transplant containers;
- c. interconnecting said propagule transplant containers by a substantially planar formable web;
- d. nurturing an initial growth of said propagules for said plant species in said first matrix of propagule transplant containers to create a first growth matrix of juvenile plantlets;
- e. establishing a matrix of individual transplant cohesive intermingled plant-media masses from a portion of said growth media and cacti of said juvenile plantlets;
- f. extruding a substantial portion of an individual transplant cohesive intermingled plant-media mass from a propagule transplant container;
- g. inserting at least one individual transplant cohesive intermingled plant-media mass in an adolescent plant container immediately after extruding a substantial portion of an individual transplant cohesive intermingled plant-media mass from said propagule transplant container;
- and
- h. secondarily growing said juvenile plantlet in said adolescent plant container to create an adolescent plant.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.