Method and system for growing plants
First Claim
1. A method of monitoring one or more growing plants comprising (i) providing at least one plant in a growth substrate which contains water, (ii) providing a monitoring system comprising (a) a first data storage means containing stored data on the optimum water oxygen levels for at least one, preferably at least two, sets of growth conditions and(b) a first calculating means for comparing input actual growth conditions and actual water oxygen levels with the stored data and producing a first output result and (c) input means for supplying to the monitoring system actual growth conditions and actual water oxygen levels, the process comprising (iii) measuring the actual water oxygen level in the region around the roots of the at least one plant, (iv) providing the actual water oxygen level to the first calculating means, (v) determining at least one growth condition and supplying the growth condition to the first calculating means, whereby (vi) the first calculating means compares the actual water oxygen level and the at least one growth condition with the stored data and provides the first output result.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of monitoring one or more growing plants comprising: (i) providing at least one plant in a growth substrate which contains water, (ii) providing a monitoring system comprising (a) a first data storage means containing stored data on the optimum water oxygen levels for at least one, preferably at least two, sets of growth conditions and (b) a first calculating means for comparing input actual growth conditions and actual water oxygen levels with the stored data and producing a first output result and (c) input means for supplying to the monitoring system actual growth conditions and actual water oxygen levels, the process comprising: (iii) measuring the actual water oxygen level in the region around the roots of the at least one plant, (iv) providing the actual water oxygen level to the first calculating means, (v) determining at least one growth condition and supplying the growth condition to the first calculating means, whereby (vi) the first calculating means compares the actual water oxygen level and the at least one growth condition with the stored data and provides the first output result. The invention also provides a monitoring system, which is preferably an oxygen sensor system, for use in this method, and methods of growing plants using this monitoring method.
35 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of monitoring one or more growing plants comprising
(i) providing at least one plant in a growth substrate which contains water, (ii) providing a monitoring system comprising (a) a first data storage means containing stored data on the optimum water oxygen levels for at least one, preferably at least two, sets of growth conditions and(b) a first calculating means for comparing input actual growth conditions and actual water oxygen levels with the stored data and producing a first output result and (c) input means for supplying to the monitoring system actual growth conditions and actual water oxygen levels, the process comprising (iii) measuring the actual water oxygen level in the region around the roots of the at least one plant, (iv) providing the actual water oxygen level to the first calculating means, (v) determining at least one growth condition and supplying the growth condition to the first calculating means, whereby (vi) the first calculating means compares the actual water oxygen level and the at least one growth condition with the stored data and provides the first output result.
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9. A monitoring system for use in a method of monitoring plant growth comprising
(a) a first data storage means containing stored data on the optimum water oxygen levels for at least two sets of growth conditions and (b) a first calculating means for comparing actual growth conditions and actual water oxygen level with the stored data and (c) input means for providing to the monitoring system actual growth conditions and actual water oxygen levels, optionally (d) a second data storage means containing stored modification data on methods for increasing and decreasing water oxygen level and (e) a second calculating means for comparing the first output result with the stored modification data to give a second output result which specifies what modifications must be made to the growth conditions to achieve an optimum water oxygen level, and (f) a display means for receiving the first output result and/or the second output result and displaying these.
Specification