Ball Horticultural Company

Ball Seed Company

Robert S Conrad

Xiaolei Hu

Paul L Falkenstein

Michael David Coleman

Michael D Coleman

Cast pellets containing plants seeds and methods of making the cast pellets are described. The cast pellets include a mixture of one or more plant seeds and a setable, flowable casting substance. The casting substance can be a thermoplastic or another material such as plaster, polyacrylamide or a derivative thereof, polyacrylic acid, a melt processable starch, wax, polyvinyl alcohol, glyceride, partial glyceride, or mixtures thereof. The mixture can additionally contain other substances, such as fillers, plant growth regulators, insecticides, fungicides, bactericides, fertilizers, microorganisms, or mixtures thereof. The seeds can be of the same or different species, and can be selected to have, for example, the same or different flower colors.

Cast pellets for planting seeds

A system for sowing seeds in cells of a germination tray or other container and related methods of operation. The system may include a conveyor configured to move the germination tray in a conveying direction, a seed storage container configured to hold a plurality of seeds, a seed sowing machine, and a seed diverting mechanism. The seed sowing machine may be configured to transfer the seeds from the seed storage container along at least one seed transport path and into respective cells of the germination tray as the conveyor moves the germination tray in the conveying direction. The seed diverting mechanism may be configured to selectively divert seeds from the at least one seed transport path such that the diverted seeds are not deposited in cells of the germination tray during operation.

Systems for correcting seed sowing errors and related methods

A seed sowing system for depositing seeds in a germination tray is disclosed. The seed sowing system may include a rotatable drum having a plurality of rows of apertures configured to pick up, carry, and release the seeds so that they fall into respective depressions in the germination tray. A light source may be provided to illuminate the row of seeds as each row passes through an illumination region while being carried on the rotatable drum. A detector may be positioned to capture light reflected from the rows of seeds as each row passes through the illumination region. Output signals from the detector may be analyzed to determine an improper quantity of seeds at predetermined locations on the rotatable drum. Based on this analysis, an alert and/or report may be provided to the operator so that he or she can adjust and/or repair the seed sowing system.

Seed sowing system and method of use

A seed classification system is provided. The seed classification system includes a seed holding device and a seed spectral analysis system. The seed holding device includes a top surface and a plurality of wells disposed in the top surface. The plurality of wells are configured to hold a plurality of seeds. Each well is defined by at least one wall extending transverse to the top surface. The seed spectral analysis system is configured to obtain image data for one or more of the seeds held in one or more of the wells of the seed holding device and configured to classify the one or more seeds based on the obtained image data.

Seed holding device and seed classification system with seed holding device

This disclosure relates to a method and system that models a seed structure and uses a spectral analysis to identify which morphological seed structures are existent in the seed/seedling. Additionally, this disclosure relates to a method and system that applies multi-spectral analysis using predetermined models of a seed/seedling to identify which morphological structures are existent in the seed/seedling. The information about the existence or non-existence of structures of the seed/seedling is used to classify the seed as having a specific characteristic, for later commercial use or sale. The seed market determines which specific characteristic the method will use to classify the seed/seedling. The individual seed classification may help determine associated seed lot germination values.

Seed classification using spectral analysis to determine existence of a seed structure

A multi-plant product and a method of producing a container of plants are described. Cast pellets containing plant seeds selected for their seed germination timing are planted in a container with a vegetative cutting. The cutting can be selected for having root initiation timing synchronized with the seed germination timing of the plant seeds in the cast pellet. The seed germination timing of the plant seeds can be modified by selecting the volume of the cast pellet.

A method and system for producing a group of growth-induced seeds for commercial use or sale, the method including monitoring a physiological indication and/or morphometric indication for a seed, automatically determining if the monitored seed has a specific characteristic, separating the monitored seed having the specific characteristic into a group of seeds for commercial use or sale so that each and every seed in the group has been monitored and determined to have the specific characteristic.

Method for grouping a plurality of growth-induced seeds for commercial use or sale based on testing of each individual seed

A method and apparatus for assessing the quality of a seed lot utilizes image analysis equipment to generate an indication of seed quality. In one method, the quality of the seed lot may be determined by generating an image of a plurality of seedlings grown from a plurality of seeds selected from the seed lot, determining the leaf surface area of each of the seedlings from the image, determining the total leaf surface area of the seedlings from the image, determining a surface area threshold relating to the leaf surface areas of a plurality of the seedlings, determining the proportion of the seedlings which have a leaf surface area that exceeds the surface area threshold, and generating an indication of seed quality based upon that proportion.

Method for determining seedling quality

Method and apparatus for assessing the quality of a seed lot

The invention is drawn to a method of applying a hydrogel coating to embryonic plants to improve early plant growth by controlling the amount of cross-linking. A dry coating of a water-soluble hydrogel in powder form is built up around individual embryonic plants. The powder-coated plants are introduced into a water bath which is free of polyvalent metal ions to partially hydrate the coatings. Rapidly thereafter and before the coatings are fully hydrated, the bath is modified by dispersing cross-linking polyvalent metal ions therein. The contact time of the coated plants in the modified bath is limited so that the polyvalent metal ions diffuse into the coatings and form an inwardly decreasing concentration gradient therein. The plants are separated from the modified bath so that the polyvalent metal ions are redistributed and equilibrated within the coatings. The resulting coatings are in a uniform partially cross-linked condition which promotes leaf emergence and plant vigor.

Growing community of inventors

Wheaton, IL, United States of America

Robert S Conrad