| CPC H05B 45/30 (2020.01) [A01G 7/045 (2013.01); F21V 23/0478 (2013.01); H05B 45/10 (2020.01); H05B 45/20 (2020.01); H05B 47/105 (2020.01); F21Y 2115/10 (2016.08)] | 18 Claims |
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1. A method, comprising:
receiving plant tissue size data from at least one plant;
providing a lighting array, the lighting array including:
a light emitting diode (LED) board including:
a plurality of LEDs;
a plurality of LED placement patterns including groups of the plurality of LEDs, wherein each LED placement pattern is positioned to provide light to the at least one plant;
at least one lighting channel, wherein each LED placement pattern includes at least one LED associated with the at least one lighting channel; and
power signal lines configured to drive the plurality of LEDs and control the at least one lighting channel of each LED placement pattern;
providing a power supply sufficient to drive the plurality of LEDs and control the at least one lighting channel of each LED placement pattern;
providing a control circuit connected to the power supply, the control circuit configured to:
receive at least one plant characteristic parameter for at least one plant; and
provide instructions to the power supply for controlling the at least one lighting channel in each LED placement pattern based on the at least one plant characteristic parameter;
providing at least one light tray, wherein the at least one lighting array is mounted on an underside of the at least one light tray;
providing a grow module, the grow module comprising:
the at least one light tray; and
at least one growing tray adapted to hold at least one plant vessel, the growing tray comprising:
a plurality of tray insert openings configured to accept a plurality of tray inserts, the plurality of tray inserts, each comprising:
a plurality of tray locking points configured to secure each of the plurality of tray inserts within the plurality of tray insert openings;
a vessel cavity configured to hold a plant vessel; and
a plurality of plant vessel securement points configured to secure the at least one plant vessel within the vessel cavity;
wherein the grow module is configured to hold the at least one growing tray and the at least one light tray in a vertically stacked configuration with the at least one light tray disposed over the at least one growing tray;
providing a plurality of fertigation holes on a bottom of the vessel cavity configured to receive fertigation needles,
providing a fertigation system including:
a tray movement system for extracting the growing tray from the grow module and placing the growing tray back into the grow module;
a tray elevator for lowering and raising the growing tray;
a first pump in fluid communication with a fresh water supply; and
a nozzle manifold in fluid communication with at least one of the first pump and the fresh water supply, the nozzle manifold comprising:
a manifold header; and
a plurality of nozzles in fluid communication with the manifold header, wherein the plurality of nozzles are configured with the fertigation needles that pass through the fertigation holes to inject at least one of nutrients supplied by the first pump and water from the fresh water supply into the at least one plant vessel on the growing tray;
passing the fertigation needles through the fertigation holes on the bottom of the vessel cavity;
injecting the at least one of nutrients supplied by the first pump and water from the fresh water supply into the at least one plant vessel on the growing tray;
determining a lighting strategy, the lighting strategy including how each lighting channel in each LED placement pattern should be controlled based on the plant tissue size data;
positioning the at least one plant, in the grow module, under the lighting array; and
instructing the control circuit to implement the lighting strategy.
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