US 12,239,057 B2
Soilless growth media for indoor agriculture
Edward D. Harwood, Ithaca, NY (US); and James Zeiba, Derry, NH (US)
Assigned to New AeroFarms, Inc., Ringgold, VA (US)
Appl. No. 17/297,709
Filed by Just Greens, LLC, Newark, NJ (US)
PCT Filed Nov. 25, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/062957
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 27, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/112610, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 4, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/772,873, filed on Nov. 29, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0022389 A1, Jan. 27, 2022
Int. Cl. A01G 24/44 (2018.01); A01G 13/02 (2006.01)
CPC A01G 24/44 (2018.02) [A01G 13/0268 (2013.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An indoor farming flat, comprising:
a root penetrable 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 is a balanced double-knit fabric comprising a tie-in yarn continuously linking the first web having the light reflecting plant supporting surface and the second web having the light absorbing base surface;
the balanced double-knit fabric attached along peripheral areas to a tray, the tray has a root side and a developing plant side;
the balanced double-knit fabric attached to the tray with the light reflecting plant supporting surface of the balanced double-knit fabric and the developing plant facing side of the tray facing in the same direction when the balanced double-knit fabric is attached to the tray and the light absorbing base surface of the balanced double-knit fabric and the root side of the tray and the balanced double-knit fabric face the same direction when the balanced double-knit fabric is attached to the tray, the balanced double-knit fabric is in a stretched configuration on the tray, the balanced double-knit fabric in the stretched configuration drapes the outer edges of the tray to a thickness of the tray and is absent scallops or gaps between the balanced double-knit fabric and the outer edges of 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.