Abstract: A non-reconstituted stevia juice food product is produced by crushing a quantity of fresh Stevia leaves to extract Stevia juice. The juice is subjected to a flocculation process, including addition of a flocculant to cause aggregation of suspended solids into flocs followed by separation. The Stevia juice is then passed through at least one adsorptive filtering medium, such as various ion-exchange resins. These processes are preferably performed without dilution, concentration or drying, thereby maintaining medicinal and health benefits of the Stevia plant.

Abstract: A system for detecting the absence of a thin nutrient film in a plant growing trough includes a trough for use in a thin-nutrient-film agricultural system, the trough having a trough base across which the thin-nutrient-film passes. A high frequency RFID tag, located in or below the trough base, is operable to receive an interrogator signal and to transmit an authentication signal. When an RFID reader passes over the RFID tag and transmits an interrogator signal, an authentication signal is generated only in the absence of a shielding layer of nutrient film, thereby indicating a failure of the nutrient film circulatory system.

Abstract: A system for growing crops includes a plurality of growing troughs with intake regions for receiving a nutrient solution and drains for releasing run-off of the nutrient solution. A nutrient circulation system with circulation subsections provides the nutrient solution to crops in the growing troughs. For each circulation subsection a piping arrangement with pipe outlets distributes the nutrient solution from a reservoir to the intake regions of a first subset of the growing troughs, and collects the nutrient solution from the drains of a non-identical second subset of the growing troughs in a drainage arrangement. The nutrient solution follows a flow path circulating through the reservoirs. The flow paths to the pipe outlets are sequentially split for equivalent flow impedance through each of the flow paths. A conveyor system moves the growing troughs from a planting location to a harvesting location and periodically increases the spacing between adjacent growing troughs.

Abstract: A mobile plant service system for treating plants in a crop growing area includes a transport device deployed for moving across the crop growing area. A spraying apparatus mounted to the transport device for delivering an atomized liquid to the plants in the crop growing area includes a plurality of spray nozzles, a pressure vessel for storing compressed air, a pressure regulating valve assembly, and a receptacle containing a liquid. A flow controller actuates the pressure regulating valve assembly to allow the flow of a controlled release of compressed air to the plurality of spray nozzles at a spray out pressure.