Abstract: A seeder is disclosed which includes prior art elements of a bottom stationary drop plate, an intermediate and sliding reciprocating cell plate with individual singulating cells, and "wiper bars" overlying and in sliding engagement with the cell plate. The improvement herein has the overlying wiper bars apertured in registry to the underlying drop holes. The cell plate at each individual singulating cell reciprocates to and from a position of registry with and to the wiper bar apertures above and drop apertures below. Reciprocation to a position of registry typically accumulates a singulated seed in each cell of the cell plate, and thus places the seeder in position for seeding with singulation. A probe, registered to the wiper bar aperture is mounted for reciprocation relative to the wiper bar aperture. The probe is actuated in its reciprocation when registration of the singulating cell to the wiper bar aperture and drop hole is effected.

Abstract: In the cultivation of mushrooms from an underlying bed containing mushroom spores, novel compositions and processes are provided for a casing layer which is placed over the compost layer containing spawning mycelium. A hydrophilic, thermosetting prepolymer resin is mixed in with a casing substrate, preferably Canadian peat, other optional additives and sufficient amount of water to form a slurry and the mixture is allowed to cure to a spongy block. The cured material is then pulverized and deposited as a casing layer over the compost layer. Because of the high water retention qualities of this material, watering the mushroom beds is reduced by a factor of three or more, thereby reducing operation and production costs, as also the incidence and severity of disease and displeasing blemishes.

Abstract: A machine for automatically removing soil plugs from the densely packed configuration of their growing tray and presenting them serially in a reliable and precisely positioned manner to appropriate plug takeup portions of an automated plug handling system. Broadly, the plug loader and feeder according to the present invention comprises a reciprocating plug ejection mechanism operable to remove a complete row of plugs from the tray, a tray indexing mechanism for incrementally moving the tray, one row at a time, past the plug ejection mechanism, and a carousel feeder which acts first as a receiving station and then as a plug presenting system. The machine further comprises a synchronous drive mechanism for taking motion from any appropriate input drive and generating the timed motions of the above-mentioned components over each machine cycle.

Abstract: Apparatus for continuously and rapidly forming trays of highly uniform elastomeric soil plugs comprises means for continuously mixing a water-containing soil slurry with a water-reactive pre-polymer compound, means for supplying the soil slurry and the pre-polymer compound to the mixing means at respective controlled rates, and means for delivering the mixed soil slurry and pre-polymer compound to a dispensing station for dispensing into mold receptacles; the receptacles are disposed in a closed path and carried by transport means seriatim past the dispensing station. Releasable bias means biases a tray mold member against a base mold member within each receptacle so as to extrude soil-pre-polymer mixture into plug-molding cavities of the tray mold member. The bias means is released after the plugs within the tray mold member have cured.

Abstract: In the cultivation of mushrooms from an underlying bed containing mushroom spores, novel compositions and processes are provided for a casing layer which is placed over the compost layer containing spawning mycelium. A hydrophilic, thermosetting prepolymer resin is mixed in with a casing substrate, preferably Canadian peat, other optional additives and sufficient amount of water to form a slurry, and the mixture is allowed to cure to a spongy block. The cured material is then pulverized and deposited as a casing layer over the compost layer. Because of the high water retention qualities of this material, watering the mushroom beds is reduced by a factor of three or more, thereby reducing operation and production costs, as also the incidence and severity of disease and displeasing blemishes.