Methods and devices for stimulating growth of grape vines, grape vine replants or agricultural crops

Abstract

A growth chamber for improving growing conditions of a growing plant which include a growing grape vine, grape vine replant or other agricultural crop plant. The growth chamber includes a solar concentrator for collecting and concentrating solar energy, a light transmitter in optical communication with the solar concentrator, for directing the collected solar energy toward the growing plant, an inner wall comprising a perimeter positioned between the solar concentrator and the growing grape vine or grape vine replant, the inner wall further comprising a reflective inner surface for directing collected solar energy toward the growing plant, and a protective inner surface configured for placement around the growing plant, the protective inner surface defining a protected zone surrounding the growing plant, the protective inner surface extending downward from the light transmitter and comprising a rigid outer wall for protecting the protected zone from one or more growth limiting factors selected from the group consisting of: wind damage; heat damage; cold damage; frost damage; herbicide damage; and animal damage; and / or for reducing evapo-transpiration by growing plant positioned in the protected zone. 20 24 22 74 85 19 O ct 2 02 4 A B S T R A C T 2 0 2 4 2 2 7 4 8 5 1 9 O c t 2 0 2 4 z o n e .

Claims

1. A method of collecting and concentrating solar energy to an agricultural crop plant, comprising:collecting and concentrating, and spectrally modifying solar energy with a solar concentrator comprising a solar-facing surface positioned above the agricultural crop plant, the solar-facing surface comprising a reflective material, the solar concentrator having an upper perimeter and a lower perimeter, wherein the lower perimeter is less than the upper perimeter;directing the collected solar energy toward the agricultural crop plant through a light transmitter in optical communication with the solar concentrator, the light transmitter comprising:(i) an inner wall comprising a perimeter positioned between the solar concentrator and the agricultural crop plant, the inner wall further comprising a reflective inner surface for directing collected solar energy toward the agricultural crop plant; and(ii) a light transmitter base defining a protected zone surrounding the agricultural crop plant, the light transmitter base comprising a receiving portion and a base portion, the light transmitter base coupled to the light transmitter at the receiving portion and extending downward from the light transmitter, wherein the light transmitter base comprises a rigid outer wall having a perimeter at the receiving portion that is less than the upper perimeter of the solar concentrator, the rigid outer wall configured to 1) protect the protected zone from one or more growth limiting factors selected from the group consisting of: wind damage; heat damage; cold damage; frost damage; herbicide damage; and animal damage; and / or 2) reduce evapo-transpiration by the agricultural crop plant positioned in the protected zone,wherein one or both of the light transmitter and the light transmitter base comprise one or more openings for allowing one or both of a) operator access to the agricultural crop plant therethrough and b) airflow between an outside environment and the protected zone.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the light transmitter base and the light transmitter are integrally connected to one another; or wherein the light transmitter base, the light transmitter and solar concentrator are integrally connected to one another.

3. The method of any one of claims 1-2, wherein two or more of the openings are arranged in pairs positioned on laterally opposing sides of the light transmitter or the light transmitter base, to allow lateral airflow through the light transmitter or the light transmitter base.2024227485   15 Oct 20264. The method of any one of claims 1-3, wherein the solar concentrator comprises a funnel shape, a cone shape, a parabolic shape, a partial funnel shape, a partial cone shape, a compound or partial parabolic shape.

5. The method of any one of claims 1-4, wherein one or both of the reflective material and the reflective inner surface comprise a plastic material.

6. The method of any one of claims 1-5, wherein one or both of the reflective material and the reflective inner surface are red in color; are adapted to limit or eliminate reflection of blue light; are adapted to limit or eliminate reflection of UV light; or are yellow pearl-white, highly reflective metallic silver or gold, or adjacent shades in the spectrum thereof; and combinations thereof.

7. The method of any one of claims 1-6, wherein the rigid outer wall defines an upper perimeter for engaging the light transmitter and a lower perimeter for engaging the soil surface surrounding the agricultural crop plant, and wherein the lower perimeter is smaller than the upper perimeter.

8. The method of any one of claims 1-7, wherein one or both of the light transmitter and the protective inner surface comprise one or more vertical openings comprising; edges, joints and a hinge, such that one or both of the light transmitter and the light transmitter base is configurable to be opened or closed along the vertical opening, thereby allowing air to pass the outside environment and the protected zone.

9. The method of any one of claims 1-8, further comprising placement of a heat sink in one or both of the light transmitter and the light transmitter base, for gathering the concentrated solar heat energy in the heat sink at one time and releasing the gathered solar heat energy into the protected zone at a later time.

10. The method of any one of claims 1-9, wherein the solar concentrator, the light transmitter and the light transmitter base are connected to one another through an interlocking connection, or a rotary connection.

11. The method of any one of claims 1-10, further comprising a step of training the agricultural crop plant to grow in a desired direction by positioning the one or more of the protective inner surface or sleeve portions and the inner wall adjacent to the agricultural crop plant and in a desired direction.

12. The method of any one of claims 1-11, further comprising scattering, manipulating the spectral composition, or both, of the collected solar energy before the collected solar energy is directed to the surface of the agricultural crop plant.2024227485   15 Oct 202613. The method of claim 12, wherein the manipulating of the spectral composition comprises one or more of: reducing blue light, enriching relative content of light in the yellow or red or far-red spectral regions, reducing relative content of UV radiation, reducing relative content of UVB radiation, or any combination thereof; enriching relative content of light in each of the yellow, red or far-red spectral regions by at least about 10%; enriching relative content of light in each of the yellow, red or far-red spectral regions by at least about 20%; enriching photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) ranges from about 400-700 nm, about 540 - 750 nm and / or about 620 - 750 nm; reducing blue light by at least about 20%; reducing relative content of UVB radiation by at least about 50%; reducing relative content of Infrared radiation (IR); reducing relative content of Infrared radiation (IR) greater than at least about 750 nm; and filtering the spectral composition light ranges within wavelengths from about 400-700 nm, about 540 - 750 nm and / or about 620 - 750 nm, and frequencies from about 508 - 526 THz and about 400 - 484 THz.

14. A growth chamber for an agricultural crop plant, the growth chamber comprising: a solar concentrator for collecting and concentrating solar energy, the solar concentrator comprising a solar-facing surface positioned above the agricultural crop plant, the solarfacing surface comprising a reflective material;a light transmitter in optical communication with the solar concentrator, for directing the collected solar energy toward the agricultural crop plant therethrough, the light transmitter comprising:an inner wall comprising a perimeter positioned between the solar concentrator and the agricultural crop plant, the inner wall further comprising a reflective inner surface for directing collected solar energy toward the agricultural crop plant;a light transmitter base defining a protected zone surrounding the agricultural crop plant, the light transmitter base comprising a receiving portion and a base portion, the light transmitter base coupled to the light transmitter at the receiving portion and extending downward from the light transmitter, wherein the light transmitter base comprises a rigid outer wall having a perimeter at the receiving portion that is less than the upper perimeter of the solar concentrator, the rigid outer wall configured to: 1) protect the protected zone from one or more growth limiting factors selected from the group consisting of: wind damage; heat damage; cold damage; frost damage; herbicide damage; and animal damage; and / or 2) reduce evapo-transpiration by the agricultural crop plant positioned in the protected zone,2024227485   15 Oct 2026wherein one or both of the light transmitter and the light transmitter base comprise one or more openings for allowing one or both of a) operator access to the agricultural crop plant therethrough and b) airflow between an outside environment and the protected zone.

15. The growth chamber of claim 14, wherein the light transmitter base and the light transmitter are integrally connected to one another; or, wherein the light transmitter base, the light transmitter and solar concentrator are integrally connected to one another.

16. The growth chamber of claim 14, wherein the light transmitter base is a separable light transmitter base, being a secondary component of the growth chamber; wherein the solar concentrator and the light transmitter of the growth chamber are separable, either independently or together, into two or more pieces; wherein the solar concentrator and the light transmitter of the growth chamber are separable along one or more horizontal planes; wherein the solar concentrator and the light transmitter of the growth chamber are jointly separable along a vertical plane; wherein the solar concentrator and the light transmitter of the growth chamber are jointly separable along a vertical plane and further comprise assembly components along vertical edges formed at the intersection of the solar concentrator and the light transmitter and the vertical plane; or combinations thereof.

17. The growth chamber of any one of claims 14-16, wherein two or more of the openings are arranged in pairs positioned on laterally opposing sides of the light transmitter or light transmitter base from one another, to allow lateral airflow through the light transmitter or light transmitter base; wherein the one or more openings are positioned either randomly or systematically in a pattern; wherein the one or more openings comprise from about 1 to about 20 openings; wherein the one or more openings are positioned at variable heights relative to each other; wherein the one or more openings comprise diameters having a functional range from about 1.0 inch and about 12.0 inches and need not all be the same diameter; or combinations thereof.

18. The growth chamber of any one of claims 14-17, wherein the solar concentrator comprises a cone shape, a funnel shape, a parabolic shape, a partial funnel shape, a partial cone shape, a compound or partial parabolic shape.

19. The growth chamber of any one of claims 14-18, wherein one or both of the reflective material and the reflective inner surface comprise a plastic material.

20. The growth chamber of any one of claims 14-19, wherein one or both of the reflective material and the reflective inner surface are red in color; are adapted to limit or eliminate reflection of blue light; are adapted to limit or eliminate reflection of UV light; or are yellow2024227485   15 Oct 2026pearl-white, highly reflective metallic silver or gold, or adjacent shades in the spectrum thereof; and combinations thereof.

21. The growth chamber of any one of claims 14-20, wherein one or both of the light transmitter and light transmitter base comprise one or more vertical openings comprising; edges, joints or a hinge, such that one or both of the light transmitter and light transmitter base is configurable to be opened or closed along the vertical opening, thereby allowing air to pass the outside environment and the protected zone.

22. The growth chamber of any one of claims 14-21, further comprising a heat sink in one or both of the light transmitter and the light transmitter base, for gathering the concentrated solar heat energy in the heat sink at one time and releasing the gathered solar heat energy into the protected zone at a later time.

23. The growth chamber of any one of claims 14-22, wherein the solar-facing surface, the reflective inner surface, an inner wall of the protective inner surface, or any combination thereof, is adapted to scatter, manipulate the spectral composition, or both, of the collected solar energy before the collected solar energy is directed to the surface of agricultural crop plant.

24. The growth chamber of claim 23, wherein the manipulation of the spectral composition comprises one or more of: reducing blue light, enriching relative content of light in the yellow or red or far-red spectral regions, reducing relative content of UV radiation, reducing relative content of UVB radiation, or any combination thereof; enriching relative content of light in each of the yellow, red or far-red spectral regions by at least about 10%; enriching relative content of light in each of the yellow, red or far-red spectral regions by at least about 20%; reducing blue light by at least about 20%; reducing relative content of UVB radiation by at least about 50%; enriching photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) ranges from about 400-700 nm, about 540 - 750 nm and / or about 620 - 750 nm; reducing relative content of Infrared radiation (IR); reducing relative content of Infrared radiation (IR) greater than at least about 750 nm; and filtering the spectral composition light ranges within wavelengths from about 400-700 nm, about 540 - 750 nm and / or about 620 - 750 nm, and frequencies from about 508 - 526 THz and about 400 - 484 THz.

25. The growth chamber of any one of claims 14-24, further comprising a textured surface on the outer wall surface of the light transmitter.

26. The growth chamber of claim 25, wherein the textured outer wall comprises pest-control aide color selected from the group consisting of:- yellow;2024227485   15 Oct 2026- pearl-white;- highly reflective metallic silver or gold; and- adjacent shades in the spectrum thereof;and wherein the textured outer wall comprises an external reflective polarization material coating comprising:-   a nano-particle coating;-  a photochromic treatment;-   a polarized treatment;-   a tinting treatment;-   a scratch resistant treatment;-   a mirror coating treatment;-  a hydro-phobic coating treatment;-  an oleo-phobic coating treatment; or-  a combination thereof;wherein the reflective polarization coating reflects light comprising a selected spectrum of wavelengths can be chosen according to a known behavior of an arthropod of interest.

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