Plant propagation systems, devices and methods
A plant propagation system is provided that includes a holder for holding at least two plants in relative spaced apart relation to enable a predetermined operation (such as, for example, a cutting operation) to be performed on each of the plants within the holder during a single pass.
1 . A plant propagation system, including:
a holder for holding at least two plants in relative spaced apart relation, the holder having two or more trays, the two or more trays being stackable to form a stack of trays through which the plants can grow;
cutting mechanism adapted to effect a lateral cutting operation between a respective pair of adjacent trays in the stack of trays;
a container for receiving the stack of trays therein; and
a media delivery system for selectively supplying a nutrient supply to the container, wherein the media delivery system includes:
a flexible nutrient container for holding a predetermined volume of the nutrient supply; and
an activation mechanism operatively associated with the nutrient container, wherein the activation mechanism can selectively deform the nutrient container to cause at least a portion of the nutrient supply to flow from or to the container via a supply line.
2 . A plant propagation system according to claim 1 , wherein the cutting mechanism is adapted to substantially simultaneously effect a lateral cutting operation on the at least two plants within the holder.
3 . A plant propagation system according to claim 1 , wherein each tray has a plurality of openings, each of the plurality of openings being configured to receive at least a portion of one of the at least two plants.
4 . A plant propagation system according to claim 3 , wherein the plurality of openings in each tray are arranged in a regular array.
5 . A plant propagation system according to claim 1 , wherein the cutting mechanism includes a hand-held cutting tool for manual cutting of the at least two plants.
6 . A plant propagation system according to claim 1 , wherein the cutting mechanism includes a cutting element adapted to be slidably received between the respective pair of adjacent trays to cause the lateral cutting operation on the at least two plants.
7 . A plant propagation system according to claim 1 , wherein the container includes a base portion having an open top for releasably receiving the stack of trays therein, and the lid portion releasably attachable about the open top of the base, thereby to close the container.
8 . A plant propagation system according to claim 1 , wherein the media delivery system is a pressure feed system.
9 . A plant propagation system according to claim 1 , further including a carrier for aseptic handling of a stack of trays.
10 . A plant propagation system according to claim 1 , wherein the activation mechanism is configured for movement between an active position in which the nutrient supply is forced to be discharged from the nutrient container charged to the container/bioreactor, and an inactive position in which the nutrient supply is prevented from flowing to the container.
11 . A plant propagation system according to claim 10 , wherein the activation mechanism is adapted to compress or squeeze the flexible nutrient container in its active position, thereby to force the nutrient supply to flow from the nutrient container to the container via the supply line.
12 . A plant propagation system according to claim 10 , wherein the activation mechanism is adapted to disengage or at least partially release its engagement with the flexible nutrient container when the activation mechanism returns to its inactive position such that the nutrient supply is free to return to the nutrient container via the supply line.
13 . A plant propagation system according to claim 10 , wherein the activation mechanism includes a selectively operable nutrient supply valve in fluid communication with the supply line.