Phenotypic horticulture systems and methods

Abstract

Horticulture systems and methods are disclosed. The systems include an air handling rack system comprising frame supply and return plenums, an input diffusion assembly physically supported by and fluidically coupled to the frame supply plenum, and a plant support tray assembly physically supported by and fluidically coupled to the frame return plenum. The input diffusion assembly is configured to direct a supply airflow flowing through the frame supply plenum downwardly from an underside thereof. The plant support tray assembly is positioned below the at least one input diffusion assembly to form an environmental cultivation chamber therebetween. The rack system is configured to direct the supply airflow through the environmental cultivation chamber from the input diffusion assembly to the plant support tray assembly past one or more plants positioned on a support side of the plant support tray assembly and into the frame return plenum as a return airflow.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A horticulture system, comprising:
 a first growing rack comprising: 
 the at least one input diffusion assembly configured to direct a supply airflow flowing thereto from at least one supply plenum downwardly from an underside of the at least one input diffusion assembly; 
 at least one plant support tray positioned below the at least one input diffusion assembly forming at least one environmental cultivation chamber therebetween, the at least one plant support tray configured to receive the airflow flowing from the underside of the above-positioned at least one input diffusion assembly and through the at least one environmental cultivation chamber past at least one plant positioned on a support side of the at least one plant support tray assembly, and direct the received airflow as a return airflow to at least one return plenum; and 
 a plurality of structural support legs extending upwardly from a bottom side of the first growing rack that physically support and position the at least one input diffusion assembly and the at least one plant support tray in a vertically stacked arrangement, 
 wherein at least one support leg of the plurality of support legs is configured as the at least one supply plenum such that it forms an inner cavity configured to direct a flow of the supply airflow upwardly from the bottom side of the first growing rack to the at least one input diffusion assembly, and 
 wherein at least one support leg of the plurality of support legs is configured as the at least one return plenum such that it forms an inner cavity configured to direct a flow of the return airflow downwardly from the at least one plant support tray to the bottom side of the first growing rack. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein at least two support legs of the plurality of support legs are configured as supply plenums that form inner cavities configured to direct flows of the supply airflow upwardly from the bottom side of the first growing rack to the at least one input diffusion assembly, and wherein at least two support legs of the plurality of support legs that differ from the at least two support legs that are configured as supply plenums are configured as return plenums that form inner cavities configured to direct flows of the return airflow downwardly from the at least one plant support tray to the bottom side of the first growing rack. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein a first supply plenum is positioned proximate to a first end and a first face of the first growing rack, and a second supply plenum is positioned proximate to a second end of the first growing rack that opposes the first end and the first face, and wherein the at least one input diffusion assembly extends between the first and second supply plenums in a first direction that extends between the first and second ends of the first growing rack, and 
 wherein a first return plenum is positioned proximate to the first end and a second face of the first growing rack that opposes the first face, and a second return plenum is positioned proximate to the second end and the second face, wherein the at least one plant support tray assembly extends between the first and second return plenums in the first direction.   
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one plant support tray is physically supported by the at least one supply plenum and not directly fluidically coupled thereto. 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one supply plenum comprises at least one rigid duct. 
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one return plenum comprises at least one rigid duct. 
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one return plenum extends upwardly from the bottom side of the first growing rack and to the at least one input diffusion assembly. 
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of structural support legs are configured as a supply plenum or as a return plenum. 
     
     
         9 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first growing rack further comprises a plurality of panels that collectively extend about a periphery of the at least one environmental cultivation chamber to substantially enclose the at least one environmental cultivation chamber. 
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one input diffusion assembly comprises an supply passageway in fluid communication with the at least one supply plenum configured to direct the supply airflow from the at least one supply plenum along a width and length of the at least one input diffusion, wherein the supply passageway extends along a pathway that extends about an internal supply cavity such that an inner side wall of the supply passageway defines an outer border of the internal input cavity, and wherein the internal supply cavity is in fluid communication with the supply passageway to receive the supply airflow via a plurality of through holes in the inner side wall of the supply passageway that are spaced along the outer border. 
     
     
         11 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein filters are positioned within the plurality of through holes of the supply passageway. 
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein the at least one input diffusion assembly further comprises at least one diffusion plate with a plurality of input apertures in fluid communication with the internal supply cavity, the at least one diffusion plate being configured to direct the supply airflow flowing into the internal supply cavity from the internal supply cavity downwardly toward the at least one plant support tray assembly. 
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the at least one diffusion plate comprises a first diffusion plate with a plurality of first input apertures and a second diffusion plate with a plurality of second input apertures at least partially overlapping the first input apertures, the first and second diffusion plates being movably coupled together such that the degree of overlap between the first and second input apertures is adjustable to adjust the velocity of the supply airflow flowing therethrough. 
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one plant support tray assembly comprises a plant support platform that defines the support side, and wherein the plant support platform comprises a plurality of first return apertures extending therethrough for a flow of the return airflow therethrough. 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 14 , wherein the at least one plant support tray assembly further comprises a return passageway configured to direct the flow of the return airflow flowing through the plant support platform through the return passageway and to the at least one return plenum, wherein the return passageway extends along a pathway that extends about an internal return cavity such that an inner side wall of the return passageway defines an outer border of the internal return cavity, wherein the internal return cavity is in fluid communication with the plurality of first return apertures and is in fluid communication with the return passageway via a plurality of through holes in the inner side wall of the return passageway that are spaced along the outer border. 
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 15 , wherein filters are positioned within the plurality of through holes of the return passageway. 
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein a length of a portion of the at least one supply plenum positioned between a supply airflow input to the at least one input diffusion assembly and the at least one plant support tray assembly is adjustable such that a height of the at least one environmental cultivation chamber is adjustable. 
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the length adjustable portion of the at least one supply plenum comprises a first adjustable plenum portion and a second adjustable plenum portion being telescopingly arranged. 
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first growing rack is free standing via the plurality of structural support legs. 
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first growing rack further comprises at least one lighting device positioned within the at least one environmental cultivation chamber. 
     
     
         21 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the at least one input diffusion assembly comprises: 
 a first input diffusion assembly; and 
 a second input diffusion assembly positioned below the first input diffusion assembly; and 
   the at least one plant support tray assembly comprises: 
 a first plant support tray assembly positioned above the second input diffusion assembly, and positioned below the first input diffusion assembly to form a first environmental cultivation chamber therebetween, wherein the first growing rack is configured to direct the supply airflow through the first environmental cultivation chamber from the first input diffusion assembly to the first plant support tray assembly past at least one plant positioned on a support side of the first plant support tray assembly and into the at least one return plenum as a portion of the return airflow; and 
 a second plant support tray assembly positioned below the second input diffusion assembly to form a second environmental cultivation chamber therebetween, wherein the first growing rack is configured to direct the supply airflow through the second environmental cultivation chamber from the second input diffusion assembly to the second plant support tray assembly past at least one plant positioned on a support side of the second plant support tray assembly and into the at least one return plenum as a portion of the return airflow. 
   
     
     
         22 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising an air conditioning system fluidically coupled to the at least one supply plenum via at least one supply base plenum and fluidically coupled to the at least one return plenum via at least one return base plenum, the air conditioning system configured to force the supply airflow through the at least one supply base plenum and to the at least one supply plenum under positive pressure, and draw the return airflow through the at least one return base plenum from the at least one return plenum under negative pressure. 
     
     
         23 . The system according to  claim 22 , wherein the least one supply base plenum and the at least one return base plenum extend beneath the first growing rack and are fluidically coupled to the at least one supply plenum and the least one return plenum, respectively, via open bottom ends of the at least one supply plenum and the least one return plenum. 
     
     
         24 . The system according to  claim 22 , further comprising a second growing rack, the second growing rack comprising:
 at least one second input diffusion assembly configured to direct a supply airflow flowing thereto from at least one second supply plenum downwardly from an underside of the at least one second input diffusion assembly;   at least one second plant support tray positioned below the at least one second input diffusion assembly forming at least one second environmental cultivation chamber therebetween, the at least one second plant support tray configured to receive the airflow flowing from the underside of the above-positioned at least one second input diffusion assembly and through the at least one second environmental cultivation chamber past at least one plant positioned on a support side of the at least one second plant support tray assembly, and direct the received airflow as a return airflow to at least one second return plenum; and   a plurality of second structural support legs extending upwardly from a bottom side of the second growing rack that physically support and position the at least one second input diffusion assembly and the at least one second plant support tray in a vertically stacked arrangement,   wherein at least one second support leg of the plurality of second support legs is configured as the at least one second supply plenum such that it forms an inner cavity configured to direct a flow of the supply airflow upwardly from the bottom side of the second growing rack to the at least one second input diffusion assembly,   wherein at least one second support leg of the plurality of second support legs is configured as the at least one return plenum such that it forms an inner cavity configured to direct a flow of the return airflow downwardly from the at least one second plant support tray to the bottom side of the second growing rack, and   wherein the at least one second supply plenum and the at least one second return plenum are fluidically coupled to the at least one supply plenum and the least one return plenum, respectively, such that the air conditioning system is configured to force the supply airflow through the at least one supply base plenum and to the at least one second supply plenum, and draw the return airflow through the at least one return base plenum from the at least one second return plenum.   
     
     
         25 . The system according to  claim 24 , wherein the least one supply base plenum and the at least one return base plenum extend beneath the second growing rack and are fluidically coupled to the at least one second supply plenum and the least one second return plenum, respectively, via open bottom ends of the at least one second supply plenum and the least one second return plenum.