Patent ID: 9675012
Date: 2017-06-13
CPC Classifications: A01G,Y02A

Claim:
1. A method for controlling soil moisture to perform water deficit experiments on a plurality of plants located in soil contained within a plurality of pots supported in a plurality of openings of a stationary platform, the method comprising: lifting the plurality of pots with a plurality of load cell modules; weighing each of the plurality of pots with the load cell modules; determining whether each pot needs to be watered based on the weight of the pot and the water deficit experiment; watering the pots through the load cell modules, if necessary, based on the determining step; and lowering the plurality of load cell modules so that the plurality of pots are supported by the platform wherein each load cell module includes a load cell having a support movable from a retracted position spaced apart from a bottom surface of an associated pot to an extended position in which the support of the load cell lifts the associated pot upwardly to support the weight of the pot thereon, the load cell weighing the lifted pot, and wherein each support is formed to include an aperture aligned with a fill opening in the bottom surface of the associated pot and a connector in fluid communication with the aperture, wherein watering the pots through the load cell modules includes supplying water from a water supply through the connector and the aperture of each load cell module support to the associated pot.