FR2825574A1 - Planting bag for growing plants in open ground made from non-woven layers of jute fibres and thin plastic film - Google Patents

Abstract

The bag (20), designed to hold a plant cultivated in open ground, e.g. a nursery, and filled with soil from the ground as it is planted, is made from two layers of non-woven jute fibres with a density of 300 to 500 g/sq m, separated by a thin layer of plastic film with the three layers sewn together. The bag, which can have an additional inner layer of thin plastic film, is made from an initial rectangle of material, shaped and sewn to make the required shape.

Description

<Desc / Clms Page number 1>

BAG SUITABLE FOR GROWING PLANTS IN THE GROUND,
ESPECIALLY IN THE NURSERY
The present invention relates to a bag suitable for growing plants, in particular in the nursery.

 We can present the culture methods known to date with the disadvantages that they present.

 The plants develop very well in the open ground since it is the most natural mode of cultivation. A nursery soil contains all the elements that ensure the plant's growth and a good supply of water, natural or by watering, thanks to the effects of capillarity. Indeed, there is no container that limits the circulation of water. The roots are not limited in their development. All this leads to very good quality plants.

 Another practical advantage is due to the fact that the plant is held in the ground by its roots and the mechanical maintenance is proportional to the growth.

Also, in case of wind, the plant remains kept vertical, implanted in the ground, without risk of overturning.

 This very natural development is particularly satisfactory but it creates constraints for the operator because these plants, once the desired size obtained, after 1.2 or 3 years of culture, are marketed and it is necessary to allow a transplant to the place of definitive implantation.

 The operator must then cut the root ball around the tree, which is a physically tedious operation when it is manual and expensive when it is mechanized.

<Desc / Clms Page number 2>

 Once the root ball has been removed, a retaining net must be provided to preserve its integrity and ensure subsequent recovery after transplantation.

 This net must then be removed before re-planting or use biodegradable nets.

 In addition, for roots, it is necessary to cut quite broadly, which increases the volume and the weight of the plant / roots set. These operations require a lot of manpower, which is expensive and this manpower is increasingly rare.

 Cultivation in the open ground adds other constraints such as tillage and weed control. Another type of so-called above-ground cultivation consists of growing plants directly in containers.

 This removes the extraction of the plant and the installation of the net as well as the maintenance of the ground.

 On the other hand, such a culture has many drawbacks.

 First of all, the containers must be watered because the rain falling on the open surface is too weak and there is no possibility of water absorption by capillarity. The substratum uses very draining materials so that it is necessary to plan important and controlled waterings. The temperature can become high in the area in contact with the container, which is generally black. It turns out that this is the area where the roots accumulate.

 The weeding of the containers is very restrictive and obliges the operators to resort to repeated chemical actions.

 The volume of the culture medium is reduced and void of nutrients the elements necessary for the growth of the plants is exclusively artificial.

 In addition, the containers are sensitive to wind and remain very unstable.

The plant has a strong wind resistance and the diameter of the container is reduced as well as its weight.

 In addition, when the operator wishes to obtain large plants, requiring a longer culture, it is necessary to repot each plant in larger containers during its evolution.

<Desc / Clms Page number 3>

 The object of the present invention is to develop a process which makes it possible to eliminate the drawbacks of the prior art and which ensures development which is substantially identical to natural, leading to plants of high quality. This process is more particularly suited to an uninterrupted cultivation of plants over a period of the order of 2 years.

 The invention also describes means allowing the implementation of the method either manually or automatically.

 To this end, the method of cultivating plants according to the invention, more particularly suitable for nurseries, is characterized by the succession of the following steps: - determination of a cultivation area, - placing in the open ground in this area of at minus a bag filled with soil extracted for the establishment of said bag, - implantation of a young plant in the soil contained in this bag, - plant growth, and - removal of the plant by removing the soil with its roots and his bag containing cultivated soil.

 Before implantation of the young plant, a plastic mulching film is provided and each bag is identified, more particularly by projecting the edge of said bag relative to the ground.

 We use bags allowing fluid exchanges and the evolution of the root system.

 The invention also covers an automated device for implementing the method. The present bag is described below in the context of a process which should be detailed for a better understanding of its application.

This description is made according to a particular embodiment, with reference to the appended drawings which represent: - FIGS. 1 A, 1 B, 1 C and 1 D, a block diagram of the culture process in which the bag according to the present invention is involved, - FIG. 2, a view of such a bag, FIG. 3, a tool allowing manual implementation of the method and positioning of the bag, and

<Desc / Clms Page number 4>

 FIGS. 4A and 4B, views respectively in side elevation and from above of a device for implementing the method according to the present invention, FIG. 5, a sectional view along line 5-5 of FIG. 4A, and - Figure 6, a sectional view along line 6-6 of Figure 4A.

 In FIGS. 1 A to 1 D, the steps of the culture method according to the present invention have been presented.

 In FIG. 1A, a culture zone 10 is prepared suitable for receiving the plants to be grown. This zone can be previously treated with a product 12 such as a weedkiller or disinfectant, preferably biological.

 Once this area has been prepared, holes 14 of small diameter are made, of the order of 20 to 25 cm to give an order of magnitude, so that the extracted volume 1 6 can be lifted manually, in a single clod during manual work and in the form of cuttings in the case of automation. The hole and the extraction of the earth are operations carried out preferably by means of a manual 16 or automatic 18 device as will be described later.

 The extracted volume 16 is used to fill a container 20, known as a culture bag for the remainder of the description. This container is very specific in the sense that it has a shape of profile conjugate with that of the hole 14. It is also produced from materials completely adapted to the method according to the present invention.

 The implementation can be carried out from polyethylene or woven polypropylene bags, available commercially at low prices, but such bags are difficult to degrade.

 In addition, it is a matter of synthesis.

 Also, a non-woven material is preferably used and even more advantageously, having qualities of natural degradation.

 Such a bag 20 can be produced from a cut 22, initially of rectangular shape, of suitable dimensions. The rectangle is folded and sewn on one side 24 and the bottom 26, leaving an opening 28. The two angles 30,

<Desc / Clms Page number 5>

 32 are then sewn, and the envelope thus formed is turned over to form a bag of substantially cylindrical shape with a bottom which will become flat after filling, with the seams and angles sewn inside.

 The material preferably used is a nonwoven of jute fibers with a density of between 300 and 500 g / m2 to give an order of magnitude. Such bags have the advantage of using natural fibers. These fibers ensure perfect soil hold, contain most of the roots inside and allow water and nutrients to circulate. These fibers do not in any way penalize natural drainage.

 When the bags are of a more significant size or when the culture medium is dense or even when the plant to be cultivated intended to be marketed will be of a fairly large size, bags can be used in a complex consisting of a jute fiber nonwoven. In this case, two layers of nonwoven jute fibers are provided between which a polyethylene film is disposed, the layers being sewn simultaneously by a coarse, through stitching. We can even reinforce by adding another external film. This film should advantageously be inside the bag once it is finished. For such complexes, densities of 500 g / m2 are reached.

 On the other hand, the polyethylene film is very thin and the weight of this film is used for 1% of the total weight to fix the proportion, which is negligible.

 Polyethylene films do not provide a tight barrier because the tapping easily allows the transfer of nutrients, while containing most of the roots during the cultivation period.

 The next step consists in placing the bags 20, filled with soil 16 extracted from said hole, in the ground.

 In an optional operation, but which may be useful, a 34-dose dose of slowly diffusing nutrients is added to the filling of the bag so as to cover the entire period of development of the plant until it is marketed. This dose can be provided when filling the bag or over the filling soil.

<Desc / Clms Page number 6>

 Each sack returned to the ground is perfectly integrated and is identified by an index 36, as shown in FIG. 1C or even more simply by a projection of the edge of the sack relative to the ground.

 Preferably but not obligatorily, the next step consists in carrying out an artificial mulching by unrolling a film 38 of plastic material, opaque, on the zone 10 intended to receive the plants 40. This mulching makes it possible to prevent the growth of weeds while allowing germination so that they are destroyed. In addition, such a film is black in color resulting in faster heating of the earth, limits the effects of frost and prevents the soil from being compacted by rain. All of these are factors for faster plant growth.

 In Figure 1 D, we note the presence of the film 38 unrolled and the indexes 36 which pierced the film and allow a perfect location. In the case of projecting bag edges, the location is also easy.

 The next action is to plant the plants you want to put into production.

 These plants generally came from seed or cuttings or any other method and their growth was controlled to a minimum size, satisfactory for them to be planted in the ground, depending on the species.

 We remove the index finger and put the plant in the same hole in the film. Thus the film surrounds the young plant as closely as possible, preventing weeds from growing and stifling its growth.

 In the case of larger plants, the planting hole is larger and the plastic film does not allow the hole to be closed around the plant. In this case, an anti-germinative is advantageously dispensed at the base of the plant.

 When the marketed size of the plant is reached, the operator then withdraws it from the ground. This operation, which is normally heavy in time and in manpower, is extremely facilitated within the framework of the method according to the invention, and in most cases,

<Desc / Clms Page number 7>

 a simple shovel is enough to extract it. There is no need to dig all around.

 The bag provides a sufficient interface to avoid clogging between the clod contained in the bag and the surrounding open ground. The bag, although perfectly integrated into the soil, allows easy removal of the root ball. The bag being pierced by many roots is driven with the foot.

 This produces a plant with the qualities of an open-air plant, while retaining the vast majority of the roots. Thus the recovery is perfectly ensured during replanting in a final place. This replanting is facilitated by the fact that the bag is degradable and that there is no need to remove it.

 We find the advantages of the container in the sense that the product is transplanted with the culture medium and the advantages of a culture in the ground by the quality of the plants. There is also no need to praline the roots with recovery compositions or to set up a net.

 The working time and the difficulty are considerably reduced by the implementation of the process while very significantly improving the quality, the robustness of the perfectly acclimatized plants from the ground.

 In case of wind, we avoid the overturning of the containers with the damage that this causes on the plants and the work that requires the recovery of each of them.

 In order to implement the method, the present invention provides a manual tool, shown in FIG. 3.

 The manual device comprises two blades 102, 104 articulated around two pins 106, 108 along an axis 110. The blades seen from above form a cone with a slight slope. In the middle of the upper peripheral semicircles of each blade, a fixed connection is provided with a handle 112, 114.

 These two handles are curved and intersect in the median vertical plane passing through the two fixed connection points. A stop 116 secured to one of the sleeves prevents the user from separating the sleeves from being too large. Such a manual device is quite suitable for small

<Desc / Clms Page number 8>

 productions and allows to cut a clod which is placed directly in the bag. To this end, the volume of the head of this device is advantageously adapted to that of the bag 20 having to receive said clod. The transfer of the root ball is fast and the operation of placing the bag is simple. Removing the root ball, placing the bag in the hole made, placing the root ball in the bag itself positioned in the hole.

 For the implementation of the method according to the present invention, it is also possible to proceed using the automatic device described below, specifically with reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B as well as FIGS. 5 and 6.

 This device is preferably coupled to a tractor 200, the wheels 202 of which alone are shown.

 The PTO 204 drives the moving parts of the device which is towed.

 This device comprises a chassis 206 attached in a known manner to the three-point hitch 208 of the tractor.

 This device comprises three successive modules 210, 212, 214.

 The module 210 is a digging module, the module 212 is a bag filling and positioning module and the module 214 is the gauge module.

 The digging module 210 comprises a bucket wheel 216 which is rotated by a bevel gear 218 and a reduction gear 220, themselves linked in rotation with the PTO of the tractor.

 A hopper 222 is arranged in an inclined fashion on either side of the wheel so as to collect the earth coming from the buckets of the bucket wheel 216.

This hopper opens into a flow hole 223.

 Under this module 210, a set of pads 224 is provided which makes it possible to adjust the working depth h of the bucket wheel 216.

 Downstream with respect to the direction of advance of the tractor, the module 212 for placing the bags and filling comprises two wheels 226 and 228 between which a chain 230 is stretched.

 One of these wheels 226 is driving, the drive means 232 being pins 234 bristling at the periphery of this wheel and intended to come

<Desc / Clms Page number 9>

 penetrate the ground and thus ensure synchronous training as the advance of the frame relative to the ground.

 The second wheel 228 is mounted idle relative to the frame.

 The chain 230 is equipped with means 236 for temporarily fixing bags. These means are composed of sets 238 of fingers 240, regularly distributed along said chain. These sets of fingers can be capped with a bag and ensure that this bag is kept open. These assemblies are pivotally mounted so that they can be oriented by means of cam tracks, not shown.

 Means 242 for storing empty bags 20 are disposed laterally.

 A seat 244 is provided to receive the operator assigned to the placement of the bags 20.

 Laterally, there is also a reserve 246 of products 34 of slow diffusion additives. The dose volume for each bag can be adjusted initially and is delivered automatically by triggering the passage of each bag through a chute 248.

 Behind the frame, there is the gauge module with a train 249 of running wheels and a train of wheels 250 of gauge which makes it possible to determine the attitude and the working depth in relation to the pads 224, front.

 Laterally, a plotter 252 allows good visual guidance and a plot parallel to the previous one to maintain the desired distance between two rows.

 The sections of FIGS. 5 and 6 bear the same references and allow a better understanding of the arrangement of the different parts of the device.

 The operation of this device is as follows.

 The tractor moves in a given direction and the device is towed. The PTO drive allows the bucket wheel to be given a rotational speed to obtain a milling and digging action so as to make a trench the width of the buckets of this wheel and a given depth corresponding to the desired working depth h and adjustable.

<Desc / Clms Page number 10>

 The excavated earth is poured onto the hopper 222 and flows through the hole 223.

 Thus, the trench carried out is gradually filled in with the excavated soil. The bags are arranged by the operator on the fingers 240 of the assemblies 238. When each bag passes in line with the hole 223, it is filled with a part of the excavated earth and then positioned at the bottom of the trench.

As the speed of rotation is synchronous with the advance, the bag is stationary relative to the ground.

 The bag is immobilized by dumping all around the remaining soil.

 When the finger assemblies are driven around the idler, the fingers are removed from the immobilized bags. The bags remain flush, even slightly protruding for later identification under the plastic mulch as indicated above.

 The operator can also optionally have an index 36 in passing so as to carry out this operation in masked time.

 It then suffices to arrange the film manually or with a dispenser for large areas, as previously described, then to arrange the plants.

 Such a device is particularly advantageous because it allows the work of substantial surfaces in short times, and allows to take advantage of favorable climatic periods for the preparation of the ground.

 The bag according to the present invention thus makes it possible to implement a method of cultivation in the open ground, of the manual or automated type.

Claims (6)

1. Culture bag (20) intended to be placed in the open ground in a culture zone (10), said bag receiving soil extracted during its establishment in the open ground in order to plant a young plant (40) in the soil contained in this bag, characterized in that non-woven materials are used allowing fluid exchanges and the evolution of the root system, so as to be extracted from the open ground simultaneously with the plant with its roots and the land of culture.  2. Culture bag (20) according to claim 1, characterized in that it is a non-woven material, having qualities of natural degradation.  3. Culture bag (20) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the material used is a non-woven jute fiber with a density between 300 and 500 g / m2.  4. Culture bag (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises two layers of nonwoven jute fibers separated by a thin plastic film, the three layers thus superimposed being sewn.  5. Culture bag (20) according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises on the internal face an additional thin plastic film.  6. Culture bag (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a cutout (22), initially rectangular, folded and sewn on two sides (24,26) leaving an opening (28), the two angles (30,32) being themselves sewn, this envelope, once turned over, forming a bag of substantially cylindrical shape with a flat bottom after filling, the seams and the angles sewn being inside .