IL33477A - Method for the control of plant propagation - Google Patents

Description

METHOD FOB THIS CONTROL OF PIAWT PKOiAGATIOH The present invention relates to a method for controlling the course of growth of plants in climates of whatever geographical location, for an industrial and continuous production of plants during the whole year.

Industrial plant growing is performed by hydroponic culture methods, either in closed spaces or in the open, using conveyor band methods.

In order to conduct plant growing on an Industrial scale and in closed premises, the plant production being independent of a geographical location and of seasons, it is absolutely necessary to conduct a preliminary, very exact investigation concerning the practical feasibility of such a plant. Once a decision had been reached to establish a plant growing factory at a certain location, exact knowledge of the economical aspects of such a factory are of utmost importance. Every kind of production is based on certain sequence of stages in the development of a plant. In industrial plant growing this performance is designated aa course of growth and it is put into reality following an exactly predetermined and controlled total of factors of the surroundings.

The course of growth of the plant is subject to two systems of influence: First to genetic data, a kind of "internal control".

Second to an "external", ecological and factory bound control.

The factory bound control is performed by the cyclic total of data of the surroundings which are fixed for certain times of the year.

The plant itself is only a means for attaining a vegetable final product, be it a predetermined quantity of oil, of alkaloids, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins} or the whole morphological structure of the plant or parts thereof are the final, coveted products - such as leaves, roots, blossoms or fruits.

According to the invention the desired course of growth is found in such a way that first the actual values and data of the natural course of growth are determined by measuring and recording the natural factors of the surroundings at the location of a plant in the open or in closed in cultures at chosen time frequencies during the period of development of a plant, these values are introduced subsequently into controlled measuring -climate - chambers for the desired production of plants of the same genus and are classified by eliminating unfavorable values and are transformed into artificial values (so to say coveted values), and are then introduced into a subsequent chamber, which is surrounded by a further chamber which is adapted to the climate of the respective location, the difference between the arti icial values and the values .these .determined diffe-of the location being determined and/the- so found/values renc are introduced for the future course of growth in a tower hot house.

The method according to the invention may be performed with the use of an installation which is shown schematically in the annexed drawing.

This system comprises three groups: the reception actual and test values concerning the course of growth of the kind of plant chosen for production at different locations and during different seasonsj the accommodation group 2 for checking the ecological desired or coveted values of the course of growth, so as to determine the adaptability of the chosen plant and its adaptation to the future climate of the location of production by means of a simulation arrangement; and finally the verification tower hot house (verification tower) 3 for the whole year round production at the chosen location« The reception device 1 is an eco-physiological measuring instrument for the reception of actual values of the surrounding factors during a natural course of growth in the open, in a hot house or in a climate chamber and it is provided with conduits 4 which lead to feelers 5 which are positioned within the orbit of the plant culture 6 which feelers measure the ecological actual values, such as strength of light, air moisture, moisture of soil, temperature of air, temperature of soil, wind and other factor^. All these values are expressed by a curve and - if necessary after correction - are transformed by an amplifier 7 to a perforator 8 which produces a perforated card. With the aid of the card the course of the surrounding factors is repeated in a growth chamber and is again measured and recorded with a second eco-physiological measuring instrument of the kind mentioned above.

So as to record the climatic factors prevailing at the chosen location for the plant factory, first eco-physiological measuring instruments are applied at that place too. In doing so, one has to take into consideration the space and volume of the premises for the factory to be erected. Additionally the meterological records collected during a number of years are also used in order to find ecological limits values of the surroundings, so that these can also be included into the investigation of the problem whether the whole plant is feasible. Thus there is obtained a clear picture of the maximal and minimal values of the surroundings and the factor-gradients thereof. These are of great importance for the designing and planning of the equipment for creating a controlled condition of surrounding.

The device receiving the actual and existing values functions automatically and records all values of surroundings in time frequencies to be chosen. Tn li« of transposing this intelligence into perforated cards or tape it is also possible to transfer it directly or indirectly into a computor memory.

Values so found are introduced into the accommodation plant 2. This latter comprises a chamber 9 for measuring growth and a simulation chamber 10 which is similar to the climate of the respective location. The whole chamber 9 is positioned within the simulation chamber 10. It makes it possible to check at every desired moment the desired course of growth, e.g. the germination of seed, or the speed of growth of a young plant etc. Be it mentioned that the area of cultivation in the measuring chamber is approximately 1.3 square meters.

Furthermore It is possible to find out the resistance of a plant to climatic limit values at the location.

These are of importance for the choice of the plants and future production. Once the meteorological average values concerning the climate of location have been found, and once the ecological resistance limits of the plant are know, it becomes possible to perform the adaption to the climate, that is to say to find the conditions of accommodation.

Since the rentability of the production is dependent therefrom that the cultivation of the plants is adapted as far as possible to the factors of the surroundings at the respective location, it is of importance that the parameter of the desired climatic values is as far as possible nearest to the climate of the location.

The ecological limital values of the course of growth should never be surpassed.

Thus, in the measuring climate chamber 9 the parameters of the course of growth of the desired values are brought as far as possible near to the arti icial simulated climate of the location, as long as the parameters of the surrounding desired values do not acquire any properties which would disturb the final desired results of production. Furthermore there are taken into account a test value which appear from time to time, especially the visual appearance and the condition of the morphological structure of the plants.

In case that there are available numerical calculating arrangements these gathered details of the most different parameters concerning the temporal course of growth, such as costs, concentration, quantities, weight of certain plant parts etc. may be exploited for the attainment of optimal results.

Above all the constant checking of angle functions, tangent values, of certain parameters will show - also reversabljr - the influence of Individual surrounding factors on the course of growth.

In case that it becomes necessary to find out what surrounding factors cause a maTiwum or a minimum of a test value, every phase of evolution can be analysed rearwardly and can be determined.

The accommodation part thus makes it possible to check the plants from seed to the stage of production, the determination of positions groups of chosen plants, of the course of growth and the surrounding factors as well as adaptation of the growth parameters to the climate of the location. Comparing the desired values resulting from chamber 9 and actual values in chamber 10, one can determine which sources of energy of the local climate can be exploited and what factors have to be created artificially. Thus information and intelligence can be obtained about the technical installation required for the planned factory, requirements of power, time limits, economical calculation and accommodation of course of growth to the climate of the locality , the quality and The control tower hot houee 3 makes it possible to grow plants in a three dimensional space. The growth of plants does not occur as heretofore in a two dimensional horizontal plane, but also the height is added as a third dimension in the system of production.

The plants 11 are moved continuously on a conveyor band 12 in vertical direction moving up and down and are moved also in a horizontal direction in a cyclic circuit, the movement being continuous.

The once found optimal course of vegetation is repeated while exploiting the natural factors of the surroundings in the control tower house 3 where there exits the possibility to contact the ecological factors of surroundings with the plants. It is further possible to measure the offered factors and all data of the planned arrangement and it is. possible to control these and to record them, Bco-physiologicrJL i&easuring devices 13 are Installed for recording part of the data. In view of the fact that the course of growth of the plant is influenced to a large extent in the sense of the desired results of the production and since the surrounding factors in accordance with the desired parameter of values of the course of growth are controlled in a cyclic time rhythm, it appears to be advisable to consider each plant as a kind of a physiological "culture element" < for which -no matter where the production is conducted - the ecological preliminary conditions are being found.

This "culture element" comprises the smallest living The course of growth of the plant occurs — If seen physiologically - in a flow-equilibrium wherein the plant on the base of its genetic information performs kind of an energy transformation. The plant transforms during growth an organic (energy-poor) matter such as C02* H2^* m^nera-^ soils by means of heat and light into energy-rich, high molecular matter. ft the same time various gas reactions occur.

This influx and exit of matter must be predetermined for each culture element.

The control tower is erected at the site of production and it has to show that the desired plant culture is possible at the respective location and under every respective conditions during the whole year.

Above all, the surrounding factors which are important for the course of vegetation must be checked and controlled continuously and must be recorded, and this applies especially to those factors which cause high cost of production · It should be mentioned that data for a later cybernetic control of an installation of large size should not be disregarded.

In the Bystem of the control tower the internal and external factors of the surroundings are measured and compensated for during the production. The madtnes, the apparatus and the installations which cxate the factors of the surroundings are checked for the necessary energy input and the parameter desired values in temporal rhythm and are put at the disposal of the All data which are required for the installation of the future equipment are recorded at intervale of time and so as to receive intelligence on the feasibility of the desired production at the chosen location.

Claims (1)

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A method for controlling the course of growth of plants in climates of whatever geographical location for an industrial and continuous production of plants during the whole year characterized thereby that first the actual values and data of the natural course of growth are determined by measuring and recording the natural factors of the surroundings at the location of a plant in the open or in closed in cultures at chosen time frequencies during the period of development of a plant, these values are introduced subsequently into controlled measuring - climate · chambers for the desired production of plants of the same genus and are classified by eliminating unfavorable values and are transformed into artificial values (so to say coveted values ) , and are then introduced into a subsequent chamber, which is surrounded by a further chamber, the difference between the artificial values and the values .these .determined differ of the location being determined and/the- so fe«»d-/values ence are introduced or the future course of growth in a tower hot house. COHBH ZEDEIC AND SPISBACH Ρ·0. Box 1169 Tel Aviv Attorneys for Applicants.