JP2000201530A - Culture medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a culture medium good in water holding properties, excellent in restoring performances and facilitating operations to raise seedlings by mixing vegetable fibers with a specific material and carrying out the compression forming of the resultant mixture. SOLUTION: This culture medium is obtained by mixing vegetable fibers with vermiculite and then carrying out the compression forming of the resultant mixture. Furthermore, the vegetable fibers are preferably mixed with the vermiculite and a surfactant. The vegetable fibers are preferably mixed with the vermiculite and the mixture having <=1 mm grain diameter after the mixing is then preferably subjected to the compression forming. The vegetable fibers are preferably mixed with the vermiculite and surfactant and the obtained mixture having <=1 mm grain diameter after the mixing is preferably subjected to the compression forming. The vegetable fibers are more preferably mixed with the vermiculite and the resultant mixture is more preferably pulverized to <=1 mm particle diameter. The obtained mixture is then more preferably subjected to the compression forming.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a medium to be loaded into a seedling tray or a box-shaped seedling container having a large number of seedling pots connected thereto when sowing and raising seedlings of vegetables, paddy rice, flowers and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional example of this type, a seedling tray is loaded with an artificial medium obtained by compression-molding peat moss or the like, and then irrigated and restored, sowing vegetables, rice, flowers and the like. There is something to raise seedlings. However, peat moss is water-repellent in the dry state and has poor water absorption even when irrigated, and it takes a very long time to restore it.
The restoration ability was also low, and the restoration of an appropriate shape could not be performed, and the workability was extremely poor.

[0003]

In order to solve the conventional problems, the invention according to claim 1 is a medium in which plant fiber and vermiculite are mixed to form a compression-molded medium, and the invention according to claim 2 is provided. Is a medium formed by compression molding by mixing a vegetable fiber, vermiculite and a surfactant. The invention according to claim 3, wherein the vegetable fiber and vermiculite are mixed, and the particle size after the mixing is 1 mm or less. The medium according to claim 4, wherein the medium is obtained by mixing vegetable fibers, vermiculite, and a surfactant to form a medium having a particle size of 1 mm or less. The invention according to claim 5 is a medium obtained by mixing a plant fiber and vermiculite, pulverizing the particle size to 1 mm or less, and then compressing and forming the culture medium. The medium according to claim 7, wherein the plant fiber having a particle size of 5 mm or less is obtained by mixing the artificial fiber, vermiculite and a surfactant, pulverizing the particle size to 1 mm or less, and then compressing and forming the medium. The medium according to claims 1 to 6, wherein the invention according to claim 8 is the medium according to claims 1 to 7, wherein vermiculite having a particle diameter of 1 mm or less is used. In the invention described in the above, the plant fiber is peat moss.
According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the medium according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, wherein the medium according to any one of the first to ninth aspects is compression-molded into a tablet, a column, a sphere, or a flat plate. Things.

[0004]

According to the first and second aspects of the present invention, there is provided a medium formed by compressing a plant fiber and vermiculite, or a medium formed by mixing a plant fiber, vermiculite and a surfactant. Therefore, both the plant fiber and the vermiculite are lightweight, and it is possible to obtain a medium having good water absorption and excellent restoring performance while utilizing the properties of the plant fiber having excellent water absorbency and good water retention of vermiculite. Therefore, this medium is immediately restored to a desired shape by adding water at the time of use, so that the seeding operation can be performed efficiently, and the seedling raising operation is easy because of its light weight and good water retention.

Further, it can be stored and transported in a light-weight, small-volume dry state, and is extremely industrially excellent. The invention according to claims 3 and 4 is characterized in that a plant fiber and vermiculite are mixed, and a mixed medium having a particle size of 1 mm or less after compression or a plant fiber, vermiculite and a surfactant are mixed. Since the medium having a particle size of 1 mm or less after the mixing is a compression-molded medium, the compression-molding operation after the mixing becomes easy, and water is added to the compression-molded medium obtained by compression molding to restore the medium. The restoration speed is fast and the restoration shape is very stable. Needless to say, the strength of the medium after the restoration is high, and the handling of the seedlings and the seedlings after the seedlings are facilitated.

The invention according to claims 5 and 6 is characterized in that a plant fiber and vermiculite are mixed, and the mixture is ground to a particle size of 1 mm or less, and then a compression-molded medium or a plant fiber, vermiculite and a surfactant are mixed, and the granules are mixed. Since the medium is obtained by compression-molding after crushing the diameter to 1 mm or less, in addition to the effects of the invention according to claims 3 and 4, the mixture is crushed to a particle diameter of 1 mm or less, so that the mixture can be used without waste. In addition to being usable, a mixture having a uniform particle size as a whole can be obtained, and a compression-molding medium having stable performance can be obtained.

[0007] The invention according to claim 7 is the medium according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a plant fiber having a particle size of 5 mm or less is used. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of uneven mixing at the time of mixing. The compression molding operation after mixing becomes easy, and the restoration speed and stability of the restoration shape when water is added to the compression molding medium obtained by compression molding to restore the shape are further improved. Also, the handling of the seedlings and the seedlings after the seedlings are easy to handle.

According to the invention of claim 8, the use of vermiculite having a particle size of 1 mm or less allows the inexpensive and lightweight vermiculite, which is a clay mineral, to exhibit excellent water absorption after compression molding of the medium. The restoration speed of the compression-molded medium at the time of restoration by adding water is high and the restoration performance is excellent. Of course, the caking power of vermiculite does not serve as a binder connecting the grains of peat moss, and the effect of maintaining the shape of the medium is increased.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, since the plant fiber is peat moss, the medium according to any one of the first to eighth aspects is excellent in water retention of inexpensive peat moss which is widely sold worldwide and is easily available. It is possible to obtain a compression-molding medium having both advantages of lightness and light weight. The invention according to claim 10 is
The medium according to claim 1, wherein the medium is a tablet, a column, a sphere,
Alternatively, since the medium is compression-molded into a flat plate, in addition to the effects of the medium according to claims 1 to 9, it can be stored and transported in a lightweight, small-volume, dry state, and is extremely industrially superior. I have. In addition, the seeding operation can be performed more efficiently by adopting a shape that matches the shape of the seedling raising container.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A case of sowing and raising a lettuce according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below. The medium shown in FIG. 1 is a compression molded medium (compression molded medium) 1
In one embodiment, it is formed into a tablet (tablet or low columnar) shape. Examples of the material containing plant fibers that are used as the material of the compression molding medium 1 include peat moss and palm fruit fibers (compressed and cut fibers of coconut pulp), sawdust, bark (bark), bark compost, and the like. Can be used. In particular, peat moss formed by depositing sphagnum moss is most preferable. In addition, a material in which peat moss and coconut fruit fibers are mixed can also be used.

When peat moss is dried to a water content of about 30% or less, the water repellency becomes remarkable. Therefore, when peat moss is used as a material for compression molding, if it is dry, when it is expanded with water at the time of use after compression molding, the water is less likely to be absorbed and handling becomes inconvenient. Therefore, before compression molding, peat moss is mixed with vermiculite or immersed in an aqueous solution of vermiculite to attach fine particles of vermiculite to the surface of the peat moss fiber,
If it is dried and compression-molded, the compressed peat moss can easily absorb water even if it is dry, and the above problem is solved. Further, vermiculite is a kind of clay component that can be extracted from natural products. However, it is more effective to use a surfactant such as an alkylene oxide-based or ester-based nonionic surfactant as a water repellent (Peat Moss). With a surfactant to prevent water repellency,
If vermiculite microparticles are attached to the surface of the peat moss fiber, dried and compression-molded, the compressed peat moss is more likely to absorb water even when dry.

In addition, peat moss generally has a pH of 3.5 to 3.5.
Since the pH is as low as 5.5, the pH is adjusted with slaked lime, quicklime, formic lime, calcium carbonate, or the like. It should be noted that magnesite lime is preferred in terms of ease of handling and effects. By the way, the vermiculite also serves as a binder which acts as a binder when compression-molding peat moss, and enhances the binding effect at the time of molding.However, if sodium alginate or the like is added as a binder, furthermore, The shape after molding is stable.

Further, in order to increase the expansion ratio when the compression-molded culture medium 1 expands with water, a commercially available superabsorbent polymer or the like is mixed with a material containing plant fibers such as peat moss. Can also. Here, as an example of the above-mentioned compression molding medium, an example in which peat moss is used as a material containing plant fibers will be described in detail.

First, commercially available peat moss (having a water content of usually 4
A mass of 0 to 50% (often 45% on average) is crushed (crushed and crushed), and a 3 mm mesh (length and width is 3 mm)
And a sieve having a particle size of 3 mm or less is carefully selected. In addition, even if sieving with a 5 mm mesh (mesh of 5 mm in length and width) and carefully selecting those having a particle size of 5 mm or less, use of the completed compression-molded medium is not likely to cause uneven mixing during mixing in the subsequent process. Since there is no problem described above, it is sufficient that the fine selection is 5 mm mesh or less. However, when the particle size exceeds 5 mm, uneven mixing occurs during the mixing in the subsequent process, and the restoration performance when adding water to the completed compression-molded medium to restore the medium is poor (the restoration speed is slow and the restoration shape is stable). do not do).

Then, with respect to 8 liters (about 0.8 kg) of the selected peat moss, 2 liters of vermiculite having a particle size of 1 mm or less (the mixing ratio of the vermiculite is 10 to 30% by volume ratio after mixing, An optimal compression molding medium with good resilience and shape stability can be obtained) and
10-30 g of formic lime (Mg, Ca), 0.2-1 cc of nonionic polyoxyethylene alkyl phenyl ether as a surfactant in 1 liter of water, and 0.7-4.2 g of nitrogen as fertilizer. A mixture of 0.8 to 4.8 g of phosphorus and 0.6 to 3.6 g of potassium is mixed for 10 minutes. Then, the water repellency of the peat moss is no longer a surfactant, and a mixture of peat moss, vermiculite, formic lime, and fertilizer having a water content of 50 to 60% is obtained.
Then, fine particles of vermiculite are attached to the surface of the peat moss.

The mixture is dried until the water content becomes 15%, and then ground with a rolling roll or the like to a fine powder of 1 mm mesh (powder passing through a 1 mm-long and horizontal mesh sieve) to form a powder. Obtain medium. And what was ground to 1 mm mesh is compression molded. For the compression molding, a press machine is used to pack the powdered culture medium into the cylindrical hole of the lower mold 2 and the cylindrical protrusion of the upper mold 3 descends from above to perform compression molding (see FIG. 2). To obtain a compression molding medium 1.

The compression pressure at this time is a water content of 15%.
When compression is performed at a pressure of 150 kg / cm ² , good compression molding can be performed. Compression molding is performed by pulverizing the mixture to a fine powder of 1 mm mesh and then compression molding. This is because it is easy to put the mixture in a mold when molding with a press, and the compression molding obtained by compression molding is performed. When the medium 1 is restored by adding water, the restoration speed is fast and the restored shape is very stable. Needless to say, the strength of the medium after the restoration is high, and the handling of the seedlings and the seedlings after the seedlings are facilitated. The mixture was tested for 2
When compression molding was performed in a state of a mm mesh (particle diameter: 2 mm), both the restoration speed and the stability of the restored shape when water was added and restored after molding were inferior. The strength of the medium after the restoration was weak and fragile due to the large grains.

Further, the specific dimensions after compression molding are as follows. The size of the compression molding medium 1 is as follows: diameter D1 = 15 mm;
It is compression molded into a cylindrical shape with a height H1 = 15 mm. still,
If sodium alginate or the like is added as a binder to the mixture before molding, the binding effect at the time of compression molding is enhanced, and the shape after molding is further stabilized. Next, the seedling raising tray 4 shown in FIGS. 3 to 7 is formed by using styrofoam as a material, and as shown in FIGS. Are provided in large numbers. Each seedling pot 5 has an inner surface 5a.
L-shaped grooves 9.9 extending from the bottom to the bottom surface 5b are formed at four places, and at the bottom thereof are water drainage holes for raising seedlings. And holes 6 into which fingers and the like can be inserted. Each of the grooves 9, 9, 9, 9 communicates from the upper part of the seedling raising pot 5 to the hole 6, and when raising the seedlings, the air is freely allowed to flow from the upper part of the seedling raising pot 5 to the respective grooves 9.9.・ It flows to the lower part through 9.9 and the hole 6 (of course, on the contrary, air freely flows from the lower part of the seedling raising pot 5 to the hole 6 and each groove 9.9).
・ It flows to the top through 9.9).
In addition, at the time of watering, water permeates into the culture medium in the seedling raising pot 5 from the upper surface and the side surfaces from the grooves 9, 9, 9, 9 to facilitate watering, and excess water is removed from the grooves 9, 9, 9, 9. -Since the water is drained from the holes 9 and 6, it is possible to prevent excessive accumulation of water and root rot.

In particular, the groove depth of each of the grooves 9 is formed so as to gradually increase from the groove depth A1 at the upper end to the groove depth A2 at the lower end. . In addition, the size of the contents of the seedling raising pot 5 is, specifically, a bottom diameter D3 = 18 mm, and a diameter D2 of the upper end opening D2 = 23 m.
m, depth H2 = 37 mm, groove depth A1 at the upper end = 3.5
mm, and the groove depth A2 at the lower end is 4.7 mm.

Next, the seeding operation using the seedling raising tray 4 and the compression molding medium 1 will be described. First, nursery tray 4
The compression molding medium 1 is placed in each seedling pot 5 (FIG. 8). Then, the compression-molding medium 1 placed in each of the seedling raising pots 5 is watered from above. Then, since the water repellency of peat moss, which is the main raw material, is no longer a surfactant, the compression molding medium 1 absorbs water in each of the seedling raising pots 5... And rapidly expands (the expansion of the compression molding medium 1 is When the test ends within 20 seconds), the expanded medium 1 ′ is almost completely filled in the seedling raising pots 5 (FIG. 9). This compression molding medium 1
When swelled with water, a small gap is left between itself and the inner surface of the seedling raising pot 5, and H3 = 1 to 2 mm from the upper end opening.
It is compression-molded so as to become a culture medium 1 'having such a size as to protrude. The compression-molding medium 1 was prepared by attaching and drying vermiculite microparticles to the surface of peat moss fiber as described above, and drying the same. When including and restoring, quickly restore straight and neatly to the desired shape.

Then, when a well-known seeding hole forming roll 22 is rolled from above the filled medium 1 'to apply pressure (FIG. 10), the seeding hole forming projections 23 are positioned inside the medium 1'. To form a seeding hole 24 with a depth L = 5 mm, and the upper part of the culture medium 1 ′ is pressed by the cylindrical outer surface 25, and the seedling pot 5 of the culture medium 1 ′ is opened from the upper end by one to one.
The medium 1 ′ is compressed by an amount of 2 mm, and the medium 1 ′ is compressed.
Are filled in the seedling raising pot 5 (FIG. 11). At this time,
Even if there is some error in the expansion of the compression-molded medium 1 and there is some gap between the medium and the inner surface of the seedling pot 5, the medium is expanded by H3 higher than the appropriate medium height H2 of the seedling pot 5. After that, the medium is pressed to an appropriate medium height H2, so that the seedling raising pot 5 can be appropriately filled with the medium.

Thereafter, the seeding hole 24 is sown and the seeding hole 2 is sown.
Four parts are covered 26 with vermiculite or soil (FIG. 12). At that time, the seedling pots 5 are filled with an appropriate medium as described above. However, if the corners of the compression-molded medium 1 are lacking and the compressed medium is pressed after expansion, the appropriate medium is filled. Even when the seedling is not provided, the medium in the seedling raising pot 5 can be corrected to an appropriate amount with the cover soil 26 such as vermiculite or soil, so that individual seedlings grow unevenly or hinder the seedling raising. And good seedlings can be obtained, and high quality seedlings can be obtained.

Then, the seedling raising trays 4 which have been seeded as described above are arranged on a lattice-shaped table so as not to block the holes 6 at the bottom of each seedling raising pot 5, and air is passed through the grooves 9 and the holes 6. Seedlings are raised in a state where they can be freely distributed. The seedlings that have grown appropriately are transplanted to the cultivation field. At this time, the seedling pushing rods 7 are inserted into the holes 6 at the bottom of the seedling growing pots 5 or pushed up with fingers to be accommodated in the seedling growing pots 5. When the removed seedlings are pushed out, the seedlings can be easily taken out from the seedling raising pots 5 of the seedling raising tray 4 (FIG. 13). When vermiculite is used for the cover soil 26, seeds are easy to germinate because the specific gravity is light, the germination rate is improved, and seedling raising is easy because of good water retention.

The seedling raising pots 5 of the seedling raising tray 4 are provided with grooves 9. Since the medium 1 'does not enter the grooves 9 and fill the grooves when the medium 1' expands, the grooves 9 are formed.
… A space is formed inside. Therefore, at the time of raising seedlings, when the roots of the seedlings extend and try to extend from the medium into the grooves 9, the roots stop there due to the air pruning effect. Therefore, in addition to preventing the roots from becoming overly wound along the outer peripheral surface of the medium, the growth of the lateral roots in the medium becomes vigorous in the medium because the roots stop growing in the grooves 9. In addition, the survival of the seedlings when transplanted to the field is improved.
(If the roots are overgrown and become densely wound along the outer peripheral surface of the medium, after transplantation, new roots that are going to take root in the field are blocked by the roots that are excessively wound on the outer peripheral surface of the medium. There is a problem that the roots are difficult to elongate and take root on the soil outside the seedlings.) In addition, the seedling raising pot 5 having the above-described effect on the seedling raising.
When the seedlings are raised using the seedling raising tray 4 in which... Are formed, the compression-molded medium 1 has a columnar shape adapted to the seedling raising pot 5, so that when the medium is expanded with water, the medium may block the grooves 9. Absent. In particular, as described above, the compression molding medium 1
The compressed molding medium 1 is expanded in each of the seedling pots 5 by putting the compressed medium into each of the seedling pots 5 in a posture in which the compressed direction is the vertical direction, and by adding water to the compressed molding medium 1 thus placed. If the method of filling and raising the medium in the seedling raising pot 5 is adopted, the compression-molded medium 1 does not expand greatly in the horizontal direction but greatly expands in the vertical direction when it contains water.
Groove 9 ... The medium does not enter so as to fill the groove 9
.. Can be easily filled into the seedling raising pot 5 so that a space is formed therein. Therefore, the seeding and the seedling raising can be easily performed in a state where the air pruning effect by the grooves 9 of the seedling raising pots 5 is sufficiently exerted.

Further, when small dirt, sand, pebbles and the like are clogged in the groove 9, the small dirt, sand, pebbles and the like are accumulated and filled in the groove 9 above the clogged portion every time irrigation is performed. Then, the air pruning effect cannot be obtained, and it is impossible to grow a good quality seedling. However, the groove depth of each groove 9, 9, 9, 9 is changed from the groove depth A1 at the upper end to the groove depth A2 at the lower end.
Are formed so as to become deeper one by one until reaching each groove 9.
The cross-sectional area of 9.9.9 is also formed so as to gradually increase from the opening area at the upper end to the opening area at the lower end, so that small garbage, sand, pebbles, and the like during the raising of seedlings are in the grooves 9. Even if it enters the groove 9 from the upper end, it is easily discharged from the lower end through the hole 6 without clogging the groove 9 (even if small dust, sand, pebbles, etc. enter the groove 9). , Especially during irrigation,
It is easily washed out with water. ), The grooves 9 are prevented from being buried, and seedlings can be easily grown in a state where the air pruning effect is sufficiently exhibited as described above.

It is to be noted that if the medium 1 obtained by compression-molding a material containing plant fibers is expanded by adding water after compression molding, the expansion in the direction substantially opposite to the compression direction during compression molding is large. Has characteristics. For example, when the compression-molding medium 1 in the form of a tablet shown in FIG. 1 is compressed and molded from above and below using peat moss, the size at the time of compression molding is 15 mm in diameter × 15 mm in height. When expanded with water, the expansion in the direction opposite to the compression direction increases from 15 mm to a height of 38 to 39 mm and becomes about 2.5 times the expansion, and the expansion in the direction intersecting the compression direction has a diameter of 1 mm.
The diameter increased from 5 mm to 18 to 19 mm, and the expansion was about 1.2 times.

On the other hand, the seedling raising tray 4 is formed of styrene foam and is covered with the culture medium 1 'by the inner surface 5a and the bottom surface 5b of each seedling raising pot 5, so that the heat insulating property is good and the roots The temperature can be prevented from rising more than necessary, and even if the seedlings are raised during the hot summer season, the seedlings can be prevented from growing too long, and healthy seedlings can be grown. Each seedling in each seedling pot 5 can be grown uniformly.

As described above, the compression-molded medium 1 greatly expands substantially in the direction opposite to the compression direction when containing water, but the medium 1 'after the expansion expands in the expansion direction (vertical direction). It has the property of being strong against shearing and weak against shearing in a direction (left-right direction) crossing the expansion direction. Conventionally, if you try to pull up by pulling the stem of a seedling where root wrapping has not occurred due to the air pruning effect,
Because the roots are not entangled in the medium, only the seedlings are pulled out and it is difficult to pull out the seedlings together with the medium, and even if you try to remove the seedlings with the medium by pushing the stick into the hole at the bottom of the seedling pot, There is a problem that it is difficult to push up the seedling together with the culture medium because the rod pushed into the bottom breaks the soil because it is not entangled with the culture medium.

Then, the compression-molded medium 1 is placed in each seedling pot 5 in such a manner that the compressed direction is the up-down direction, and water is contained in the compression-molded medium 1 so that the compression-molded medium 1 is filled with water.
Are expanded and filled in each seedling pot 5, and then seeded on the expanded medium 1 ′ to raise seedlings. Since the medium will be resistant to vertical shear,
The seedlings can be pulled out by holding the stems of the seedlings and pulled out. Also, when pushing out the seedlings contained in the seedling raising pots 5 by inserting the seedling pushing rods 7 into the holes 6 at the bottom of the seedling raising pots 5. Even when the medium is not easily disintegrated and the roots of the seedlings are not very elongated, the seedlings can be easily taken out from the seedling raising pots 5. Therefore, highly adaptable seedlings (seedlings that can be easily pulled out by a device that pulls out from the inside of each seedling pot 5... Or a device that pushes out from below) can be grown.

Since the seedling-growing pot 5 is circular in plan view, the shape of the above-mentioned compression-molding medium 1 is also circular. If you also use a square thing,
When the compression-molded medium placed in the seedling raising pot is expanded by adding water, the medium is properly filled in the seedling raising pot. Therefore, if the shape in plan view of the compression-molded medium matches the shape in plan view of the seedling pot of the seedling raising tray in which the medium is filled, the medium can be filled in the seedling pot well.

Further, the material of the seedling raising tray is not limited to foamed styrene, but may be formed of any material such as a hard synthetic resin or a soft synthetic resin which can be freely bent. Further, in the above example, the example of the seedling pots 5 arranged in a large number on the seedling raising tray 4 is shown, but it is so-called that the present invention may be applied to a single seedling raising container such as a flowerpot or a plastic pot (pot). Not even.

Next, an example in which the compression molding medium 1 is compression molded into another shape will be described. That is, a case where a so-called mat-shaped seedling is raised by sowing paddy rice according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below. First, a seedling box 30 for paddy rice
Is generally rectangular in plan view and vertical = 28 cm
・ Width = 58cm ・ depth = 3cm, drain hole 30a at the bottom
Are standardized in Japan in a shallow box shape provided with a large number.

The one shown in FIG. 14 is compression molded into a rectangular flat plate having a length of 27.5 cm, a width of 57.5 cm, and a height of 4 to 5 mm so as to enter the seedling box 30. This is a compression-molded medium 1. This plate-shaped compression molding medium 1
In the same manner as in the above example, a powdery medium obtained by grinding to a 1 mm mesh is packed in a shallow box-shaped hole of the lower mold 2 ', and the rectangular plate-shaped projection of the upper mold 3' descends from above. And compression molded (see FIG. 15).

The compression pressure at this time is a water content of 15%.
When compression is performed under a pressure of 100 kg / cm ² , good compression molding can be performed. Next, the seedling raising using the seedling box 30 for paddy rice and the plate-shaped compression-molding medium 1 will be described in detail. First,
As shown in FIG. 16, the compression molding medium 1 is put in the seedling box 30, and water is applied from above.

The compression-molding medium 1 in the seedling box 30 rapidly expands by absorbing water because the water repellency of peat moss, which is the main raw material, is no longer a surfactant, as shown in FIG. = 13-25 mm thick. The expansion of the compression-molding medium 1 is completed within 20 seconds when tested. Then, the surface is flattened by a pressure-reducing device to make a uniform nursery bed, and the surface is uniformly seeded with paddy, covered with soil from above, and irrigated (FIG. 18).

Next, the seedling box 30 after the seeding operation is put into a germination apparatus and germinated, and then seedlings are raised. The seeding operation is performed in this manner. Since the compression-molding medium 1 is a mixture obtained by mixing vermiculite and the like with peat moss, which is the main raw material, the compression-molding medium 1 is light and not bulky. The operation of supplying the compression-molded medium 1 can be performed very easily, and the storage place may be narrow. Furthermore,
The transportation cost of the light and non-bulky compression molding medium 1 is low,
Excellent in industry. Then, the compression-molding medium 1 eliminates the water repellency of peat moss by the surfactant, and the water absorption of vermiculite, which is a mixture, is helped.

At the time of raising seedlings, since the main component of the mat-shaped seedbed 1 is peat moss, the water retention is good and the raising of seedlings is easy, and high quality seedlings can be easily raised. When carrying to a field for transplanting to a field, since it is lightweight, the work is very easy, not heavy labor like conventional soil. Finally, in the above example,
Although an example in which one compression molding medium 1 is put into the seedling box 30 and restored is shown, the compression molding medium 1 is divided into two or three.
It is also possible to divide it into a plurality of smaller pieces such as by dividing, and to restore them by arranging a plurality of them in a seedling box.

When a surface active agent is applied to the surface of the medium 1 after compression molding, when water is used to restore the medium, the surface absorbs water very well and the restoration is quick, and the work efficiency during the seeding operation is improved. Is improved. Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which vermiculite and a surfactant are used together in peat moss has been described, but a medium may be produced using only vermiculite.

Finally, instead of sodium alginate added as a binder to the mixture before compression molding, any binder such as polyvinyl alcohol or polyacrylate or water glass (sodium silicate) may be used. When a binder is added to the medium, the binding effect at the time of compression molding is enhanced, the shape after molding is stabilized, and the block strength can be maintained even after restoration.
Are less likely to collapse, and the handling of the seedlings becomes easier.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a compression molding medium 1.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing an example of compression molding of the compression molding medium 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of a seedling raising tray 4.

4 is a plan view of the seedling raising tray 4. FIG.

5 is a bottom view of the seedling raising tray 4. FIG.

6 is a plan view of the seedling raising pot 5 of the seedling raising tray 4. FIG.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line S1-S1 of FIG.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view showing an example of loading the compression-molding medium 1 into the seedling raising pot 5.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional side view showing a state where the compression-molding medium 1 loaded in the seedling raising pot 5 contains water and has completed expansion.

FIG. 10 is a side view for explaining the operation of the seeding hole forming roll 22.

FIG. 11 is a sectional side view showing a state where a seeding hole 24 is formed.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional side view showing a state in which seeds are seeded in seeding holes 24 and soil is covered.

FIG. 13 is a sectional side view showing a state where a seedling has grown.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the compression-molding medium 1.

FIG. 15 is a side view showing a second embodiment of the compression molding of the compression molding medium 1.

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional side view showing an example of loading the compacting medium 1 into the seedling box 30.

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional side view showing a state where the compression-molding medium 1 loaded in the seedling box 30 has been expanded by containing water.

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional side view showing a state in which seeding is performed and soil is covered.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Compression molding medium 4 Seedling tray 5 Seedling pot 30 Seedling box

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A medium comprising a mixture of plant fiber and vermiculite and compression molding. 2. A medium comprising a mixture of vegetable fiber, vermiculite and a surfactant, and compression-molded. 3. A medium comprising a mixture of plant fiber and vermiculite, and compression-molding a mixture having a particle size of 1 mm or less after the mixing. 4. A medium comprising a mixture of vegetable fiber, vermiculite and a surfactant, and compression-molding a mixture having a particle size of 1 mm or less after the mixing. 5. A culture medium comprising a mixture of plant fiber and vermiculite, crushed to a particle size of 1 mm or less, and compression-molded. 6. A culture medium comprising a mixture of plant fiber, vermiculite and a surfactant, pulverized to a particle size of 1 mm or less, and then compression-molded. 7. The medium according to claim 1, wherein a plant fiber having a particle size of 5 mm or less is used. 8. The medium according to claim 1, wherein vermiculite having a particle size of 1 mm or less is used. 9. The medium according to claim 1, wherein the plant fiber is peat moss. 10. A medium obtained by compressing the medium according to claim 1 into a tablet, a column, a sphere, or a plate.