JP2001204256A - Water sprinkling method and device for water sprinkling system in seedling growing - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a water sprinkling method and a watering system in a cell-form seedling-growing unit that can grow seedlings of high quality with little dispersion at a low price. SOLUTION: The culture medium 12 is arranged in a cell 10 having the water sprinkling hole 11 bored at the lower face and seedlings 13 are planted to the culture medium 12 and water is sprinkled to the seedling. A nozzle 21 is inserted from the lower face of the cell 10 through the hole 11 into the culture medium and the nutritious liquid 31 is injected into the medium. The insertion height of the nozzle is set to multiple steps and the nutritious liquid 31 is injected dividedly at the individual insertion heights and the insertion height of the nozzle and the amount of nutritious liquid 31 to be injected is computer- controlled.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for watering a seedling raising apparatus, and more particularly to a method and an apparatus for watering a seedling raising apparatus capable of optimally watering a cultivated seedling.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a biological production system represented by a plant factory as a seedling raising device. In particular, in a system having a completely artificial light type closed space, there is a demand for minimizing environmental load, ensuring high productivity at low cost, and producing safe and high-quality plants. As a method and a device for watering a seedling raising device of this kind, a cell tray in which a large number of seedlings to be cultivated are arranged and planted is immersed in a nutrient solution. ing. Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 2-87445 describes a technique of immersing a part of a crop root in a nutrient solution stored in a cultivation tank. There is also a method in which a nutrient solution is sprayed on a cell tray with a sprinkler to provide nutrients to the seedlings. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-103176 describes an apparatus for sterilizing and washing vegetables, fruits, and the like, which includes an apparatus for spraying or watering ozone water.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned method and apparatus for irrigating, the nutrient solution is circulated, and the circulating nutrient solution loses the balance of nutrients and deteriorates, or contains secretions from seedlings. It was necessary to replace the entire amount at regular intervals to change the quality. For this reason, there has been a problem that the cost of the nutrient solution is increased, the cost of the seedlings raised is increased, the labor for replacing the seedlings is complicated and enormous, and a large amount of drainage is generated. There is also a problem that the growth of seedlings varies depending on the location of the cell tray. When a nutrient solution is sprayed with a sprinkler, nutrients cannot be efficiently and uniformly applied to the roots of the seedlings, and the quality of the seedlings varies.

[0004] The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide an optimum amount of nutrient solution required by a seedling without disposing of the nutrient solution. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a watering method and a watering device in a seedling raising device, which can achieve efficient growth of cell-formed seedlings and can produce high-quality cell-shaped seedlings at low cost. In addition, for seedlings grown in many cells in one facility, paying attention to the fact that there is variation in the amount of water required by each seedling due to some difference, such as local environmental conditions, and taking that variation into account. It is an object of the present invention to provide a precision watering method and apparatus capable of watering.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object,
The watering method in the seedling raising device according to the present invention is a watering method in a seedling raising device in which a medium is provided in a cell having a watering hole on a lower surface, and a seedling is planted in the medium. It is characterized by inserting a nozzle into a culture medium and injecting a nutrient solution.

In a preferred embodiment of the watering method in the seedling raising apparatus according to the present invention, the insertion height of the nozzle is set in multiple stages, and the nutrient solution is divided and injected at each insertion height. It is characterized by. The nozzle preferably has a shaft portion and a tapered sharp portion, and the injection hole for the nutrient solution preferably opens horizontally in the shaft portion. It is preferable that the insertion height of the nozzle and the injection amount of the nutrient solution be controlled by a computer.

A watering device in a seedling raising device according to the present invention is a watering device in a seedling raising device in which seedlings are planted in a medium arranged in a cell having a watering hole on a lower surface, and a nozzle is inserted into a watering hole on the lower surface of the cell. It is characterized by comprising insertion means and injection means for injecting a nutrient solution into the culture medium from the nozzle. It is preferable that the insertion unit is configured to control the insertion height of the nozzle by computer, and the injection unit is configured to control the injection amount of the nutrient solution by computer.

[0008] The watering method and watering apparatus in the seedling raising apparatus of the present invention thus constructed are constructed by inserting a nozzle from the watering hole on the lower surface of the cell and injecting the nutrient solution. And high quality cell-molded seedlings with little variation can be produced at a low price.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a watering device in a seedling raising device according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an embodiment of a watering device according to the present invention, FIG. 2A is an enlarged front view of the tip of the nozzle of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is A of FIG. 2A. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line A.
In FIG. 1, a cell 10 is formed of, for example, plastic or the like, has a rectangular planar shape, and is an upwardly extending container, and has an irrigation hole 11 on the lower surface at the bottom. Cell 10
Is provided with a culture medium 12 such as soil nourishment or vermiculite,
Seedlings 13 such as sweet potatoes are planted in the medium 12.
The cell 10 may be made of pulp or the like in addition to being made of plastic.

The irrigation device 15 includes a nozzle insertion means 20,
The injection means 30 is a means for injecting a nutrient solution.
The nozzle inserting means 20 includes an elevating device 22 for moving a nozzle 21 located below the cell 10 in the vertical direction. The lifting device 22 includes a ball screw 2 fixed to a base 23.
4 and 24, a motor (not shown) for rotating the ball screw, and a moving table 25 that moves up and down by the ball screws 24 and 24. The nozzle 21 is fixed to the moving table 25. The elevating device can be stopped at a predetermined position, and in the stopped position, the nutrient solution injection means 30 can be operated to inject the nutrient solution.

The nutrient solution injection means 30 includes a nozzle 21, a water tank 32 in which the nutrient solution 31 is stored, and a pressurized gas cylinder 3.
And a pipe 35 connected from the pressurized gas cylinder 33 to the upper space of the water tank 32 via a pressure regulating valve 34 to pressurize the nutrient solution 31 therein and connected to the bottom of the water tank 32. Reference numeral 36 is connected to the nozzle 21 via an electromagnetic valve 37. A nutrient solution 31 containing nutrients necessary for growing seedlings is injected into the water tank 32. The electromagnetic valve 37 and the lifting device 22 are controlled by a controller 40 such as a personal computer, and the injection amount of the nutrient solution 31 and the insertion height of the nozzle 21 are controlled by computer control. A humidity sensor for detecting the dry state of the cell 10 may be provided, and the lifting device 22 and the electromagnetic valve 37 may be controlled based on the information.

In this embodiment, the pressurized gas cylinder 33 is filled with nitrogen gas, and the pressure of the nutrient solution 31 is increased by increasing the pressure of the space in the water tank 32 with the gas pressure of the nitrogen gas. The nutrient solution 31 is injected from the nozzle 21 to inject the nutrient solution 31 into the culture medium 12. The pressurized gas is not limited to nitrogen gas, but can be appropriately selected and used such as carbon dioxide gas and other inert gases.

The nozzle 21 has a shaft 21 as shown in FIG.
a and a tapered sharpened portion 21b, and a nutrient solution injection hole 21c.
Is open horizontally in the shaft. In the present embodiment, the nozzle 21 is obtained by processing the tip of a 17-gauge medical needle, has a conical portion at the tip and a shaft, and has the injection hole 2.
1c is opened at three places at an angle of 120 degrees in the horizontal direction of the shaft 21b. In addition, you may comprise so that a small spherical surface process may be given to the front-end | tip of the nozzle 21, and the root of a seedling may not be damaged. Further, the injection hole 21c is opened horizontally on the side surface, and the edge portion of the injection hole hardly damages the root of the seedling.

An artificial light source 41 and a reflecting mirror 42 are provided above the cell 10 to control light instead of sunlight. As an artificial light source, a fluorescent lamp, a halogen lamp, or the like can be used. By controlling the artificial light source 41 by the controller 40 and performing photosynthesis optimally,
Seedlings 13 can be efficiently grown. With such a configuration, a seedling raising device including a closed space can be configured.

The operation of the watering device 15 in the nursery apparatus of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described below. When the lifting / lowering device 22 of the nozzle insertion means 20 is raised, that is, when the ball screws 24, 24 are rotated by rotating the motor and the movable table 25 is raised, the nozzle 2
1 is inserted from the irrigation hole 11 of the cell 10 into the internal culture medium 12. When the nozzle 21 is inserted, for example, to an insertion height of 30 mm from the bottom surface, the first injection of the nutrient solution 31, that is, the injection of the nutrient solution is performed. The electromagnetic valve 37 is set for a predetermined time,
By opening the valve, the nutrient solution 31 pressurized by the pressurized gas is sent to the nozzle 21 through the pipe 36, and a small amount of the nutrient solution is injected and injected from the injection hole 21c of the nozzle.

Next, the elevating device 22 is lowered and stopped at, for example, a position where the insertion height from the bottom surface is 20 mm. At the insertion height, the second injection of the nutrient solution 31, that is, the injection of the nutrient solution is performed in the same manner as described above. Further, the elevating device 22 is lowered, and the third injection of the nutrient solution 31, that is, the injection of the nutrient solution is performed in the same manner as described above, for example, at a position where the insertion height from the bottom surface is 10 mm. The injection amount of the nutrient solution may be changed each time. In this embodiment, several milliliters are injected every three times.

Since the nutrient solution 31 is sprayed in the horizontal direction from the nozzle 21 and the diffusion of the nutrient solution in the culture medium 12 is slow, when the nutrient solution is sprayed at only one location, water leaks from the irrigation hole 11. By injecting the nutrient solution 31 in a plurality of insertion heights in the horizontal direction, the nutrient solution 31 diffuses into the culture medium 12 and does not leak. The injection amount of the nutrient solution 31 and the insertion height (injection pattern) of the nozzle in the cell 10 can be set arbitrarily, but the information is determined by the properties of the seedlings 13 planted in the plurality of cells 10. An external input can be made to the controller 40.

In accordance with the growth of the seedling 13, the injection amount is generally set to increase. In addition, no damage to the roots of the seedling 13 due to the insertion of the nozzle 21 is confirmed, and the seedling 13 grows stably with the minimum necessary amount of the nutrient solution 31. Since the nutrient solution 31 is not provided in excess as described above, the culture medium 12 is optimally moistened, and
The remaining nutrient solution 31 does not drop from 1 and the dropped nutrient solution does not deteriorate and deteriorate the environment in the seedling raising device. For this reason, it is particularly suitable when the nursery apparatus is a closed space. Further, it is not necessary to replace the whole amount of the nutrient solution as in the related art, and it becomes unnecessary to treat the waste liquid. In addition, a large amount of nutrient solution is not used, and the cost of grown seedlings can be reduced.

In the above embodiment, a single cell 10 has been described. However, as shown in FIG. 3, cells are usually handled in the form of a cell tray 45 in which the cells 10 are arranged vertically and horizontally. The cell tray 45 is formed of plastic, pulp, or the like in the same manner as the cell 10, and has an irrigation hole formed on the lower surface in accordance with each cell. Since the cell tray 45 becomes large, it is handled together with the transport case 46. Case 4
Reference numeral 6 is made of a metal plate material such as stainless steel, and a through hole 47 is formed in accordance with the irrigation hole.

The cell tray 45 and the case 46 are installed above the nozzle insertion means 20 of the watering device 15. A plurality of nozzles 21 are arranged side by side in accordance with a plurality of cells, and are fixed to a moving table 25A of the elevating device. Although not shown, each nozzle is connected to a pipe, and each nozzle is connected to a water tank via an electromagnetic valve. For this reason, the injection amount of the nutrient solution 31 can be changed for each cell of the cell tray 45, and the uneven growth of the seedling depending on the location of the cell tray 45 can be removed. Therefore, high-quality seedlings can be grown without variation.

Although the injection of the nutrient solution has been described as an example of pressure injection using a pressurized gas, the injection may be performed by applying pressure to the nutrient solution using a pump or the like. Although an example of a lifting device using a ball screw has been described as an example of the nozzle insertion means, other mechanisms such as a rack and pinion may be used, and a lifting mechanism using hydraulic pressure or the like may be used.

[0022]

As can be understood from the above description, in the watering method and watering apparatus in the seedling raising apparatus of the present invention, a nozzle is inserted into the culture medium from the watering hole on the lower surface of the cell, and an appropriate amount of nutrient solution is injected by the nozzle. Thereby, an optimal amount of nutrient solution can be given to the seedlings, and high-quality cell-molded seedlings with stable growth and little variation can be produced. Further, it is not necessary to dispose of the nutrient solution, so that the labor can be reduced and the cost of the cell seedling can be reduced.

The nutrient solution can be injected without water leakage by changing the insertion height of the nozzle and injecting the nutrient solution. When the injection hole of the nozzle is opened in the horizontal direction, the root of the seedling is less likely to be damaged. When the insertion height of the nozzle and the injection amount of the nutrient solution are computer-controlled, an appropriate amount of the nutrient solution can be injected according to the growth of the seedling.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of one embodiment of a watering device in a seedling raising device according to the present invention.

2 (a) is an enlarged front view of the tip of the nozzle of FIG. 1, FIG.
(B) is a sectional view taken along line AA of (a).

FIG. 3 is a partially omitted perspective view of a cell tray having a plurality of cells and a moving table having a case and a plurality of nozzles.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Cell 11 Irrigation hole 12 Medium 13 Seedling 15 Irrigation device 20 Insertion means 22 Elevating device 21 Nozzle 21a Shaft part 21b Sharp part (conical part) 21c Injection hole 30 Injection means (injection means) 31 Nutrient solution 40 Controller (computer) 41 Artificial light source

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A method for irrigating a seedling raising device in which a culture medium is provided in a cell having an irrigation hole on a lower surface and a seedling is planted in the culture medium, wherein a nozzle is inserted into the culture medium from an irrigation hole on the lower surface of the cell. And injecting a nutrient solution. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the insertion height of the nozzle is set in multiple stages, and the nutrient solution is divided and injected at each insertion height. 3. The nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle has a shaft portion and a tapered sharp portion, and an injection hole for a nutrient solution is opened in the shaft portion in a horizontal direction. Irrigation method in seedling raising equipment. 4. The computer according to claim 1, wherein an insertion height of the nozzle and an injection amount of the nutrient solution are controlled by a computer.
A method for watering a seedling raising device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. 5. An irrigation device in a seedling raising device in which seedlings are planted in a medium provided in a cell having a watering hole on a lower surface, an insertion means for inserting a nozzle into a watering hole on the lower surface of the cell.
An irrigation device in a seedling raising device, comprising: an injection unit configured to inject a nutrient solution into the culture medium from the nozzle. 6. The seedling raising according to claim 5, wherein said insertion means is computer-controlled for an insertion height of said nozzle, and said injection means is computer-controlled for an injection amount of said nutrient solution. Irrigation device in the device.