JP2004016090A - Cultivation apparatus for plant - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To grow plants in an ideal environment by using a thin, inexpensive sheet material and rapidly draining excess water supplied to a medium while effectively preventing root rots. <P>SOLUTION: A cultivation apparatus grows plants while water is supplied to the medium 2 of a cultivation bed 1. In the cultivation apparatus, a through hole 1b for draining excess water is arranged on the bottom of the cultivation bed 1 and the sheet material 4 having water absorption properties and water holding properties is laid along the inside of the bed. The sheet material 4 transfers water supplied to the medium 2 and makes the water content of the medium 2 uniform. The through hole 1b drains excess water absorbed in the sheet material 4 to the outside of the cultivation bed 1. In the cultivation apparatus, a forcing-up separator 8 for preventing close contact between the sheet material 4 and a bottom surface 1A is laid on the bottom surface 1A of the cultivation bed 1. A drain gap layer 7 is arranged between the sheet material 4 and the bottom surface 1A by the forcing-up separator 8. The forcing-up separator 8 is granules, a net material, a wire rod, or the like. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an improvement of a cultivation device used for plant cultivation.
[0002]
[Prior art]
BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, as a cultivation apparatus used for solution cultivation of a plant, for example, the one shown in FIG. 1 is known. In this cultivation apparatus, a culture medium 2 is accommodated in a cultivation bed 1 which is open upward and has a substantially U-shaped cross section. A water supply member 3 is provided above the culture medium 2. The water supply member 3 supplies the cultivated plants planted in the culture medium 2 with water containing fertilizer. An opening 1a is provided on the bottom surface of the cultivation bed 1. Excess water supplied to the culture medium 2 is discharged to the outside of the cultivation bed 1 through the opening 1a and the drain pipe 16.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, it is difficult for the conventional cultivation apparatus shown in this figure to make the moisture content of the culture medium ideal. In particular, the culture medium tends to be humid. This is because it is difficult to sufficiently discharge excess water supplied from the water supply member from the cultivation bed. When the culture medium becomes humid, there is a problem that the roots of the cultivated plants rot or their growth is significantly inhibited. If the amount of water supplied from the water supply member is reduced so that the culture medium does not become humid, the culture medium may be over-dried and adversely affect the plants. Further, if the opening is increased to improve drainage of the medium, there is a problem that the medium leaks. For this reason, it is not possible to control the water content of the culture medium to an ideal state by increasing the opening.
[0004]
Further, the cultivation bed shown in FIG. 1 is installed in a state where the whole is connected for a considerably long time. However, if the cultivation bed is displaced horizontally at the time of installation, the culture medium in a low part becomes humid. For this reason, when installing, it is necessary to precisely adjust the horizontal so that the entire culture medium has a uniform moisture content. Accurately adjusting and setting the length of a long cultivation bed is extremely laborious in practice. This is because most of the ground is not exactly horizontal in the area where the cultivation bed is installed, for example, in the area of 1000 m2, even though the farmland where the cultivation bed is installed is almost horizontal in a small area. . On non-horizontal grounds, it is necessary to finely adjust the height of the supporting legs to level the cultivation bed, and the actual situation is that the installation is extremely troublesome.
[0005]
In order to eliminate such adverse effects, a cultivation apparatus shown in the sectional view of FIG. 2 has been developed (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-16983). In the cultivation apparatus, a sheet material 4 having water absorbency and water retention is laid along the inner surface of the cultivation bed 1. This cultivation apparatus transfers the water supplied to the culture medium 2 through the sheet material 4 in the cultivation bed 2 to make the moisture content of the culture medium 2 uniform. In this cultivation apparatus, surplus water of the culture medium 2 is absorbed by the sheet material 4 and drained to the outside through the through hole 1b of the cultivation bed 1.
[0006]
In the cultivation bed having this structure, surplus water supplied to the culture medium is absorbed by the sheet material and drained from the through hole, so that the excess water can be quickly drained. However, in the cultivation apparatus of this structure, if an inexpensive and thin sheet material is used, excess water cannot be effectively drained to the outside. This is because, when the thin sheet material comes into close contact with the bottom surface of the cultivation bed, the excess water that has been absorbed cannot be quickly transferred to the through hole. For this reason, it is necessary to use a nonwoven fabric or the like having a sufficient thickness for the sheet material, which has a disadvantage that the sheet material becomes expensive.
[0007]
The present invention has been developed to solve this disadvantage. An important object of the present invention is to use a thin and inexpensive sheet material to quickly drain surplus water supplied to a culture medium, thereby enabling plants to grow in an ideal environment while effectively preventing root rot. A plant cultivation apparatus is provided.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The cultivation apparatus of the present invention grows a plant planted in the culture medium 2 while supplying water to the culture medium 2 of the cultivation bed 1 containing the culture medium 2 having water absorption and water retention. In this cultivation apparatus, a through hole 1b for draining excess water is provided at the bottom of the cultivation bed 1, and a sheet material 4 having water absorbency and water retention is laid along the inner surface. The sheet material 4 transfers the water supplied to the culture medium 2 to make the moisture content of the culture medium 2 uniform. The through hole 1b drains excess water absorbed by the sheet material 4 to the outside of the cultivation bed 1.
[0009]
Further, the plant cultivation apparatus of the present invention is provided with a push-up separator 8 on the bottom surface 1A of the cultivation bed 1 for preventing the sheet material 4 from adhering to the bottom surface 1A. Thus, the drainage gap layer 7 is provided between the sheet material 4 and the bottom surface 1A. The push-up separator 8 is a granule, a net, a wire, or a minute projection integrally formed on the bottom surface 1A of the cultivation bed 1.
[0010]
In the cultivation apparatus having this structure, the moisture content of the culture medium 2 is made uniform by the sheet material 4 laid on the cultivation bed 1. This is because the sheet material 4 absorbs water at a portion having a high moisture content and transfers the absorbed water to a portion of the culture medium 2 having a low moisture content. Further, the sheet material 4 transfers surplus water supplied to the culture medium 2 between the fibers of the sheet material 4 and drains the water through the through-holes 1b. Instead of moving between the fibers, they are permeated and discharged to the drainage gap layer 7. Excess water discharged to the drainage gap layer 7 flows there and is quickly drained from the through hole 1b. Further, the upper surface of the sheet material 4 provided with the drainage gap layer 7 on the lower surface is pressed by the weight of the culture medium 2, but the lower surface exposed on the drainage gap layer 7 contacts the push-up separator 8 locally. Most parts except the part do not contact either the medium 2 or the bottom surface 1A. As described above, the lower surface of the sheet material 4 that does not contact with anything does not crush the fine gaps between the fibers, and can efficiently transfer water through the gaps and quickly remove excess water. Let through. For this reason, the sheet material 4 can make the moisture content of the culture medium 2 uniform at the bottom surface of the cultivation bed 1 more quickly, and the excess water is discharged very efficiently and quickly. In particular, the cultivation apparatus in which the bottom surface 1A of the cultivation bed 1 is inclined downward toward the through-hole 1b, allows the surplus water permeated through the sheet material 4 and discharged to the drainage gap layer 7 to quickly pass through the through-hole 1b. Can be drained to guide. Furthermore, the cultivation apparatus in which the sheet material 4 is disposed on both the bottom surface 1A and the inner surface of the wall via the push-up separator 8 can make the entire moisture content of the culture medium 2 more uniform with the sheet material 4, and Excess water is discharged to the drainage gap layer 7 very quickly, and drainage can be efficiently performed from the through hole 1b.
[0011]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the following examples illustrate cultivation apparatuses for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the present invention does not specify the cultivation apparatuses as follows.
[0012]
Further, in this specification, in order to make it easy to understand the claims, the numbers corresponding to the members shown in the embodiments are referred to as "claims" and "means for solving the problem". Are added to the members indicated by "." However, the members described in the claims are not limited to the members of the embodiments.
[0013]
The plant cultivation apparatus shown in FIG. 3 includes a cultivation bed 1 containing a culture medium 2 for cultivating a plant, a sheet material 4 extended along the inner surface of the cultivation bed 1, and a sheet material The sheet provided between the sheet material 4 and the bottom surface 1A of the cultivation bed 1 and provided with a drainage gap layer 7 for draining excess water absorbed by the sheet material 4 between the sheet material 4 and the bottom surface 1A. The cultivation bed 1 is provided with a push-up separator 8, a water supply member 3 for supplying water to the culture medium 2 of the cultivation bed 1, and an electric heating hot wire 6 for heating the cultivation bed 1. Although the cultivation apparatus shown in the figure includes the water supply member 3 and the electric heating green wire 6, the plant cultivation apparatus of the present invention does not necessarily need to provide the water supply member and the electric heating green wire. A cultivation device without a water supply member sprays water on a culture medium manually.
[0014]
The cultivation beds 1 are arranged in parallel in a greenhouse, such as a vinyl house, in a plurality of rows so that there is a gap between which the workers can move. The cultivation bed 1 contains a culture medium 2 for planting a plant to be cultivated. The cultivation bed 1 accommodates the culture medium 2 in a shape like a gutter opening upward. The cultivation bed 1 can be provided with partition walls at regular intervals, but can also have a structure without partition walls. The cultivation bed 1 having a partition wall is formed by arranging a plurality of forming containers 5 in a straight line. The cultivation beds 1 in each row are provided with a water supply member 3 and an electric heating hotbed wire 6.
[0015]
The cultivation bed 1 has a plurality of molding containers 5 arranged in a line without any gap. However, the cultivation bed can be constituted by a single molded container. As the molding container 5, a plastic foam molded into a box shape or a plastic box not foamed can be used. As the molding container 5, a styrofoam box is optimal. This is because mass production can be performed at low cost. However, the molded container can also be manufactured by foam-molding a plastic other than Styrofoam, for example, urethane. A molded container made of a plastic foam having no water permeability, such as a styrofoam box, does not need to lay a non-water-permeable sheet inside. This is because the molded container itself does not leak. A molded container made of an open-cell plastic foam can have a waterproof structure by stretching a non-water-permeable sheet on the inner surface or bonding a non-water-permeable membrane to the inner surface. Accordingly, the molded container can be made of a non-water-permeable plastic foam or a water-permeable plastic foam.
[0016]
The cultivation bed 1 is provided with a through hole 1b at the bottom in order to drain excess water, which is excess water supplied to the culture medium 2, to the outside. More preferably, in order to discharge surplus water more smoothly, the cultivation bed 1 slopes the vicinity of the through hole 1b or the entire bottom surface 1A in a downward gradient toward the through hole 1b. The cultivation bed 1 of this structure can drain excess water more quickly. However, the cultivation bed of the present invention does not necessarily need to incline the bottom surface of the cultivation bed downwardly toward the through hole, and may be a horizontal plane. This is because the push-up separator 8 provided between the sheet material 4 and the bottom surface 1A can quickly drain excess water flowing down between the sheet material 4 and the bottom surface 1A. In particular, as described below, the structure in which the moisture forced wicking material 9 is penetrated through the through hole 1b and connected to the sheet material 4 can quickly drain excess water even if the bottom surface 1A is a horizontal surface.
[0017]
As shown in the perspective view of FIG. 4, the forming container 5 which is the cultivation bed in the figure has heater grooves 5B opened in the end walls 5A at both ends. The heater groove 5B has a U-shape, into which a heat-resistant material 10 formed into a U-shape is fitted, and the electric heating wire 6 is disposed inside the heat-resistant material 10. The heat-resistant material 10 is made of a member that can withstand the temperature of the electric heating hot wire 6, for example, a metal such as heat-resistant plastic or aluminum.
[0018]
Both sides of the heat-resistant material 10 are fitted into the heater grooves 5A provided in the end face walls 5A of the molding containers 5 arranged adjacent to each other, and can be used as a connecting member of the molding containers 5. This heat-resistant material 10 preferably has a total length of twice the thickness of the end wall 5A. The heat-resistant material 10 is fitted into the heater groove 5B of the adjacent end face wall 5A by half, so that the adjacent molding containers can be connected in an ideal state. Although not shown, the heat-resistant material 10 is provided with a flange protruding outward from the U-curved peripheral edge, so that the adjacent molded containers can be more reliably connected. The heat-resistant material 10 whose total length is not doubled can also be fitted and connected to the end wall 5A of the adjacent molded container 5 on both sides. Further, the heat-resistant material 10 may have a length that protrudes from the inner surface of the end wall 5A. Therefore, the total length of the heat-resistant material 10 connecting the molding containers 5 does not necessarily have to be twice as long as the end wall 5A, and may be shorter or longer.
[0019]
The cultivation bed 1 that connects the adjacent forming containers 5 with the heat-resistant material 10 can efficiently install the long cultivation bed 1 at low cost. However, the adjacent molding containers 5 do not necessarily need to be connected by the heat-resistant material 10. Adjacent molded containers may be bonded and connected, or may be connected by a rod or the like penetrating the end wall, or may be installed on a stand or the like without being connected to each other.
[0020]
The cultivation bed 1 has the sheet material 4 laid on both the inner surface of the bottom surface 1A and the inner surface of the wall. The sheet material 4 uses a nonwoven fabric that has water absorbency for absorbing the moisture of the culture medium 2 and water retentivity for storing the absorbed moisture, and that transfers water from a portion having a high moisture content to a portion having a low moisture content. The sheet material 4 absorbs moisture from the medium 2 in the portion with a high moisture content and transfers to the medium 2 in the portion with a low moisture content by capillary action. The culture medium 2 in the cultivation bed 1 usually has a lower part in a humid state and an upper part in a dry state. Therefore, the moisture absorbed in the sheet material 4 is moved upward as shown by the arrow A in FIG. 3 due to the capillary phenomenon of the medium itself and the capillary phenomenon of the sheet material 4, and the moisture content in the cultivation bed 1 is made uniform. I do. However, as the sheet material, any material that can absorb and transfer moisture by capillary action, for example, cloth, plastic foam having open cells, filter paper, and the like can be used. As the sheet material 4, a nonwoven fabric, a cloth, a plastic foam, a filter paper, or the like can be used alone, or a laminate of these materials can be used.
[0021]
When the sheet material 4 is thick, the water absorption and water retention are improved and the strength is increased, but the cost is increased. Conversely, when the thickness is reduced, the cost is reduced, but the water absorption and the water retention are reduced, the action of transferring moisture by capillary action is reduced, and the strength is also weakened. Therefore, the sheet material 4 is determined to have an optimum thickness in consideration of its water absorption, water retention, and strength.
[0022]
The sheet material 4 is disposed substantially over the entire area including the bottom surface 1A, which is the inner surface of the cultivation bed 1, and the inner wall surface. In the cultivation bed, a push-up separator 8 is provided on the bottom surface 1A or on both surfaces of the bottom surface 1A and the inner surface of the wall, and the sheet material 4 is provided on the inner surface of the push-up separator 8. The push-up separator 8 prevents the sheet material 4 from adhering to the bottom surface 1A, and provides a drainage gap layer 7 between the sheet material 4 and the bottom surface 1A. The push-up separator 8 is an inorganic particle, a net, a wire, or a minute convex formed on the bottom surface 1A of the cultivation bed.
[0023]
The average particle size of the inorganic particles is, for example, 0.1 mm to 10 mm, preferably 0.2 mm to 5 mm, and more preferably 0.3 mm to 5 mm. Pearlite can be used as the granules. Perlite is inexpensive and durable. However, aggregates such as glass spheres, sand and crushed stones can also be used.
[0024]
The net material that is the push-up separator is a metal net. A metal net having a wire diameter of 0.1 mm to 3 mm, preferably 0.2 to 2 mm, and more preferably 0.3 mm to 1 mm is used. When a stainless steel net is used as the metal net, it has excellent corrosion resistance, and thus has a feature that it can be used for a long period of time. However, as the net material, a material obtained by braiding a fiber material such as glass fiber into a net shape can be used, and the wire is not specified as a metal. The mesh material can provide a uniform drainage gap layer on the bottom surface. The push-up separator, which is a net material, can be easily laid on both the bottom surface and the inner wall surface.
[0025]
The wire material that is the push-up separator is a metal wire that is cut to a predetermined length, or a glass fiber or metal fiber, etc. A drainage gap layer is provided between them. The wire diameter is 0.1 mm to 3 mm, preferably 0.2 to 2 mm, and more preferably 0.3 mm to 1 mm, similarly to the net material. When stainless steel is used for the metal wire, it has excellent corrosion resistance, and thus has a feature that it can be used for a long period of time. However, since a fiber material such as glass fiber can be used for the wire, the wire is not specified as a metal.
[0026]
Further, the minute projections, which are push-up separators, are formed on the bottom surface with a mold when forming a cultivation bed with plastic. This structure can be conveniently used because it is not necessary to lay another member such as a granule or a metal net when laying the sheet material. The minute projections are provided regularly or irregularly on the bottom surface, and push up the sheet material from the bottom surface to provide a drainage gap layer. The height of the minute projection is, for example, 0.1 mm to 10 mm, preferably 0.2 mm to 5 mm, and more preferably 0.3 mm to 5 mm. Since the minute projections are provided to separate the sheet material from the bottom surface, the interval between the adjacent minute projections is, for example, smaller than 10 mm, preferably smaller than 5 mm, and more preferably smaller than 3 mm. This is because if the interval between the adjacent minute projections is wide, the sheet material hangs down between the adjacent minute projections and adheres to the bottom surface. The minute projection can be a small projection that projects locally or a projection that projects a predetermined length. A push-up separator composed of minute projections can also be easily provided on both the bottom surface and the inner wall surface.
[0027]
The sheet material 4 disposed on the inner surface of the push-up separator 8 cuts the four corners of the rectangular sheet material larger than the opening of the cultivation bed 1 or along the inner surface of the cultivation bed 1 without cutting. It is laid out and arranged. The culture medium 2 is stored inside the cultivation bed 1 on which the sheet material 4 is laid, and the sheet material 4 is held at a predetermined position. The sheet material 4 is disposed at a fixed position, being disposed between the push-up separator 8 and the culture medium 2 or between the cultivation bed 1 and the culture medium 2.
[0028]
Further, in the cultivation apparatus shown in FIG. 3, the end of the sheet material 4 is extended so as to be exposed outside from the surface of the culture medium 2. The sheet material 4 arranged in this state can also transfer the water supplied to the culture medium 2 to the outside of the culture medium 2 by capillary action. The water introduced to the outside of the culture medium 2 is vaporized and removed from the surface of the sheet material 4. That is, the sheet material 4 can remove the moisture transferred in the direction indicated by the arrow A in the figure to the outside of the culture medium 2 and remove it from the sheet material 4 exposed from the culture medium 2. Since the sheet material 4 can transfer moisture in the cultivation bed 1 to the outside and remove it, there is a feature that the inside of the cultivation bed 1 can be effectively prevented from becoming humid. However, although not shown, the sheet member 4 can be arranged below the surface of the culture medium without protruding from the surface of the culture medium. The sheet member arranged in this way has a feature that the appearance of the cultivation bed can be improved because it is not visible from the outside. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the sheet material may be provided with an external drawer 4A that is drawn out from the upper end of the side wall of the forming container, and the external drawer 4A may be provided so as to hang down along the outside of the side wall. The sheet material 4 can vaporize moisture from the external drawer 4A, and can reduce the ambient temperature at high temperature due to the heat of vaporization of water. For this reason, at the time of high temperature, there is a feature that the temperature near the fruit 17 can be lowered to produce high quality fruit.
[0029]
The cultivation bed 1 contains peat moss and perlite as a medium 2. Further, the cultivation bed 1 can store peat or rock wool as the medium 2. For rock wool, fine-grain rock crushed into fine granules is suitable. However, the cultivation apparatus of the present invention does not specify the culture medium 2 as this. As the medium 2, a fiber material, a granular material, a porous material, a cultivated soil, etc. suitable for plant cultivation can be used alone or in combination.
[0030]
The water supply member 3 is supplied with a fertilizer-containing nutrient solution from a water supply device (not shown) and sprays the medium 2 of each cultivation bed 1. The water supply member 3 in FIG. 3 is a pipe, and a water supply hole for supplying water to the cultivation bed 1 is opened upward.
[0031]
The electric heating hot wire 6 is buried in the medium 2 to heat the medium 2 to an appropriate temperature. Further, the electric hotbed line 6 warms the culture medium 2 to a set temperature based on a transmission signal from a temperature sensor (not shown) which is embedded in the culture medium 2 and detects the temperature of the culture medium 2.
[0032]
The cultivation apparatus having the above structure works as follows to make the water content in the cultivation bed uniform.
{Circle around (1)} When water is supplied to the culture medium 2 stored in the cultivation bed 1, the supplied water descends in the culture medium while penetrating the culture medium 2.
{Circle around (2)} Excess water reaching the lower portion without being absorbed by the medium 2 or the roots is absorbed by the sheet material 4.
{Circle around (3)} The moisture absorbed in the sheet material 4 is transferred from a portion having a high moisture content in the cultivation bed 1 to a portion having a low moisture content due to a capillary phenomenon of the sheet material 4 and the culture medium. Since the lower part of the culture medium 2 in the cultivation bed 1 is in a humid state and the upper part is in a dry state, the water moves upward as shown by an arrow A in FIG. Moisture rising along the side wall, as indicated by arrow A, prevents the culture medium on the top inside the side wall from drying out. When growing strawberries, this area is where important primary roots grow. It is particularly important for strawberry cultivation to prevent this part from drying and to make the base of the strawberry a comfortable environment.
{Circle around (4)} The water transferred to the low moisture content portion by the sheet material 4 is supplied from the sheet material 4 to the medium 2 having low moisture content, and penetrates into the medium 2 to increase the moisture content of this portion.
[0033]
As described above, the sheet material 4 laid along the inner surface of the cultivation bed 1 absorbs excess water in a portion having a high moisture content to reduce the moisture content, and furthermore, the absorbed moisture is subjected to the moisture content by a capillary phenomenon. In the portion where the water content is low, the transferred water is supplied to the medium to increase the water content of the medium. In the cultivation apparatus, the moisture content of the culture medium 2 of the cultivation bed 1 becomes uniform by these actions of the sheet material 4.
[0034]
Further, in the cultivation apparatus shown in FIG. 3, at the bottom of the cultivation bed 1, a water forced wicking material 9 that penetrates the cultivation bed 1 and is exposed from the inside of the cultivation bed 1 to the outside is provided.
[0035]
In the cultivation bed 1 shown in the figure, the moisture forced wicking material 9 is inserted into a through hole 1b provided in the bottom of the cultivation bed 1. The cultivation bed 1 connecting the plurality of forming containers 5 has a through hole 1b opened in all the forming containers 5. Each molding container 5 has one or a plurality of through holes 1b. A moisture forced wicking material 9 is inserted into the through hole 1b.
[0036]
The cultivation apparatus shown in FIG. 3 is provided with a forced water-absorbing material 9 by cutting out a part of the sheet material 4. In this cultivation apparatus, a cutout piece provided by cutting out the sheet material 4 is exposed to the outside through the through hole 1b of the cultivation bed 1 to form a moisture forced wicking material 9. The forced water-absorbing material 9 shown in the figure is formed by cutting out the center of the sheet material 4 into an elongated band shape, and is drawn downward from the through hole 1b. Since the moisture forced wicking material 9 is formed integrally with the sheet material 4, it has a feature that it can be reliably prevented from falling out of the cultivation bed 1.
[0037]
The water forced-sucking material 9 is connected to the sheet material 4 and sucks excess water supplied to the culture medium 2 from the sheet material 4 and discharges it from the lower part of the cultivation bed 1 as shown by arrow B in FIG. I do. Further, the water forcible water-absorbing material 9 absorbs excess water discharged to the drainage gap layer 7 and discharges the water to the outside through the through hole 1b. Excess water supplied to the cultivation bed 1 descends in the culture medium 2 to reach the lower part, is absorbed by the sheet material 4, further passes through the sheet material 4, and is drained to the drain gap layer 7. Since the water-absorbing material 9 is connected to the sheet material 4, it absorbs the surplus water absorbed by the sheet material 4 and the surplus water drained to the drainage gap layer 7 by capillary action. Since the water-absorbing material 9 has a lower part hanging down outside the cultivation bed 1, surplus water that has been sucked is dropped from the lower end as a drop, or is vaporized from the surface outside the cultivation bed 1 and drained. . As shown in FIG. 3, the water that has been dropped and dropped can be received by a drain tray 11 disposed below the water forced suction material 9. The device with the drain tray 11 can collect the received water and supply it to the cultivation bed 1 again.
[0038]
The cultivation apparatus can cut out a part of the sheet material 4 and integrally provide the water forced wicking material 9, and the sheet material 4 and the water forced wicking material 9 are separately provided inside the cultivation bed 1. These can be laminated or connected. As the moisture forced wicking material 9, a material of the same material as the sheet material 4, for example, a nonwoven fabric that can absorb excess moisture and transfer to the outside of the cultivation bed 1 is used. However, as the moisture forced bleeding material 9, any material that can absorb and transfer moisture by capillary action, such as cloth, plastic foam having open cells, and filter paper, can be used. The moisture forced wicking material 9 is used by shaping these members into a band, a string, a tube, or a bag.
[0039]
One end of the moisture forced wicking material 9, which is a separate member from the sheet material 4, is laminated or connected to the sheet material 4 inside the cultivation bed 1, and the other end is drawn out of the cultivation bed 1 and exposed. The water-absorbing material 9 is bent at the upper end thereof along the inner surface of the cultivation bed 1 so as to be sandwiched between the inner surface of the cultivation bed 1 and the sheet material 4, or the upper end portion penetrates the sheet material 4. Then, the sheet can be folded and held at a fixed position while being sandwiched between the sheet material 4 and the culture medium 2. Further, the water forced-sucking material 9 may be provided by branching the upper end portion into a plurality of parts and uniformly spreading the inside of the cultivation bed 1. The water forced wicking material 9 having this structure has a feature that the water in the sheet material 4 can be evenly absorbed.
[0040]
Further, in the cultivation apparatus shown in FIG. 3, the cultivation bed 1 is placed on a gantry 12 and horizontally installed. The gantry 12 has a plurality of horizontal rods 15 fixed to a vertical column 13 at predetermined intervals, and two vertical rods 14 on which the cultivation bed 1 is placed are fixed to the horizontal rods 15 in parallel. The vertical rod 14 is fixed to the horizontal rod 15 horizontally. The height of the vertical rod 14 fixed to the gantry 10 is set to a height at which the cultivation bed 1 placed thereon can be easily worked. Further, the gantry 10 has a drain tray 11 disposed below the cultivation bed 1. The drain tray 11 is supported in a horizontal posture, and receives water drops dripping from the moisture forcible suction material 9.
[0041]
In order to show that the cultivation apparatus of the example of the present invention described above has a superior drainage capacity as compared with a conventional cultivation apparatus, a drainage test was performed under the following conditions.
{Circle around (1)} As cultivation beds, two molded containers made of Styrofoam having an inner diameter of 88 cm × 23 cm × 10 cm and having a through hole opened in the bottom surface were prepared.
{Circle around (2)} A water forced-sucking material was inserted into the through hole on the bottom surface of these cultivation beds, and a sheet material was laid along the inner surface of the cultivation bed, and the moisture-forced sucking material and the sheet materials were connected to each other. Non-woven fabric was used for the moisture forced bleeding material and the sheet material.
At this time, on one cultivation bed, a perlite of granular material was laid on the bottom surface as a push-up separator, and then a sheet material was laid thereon to obtain a cultivation apparatus of an example of the present invention. About 100 cc of pearlite, which is a push-up separator, was uniformly laid on the bottom surface. The other cultivation bed was a cultivation apparatus of a comparative example in which a sheet material was directly laid without laying perlite on the bottom surface.
{Circle around (3)} Each cultivation bed contained 20 liters of a medium in which peat moss and perlite were mixed at a ratio of 3: 1. This medium had a moisture content of about 1%. As shown in FIG. 3, these cultivation beds were placed on a gantry and arranged at a height of 1 m above the ground.
(4) Each cultivation bed was supplied with 5 liters of water as initial immersion. At this time, the water content of the medium was about 25%, and when the medium was strongly grasped with hands, water oozed from between the fingers. Furthermore, the cultivation bed was in a state where a little water dropped from the water forcedly sucked material.
{Circle around (5)} A drainage test was performed by adding 3 liters of water to the cultivation bed in this state over 10 minutes. Water supply started at 10:25. Thereafter, the amount of water discharged from the cultivation bed was measured with time. However, in the measurement of the drainage amount, the amount drained after the previous measurement was used as the measurement value at that time.
[0042]
FIG. 5 is a graph showing the results of the above drainage test. In the figure, the graph indicated by A shows the drainage amount at the measurement time of the cultivation apparatus of the embodiment of the present invention in which perlite is laid as a push-up separator on the bottom surface of the cultivation bed, and the graph indicated by C shows the drainage amount of this cultivation apparatus Is shown. Furthermore, the graph shown by C shows the drainage amount at the measurement time of the cultivation apparatus of the comparative example in which pearlite was not laid as a push-up separator on the bottom surface of the cultivation bed, and the graph shown by D shows the drainage amount of this cultivation apparatus. Shows the integrated value. As is clear from these graphs, it can be seen that the cultivation apparatus of the present invention has a superior drainage capacity as compared with the conventional cultivation apparatus.
[0043]
The above-mentioned drainage test is performed using a cultivation bed provided with a water forced suction material. However, the cultivation apparatus of the present invention does not always include the forced water-absorbing material. Although not shown, as a result of performing the same drainage test on a cultivation bed without a forced water wicking material, the amount of drainage was reduced as compared to a cultivation bed with a forced water wicking material, but a push-up separator was provided on the bottom surface of the cultivation bed. The cultivation apparatus provided had better drainage capability than the cultivation apparatus not provided with the push-up separator. This also indicates that the cultivation apparatus of the present invention has a better drainage capacity than the conventional cultivation apparatus, regardless of the presence or absence of the forced water-absorbing material.
[0044]
【The invention's effect】
The plant cultivation apparatus of the present invention has a feature that the surplus water supplied to the culture medium can be quickly drained using a thin and inexpensive sheet material, and the plant can grow in an ideal environment. That is, the cultivation apparatus of the present invention lays a sheet material along the inner surface of the cultivation bed, and drains excess water absorbed by the sheet material to the outside through a through hole provided at the bottom of the cultivation bed. This is because, on the bottom surface, a push-up separator for preventing the sheet material from adhering to the bottom surface is provided, and a drainage gap layer is provided between the sheet material and the bottom surface. The push-up separator arranged on the bottom surface of the cultivation bed prevents the sheet material from adhering to the bottom surface, and the fine gaps between the fibers of the sheet material are pinched between the medium and the bottom surface and crushed. Prevent it from being For this reason, the sheet material can transfer water efficiently by passing water through the fine gaps, and can quickly transmit surplus water. Furthermore, the excess water that has passed through the sheet material is transferred to the drainage gap layer provided between the sheet material and the bottom surface, and is quickly drained from the through hole. Thus, the cultivation apparatus of the present invention, by the push-up separator disposed on the bottom surface of the cultivation bed, to prevent the fine gap of the sheet material from being crushed, and between the sheet material and the bottom surface An extremely excellent drainage property can be realized by a synergistic effect of shifting the formed drainage gap layer to drain the water quickly from the through hole. Therefore, the cultivation apparatus of the present invention can quickly grow surplus water supplied to the culture medium and grow plants in an ideal environment even if a thin and inexpensive sheet material is used.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional cultivation apparatus.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing another conventional cultivation apparatus.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a cultivation apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a perspective view of a molding container used for a cultivation bed of the cultivation apparatus shown in FIG.
FIG. 5 is a graph showing the results of drainage tests of the cultivation apparatus of the present invention and a conventional cultivation apparatus.
[Explanation of symbols]
1: Cultivation bed 1a: Opening 1b: Through hole
1A ... Bottom surface
2 ... Medium
3. Water supply member
4: Sheet material 4A: External drawer
5: Molding container 5A: End wall 5B: Heater groove
6. Electric heating hotbed wire
7 ... drainage gap layer
8. Push-up separator
9: Moisture forced suction material
10 ... heat resistant material
11 ... Drain tray
12 ... Stand
13 ... Prop
14. Vertical rod
15 ... Horizontal rod
16 ... Drain pipe
17 ... Fruit

Claims (6)

A cultivation apparatus for supplying water to a culture medium (2) of a cultivation bed (1) containing a culture medium (2) having water absorbency and water retention to grow a plant planted in the culture medium (2). hand,
The cultivation bed (1) has a through-hole (1b) on the bottom surface and a sheet material (4) having water absorbency and water retention laid along the inner surface, and water supplied to the culture medium (2) is provided. Is transferred through the sheet material (4) in the cultivation bed (1) to make the moisture content of the medium (2) uniform and the medium (2) absorbed by the sheet material (4) through the through hole (1b). 2) In a plant cultivation apparatus configured to drain excess water,
On the bottom surface (1A) of the cultivation bed (1), granules serving as a push-up separator (8) for preventing the sheet material (4) from adhering to the bottom surface (1A) are laid, and the granules are pushed up. The sheet material (4) is separated from the bottom surface (1A) by the separator (8), and a drainage gap layer (7) is provided between the sheet material (4) and the bottom surface (1A). ) Is passed from the culture medium (2) to the sheet material (4), passed from the drainage gap layer (7) through the through hole (1b), and drained to the outside of the cultivation bed (1). An apparatus for cultivating a plant, characterized in that: A cultivation apparatus for supplying water to a culture medium (2) of a cultivation bed (1) containing a culture medium (2) having water absorbency and water retention to grow a plant planted in the culture medium (2). hand,
The cultivation bed (1) has a through-hole (1b) on the bottom surface and a sheet material (4) having water absorbency and water retention laid along the inner surface, and water supplied to the culture medium (2) is provided. Is transferred through the sheet material (4) in the cultivation bed (1) to make the moisture content of the medium (2) uniform and the medium (2) absorbed by the sheet material (4) through the through hole (1b). 2) In a plant cultivation apparatus configured to drain excess water,
On the bottom surface (1A) of the cultivation bed (1), a net material as a push-up separator (8) for preventing the sheet material (4) from adhering to the bottom surface (1A) is laid, and the net material is pushed up. The sheet material (4) is separated from the bottom surface (1A) by the separator (8), and a drainage gap layer (7) is provided between the sheet material (4) and the bottom surface (1A). ) Is passed from the culture medium (2) to the sheet material (4), and is drained from the drainage gap layer (7) to the outside of the cultivation bed (1) through the through hole (1b). An apparatus for cultivating a plant, characterized in that: A cultivation apparatus for supplying water to a culture medium (2) of a cultivation bed (1) containing a culture medium (2) having water absorbency and water retention to grow a plant planted in the culture medium (2). hand,
The cultivation bed (1) has a through-hole (1b) on the bottom surface and a sheet material (4) having water absorbency and water retention laid along the inner surface, and water supplied to the culture medium (2) is provided. Is transferred through the sheet material (4) in the cultivation bed (1) to make the moisture content of the medium (2) uniform and the medium (2) absorbed by the sheet material (4) through the through hole (1b). 2) In a plant cultivation apparatus configured to drain excess water,
On the bottom surface (1A) of the cultivation bed (1), a wire rod serving as a push-up separator (8) for preventing the sheet material (4) from adhering to the bottom surface (1A) is laid. 8) The sheet material (4) is separated from the bottom surface (1A), and a drainage gap layer (7) is provided between the sheet material (4) and the bottom surface (1A). The supplied surplus water is allowed to permeate from the medium (2) to the sheet material (4), pass through the through hole (1b) from the drainage gap layer (7), and drain to the outside of the cultivation bed (1). A plant cultivation apparatus characterized by comprising: A cultivation apparatus for supplying water to a culture medium (2) of a cultivation bed (1) containing a culture medium (2) having water absorbency and water retention to grow a plant planted in the culture medium (2). hand,
The cultivation bed (1) has a through-hole (1b) on the bottom surface and a sheet material (4) having water absorbency and water retention laid along the inner surface, and water supplied to the culture medium (2) is provided. Is transferred through the sheet material (4) in the cultivation bed (1) to make the moisture content of the medium (2) uniform and the medium (2) absorbed by the sheet material (4) through the through hole (1b). 2) In a plant cultivation apparatus configured to drain excess water,
The cultivation bed (1) is a molded article of plastic, and has a bottom surface (1A) formed with a small convex portion serving as a push-up separator (8) for preventing the sheet material (4) from adhering to the bottom surface (1A). And a drainage gap layer (7) is provided between the sheet material (4) and the bottom surface (1A) by a push-up separator (8) having minute projections, and a surplus supplied to the culture medium (2). Water is allowed to permeate from the medium (2) to the sheet material (4), pass through the through hole (1b) from the drainage gap layer (7), and drain to the outside of the cultivation bed (1). Characteristic plant cultivation equipment. The plant cultivation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the bottom surface (1A) of the cultivation bed (1) is inclined downward toward the through hole (1b). The plant according to claim 2 or 4, wherein the cultivation bed (1) has a sheet material (4) disposed on both the bottom surface (1A) and the inner surface of the wall via a push-up separator (8). Cultivation equipment.

Images