JP2006280364A - Plant cultivation method and apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a plant cultivation method and apparatus which are capable of increasing cultivation efficiency and improving workability in plant cultivation. <P>SOLUTION: This plant cultivation apparatus has an almost rectangular plant cultivation stage and a light source panel unit arranged opposedly to the plant cultivation stage and having a plurality of fluorescent lamps which irradiate the plant cultivation stage. The plurality of fluorescent lamps are arranged so as to cross the long side of the plant cultivation stage nearly at right angles. Each of the fluorescent lamps is held in a reflector, and a distance between part of the fluorescent lamps and the reflector holding the fluorescent lamp is made different from a distance between the other fluorescent lamps and the reflectors. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a plant cultivation method and a plant cultivation apparatus for cultivating a plant using artificial light.

  Among plant cultivation, strawberry differentiation is promoted by low temperature and short days, so flower bud formation is generally performed in autumn, and winter is dormant. In the spring, it wakes up and begins to grow again, and it is harvested in May and June. There are roughly three cultivation methods, including outdoor cultivation, low-temperature dark treatment, and night-cooling treatment.

  In ordinary outdoor cultivation, it is a method to leave it to natural conditions, and it is a method in which strawberries feel the low temperatures and short days due to seasonal changes and form flower buds. Flower bud differentiation occurs in late September, and is completed in late October. After that, it enters a dormant state to withstand low temperatures, and winter comes in the form of rosettes. Strawberries that have become dormant in the spring develop their leaves actively and produce flower bunches.

  In other words, the harvest time is from April to May, with flowers in March. Around that time, runners started to appear with the flower blossoms. Strawberries that have passed through the low-temperature season proceed from reproductive growth to vegetative growth and generate runners that are the basis of seedlings. The runners that have developed will differentiate their flower buds in late September of the same year and bloom the next year.

  In addition, according to such outdoor cultivation, the selling unit price of strawberries is very low, and is 15% to 25% compared to the unit price of strawberry in November to December, and the total yield is also higher than other methods. Few.

  When strawberry is cultivated in the house, seedlings that have undergone flower bud differentiation are planted in late September, and warming is started before entering the dormant state (late October) to unfold the flowers and bring out the inflorescence. By doing this, the strawberry puts out the flower buds one after another with half dormancy. However, in late March, the strawberries in the house also cease from dormancy and shift from reproductive growth to vegetative growth, but this shift is slower than in open-air cultivation, and flower bunches continue until June. . In normal forcing cultivation, harvesting is possible from mid-December to June.

  Low-temperature dark treatment and night-cool treatment are known as treatment methods that improve harvest time and promote flower bud differentiation. The low-temperature dark treatment is a method in which flower bud differentiation is promoted and early harvesting can be performed when the strawberry seedling is stored in the dark / low temperature (5 to 15 ° C.) for about 2 to 3 weeks and then planted. Night-cooling is a method of cultivating in the dark at low temperatures and storing it in the dark at low temperatures at night, but in the daytime under outdoor sunlight for 8 hours / day. improves. In other words, there is a method of leaving it outdoors "under the sun" in the daytime and leaving it in a low temperature storage at night.

  In these methods, the flower bud differentiation rate is very poor in the low-temperature treatment, and some seedlings die during the treatment. In the night-cooling process, a large-scale facility is required to move between the low-temperature storage and the outdoors, and a large initial investment occurs.

As a method for solving these problems, a method using an artificial light source has been proposed as follows. That is, as shown in Patent Document 1, a method of promoting flower bud formation by irradiating red component light at a temperature of 15 ° C. and 0.6 μmol / m ² / s, or blue as disclosed in Patent Document 2 There is a report that flower bud differentiation is promoted by irradiating the component light with 10 μmol / m ² / s or more.

In Patent Document 1, conditions of a temperature condition of 15 ° C. and a light amount of 3.2 to 6.0 μmol / m ² / s are described, but a sufficient flower bud differentiation rate cannot be obtained with the above light amount, In Patent Document 2, the light quantity is described as 30 to 150 μmol / m ² / s, but the relationship with the temperature is not described.

  Plant cultivation means using artificial light sources are widely adopted for the purpose of energy saving, pesticide-free, productivity improvement and space saving in vegetable and fruit production, seedling, plant appreciation or grafting is there. That is, in natural cultivation of plants using sunlight, for example, fluctuation factors such as the amount of sunshine (for example, lack of sunshine) greatly affect the quality of the grown plants, or affect the production amount.

  On the other hand, in plant cultivation using an artificial light source, the amount of solar radiation and the like can be arbitrarily controlled, so that a required growth environment can be artificially created. That is, since natural fluctuation factors such as the amount of sunlight or the duration of sunlight can be greatly reduced and suppressed, it is possible not only to ensure a certain quality, but also plant cultivation in cold regions and barren regions. In addition, because it is an indoor growth technique, it can produce and supply highly safe vegetables and provide a means of viewing without pesticides.

  The low-temperature dark treatment is a 5-15 ° C low temperature chamber that can create a dark environment with an opening of 50cm in width, 30cm in depth, and 30cm in height. 70 strawberry pot seedlings are placed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped carrier provided with a plurality of interdigital openings, and left for 2-3 weeks. The above-described carrier has a structure that can be loaded, and is left in a low temperature storage in 5 to 10 layers. If these conditions are adjusted, flower buds can be formed regardless of the day length (see Non-Patent Document 1).

  In the night cooling treatment, light is irradiated under sunlight for 8 hours in the daytime, and after 8 hours, the treatment is performed at a dark low temperature of 15 to 20 (25) ° C. For example, using a retractable house, darken it with a heat-insulating light-shielding film at night and sealing it, then operate the air conditioning equipment to cool it at night, open the heat-insulating light-shielding film during the daytime, take in sunlight, and process short days There is a method of performing such as (see Non-Patent Document 2).

  Another method is to place the seedlings themselves on a large trolley instead of a light-shielding film, so that the air conditioning system operates at night and during the daytime to move between indoors where the temperature is kept low and outdoors where sunlight is irradiated. It has been taken. However, only a small portion of the night cooling process is actually performed at the actual site, and a general method is a low temperature / dark process.

  The dark / low temperature treatment is performed at a low temperature in the dark for 2 to 3 weeks, so there is no light and the seedling quality deteriorates. In addition, there is a problem that the flower bud differentiation rate varies due to the failure of seedlings. When the night cooling treatment is performed, the seedlings must be moved to a low-temperature storage at night and moved to sunlight in the daytime, so the labor of putting in and out is difficult, and the flower bud differentiation due to weather conditions (cloudy and rainy) There is a problem that the seedling quality varies greatly. Further, in order to air-condition the house, a large-capacity cooler is required, and depending on the method, it is necessary to install a cart or the like, which requires enormous equipment costs.

  In general, when a plant is grown using an artificial light source, a first type plant cultivation apparatus A31 as shown in FIGS. 27 and 28 is known. That is, as shown in FIG. 27 and FIG. 28, it is comprised from the ceiling board 33 supported horizontally by the support | pillar 32, and the plant cultivation stage 34 supported and arranged in multiple stages. The plant cultivation stage 34 here is set to a depth of about 450 mm and a frontage (width) of about 1200 mm. A light source panel unit 36 in which two fluorescent lamps 35 having a length of 1200 mm and an outer diameter of 32 mm are installed at intervals of 225 mm is formed on the lower surface of the plant cultivation stage 34 excluding the ceiling plate 33 and the lowermost layer. Here, as shown in FIG. 28, the culture medium 38 of the plant cultivation container 37 arranged on the upper surface of the plant cultivation stage 34 is formed of an agar medium containing nutrient components, rock wool, or the like.

  As a problem of the plant cultivation apparatus A31, for example, when using a fluorescent lamp with an input power of 40 W and a length of 1200 mm as an artificial light source, it is necessary to select the number of fluorescent lamps according to the required light quantity. That is, when the amount of light is insufficient with one fluorescent lamp (40 W), the number is set to two (80 W), and when the amount of light is insufficient, the number is set to three (120 W). The selection of the number of fluorescent lamps to be set and mounted is difficult to adjust the light amount in small increments, causing a risk of turning on the fluorescent lamp with more power than necessary, and raises a problem in terms of power saving.

  In addition, when the input of the light source (fluorescent lamp) is increased and the irradiation light quantity as a whole for each plant cultivation stage is secured, the variation in the photon density distribution on the plant cultivation stage surface and the temperature increase on the plant cultivation stage surface occur. .

  Therefore, in order to reduce the influence of heat radiated by the fluorescent lamp or to secure a uniform light irradiation area, it is necessary to set a relatively large interval with respect to the plant cultivation stage. Is inhibited.

  The 2nd type plant cultivation apparatus B30 which solves the above-mentioned problem is shown below. In FIG. 29, a substantially rectangular four-stage plant cultivation stage 39 and a ceiling board 40 are supported by four columns 41. By these four stages of plant cultivation stage 39 and ceiling plate 40, four space portions 42 having a frontage of 1200 mm, a depth of 450 mm, and a height of 400 mm are formed. Light source panel units 43 are mounted on the lower surfaces of the ceiling plate 40 and the plant cultivation stage 39, respectively. Although not shown in the light source panel unit 43, a power supply device including an inverter that supplies power to each light source panel unit 43 is disposed on the upper surface of the ceiling plate 40.

  Here, the light source panel unit 43 includes a plurality of fluorescent lamps 44 as light sources. These fluorescent lamps 44 are, for example, hot cathode fluorescent lamps with an input power of 15 W and a length of 450 mm, and each light source panel unit 43 includes five hot cathode fluorescent lamps 44 at intervals of 240 mm. ing. These hot cathode fluorescent lamps 44 are arranged in parallel in a direction substantially orthogonal to the long sides of the substantially rectangular ceiling plate 5 and the four plant cultivation stages 39.

In the light source panel unit 43, the mounting interval of the hot cathode fluorescent lamps 44 is changed from 240 mm to 200 mm, the number of mounting is increased from 5 to 6, and the total power consumption of the light source panel unit 43 is 90 W. In this case, 45 μmol / m ² / s is obtained as the maximum photon flux density on the plant cultivation stage 39.

  Further, as the fluorescent lamp 44 constituting the light source of the light source panel unit 43, a cold cathode fluorescent lamp can be used instead of the hot cathode fluorescent lamp. In this case, each fluorescent lamp is provided with a reflector so that light from the lamp can be efficiently irradiated onto the plant cultivation stage 39.

  FIG. 30 is a diagram showing a configuration of a main part of the light source panel unit 43 using a cold cathode type fluorescent lamp, FIG. 30 (a) is a side view, and FIG. 30 (b) is a straight line AA in FIG. It is sectional drawing along '. The light source panel unit 43 has a pair of resin holders 45, a parabolic reflector type metal reflector 46 supported at both ends by the resin holders 45, and a central axis aligned with the focal point of the metal reflector 46. It is composed of a cold cathode fluorescent lamp mounted and arranged.

  FIG. 31 is a diagram showing a configuration of a main part of the light source panel unit 43. FIG. 31A is a perspective view of the main part of the light source panel unit 43, and FIGS. As shown in FIG. 5A, the light source panel unit 43 is provided with an aluminum frame 48 having the same size as that of the ceiling plate 40 or the plant cultivation stage 39. The cross sections of these aluminum frames 48 are bent in an L shape as shown in FIG. 2B, and a fitting groove 49 is formed at one of the opposed long sides at a predetermined interval. Yes. A resin holder 45 provided at one end of the cold cathode fluorescent lamp 44 is fitted and fixed in the fitting groove 49. The resin holder 45 provided at the other end of the hot cathode fluorescent lamp 44 is fixed to the other opposite long side of the aluminum frame 48 with a screw 50 as shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 31 (c), fitting grooves 49 similar to those shown in FIG. 31 (b) are formed on any of the opposing long sides of the aluminum frame 48. These fitting grooves 49, resin holders 45 at both ends of the cold cathode fluorescent lamp 44 are fitted and fixed.

  FIG. 32 is a perspective view of a main part showing the arrangement state of the light source panel unit 43 while arranging a plurality of plant cultivation containers 37 on the plant cultivation stage 39 shown in FIG. In the figure, the same reference numerals are given to the components corresponding to the configurations of the respective parts shown in FIGS. 29 to 31, and the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

When a hot cathode fluorescent lamp is used as the fluorescent lamp 44 constituting the light source of the light source panel unit 43, the total power consumption is 75 W due to the five hot cathode fluorescent lamps 44 at intervals of 240 mm. In this case, 37 μmol / m ² / s is obtained as the maximum photon density on the plant cultivation stage 39.

Further, in the light source panel unit 43 of the above example, the mounting interval of the hot cathode fluorescent lamps 44 is changed from 240 mm to 200 mm and the number of mounting is increased from 5 to 6, so that the total power consumption of the light source panel unit 43 is reduced. In the case of 90 W, 45 μmol / m ² / s is obtained as the maximum photon flux density on the plant cultivation stage 39.

When a cold cathode fluorescent lamp is used instead of a hot cathode fluorescent lamp as the fluorescent lamp 44 constituting the light source of the light source panel unit 43, for example, input 6.5 W, length 450 mm, external When eight fluorescent lamps with a diameter of 3 mm are mounted at an interval of 150 mm, the total power consumption is 52 W per unit and the maximum photon flux density on the plant cultivation stage 39 is 40 μmol / m ² / s.

  In the case of the cold cathode fluorescent lamp 44, the power that can be input per lamp is smaller than that of the hot cathode fluorescent lamp, and the amount of irradiation light per lamp is reduced. In order to obtain the same amount of light as used, it is necessary to increase the number. However, when the input power of the cold cathode type fluorescent lamp 44 is small, the amount of heat generation is also small, and the influence of heat on the cultivated plant is small, so that it is possible to irradiate the light source in the vicinity. That is, the maximum photon flux density distribution by the light source panel unit 43 is inversely proportional to the square of the distance to the fluorescent lamp 44 that is the light source, so that the input power can be kept low.

  Further, when the cold cathode type fluorescent lamp 44 is used, the tube diameter of the lamp can be 3 mm with respect to the outer diameter of 32 mm of the hot cathode type fluorescent lamp, so that the height of the light source portion can be reduced from 100 mm to 50 mm. As a result, the interval between the plurality of plant cultivation stages can be reduced, and the number of stages can be set to 7 stages as shown in FIG. In the figure, components corresponding to those shown in FIGS. 29 to 32 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  According to the example described above, the plurality of fluorescent lamps 44 which are light sources constituting the light source panel unit 43 are arranged in parallel so as to be substantially orthogonal to the long sides of the substantially rectangular ceiling plate 40 or the plant cultivation stage 39. Since it is arranged, it is possible to adjust the power consumption input to the light source panel unit 43 in small increments. Therefore, a plant cultivation apparatus that can easily supply a desired photon flux density onto the plant cultivation stage 39 is provided. can get.

  That is, in the light source panel unit 43 configured as described above, the plurality of fluorescent lamps 44 serving as the light sources are longer than the ceiling plate 33 or the plant cultivation stage 34 as in the light source panel unit 36 shown in FIG. Compared to the case where the fluorescent lamps are arranged almost in parallel with the sides, the length of each fluorescent lamp is short and the power consumption thereof is also small. For this reason, the power consumption of the light source panel unit 43 can be finely adjusted by adjusting the mounting interval and the number of fluorescent lamps. As a result, a desired light amount can be obtained on the plant cultivation stage 39.

  FIG. 34 shows another example of the light source panel unit using the cold cathode type fluorescent lamp of the plant culture apparatus B, FIG. 35 is a configuration diagram of the main part thereof, FIG. 34 (a) is a side view, and FIG. FIG. 35B is a sectional view taken along the line AA ′ in FIG. The light source panel unit includes a pair of resin holders 45, a parabolic reflector-type metal reflector 46 supported at both ends by the resin holders 45, and a central axis aligned with the focal point of the metal reflector 46. The fluorescent lamp 44 is mounted and arranged.

  Here, each of the pair of resin holders 45 is fixed to the aluminum frame 48 by a metal screw 50. At this time, the metal reflector 46 is also fixed to the resin holder 45 by the metal screw 50. With such a configuration, the metal reflector 46 is electrically connected to the aluminum frame 48 via the metal screw 50.

  Although not shown, the fluorescent lamp 44 emits light under high voltage and high frequency from an inverter. Therefore, charges are accumulated in the metal reflector 46 during lamp emission, and the accumulated charges need to be released to the ground to prevent electric shock. Therefore, by connecting the aluminum frame 48 to the ground, the electric charge accumulated in the metal reflector 46 flows through the metal screw 50 and the aluminum frame 48, and an electric shock is prevented.

  The plant cultivation apparatus B can finely adjust the power consumption of the light source panel unit, and can easily obtain a desired photon flux density on the plant cultivation stage 1.

  As described above, when a metal reflector is used to irradiate light on the cultivation stage side, since the cold cathode fluorescent lamp is high-pressure and high-frequency lighting, a leakage current to the metal reflector is generated and a uniform light source I couldn't.

  Now, as a method for supplying electric power to the fluorescent lamp arranged in the plant cultivation apparatus A31 shown in FIG. 27, as shown in FIG. 36, AC 100V is fed to each ballast corresponding to the fluorescent lamp 35, respectively. The method of inputting via 51 is taken.

  Also, when the 450 mm long fluorescent lamp shown in FIG. 29 is used at a pitch of 130 mm perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (1200 mm) of the plant cultivation stage, as shown in FIG. 37, the lighting circuit of each light source panel unit 52 53, a DC power source or AC 100V is directly input via a connector 54 to a power source line 55.

In these methods, since power is independently supplied to each light source panel unit (lighting circuit), power supply lines for connecting between the power source and the light source panel unit are required for the number of light source panel units. In particular, when the number of light source panel units is large, the number of electric wires is also large, and the appearance and workability are deteriorated.
JP 7-322759 A JP 2001-258389 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-40013 "Agriculture and Horticulture" published by Seikodo Shinkosha, January 2005, 41-45 pages “Agriculture and Horticulture” published by Seikodo Shinkosha, November 2004, pages 44-47

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a plant cultivation method and a plant cultivation apparatus capable of increasing cultivation efficiency, improving workability, etc. during plant cultivation. And

The plant cultivation method according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the flower bud differentiation formation stage in plant cultivation, a flower bud differentiation treatment is performed in a range of a photon flux density of 30 to 150 μmol / m ² / s and a treatment temperature of 10 to 20 ° C. To do.

  The plant cultivation method according to the present invention is characterized in that the plant is a strawberry seedling.

  The plant cultivation apparatus according to the present invention includes a substantially rectangular plant cultivation stage, and a light source panel unit that is disposed opposite to the plant cultivation stage and includes a plurality of fluorescent lamps that irradiate the plant cultivation stage, The plurality of fluorescent lamps are arranged so as to be substantially orthogonal to the long side of the plant cultivation stage, each of the plurality of fluorescent lamps is housed in a reflector, and a part of the plurality of fluorescent lamps The distance between the fluorescent lamp and the reflector housing the fluorescent lamp is different from the distance between the other fluorescent lamps and the reflector.

  The plant cultivation apparatus according to the present invention is set so that a distance between the fluorescent lamp and the reflector in the fluorescent lamps arranged at both ends of the plurality of fluorescent lamps is different from a distance between the reflectors in the other fluorescent lamps. The distance between the fluorescent lamps at both ends and the reflector is set to be the same.

  A plant cultivation apparatus according to the present invention includes a plant cultivation stage, a plurality of fluorescent lamps provided opposite to the plant cultivation stage, a reflector that houses the fluorescent lamp, and a light source panel unit that includes a lighting circuit. In the cultivation apparatus, the plurality of lighting circuits are connected in parallel, and supply power from the outside to at least one lighting circuit and supply power from one lighting circuit adjacent to the other lighting circuit. It is characterized by that.

  The plant cultivation apparatus concerning this invention repeats the structure which supplies electric power from the said adjacent one lighting circuit to the other lighting circuit in at least 2 or more lighting circuits.

  The plant cultivation apparatus according to the present invention includes a rectangular parallelepiped bottomed container having an open top, a pair of rectangular through holes formed in the center of the opposite side upper portions of the bottomed container, and the pair of through holes. A light source mounting member locked to at least one through-hole of the hole, and a light source mounted on the light source mounting member, wherein the bottom container does not protrude upward from the upper end of the opening of the bottom container. A plurality of carriers with a light source composed of a light source disposed in the opening is stacked.

  The plant cultivation apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that the plurality of stacked light source-equipped carriers are arranged in a temperature-controlled darkroom space.

  In the plant cultivation apparatus according to the present invention, the light source mounting member is composed of two pieces that are locked to the pair of through holes, and the light source is fixed between the two light source mounting members. It is characterized by.

  The plant cultivation apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that the light source is a cold cathode fluorescent lamp.

  The plant cultivation apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that the light source is an LED.

  In an actual production site, it is natural to expect the effect of promoting flower bud differentiation, but the cost required for this is also emphasized. The current temperature and light quantity conditions can be set within the optimum ranges, and the running cost of air conditioning power can be reduced while maintaining the effect of flower bud differentiation.

  Moreover, since the area | region which can obtain the light quantity required in order to grow a plant became large, it became possible to increase the cultivation density of a plant.

  In addition, when feeding lines are provided from each lighting circuit, electric wires twice as large as the light source unit are required on the high-voltage side and the low-voltage side, which complicates the processing of the electric wires and requires the work of bundling them. On the other hand, the number of wires can be reduced by adopting a method in which power is supplied from the original power source to one lighting circuit and power is supplied from the lighting circuit to the lighting circuit. The work has been drastically reduced and the work can be simplified.

  Also, if the power supply from the original power supply is set at two locations within the range that does not exceed the power and current capacity of the wires and connectors, the reliability will be improved without problems even if one of the wires is disconnected. It was.

  In addition, a uniform light emission source can be easily achieved, grounding for leakage current is not required, and power saving can be achieved.

Strawberry seedlings that had undergone insertion seedling raising were subjected to 8-hour day length treatment from August 20th to September 10th using a cold cathode fluorescent lamp in a low-temperature chamber. The treatment conditions were such that the temperature in the low temperature chamber was changed to 10 to 20 ° C., and the photon density was changed to 30 to 150 μmol / m ² / s to evaluate the flower bud differentiation rate. The evaluation results are as shown in Table 1.

In addition, this experiment is an experiment in the summer from August to September, and the flower bud differentiation process that is actually performed is also performed at the above-mentioned time. The ambient temperature of outside air at this time is around 30 ° C., and in order to create a low temperature environment as shown in Table 2, the amount of electric power increases as the temperature decreases.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the plant cultivation apparatus 11 is a cold cathode fluorescent lamp having a diameter of 3 mm housed in a resin reflector on the lower surface of a multistage plant cultivation stage 12 set with a frontage of 1200 mm, a depth of 450 mm, and a stage interval of 300 mm. 13 is arranged. As shown in FIG. 2, nine fluorescent lamps 13 are arranged at positions A to I at a pitch of 130 mm in the depth direction (short direction of the plant cultivation stage), and a container in which a plant body is inserted on the upper surface of each plant cultivation stage. (Not shown) are arranged at predetermined intervals.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a light source panel unit 15 is formed in each cold cathode fluorescent lamp 13 attached to each cultivation stage provided with a metal frame 14. The light source panel unit 15 includes a lighting circuit 16 and a connector 17. Each connector 17 has a power receiving terminal 17a and a branch terminal 17b so that power is supplied to all other light source units by being input from the power supply line 18 to two light source units (positions A and I). It is connected to.

  In the example of FIG. 3, power may be supplied to another light source panel unit by inputting power from the power supply line 18 only to the light source panel unit 15 at the right end as shown in the figure. By configuring in this way, a single pair of feeder lines 18 may be wired for each plant cultivation stage 12 as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the light source panel unit is composed of a reflector 19, a cold cathode type fluorescent lamp 20, and a lighting circuit 16. A metal material may be used as an option for the reflector 19, but in general, Since the cold cathode fluorescent lamp is lit at a high frequency and a high voltage, a leakage current is generated in a conductive material such as metal. For this reason, it is necessary to connect the reflector to the ground in consideration of safety and stability during lighting.

  Furthermore, if the metallic reflector and the fluorescent lamp are installed in a state where they are close to each other (for example, 1 mm), the leakage current changes greatly due to a subtle difference in the distance, and the light quantity of the fluorescent lamp also changes greatly. However, the use of a resin material eliminates the occurrence of leakage current, eliminates the need for a ground wire, and eliminates the adverse effects of changes in light quantity when the reflector and the fluorescent lamp are brought close to each other. Therefore, the resin reflector 19 is used.

  Here, in the fluorescent lamp 20 with the resin reflector 19 arranged in the light source panel unit, the light distribution on the irradiated surface varies depending on the position of the fluorescent lamp 20 arranged in the resin reflector 19. As an example, when the position of the fluorescent lamp 20 from the resin reflector 19 is changed to 2.5 mm (FIG. 6) and 4.5 mm (FIG. 7) as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the light distribution on the irradiated surface is as shown in FIG. It changes as follows.

  Among the nine cold cathode fluorescent lamps installed in the light source panel unit using this characteristic, the fluorescent lamps at both ends A and I shown in FIG. 2 are shown in FIG. The fluorescent lamps B to H are installed at 4.5 mm shown in FIG. When the light distribution on the irradiated surface of the light source unit was measured, the region where the relative value of the light amount exceeds 80% as shown in FIG. 9 is about 60 mm larger than the conventional product, which is effective for growing plants. The area could be increased.

  FIG. 10 shows an example of a light source panel unit of a plant cultivation apparatus, and FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram thereof. The light source panel unit includes a pair of resin holders 21, a parabolic reflection type resin reflector 22 supported at both ends by these resin holders 21, a fluorescent lamp 23 mounted and disposed on the resin reflector 22, and The lighting circuit 24 is configured to supply high-voltage and high-frequency power to the fluorescent lamp.

  Here, in the prior art, since the fluorescent lamp emits light under high voltage and high frequency from the lighting circuit, charges are accumulated in the metal reflector during lamp emission, and the accumulated charges need to be released to the ground to prevent electric shock. Yes, it was necessary to make the aluminum frame and the metal reflector conductive. Therefore, it was necessary to fix the pair of resin holders together with the metal reflector to the aluminum frame with metal screws.

  However, by changing the reflector 22 according to the present invention from a metal to a resin, it is possible to prevent charge accumulation on the resin reflector 22, and no need for fixing with a metal screw as in the prior art. By making a rivet-like boss on the holder, it can be easily attached to an aluminum frame.

  FIG. 12 shows a relative light distribution diagram in the lamp axis direction between the resin reflector of the present invention and the metal reflector according to the prior art. In the figure, the horizontal axis indicates the lamp axis direction, and the vertical axis indicates the relative light distribution. The left side (0 cm) in the lamp axis direction, which is the horizontal axis in the figure, is the high voltage side, and the current flows from left to right. In the conventional technology using a metal reflector, the current leaks to the reflector, so the fluorescent lamp As it goes to the low pressure side, the light emission becomes low. From the figure, it is clear that the resin reflector of the present invention can be made a uniform light source as compared with the metal reflector.

  It is also effective to use the apparatus shown in FIG. 13 as another embodiment of the present invention. 13 to 15 show the light source-equipped carrier 60, FIG. 14 is a top view of FIG. 13, and FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. The light source-equipped carrier 60 includes a bottomed container 61 having an opening 66 on the upper side and a light source device 62. The container 61 is made of plastic and has a width of 52 cm, a depth of 32 cm, and a height of 31 cm, and a plurality of slits 65 are formed in the short side surface 63 and the long side surface 64. A handle port 67 is provided above the short side surface 63 and directly below the opening 66.

  The light source device 62 is provided in the center of the upper portion of the container 61 and immediately below the opening 66 in parallel with the long side surface 64. Although details will be described later, it is composed of a cold cathode fluorescent lamp 68 having a diameter of 3 mm and a length of 45 cm and a lighting circuit 69. FIG. 16 shows the container 61 described above, but a pair of handle openings 67 formed at the upper center of the short side surface 63 are arranged at symmetrical positions facing each other and have a rectangular opening. . Each of the large number of slits 65 formed in the short side surface 63 and the long side surface 64 is long and is formed in parallel to the width direction so as to penetrate the inside and outside of the container over four stages.

  The handle port 67 is formed by a rectangular opening surrounded by a wide plate-like body, and is literally used for transporting the container 61. In the present invention, the light source device shown in FIGS. It plays an important role in mounting 62. Of the plate-like bodies surrounding the handle port 67, the upper plate-like body forms a flange 70 that protrudes outward from the main body plate-like body 71 of the container 61.

  In the container 61 configured in this manner, the strawberry seedlings 72 shown in FIG. 17 are planted in square pots 73 and aligned and stored in a rectangular flat seedling tray 74. The state in which the strawberry seedling 72 is stored in the container 61 is shown in FIG.

  19 and 20 show the light source device 62. FIG. 20A is a side view, FIG. 20B is a view from below, and FIG. 20C is the view of FIG. It is the figure seen from the left side shown by the arrow. The cold cathode fluorescent lamp 68 is covered with a translucent lamp protective tube 75 and protected to prevent breakage. The upper part of the lamp protection tube 75 is fixed to the reflection plate 76.

  The cold cathode fluorescent lamp 68 and the lamp protection tube 75 are mounted on a lamp mounting bracket 77 attached to one end of the reflector plate 76. A light source mounting member 78 is attached to one end of the reflecting plate 76, that is, the end where the lamp mounting bracket 77 is attached. The light source mounting member 78 is formed by bending a wide metal plate, and this width is smaller than the opening width of the handle port 67 of the container 61 described above.

  The light source mounting member 78 is formed to be bent in a staircase shape, but the reflection plate 62 is fixed to the upper flat portion 79. An upper vertical portion 80 having the same width from the upper flat portion 79 is bent downward at a right angle. From the upper vertical part 80, a lower flat part 81 having the same width and bent outwardly at a right angle is formed. This is the lower flat part. Further, a lower vertical portion 82 having a narrow width is formed to be bent downward at a right angle from the lower portion 81, and a locking portion 83 is formed at a bending point between the flat portion 81 and the lower vertical portion 82.

  The locking portion 83 is parallel to the lower flat portion 81 from the standing portion 84 and the standing portion 84 so as to form a gap larger than the plate thickness of the collar portion 70 above the handle port 67 shown in FIG. And a locking plate 85. A lighting circuit 69 from which an input line 86 is drawn is attached to the narrow lower vertical portion 82. In this way, the light source device 62 is configured.

  Now, a method for mounting the light source device 62 configured as described above to the container 61 will be described with reference to FIG. The reflection plate 76 of the light source device 62 is inserted into the container 61 from one handle port 67 of the container 61 in the direction of the arrow in parallel with the long side surface 64. When the reflector 76 attached with the lamp is inserted into the container 61 until the light source mounting member 78 contacts the handle port 67, the light source mounting member 78 is inserted into the container 61 up to the lower flat portion 81 of the light source mounting member 78.

  13 to 16, the locking portion 83 of the light source mounting member 78 sandwiches the collar portion 70 at the top of the handle port 67, and can support the reflecting plate extending into the container 61 in parallel. it can. A notch 86 is formed at the center of the locking portion 83 of the light source mounting member 78 shown in FIG. 21, but a standing wall 87 is provided at the center of the flange 70 above the handle 67 of the container 61. The upright wall 87 has a function of letting it escape to the notch 86.

  In this way, as shown in FIGS. 13 to 15, the light source device 62 leaves only the lighting circuit 69 outside the container 61, and the reflector 76 with the lamp attached is detachably attached to the upper center of the container. . The reflecting plate 76 is disposed between the opening 66 of the container 61 and the upper end of the handle port 67 without being exposed upward from the opening 66 of the container 61.

In the above-described example, the light source device 62 composed of a single cold cathode fluorescent lamp is mounted on the upper portion of the container 61 only by the single light source mounting member 78, but it is shown in FIGS. 22 (a), 22 (b) and 22 (c). As described above, two parallel cold cathode fluorescent lamps 68 can be mounted on the container 61. 22A is a top view, FIG. 22B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 22A, and FIG. 22C is a view as seen from below.

  That is, the two parallel reflectors 76 are attached to the lower part of one support plate 88. Light source mounting members 78 are respectively attached to the center of both ends of the support plate 88, and the pair of light source mounting members 78 are mounted on the handle openings 67 facing the container 61. In such a configuration, the light source mounting member 78 having the configuration shown in FIGS. 13 to 21 cannot be mounted in one step by being inserted from the handle port 67 as in the same configuration, but the steps are performed separately. It is possible to attach easily. In addition, although an example of two lamps has been described with reference to FIG. 22, three or more lamps can be attached in parallel.

  FIG. 23 shows an example in which an LED 89 is used in the light source device 62 instead of the cold cathode fluorescent lamp. 23A is a front view, FIG. 23B is a side view, and FIG. 23C is a view from below. A number of LEDs 89 are arranged below the reflecting plate 76, and a light source mounting member 78 similar to that shown in FIG. 19 is attached to one end of the reflecting plate 76, which is not shown in the same manner as shown in FIG. Mounted in a container.

  FIG. 24 shows a configuration in which light is irradiated from the entire opening of the container 61 using a larger number of LEDs 89 than that shown in FIG. 24A is a top view, FIG. 24B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 24A, and FIG. In this example, a light source mounting member 78 is attached and attached to both handle openings 67 of the container 61.

  FIGS. 25A, 25B, and 25C show an example in which a cold cathode fluorescent lamp 68 is arranged at the center of the LED 89 array in the example of FIG. In order to generate wavelength light suitable for growth according to the plant to be cultivated, it is possible to form an optimal light source by combining and increasing or decreasing the number of LEDs and cold cathode fluorescent lamps.

  Now, various types of carriers with light sources have been described with reference to FIGS. 13 to 25. An example of cultivating strawberry seedlings by installing these carriers with light sources in a low-temperature chamber will be described with reference to FIG. . As shown in FIG. 26, an air conditioner 91 is installed in the low temperature storage 90 to control the temperature in the storage. The low temperature storage 90 is configured not to be affected by the environment outside the storage, and is moved in and out by a door 92. A carrier 60 with a light source is installed in the cabinet. The plurality of carriers 60 with a light source are stacked in the height direction, thereby increasing the yield of strawberry seedlings per installation area. Further, even when stacked in the height direction as described above, the optimum light amount can be supplied independently for each of the light source-equipped carriers 60, and there is no variation in cultivation / growth depending on the stacking position.

  It should be noted that temperature management is important in order to reliably differentiate the strawberry seedlings. When actually setting the temperature, a light source that is a heating element is arranged in the carrier, so that there is a difference between the temperature in the carrier and the temperature in the low temperature chamber. For this reason, in order to actually set the inside of the carrier to a predetermined temperature, it is necessary to set the temperature in the low temperature chamber to a slightly low temperature or to measure the temperature in the carrier and control the temperature in the low temperature chamber.

Using the varieties of Sachino, each flower bud treatment shown in Table 3 below was performed for 20 days in August 2004, and after evaluating the flower bud differentiation rate, it was planted in a cultivation bed in September and the yield until June 2005 Was evaluated.

  As shown in Table 3, with the apparatus of the above example, the strawberry flower bud differentiation rate was high, and the total yield was high compared to other methods. As a factor, the energy lost by respiration during the flower bud treatment period can be replenished with the energy of photosynthesis by light as compared with the low temperature dark treatment, so that the seedling was finished healthy and highly active.

  Compared to night-cooled short-day treatment, there is no human work (seeding / removal of seedlings), so there is no variation in the work. Since treatment is performed in a controlled space, it is not affected by the weather at all, and stable treatment can be realized. With regard to work, seedlings are not taken in and out compared to night cooling, and only the operation of the light source and watering by a 24-hour timer are required, which saves work.

  Compared to the night-cooling process, the apparatus can be installed three-dimensionally in the same manner as the low-temperature dark process, so that many processes can be performed in a small low-temperature chamber. For this reason, the initial investment required for the building and the air conditioning equipment can be reduced, and the volume of air conditioning can be reduced by increasing the cultivation density, thereby saving power.

The perspective view which shows the plant cultivation apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The figure which expands and shows the principal part of FIG. The figure which expands and shows the principal part of the plant cultivation apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the wiring state of the plant cultivation apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The figure which expands and shows the principal part of the plant cultivation apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The figure which expands and shows the principal part of the plant cultivation apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The figure which expands and shows the principal part of the plant cultivation apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The characteristic comparison figure of the structure shown in FIG.6 and FIG.7. The characteristic comparison figure of the plant cultivation apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The figure which expands and shows the principal part of the plant cultivation apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The figure which expands and shows a part of FIG. The characteristic comparison figure of the reflector which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The perspective view which shows the plant cultivation apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. FIG. 14 is a top view of FIG. 13. AA line sectional view of Drawing 14. The perspective view which shows the principal part of FIG. The perspective view explaining the cultivation object. The perspective view which shows the state which accommodated the cultivation object shown in FIG. The perspective view which shows the principal part of FIG. The figure which shows the side surface of FIG. 19, a front surface, and an upper surface. The perspective view for demonstrating the mounting state of FIG. The figure which shows the upper surface of the other embodiment of this invention, a cross section, and a lower surface. The figure which shows the side surface, front surface, and lower surface of the principal part of other embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the upper surface of the other embodiment of this invention, a cross section, and a lower surface. The figure which shows the upper surface of the other embodiment of this invention, a cross section, and a lower surface. The perspective view which shows other embodiment of this invention. The perspective view which shows the conventional plant cultivation apparatus. The figure which expands and shows the principal part of FIG. The perspective view which shows the other conventional plant cultivation apparatus. The figure which expands and shows a part of FIG. The figure which expands and shows a part of FIG. The figure which shows the use condition of the apparatus of FIG. The perspective view which shows the other conventional plant cultivation apparatus. The figure which expands and shows a part of conventional plant cultivation apparatus. The figure which expands and shows the principal part of FIG. The figure which shows the wiring state of the conventional plant cultivation apparatus. The figure which expands and shows the principal part of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Plant cultivation apparatus, 12 ... Plant cultivation stage, 13 ... Fluorescent lamp, 14 ... Metal frame, 15 ... Light source panel unit, 16 ... Lighting circuit, 17 ... Connector, 18 ... Feed line, 19 ... Reflector, 60 ... With light source Carrier 61, bottomed container, 62 light source device, 63 short side, 64 long side, 65 slit, 66 opening, 67 handle, 68 cold cathode fluorescent lamp, 69 lighting circuit, 70 ... buttocks, 71 ... body plate, 72 ... strawberry seedling, 73 ... pot, 74 ... seedling tray, 75 ... lamp protection tube, 76 ... reflector, 77 ... lamp mounting bracket, 78 ... light source mounting member, 79 ... Upper flat part, 80 ... Upper vertical part, 81 ... Lower flat part, 82 ... Lower vertical part, 83 ... Locking part, 84 ... Standing part, 85 ... Locking plate, 86 ... Input line, 88 ... Supporting plate, 89 ... LED, 90 ... low temperature storage, 1 ... air conditioner.

Claims (11)

The plant cultivation method characterized by performing a flower bud differentiation process in the flower bud differentiation formation stage in plant cultivation in a photon flux density of 30 to 150 μmol / m ² / s and a treatment temperature of 10 to 20 ° C.   The plant cultivation method according to claim 1, wherein the plant is a strawberry seedling.   A substantially rectangular plant cultivation stage, and a light source panel unit that is arranged opposite to the plant cultivation stage and includes a plurality of fluorescent lamps that irradiate the plant cultivation stage, wherein the plurality of fluorescent lamps are the plant Arranged so as to be substantially orthogonal to the long side of the cultivation stage, each of the plurality of fluorescent lamps is stored in a reflector, and a part of the plurality of fluorescent lamps and the fluorescent lamp are stored A plant cultivation apparatus characterized in that the distance between the reflector and the reflector is different from the distance between the other fluorescent lamp and the reflector.   Among the plurality of fluorescent lamps, in the fluorescent lamps arranged at both ends, the distance between the fluorescent lamp and the reflector is set to be different from the distance between the reflectors in the other fluorescent lamps, The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the distance from the reflector is set to be the same.   In the plant cultivation apparatus provided with the light source panel unit which consists of a plant cultivation stage, the some fluorescent lamp provided facing this plant cultivation stage, the reflector which accommodates this fluorescent lamp, and a lighting circuit, The plurality of lighting circuits Are connected in parallel to supply power from the outside to at least one lighting circuit and to supply power from one adjacent lighting circuit to the other lighting circuit. .   6. The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a configuration in which electric power is supplied from the one adjacent lighting circuit to the other lighting circuit is repeated in at least two lighting circuits.   A rectangular-bottomed bottomed container having an open top, a pair of rectangular through holes formed at the center of the opposite side of the bottomed container, and at least one of the pair of through holes. A light source mounting member to be stopped, and a light source mounted on the light source mounting member, the light source disposed in the opening of the bottomed container without protruding upward from the upper end of the opening of the bottomed container A plant cultivation apparatus characterized in that a plurality of configured carriers with light sources are stacked.   8. The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of stacked carriers with light sources are arranged in a temperature-controlled dark room space.   The said light source mounting member is comprised from two each latched by each of a pair of said through-holes, The said light source is fixed between the said two light source mounting members, The Claim 7 or 8 characterized by the above-mentioned. The plant cultivation apparatus as described.   10. The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the light source is a cold cathode fluorescent lamp.   The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the light source is an LED.

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