JP2009028008A - Sprout culturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sprout culturing method and apparatus capable of sufficiently irradiating even the stem part of sprouts with light. <P>SOLUTION: This sprout culturing method has a process of irradiating light to new sprouts of plants from a lower side. The sprout culturing apparatus has a light irradiating part which can irradiate the lower side of new sprouts of plants with light. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a sprout cultivation method and apparatus for promoting the growth of sprout and increasing the content of functional components.

Sprout is a collective term for plant shoots, but is known to be a nutrient-rich food containing a variety of vitamins and other nutrients that did not exist in the dry seed state. For example, a bean seedling is a sprout in which peas are germinated, but the content of each nutrient is 52 times that of seeds, carotene is 52 times, vitamin E is 3.5 times, vitamin K is 20 times, vitamin B ₂ 2 times, folic acid 6.3 times, and also contains vitamin C that was not present at all in the case of seeds.

  In addition, according to Paul Tallaley et al. Of Johns Hopkins Medical University in the United States, sulforaphane, which is a sulfur compound abundant in cruciferous plants, has an effect of suppressing tumor formation, and sulforaphane is a broccoli, especially among cruciferous plants. It was found that a lot of sprout on the third day of germination of a specific variety of broccoli was contained. Furthermore, it is also known that sprout such as buckwheat is rich in polyphenols having an antioxidant action. For these reasons, sprout is attracting attention as a functional food.

These sprouts are usually cultivated by irradiating artificial light from above (see Patent Document 1).
JP 2007-89430 A

  However, when artificial light is irradiated onto the sprout from above, the stem part, which is the main edible part, becomes a foliage shadow, and there is a problem that it is difficult for light to hit.

  Then, an object of this invention is to provide the sprout cultivation method and apparatus with which light is fully irradiated also to the stem part of a sprout.

  That is, the sprout cultivation method according to the present invention is characterized in that it includes a step of irradiating light from below onto a sprout of a plant (hereinafter referred to as “sprout”). Here, the term “lower” refers to the stem side when the two leaf side of the sprout is the upper side and the stem side is the lower side.

  If it is such, since it can fully irradiate the part of the stem of a sprout, the growth of an edible part can be promoted and a sprout with a high commercial value can be obtained.

  The sprout is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include shoots such as radish, broccoli, red cabbage, mustard, garden cress, peas, buckwheat, or red tuna.

  The sprout is preferably grown on a light diffusing carrier. Examples of the light diffusing carrier include absorbent cotton, nonwoven fabric, and sponge. If the sprout grows on such a carrier, when the light is irradiated from below, the light is diffused by the carrier, so that the light is evenly irradiated by the stem portion of the sprout.

  In order to promote the growth of the sprout and increase the polyphenol content of the sprout, it is preferable to irradiate blue light from below the sprout. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-075073 discloses that polyphenol synthesis of sprout is promoted by irradiating blue light, but this effect is maintained even when irradiating blue light from below the sprout. It was confirmed by the present inventors.

  The cultivation apparatus used for the sprout cultivation method according to the present invention is also one aspect of the present invention. That is, the sprout cultivation apparatus according to the present invention is characterized by including a light emitting unit capable of irradiating light from below the sprout.

  The light source laid in the light emitting part is not particularly limited, and for example, LED, semiconductor laser, high pressure sodium lamp, low pressure sodium lamp, xenon lamp, metal halide lamp, mercury lamp, microwave lamp, incandescent bulb, fluorescent lamp, etc. Among them, an LED is preferably used.

  LEDs do not contain bright line spectra or ultraviolet and infrared radiation seen in other light sources, and have a low calorific value, allowing close irradiation to plants and irradiating monochromatic light with a small spectral half width. In addition, the emission color can be selected almost freely. In addition, it is relatively inexpensive and consumes less than one-fifth of the light bulb and has a lifetime that is ten times longer than that of a light bulb. Therefore, the economy is high and the running cost can be suppressed.

  In order to promote polyphenol synthesis of the sprout to be cultivated, it is preferable that the light emitting part emits blue light.

  In order to promote the growth of the sprout by irradiating light from the Futaba side, it is preferable that the apparatus according to the present invention also includes a light emitting part capable of irradiating light from above the sprout.

  According to the present invention, the growth of the edible portion can be promoted, and a sprout having a high commercial value can be obtained.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the sprout cultivation apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a chamber 2 for housing and growing the sprout 9, a temperature control mechanism 3 and a humidity control mechanism for controlling the temperature and humidity in the chamber 2. 4, light emitting units 5 and 6 that emit light to the sprout 9, a power supply unit 7 that supplies power so that the intensity of light emitted to the light emitting units 5 and 6 can be changed, and a current And an information processing device 8 that controls the supply unit 7.

  Each part will be described in detail. The chamber 2 is a hollow chamber having a door for taking in and out the sprout 9, and is configured such that the outside air and the inside can be shut off by closing the door.

  The temperature control mechanism 3 includes a temperature sensor 31, a temperature actuator 32 using a Peltier element or the like, and a temperature control unit 33. The temperature control unit 33 is based on the difference between the set temperature and the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 31. Operates the temperature actuator 32 so that the temperature in the chamber 2 approaches the set temperature.

  The humidity control mechanism 4 includes a humidity sensor 41, a humidity actuator 42 using a humidifier, a dehumidifier, and the like, and a humidity control unit 43. The humidity control mechanism 4 is based on the difference between the set humidity and the humidity measured by the humidity sensor 41. The control unit 43 drives the humidity actuator 42 and operates so that the humidity in the chamber 2 approaches the set humidity.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the light emitting portions 5 and 6 are obtained by laying a large number of LEDs 51 and 61 on one surface of flat substrates 52 and 62. These LEDs 51 and 61 are, for example, cannonball type. The light emitting unit 5 is provided on the ceiling surface in the chamber 2 and irradiates white light emitted from the white LED 51 to the sprout 9 from above. On the other hand, the light emitting unit 6 is provided on the bottom surface in the chamber 2 and irradiates the sprout 9 with blue light emitted from the blue LED 61 from below.

  The power supply unit 7 supplies power so that the emission intensity can be changed independently for each of the LEDs 51 and 61.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the information processing apparatus 8 is a general purpose or dedicated device that includes a memory 802, an input / output channel 803, an input unit 804 such as a keyboard, an output unit 805 such as a display, etc. in addition to the CPU 801. The input / output channel 803 is connected to an analog-digital conversion circuit such as an A / D converter 806, a D / A converter 807, and an amplifier (not shown).

  Then, when the CPU 801 and its peripheral devices cooperate in accordance with a program stored in a predetermined area of the memory 802, the information processing apparatus 8 functions as a light intensity controller 81 or the like as shown in FIG. To do. The information processing apparatus 8 does not need to be physically integrated, and may be divided into a plurality of devices by wire or wireless.

  The light intensity control unit 81 generates a control signal for setting the intensity of the light according to the type and growth state of the sprout 9 and transmits the control signal to the power supply unit 7. Specifically, for example, when the operator selects the type and growth status of the sprout 9 using the input means 804, the light intensity control unit 81 receives the signal, and an identifier and light intensity indicating the type and growth status of the sprout 9 The control signal specifying data storage unit D1 stored in a pair with the control signal identifier is accessed to specify the light intensity control signal corresponding to the type and growth status of the sprout 9, and the control signal is supplied to the power supply. It transmits to the part 7, and it is comprised so that the light of the intensity | strength suitable for the kind and growth condition of the sprout 9 may be inject | emitted from the light emission parts 5 and 6. FIG.

  In order to cultivate a sprout using the sprout cultivation apparatus 1 configured as described above, first, absorbent cotton 10 soaked with water is laid in a container, and seeds of the sprout 9 to be cultivated are sown there. Housed in chamber 2. Then, the temperature control mechanism 3 and the humidity control mechanism 4 are operated to adjust the temperature and humidity, while the light emitting units 5 and 6 are not operated until the seeds germinate, and the seeds are cultivated in the dark for several days. Next, the seeds that have started germination are irradiated with light emitted from the light emitting sections 5 and 6 from above and below, and the sprout 9 is cultivated for several days in this state, and then harvested after growing to an appropriate size.

  According to the present embodiment, white light is irradiated from above (futaba side), blue light is irradiated from below (stem side), and sufficient light is irradiated to the stem portion. Is promoted, and blue light promotes the synthesis of polyphenols. Normally, sprout seeds are sown on absorbent cotton, sponge, etc., so sprout is cultivated on these absorbent cottons, etc., but if light is irradiated from below the absorbent cotton, the light diffuses with the absorbent cotton and the sprout stem Light is evenly irradiated by the part.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

  The color (wavelength) of light emitted from the LEDs 51 and 61 used as the light source is not limited to white and blue, and can be appropriately selected according to the type of the sprout 9 to be cultivated and the purpose of cultivation. Further, the light source of the light emitting units 5 and 6 is not limited to the LED, and may be other fluorescent lamps or the like.

Furthermore Sprout culture apparatus according to the present invention, and the O ₂ concentration control mechanism for adjusting the O ₂ concentration may be provided with a CO ₂ concentration control mechanism for adjusting the CO ₂ concentrations.

  In addition, it is needless to say that some or all of the above-described embodiments and modified embodiments may be combined as appropriate, and various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the following examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

<Cultivation conditions>
Sprout used: Japanese radish (cultivated in the dark from seed to germination for 3 days)
Cultivation period: 7 days Lower irradiation light source: Blue LED (peak wavelength: 460 nm)
Light intensity: 100 μmol / m ² / s
Irradiation conditions:
Light treatment zone (with lower irradiation) = 6:00 to 18:00 Fluorescent lamp irradiation from the upper part,
3: 00 to 6: 00 and 18: 00 to 21: 00 Blue LED irradiation control section from the bottom (no bottom irradiation) = 6: 00 to 18:00 Only fluorescent lamp irradiation from the top

  Using the edible part of sprout cultivated using the above cultivation method as a sample, the total polyphenol content was analyzed using the following analysis method.

<Analysis method>
Analysis was performed according to the following conditions using the Folen-Ciocalteu method.
(1) Extraction condition 10 times the amount of 90% methanol was added and immersed for one day.
(2) Absorbance measurement conditions 800 μL of 7.5% sodium carbonate solution and 1 mL of phenol reagent were added to 200 μL of the extract and mixed, reacted at room temperature for 30 minutes, and subjected to absorbance measurement at 765 nm. Gallic acid was used to create a calibration curve.

<Result>
Total polyphenol content:
Light treatment area 0.51mg / g
Control group 0.33mg / g
Color: The light-treated group clearly has a darker leaf color and stem color than the control group, the leaf color is green, and the stem color is purple.
Germination rate: The germination rate was clearly higher in the light treatment group than in the control group.
State of growth: The light-treated area was thicker than the control area.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a sprout having a high commercial value in which the growth of the sprout is promoted and the content of the functional component is increased.

The typical block diagram which shows the sprout cultivation apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The top view which shows the light emission part in the embodiment. The equipment block diagram of the information processing apparatus in the embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Sprout cultivation apparatus 2 ... Chamber 5, 6 ... Light emission part 9 ... Sprout 10 ... Absorbent cotton

Claims (7)

  A sprout cultivation method comprising a step of irradiating light from below to a sprout of a plant.   2. The sprout cultivation method according to claim 1, wherein the sprout of the plant is a sprout of at least one kind of plant selected from the group consisting of radish, broccoli, red cabbage, mustard, garden cress, peas, buckwheat, and red pepper. .   The sprout cultivation method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sprout of the plant grows on a light diffusing carrier.   The sprout cultivation method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein blue light is irradiated from below.   The sprout cultivation apparatus provided with the light emission part which can irradiate light from the downward direction of the sprout of a plant.   The sprout cultivation apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the light emitting unit emits blue light. The sprout cultivation apparatus of Claim 5 or 6 provided with the light emission part which can irradiate light from the upper direction of the sprout of the said plant.