JP2011055737A - Container for soil cultivation, and soil cultivation apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a soil-cultivation container in which farmland is charged to cultivate plants and which requires no drainage equipment and also effectively makes use of illuminance of simultaneously-used illuminators to enable favorable plant cultivation. <P>SOLUTION: The soil cultivation apparatus is structured as follows: a watering pipe 3 is disposed on the inside bottom surface of a container body 2 whose upper side is open and which has no drainage outlet at the bottom part; the soil is charged on the watering pipe 3 to form a plant cultivation soil layer 4; a water-receiving edge 3a of the watering pipe 3 is drawn out to the upper outside of the plant cultivation soil layer 4; and a light-reflecting sheet 5 covering the surface of the plant cultivation soil layer 4 around the cultivated plant is laid on the plant cultivation soil layer 4 with its reflection surface facing upward. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a container for soil cultivation used by connecting a water supply pipe, and a soil cultivation apparatus using the container.

  As a soil-cultivating container (container) that is not used for hydroponics but is filled with soil to be used as a soil for plant cultivation, as described in Patent Document 1, for example, A net (a soil filter) for forming a drainage space under the soil for plant cultivation is stretched at the bottom, and a drain outlet for draining from the drainage space under the net is provided at the bottom of the container. An irrigation pipe was disposed, and an appropriate soil to be a plant cultivation soil layer was filled on the net.

JP-A-11-56135

  In conventional soil cultivation containers such as those described above, most of the water flows into the drainage space directly under irrigation, and if a considerable amount of water is not continuously supplied, the entire area of the plant cultivation soil layer has an appropriate humidity. It cannot be maintained in a state. In other words, in this type of container, irrigation on the surface side of the plant cultivation soil layer makes it easier to maintain the entire area of the plant cultivation soil layer in an appropriate humidity state while reducing the amount of water supplied. In addition, since excess water flows out from the drain outlet at the bottom of the container during irrigation, when many containers are placed in a rack installed indoors instead of in the open ground, water supply to the irrigation pipes of each container is performed. In addition to the system, a drainage system for draining from the drainage port of each container to the outside is also required. In addition, since the drainage space must be constructed with a net (soil filter) at the bottom of the container, the container itself is not only expensive, but a drainage space is formed below the soil layer for plant cultivation at the required height. Therefore, the height of the container increases.

  Since the present invention has been found as a result of experiments that specific vegetables can be satisfactorily cultivated without draining from the bottom of the container, considering the soil to be used and the irrigation method, the background of this fact, The container for soil cultivation cultivation which can eliminate the conventional problems as described above is proposed, and the container for soil cultivation cultivation according to the present invention described in claim 1 is referred to an embodiment described later. When indicated by a reference numeral, an irrigation pipe 3 is placed on the inner bottom surface of the container body 2 that is open at the top and does not have a drain outlet at the bottom, and soil is filled on the irrigation pipe 3. A soil layer 4 for plant cultivation is formed, and a water receiving end 3a of the irrigation pipe 3 is led to the upper outside of the soil layer 4 for plant cultivation, and the plant is placed around the cultivated plant on the soil layer 4 for plant cultivation. Light reflection covering the surface of the soil layer 4 for cultivation Over bets 5, the reflecting surface is turned upward laid configuration.

  When carrying out the present invention, specifically, as described in claim 2, the irrigation pipe 3 is constituted by a water-permeable flexible pipe from which water oozes out from the entire pipe surface, The opposite end can be closed. In this case, as described in claim 3, one irrigation pipe 3 is used for one container, and the irrigation pipe 3 is annularly formed on the inner bottom surface 2 a of the container body 2 (in a spiral shape). It is desirable to lay

  In addition, as described in claim 4, a container body 2 having a rectangular planar shape is used as the container body, and the light reflecting sheet 5 is parallel to the short side direction of the container body 2 and the short side. It is a strip-like body having a length close to the length, and a plurality of the light reflecting sheets 5 are arranged in parallel at appropriate intervals in the long side direction of the container body 2 and are exposed between the light reflecting sheets 5 Plants can be planted in the soil layer 4.

  Furthermore, the present invention also proposes a soil cultivation apparatus using the soil cultivation container 1 and the rack 10 configured as described above. That is, in the soil cultivation apparatus according to claim 5, the plurality of containers 1 are supported in parallel on the shelf 11 of the rack 10 in the front direction, and the lower parallel container 1 is above the shelf 11. A lighting fixture 17 for illuminating the top (preferably a lighting fixture for plant growth) and a water supply pipe 27 parallel to the frontage direction are attached to the water supply pipe 27 and the irrigation pipes 3 of the respective containers 1 on the lower side. The flexible pipe 30 connected to the water receiving end 3a is branched and connected.

  Specifically, as described in claim 6, the water supply pipe 27 is provided with a branch pipe 28 with a stop cock corresponding to each container 1, and the branch pipe 28 with a stop cock is provided with the flexible pipe. The pipe 30 can be detachably connected. As described in claim 7, a water supply tank 32 is connected to the water supply pipe 27, and the irrigation pipe 3 of each container 1 is connected from the water supply tank 32. It can comprise so that it may be supplied with gravity (position head energy of the amount of water in the water supply tank 32).

  According to the configuration of the present invention as set forth in claim 1, the irrigation pipe is simply placed on the inner bottom surface of the container, and there is a net between the upper plant cultivation soil layer as in the prior art. Since the drainage space partitioned by is not constructed at the bottom, the structure of the container body itself is extremely simple, and it is inexpensive by using a commercially available flat plastic plastic container for storing goods or transporting at an appropriate depth. Can be implemented. Moreover, since it does not have a drain outlet, it is not necessary to provide a drainage system from the container, and the initial cost when building equipment for plant cultivation using this container in the room can be suppressed.

  When cultivating a plant using the soil cultivation container of the present invention, the container body is filled with an appropriate amount of soil selected according to the type of plant to be cultivated, the volume of the container body, etc. The plant cultivation soil layer is constructed, and the plant cultivation soil, for example, seedlings of various small leafy vegetables are planted in the plant cultivation soil layer, and a reflection sheet is laid around the seedling so as to cover the surface of the plant cultivation soil layer To do. And the container body is placed in a place where necessary illuminance is secured, such as the underside of the plant cultivation lighting device, and the water supply pipe is connected to the water receiving end of the irrigation pipe protruding from the plant cultivation soil layer, Watering the soil for plant cultivation. At this time, the amount of water supply is controlled according to the type of the cultivated plant, the property of the soil for use, the volume of the soil layer for plant cultivating, etc., and the surroundings of the cultivated plant are maintained at a humidity suitable for growth. On the other hand, since the reflected light from the light reflecting sheet is added to the direct light from the plant cultivation lighting device, and the illuminance of the entire surroundings of the cultivated plant including the leaf back side is increased, the brightness of the plant cultivation lighting device itself is increased. If the lighting time is adjusted according to the type of cultivated plant, the planted seedling can be grown well in combination with the irrigation. The fertilizer necessary for growth may be given by mixing liquid fertilizer with the water supplied from the water supply pipe, but in the case of various small leafy vegetables that can be grown to the harvest level in a relatively short period of time, plant cultivation By adopting various known soils containing organic components that are effective as fertilizers as the soil for forming the soil layer, fertilization (additional fertilization) during the cultivation period can be eliminated.

  As described above, the important points in using the soil cultivation container of the present invention are the selection of the soil and the amount of water supplied from the irrigation pipe to the soil layer for plant cultivation. That is, since excess water cannot be discharged from the bottom of the container body, the surface of the soil for plant cultivation is covered with the light reflecting sheet, and the amount of moisture in the soil for transpiration from the surface of the soil layer for plant cultivation. Therefore, just by supplying water to the irrigation pipe at a very small flow rate according to the properties of the soil, the moisture is spread from the bottom of the plant cultivation soil layer to the entire area of the plant cultivation soil layer by capillarity. Will spread. In other words, as the water spreads from the bottom of the plant cultivation soil layer to the entire region and moistens the entire plant cultivation soil layer, the excess moisture stays at the bottom of the plant cultivation soil layer. The amount of water supplied to the irrigation pipe must be controlled so that the volume does not increase gradually. As a result, the cultivated plant can be grown well without causing root rot and the like.

  In addition, as the irrigation pipe, it is also possible to use a hard water spray pipe in which water outlets are formed at appropriate intervals in the length direction in a hard PVC pipe or a hard rubber pipe. According to the configuration, it becomes easy to supply a small amount of water per unit time in a state where the water can be spread in the plant cultivation soil layer from the bottom of the soil cultivation layer to the wide range by capillarity. In this case, according to the structure of Claim 3, compared with the case where a plurality of hard watering pipes are connected by a pipe joint and laid on the bottom surface of the container body, for example, in a rectangular ring shape, A permeable flexible pipe made of porous rubber, which is easy to lay and flexible but is relatively hard, is reversed over the left and right alternately to the entire bottom surface of the container body. It is easier to arrange a water-permeable flexible pipe that has a curl in one direction in an annular shape (including a spiral shape) than to stretch it around, especially without using a means to fix it on the container bottom. The water-permeable flexible pipe placed in a ring shape on the bottom surface can be easily and reliably fixed by filling with soil for plant cultivation.

  Moreover, according to the structure of Claim 4, since the several light reflection sheet cut | judged in the strip | belt shape with a short length is used, the operation | work which lays on the soil layer for plant cultivation is easy, and planting of a cultivation plant Since the rows are aligned in the long side direction of the container body, the number of planting rows (the surface of the soil layer for plant cultivation is larger than the case where the planting rows are aligned in the short side direction of the container body. The tolerance when changing the power of () is also increased.

  When constructing the soil cultivation apparatus according to claim 5 using the container and rack for soil cultivation of the present invention as described above, it is not necessary to provide a drainage system from each container, and so on. However, it is possible to easily cultivate plants using a general rack for storing goods. In particular, instead of directly connecting a water supply pipe to each container, the water supply pipe may be arranged along the frontage direction on the upper shelf of the shelf supporting the container of the rack or the uppermost ceiling of the rack. Since the number of water supply pipes can be significantly reduced with respect to the number of containers and water can be supplied to the few water supply pipes, the water supply system can be configured easily and inexpensively. In this case, according to the structure of Claim 6, when loading / unloading the container on a shelf, the water supply system with respect to another container is not interrupted | blocked, but irrigation with another container is continued favorably as expected. be able to. Furthermore, according to the structure of Claim 7, compared with the case where water supply is directly connected to a water supply pipe and it supplies with a water pressure, there is no influence by a fluctuation | variation of a water pressure and implement | achieves a very small amount of water supply per unit time. Therefore, it is possible to supply water to each container irrigation pipe at a substantially constant flow rate with little fine adjustment of the flow rate for the purpose. In particular, if a water supply tank is connected to each water supply pipe in each rack, coupled with the fact that the amount of water consumed per unit time in each container is extremely small, each water supply tank is small and small. The capacity of the water supply tank can be used, and there is almost no influence from the change in the water supply flow rate to each container irrigation pipe accompanying the change in the amount of water in each water supply tank.

A figure is a top view of the container for soil cultivation cultivation based on the present invention, and B figure is the longitudinal section front view. It is a vertical side view of the same container for soil cultivation. It is a top view which shows the container for soil cultivation cultivation same as the above before the soil filling. It is a partially longitudinal front view which shows the principal part of the soil cultivation apparatus comprised using the container for soil cultivation cultivation same as the above. It is a cross-sectional top view which shows the rack of a soil culture cultivation apparatus same as the above. It is a vertical front view which shows the water supply means of a soil cultivation cultivation apparatus same as the above. It is a partially vertical side view which shows the principal part of an earthen cultivation apparatus same as the above. It is an enlarged view of the A section of FIG.

  A container 1 for soil cultivation according to the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 includes a container body 2 having a rectangular planar shape, an irrigation pipe 3 placed on the inner bottom surface 2a of the container body 2, and the irrigation pipe 3 A plurality of sheets covering the surface of the plant cultivation soil layer 4 around the plant cultivation soil layer 4 made of the soil filled in the container main body 2 from above and around the trial plant seedling 5 planted in the plant cultivation soil layer 4 The light reflecting sheet 5 is configured.

  As the container body 2, a synthetic resin container for storing goods or transporting can be used as it is, and the size is not particularly limited, but a plant cultivation environment using a rack as will be described later. In consideration of the case where the interior is configured indoors, a long side length: about 700 mm, a short side direction length: about 460 mm, a height: about 120 mm (height from the inner bottom surface 2a: about 112 mm) was adopted. As the irrigation pipe 3, for example, a water-permeable flexible pipe made of porous rubber and in which water oozes out from the entire surface can be used. The irrigation pipe 3 is disposed on the inner bottom surface 2 a of the container body 2. Next, it is bent and placed in an annular shape so as to be separated from the peripheral wall of the container body 2 by a substantially constant distance, and one end of the irrigation pipe 3 is guided to one corner of the container body 2 and bent upward. A water receiving end 3a projecting vertically upward from the container main body 2 is formed, and the other end opening located on the inner bottom surface 2a of the container main body 2 is closed by fitting and fixing the cap 3b. As the soil constituting the soil layer 4 for plant cultivation, for example, a soil known as a non-chemical environmental material for soil, such as “bentonite” coated on “peat moss”, which is a general soil improvement material, can be used. Such a soil was filled so that the set-up height from the inner bottom surface 2a of the container body 2 to the surface of the soil layer 4 for plant cultivation (a flat surface before forming a ridge as shown in the figure) was about 80 mm. . As the light reflecting sheet 5, for example, a light reflecting sheet made of ultrafine foamed polyethylene terephthalate can be used.

  In the illustrated example, a plurality of ridges 4a parallel to the container body short side direction are formed on the surface of the plant cultivation soil layer 4 at appropriate intervals in the container body long side direction, and each ridge 4a is appropriately arranged in the cocoon length direction. The seedlings 6 of cultivated plants (small leafy vegetables) are planted at intervals, and the width between the ridges 4a and the outside of the ridges 4a at both ends is a band that is long in the direction of the short side of the container body and is suitably narrower than the interval between the minimum ridges. A plurality of light reflecting sheets 5 cut into a band having a prescribed size are laid with the light reflecting surface facing up so as to cover the surface of the soil layer 4 for plant cultivation. Depending on the type of cultivated plant, the number of juts 4a formed in parallel decreases and the spacing between the coffins 4a widens. Therefore, when only the light reflecting sheet 5 having the specified size is used, 2 between the coffins 4a. The light reflecting sheets 5 can be laid so as to partially overlap each other. Of course, in actual planting, it is also possible to use the light reflecting sheet 5 cut according to the interval between the ridges 4a at that time. In addition, what is necessary is just to form the basket 4a according to a cultivation plant, and when the basket 4a is unnecessary, what is necessary is just to finish the surface of the soil layer 4 for plant cultivation flat.

  Next, a soil cultivation apparatus configured by combining the container for soil cultivation 1 and a rack will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 8. The figure shows only the shelf 11 in the middle two stages of the rack 10. Even in the case of a rack having three or more levels of shelves, the configuration of the shelves in each level is the same as that shown in the figure. The rack 10 includes support members 12 whose lower ends and upper ends are connected to each other by connecting frames at four corners thereof, and the shelves 11 of each step are installed between a pair of support members 12 in the rack depth direction. The shelf 11 shown in the figure is supported by a pair of left and right shelf holders 13 in which a plurality (four in the illustrated example) of beam members 14 parallel to the rack opening direction are arranged in parallel at appropriate intervals in the rack depth direction. Thus, each beam member 14 is supported by a beam member fitting support portion formed on the shelf support 13 at both ends thereof. Of course, the shelf 11 is not limited to the one having the above-described configuration, and the entire surface is constituted by a single plate material, the one constituted by a plurality of strip-like plates before and after the rack depth direction, and parallel to the rack frontage direction. Various conventionally well-known shelves, such as a structure in which a sub beam material parallel to the rack depth direction is installed between the pair of front and rear beam materials at appropriate intervals in the rack front-end direction, can be used.

  On each shelf 11, a plurality of (three in the illustrated example) parallel arrangements of the containers 1 for soil cultivation in the above-described configuration are arranged in the rack front direction with the container body long side direction being parallel to the rack depth direction. Supported. At this time, the rack 10 is configured in such a size that both the front and rear ends in the long side direction of each container main body 2 can be accommodated between the pair of column members 12 before and after the rack depth direction when the rack 10 is viewed from the side. Of the plurality of beam members 14 to be configured, the beam members 14 at the front and rear ends in the depth direction are configured to enter slightly inside the front and rear ends in the long side direction of the container 1 to be supported. Thus, the shelf 11 of each stage is provided with a guide roller 15 on the front side (side where the container 1 is put in and out) and a stopper 16 for preventing container drop on the back side. The guide roller 15 is a roller disposed between the pair of left and right support columns 12 on the front side of the rack 10 and oriented parallel to the rack front direction, and the bearings at both ends thereof are attached to the pair of left and right shelf supports 13. . Thus, the guide roller 15 protrudes slightly forward from the front end of the container 1 supported by the shelf 11 and slightly above the container support height of the shelf 11 (the upper surface height of the beam member 14). It projects so as to prevent the container body 2 from sliding out to the front side. The container drop prevention stopper 16 is composed of a rod-shaped member disposed between the pair of left and right support columns 12 on the rear side of the rack 10 and oriented parallel to the rack front direction, and is positioned at a position higher than the container support height of the shelf 11. Both ends are attached to a pair of left and right shelf supports 13.

  A lighting fixture 17 is attached above the soil cultivation container 1 supported by the shelf 11 of each stage using the ceiling frame of the shelf 11 or the rack 10 positioned directly above the container 1 for soil cultivation. It has been. The lighting fixture 17 may be a rod-like or annular fluorescent lamp, a bulb-type fluorescent lamp, or any other one, but a fluorescent lighting fixture specialized for plant cultivation is particularly desirable. In this illustrated example, a rod-like fluorescent lamp for plant cultivation is used as the lighting fixture 17, and a plurality of lighting fixtures 17 arranged in parallel in the rack depth direction are arranged such that the fluorescent tubes 17 a are parallel to the rack frontage direction and the lower side. It is attached to the lower side of the shelf 11 (or the ceiling frame) so as to illuminate the cultivated plant planted in the soil cultivation container 1. Specifically, the lighting fixture 17 attached to the lower side of the shelf 11 having the above-described configuration has the main body 17b of the lighting fixture 17 attached to the lower side of the beam member 14 constituting the shelf 11.

  A horizontal light reflector 18 is stretched so as to pass between the main body 17b of each lighting fixture 17 and the fluorescent tube 17a attached as described above. The horizontal light reflecting plate 18 has a width in the rack depth direction that is substantially the same as a width in the depth direction of the rack 10 (interval between the outer surfaces of the pair of front and rear support members 12). 10 is substantially the same as the interval between the inner side surfaces of the pair of left and right support members 12 in the frontage direction, and is attached to the main body 17b of each lighting fixture 17 with the light reflecting surface facing down. Further, a front side light reflecting plate 19, a back side light reflecting plate 20, and left and right side light reflecting plates 21, 22 that hang vertically are provided on both the front and rear sides and the left and right sides of the horizontal light reflector 18. The plant cultivation space on the upper side of the container 1 that is connected in a direction in which the surfaces face each other and supported by each shelf 11, that is, the upper half of the plant cultivation space that is higher than the height of the cultivation plant at the time of harvesting, The light reflecting plates 18 to 22 have a structure in which only the lower side is opened and the entire inner surface is covered with a surrounding means 23 that is a light reflecting surface. Therefore, the fluorescent tubes 17a of all the lighting fixtures 17 are arranged directly below the horizontal light reflecting plate 18 inside the enclosure means 23.

  Of the light reflectors constituting the enclosure means 23, at least the front light reflector 19 for taking in and out the soil cultivation container 1 is hinged or a cloth instead of the front side of the upper horizontal light reflector 18. It is attached so as to be able to swing up and down through a connecting member (such as a gummed tape). In addition, a blower fan 24 is disposed at one end of the space surrounded by the enclosure means 23 in the rack front-end direction, for example, inside the light reflection plate 21, and the light reflection plate 22 on the opposite side includes the portion shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, a required number of horizontally elongated slit-like air circulation ports 25 each having a flap 25a extending obliquely downward inward from the upper side are provided. The flap 25a may be extended obliquely downward to the outside, or the flap 25a may be omitted, contrary to the illustration. Further, when the flap 25a is extended obliquely downward inward as shown in the drawing, the amount of light reflected to the inner side of the light reflecting plate 22 due to the presence of the air circulation port 25 is larger than in the case of extending obliquely downward outward. Decrease can be suppressed.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the rack 10 is provided with an independent water supply means 26 for each shelf 11. Each water supply means 26 includes a water supply pipe 27 installed horizontally below the horizontal light reflecting plate 18 of the surrounding means 23 provided above the shelf 11 of each stage and in the vicinity of the front side, A branch pipe 28 that branches downward at a right angle from a position corresponding to each soil cultivation container 1, a stop cock 29 connected to the branch pipe 28, one end is detachably connected to each stop cock 29 and others The flow rate is adjusted to one end of the water supply pipe 27 and the flexible pipe 30 detachably connected to the water receiving end 3 a of the irrigation pipe 3 in each soil cultivation container 1 whose end is located below the stop cock 29. It consists of a water supply tank 32 connected via a valve 31. The other end of the water supply pipe 27 is closed by a cap 33.

  The water supply tank 32 is attached to the outside of the rack 10 in the front end direction at a position higher than the water supply pipe 27. However, the water supply tank 32 may be configured to be disconnected from the water supply pipe 27 when water is replenished. Open for use (a lid may be provided if necessary) so that when the water level in the water supply tank 32 falls below a certain level, water can be refilled manually by a hose connected to the water supply. Can be configured. Of course, in the case of a large-scale facility in which a large number of racks 10 having the above-described configuration are installed, a water level detection sensor is attached to each water supply tank 32 and a water supply pipe connected to the water supply for each water supply tank 32. Is connected via an automatic opening / closing valve, and when the water level detection sensor detects that the water level in the water supply tank 32 has fallen below the lower limit level, the water supply pipe connected to the water supply tank 32 is automatically opened and closed. All the water tanks are configured to close the automatic opening / closing valve when the valve is opened and the water level detection sensor detects that the water level in the water tank 32 has reached the upper limit level as a result of water supply. It is also possible to configure so that water supply to 32 is performed fully automatically.

  Next, a method of using the soil cultivation apparatus configured as described above will be described. The soil cultivation container 1 that has been completed by planting the seedlings 6 of the cultivation plant in the manner described above is used for each stage of the rack 10. A predetermined number is placed in parallel on the shelf 11 so that the long side direction of the container body is parallel to the rack depth direction. At this time, the front-side light reflecting plate 19 of the surrounding means 23 is opened to the upper front. A means for holding the front side light reflecting plate 19 in an open state, for example, a tip hook portion of a hanging tool such as a chain or a string is provided in a locked hole provided near the lower side of the front side light reflecting plate 19. It is desirable to use simple holding means that can be engaged together.

  On the other hand, the stop cocks 29 of the water supply means 26 provided on each shelf 11 of the rack 10 are closed, and the water supply tank 32 is replenished with a required amount of water. In this state, the flexible pipe that hangs down from the water supply pipe 27 of the water supply means 26 provided in the shelf 11 on which the soil cultivation container 1 is placed at the water receiving end 3a of the irrigation pipe 3 in each soil cultivation container 1 Connect the tip of 30 and open the stop cock 29. As a result, water is automatically supplied from the water supply tank 32 to the irrigation pipe 3 in the soil cultivation container 1, and the irrigation pipe is generated by the position head energy of the amount of water in the water supply path from the water supply tank 32 to the irrigation pipe 3. As described above, water spreads from the periphery of the irrigation pipe 3 to the whole plant cultivation soil layer 4 by capillary action or the like. The whole can be maintained in a moist state with the required humidity.

  At this time, the surface of the plant cultivation soil layer 4 is covered with the light reflecting sheet 5 except for the periphery of the roots of the seedlings 6, so that the moisture transpiration from the surface of the plant cultivation soil layer 4 is extremely small. Therefore, the irrigation pipe 3 is used so that the humidity of the plant cultivation soil layer 4 gradually increases with time, moisture does not stay at the bottom of the plant cultivation soil layer 4, and the retention amount of the moisture does not gradually increase. The amount of water exudation per unit time from the water supply tank 32 can be set by the flow rate adjustment valve 31 on the side of the water supply tank 32. Basically, the amount of water in the water supply channel from the irrigation pipe 3 depends on the position head energy. Since the amount of moisture exudation per unit time is determined, by setting the position head energy in advance according to the capacity of the water supply tank 32 and the height relative to the water supply pipe 27, the plant cultivation soil layer 4 becomes excessively humid as described above. Can be prevented.

  While operating the water supply means 26 as mentioned above, it supplies with electricity to the lighting fixture 17 with which each shelf 11 is equipped, and the fluorescent tube 17a is lighted. As a result, the cultivated plant space on the lower side of the enclosing means 23 is not only from the direct light from the fluorescent tube 17a but also from the light reflecting surface (the light reflecting surfaces of the light reflecting plates 18 to 22) on the entire inner surface of the enclosing means 23. Illuminated by the reflected light beam and the reflected light beam in the sky on the light reflecting sheet 5 covering the soil layer 4 for plant cultivation. That is, the entire periphery of the cultivated plant seedling 6 including the leaf back side of the cultivated plant seedling 6 can be illuminated with a necessary illuminance.

  In the inner space of the enclosure means 23, the inner space is open only on the lower side, and a large number of fluorescent tubes 17a in the vicinity of the ceiling of the inner space are turned on. Temperature rise is considered. However, by energizing the blower fan 24 and blowing it with a very weak wind force from the end of the rack opening direction (longitudinal direction) inside the enclosure means 23 slightly obliquely upward, it is opposite to the blower fan 24. In connection with the presence of the air circulation port 25, a very weak air flow in the longitudinal direction can be generated in the inner space of the enclosure means 23, and this air flow causes air to flow between the inner space and the outside of the enclosure means 23. Can be generated. As a result, it is possible to prevent high temperature air from staying in the inner space of the enclosure means 23 and adversely affect the seedling 6 of the lower cultivated plant, and the atmosphere around the cultivated plant seedling 6 is maintained. It is possible to prevent the stationary. Of course, since the periphery of the seedling 6 of the cultivated plant between the enclosure means 23 and the soil cultivation container 1 is open, the atmosphere adjusted by the air conditioner in the plant cultivation room where the rack 10 is installed is Since air flows into the plant cultivation space on the upper side of the soil cultivation container 1 due to the influence of the air flow generated in the inner space of the enclosure means 23, the air around the seedling 6 of the cultivation plant also remains stationary. There is no.

  As described above, the interior of the plant cultivation soil layer 4 is always kept in a moist state at an appropriate humidity according to the properties of the soil constituting the plant cultivation soil layer 4 and the type and degree of growth of the cultivated plant. Set the lighting time and illuminance per day, and also set the energizing time and wind power per day of the blower fan 24, and planted in the soil layer 4 for plant cultivation of each soil cultivation container 1 By growing the plant seedling 6, it is possible to grow the seedling 6 of the cultivated plant well during the required period and reach the harvest season.

  When harvesting a cultivated plant, the stop cock 29 of the water supply means 26 connected to the irrigation pipe 3 of the container 1 for soil cultivation is targeted, and the flexible pipe 30 is received by the irrigation pipe 3. The soil-cultivating container 1 to be harvested is pulled out from the top of the shelf 11 with the front light reflector 19 of the enclosure means 23 lifted up and opened from the water end 3a. Since the guide roller 15 is slightly high, it is transferred onto the guide roller 15 so as to lift the front side of the soil cultivation container 1 to be pulled out. By pulling out the soil cultivation container 1 in this state, the soil cultivation container 1 to be harvested can be taken out from the shelf 11 lightly and smoothly using the rolling of the guide roller 15. Further, among the beam members 14 constituting the shelf 11, the beam member 14 on the front side recedes from the front side of the horizontal light reflecting plate 18 of the enclosure means 23 included in the shelf 11 immediately below, but this enclosure means. The guide roller 15 is disposed directly above the front side of the horizontal light reflector 18 of the horizontal light reflecting plate 18, and the soil cultivation container 1 to be taken in and out of the shelf 11 includes the enclosure means 23 provided in the shelf 11 directly below. The guide roller 15 can prevent the horizontal light reflector 18 from colliding with the front side.

  In the above embodiment, since the water stop cock 29 is provided in the branch pipe 28 branched from the water supply pipe 27, the flexible pipe 30 is used for irrigation even when the water stop cock 29 is switched to the water stop state. When the pipe 3 is removed from the water receiving end 3a, the water in the flexible pipe 30 flows out. The same is true even if the flexible pipe 30 is removed from the stop cock 29 side. Therefore, on the premise that the flexible pipe 30 is removed from the water receiving end 3 a of the irrigation pipe 3, a stop cock 29 is provided at the tip of the flexible pipe 30 connected to the water receiving end 3 a of the irrigation pipe 3. It is desirable to have it. The stop cock 29 may be of a type that is manually operated to stop water. However, when the stop cock 29 is provided at the tip of the branch pipe 28 and when the stop cock 29 is provided at the tip of the flexible pipe 30. In any case, as a means for detachably connecting the water stop cock 29 and the flexible pipe 30 or the flexible pipe 30 and the water receiving end 3a of the irrigation pipe 3, one of the one-touch couplers for connecting the water distribution hose (plug) Or a socket), which uses a one-touch coupler with a built-in water stop valve that has a built-in water shut-off valve that automatically shuts off when the one-touch coupler is removed. It is most desirable to connect the branch pipe 28 and the flexible pipe 30 or connect the flexible pipe 30 and the water receiving end 3a of the irrigation pipe 3 with the built-in water stop valve on the flexible pipe 30 side. It is an embodiment.

  The container for soil cultivation according to the present invention or the soil cultivation apparatus is a means for cultivating a plant, particularly a relatively small leafy vegetable in a short cycle in a relatively large plant factory indoors, not in an open field. Can be used effectively as

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Container for soil cultivation 2 Container body 3 Pipe for irrigation 3a Receiving end 4 Soil layer for plant cultivation 5 Light reflection sheet 6 Seedling (cultivated plant)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Rack 11 Shelf 12 Supporting member 13 Shelf receptacle 14 Beam material 15 Guide roller 16 Stopper for container fall prevention 17 Lighting fixture 17a Fluorescent tube 18-22 Light reflector 23 Enclosure means 24 Fan for ventilation 25 Air distribution port 26 Water supply means 27 Water supply Pipe 28 Branch pipe 29 Stop cock 30 Flexible pipe 31 Flow control valve 32 Water supply tank

Claims (7)

  An irrigation pipe is placed on the inner bottom surface of the container main body that is open on the upper side and does not have a drain outlet at the bottom, and a soil layer for plant cultivation is formed by filling the irrigation pipe with soil for irrigation. The water receiving end of the pipe is led to the upper outside of the soil layer for plant cultivation, and on the soil layer for plant cultivation, a light reflecting sheet covering the surface of the soil layer for plant cultivation around the cultivated plant has a reflective surface. A container for soil cultivation that is laid upward.   The container for soil cultivation according to claim 1, wherein the irrigation pipe is composed of a water-permeable flexible pipe from which water oozes out from the entire pipe surface, and the end opposite to the water receiving end is closed. .   The soil cultivating container according to claim 2, wherein one irrigation pipe is used for one container, and the irrigation pipe is annularly laid on the inner bottom surface of the container body.   The container body has a rectangular planar shape, and the light reflecting sheet is a strip-like body having a length parallel to the short side direction of the container body and close to the short side length. A plurality of sheets, arranged in parallel at appropriate intervals in the long side direction of the container main body, and plants are planted in a soil layer for plant cultivation exposed between the respective light reflecting sheets. Container for soil cultivation as described.   It is a soil cultivation apparatus using a container for soil cultivation and a rack according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a plurality of the containers are supported in parallel in the frontage direction on the rack shelf. A lighting fixture that illuminates the lower parallel container and a water supply pipe parallel to the frontage direction are attached above the shelf, and the water supply pipe receives the irrigation pipes of the lower containers. A soil cultivation apparatus in which a flexible pipe connected to the water end is branched and connected.   The soil according to claim 5, wherein the water supply pipe is provided with a branch pipe with a stop cock corresponding to each container, and the flexible pipe is detachably connected to the branch pipe with the stop cock. Container for cultivation.   The soil culture apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, wherein a water supply tank is connected to the water supply pipe, and water is supplied from the water supply tank to an irrigation pipe of each container by gravity.

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