JP2014033622A - Plant cultivation device and plant cultivation method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a plant cultivation device and plant cultivation method capable of realizing reduction of the amount of electricity usage, uniformizing the quality of target plant, and having excellent yield efficiency.SOLUTION: A plant cultivation device 1 comprises multi-level hydroponic cultivation facility 3 constructed by vertically piling 2 or more cultivation panels 4 in a cultivation facility 2 capable of taking sunlight thereinto. Onto the cultivation panels 4 other than the highest level panel in the facility 3, the sunlight is partially radiated. Furthermore, an illumination device 7 is arranged at the lower part of each level other than the lowest level in the facility 3. On the highest cultivation panel 4 in the facility 3, hydroponic cultivation of a target plant 10 is carried out by virtue of irradiation of sunlight. On each of the cultivation panels 4 other than the highest level panel in the facility 3, hydroponic cultivation of the target plant 10 is carried out by virtue of irradiation of sunlight and artificial light provided by the illumination device 7.

Description

  The present invention relates to a plant cultivation apparatus and a cultivation method, and more particularly to a plant cultivation apparatus and a plant cultivation method for performing hydroponics while utilizing sunlight in a cultivation facility such as a greenhouse house.

  Conventional vegetable cultivation has been mainly outdoor cultivation under sunlight. However, outdoor cultivation was susceptible to the effects of long rains, heavy rains, heavy snowfalls, droughts, typhoons, and the yield was unstable. As a countermeasure, there is an example in which vegetables are cultivated in a cultivation facility such as a greenhouse.

  On the other hand, for leafy vegetables such as lettuce (leafy vegetables), hydroponics using a nutrient solution containing nutrients without using soil is becoming widespread. Hydroponics is one of the reasons why the cultivation period is shorter than that of soil cultivation. Hydroponics is not completely outdoors like outdoor cultivation, and is not always in contact with the outside air, such as inside a greenhouse or indoors, so room temperature and humidity can be adjusted without depending on the weather, and diseases, pests, etc. There is an advantage that it is difficult to occur.

  As hydroponics, there are mainly solar type and closed type. In the solar-powered type, hydroponic cultivation facilities are arranged in a transparent greenhouse, and the growth of plants is promoted by photosynthesis using only sunlight. On the other hand, in the closed type, a hydroponic cultivation apparatus is arranged in an indoor closed space, and the plant uses only artificial light such as a white fluorescent lamp, a cold cathode fluorescent lamp, a high pressure sodium lamp, a metal halide lamp, and a light emitting diode (LED). Is promoting the growth of

  For example, as a closed-type hydroponic cultivation device, an optical semiconductor element such as an LED is used as a light source, heat is exchanged between the optical semiconductor element and the nutrient solution circulated and supplied to the nutrient solution storage tank, and the element generates heat. There is known an apparatus that effectively utilizes the above (see Patent Document 1). This apparatus is also applicable to a configuration in which a plurality of cultivation units are stacked in the vertical direction.

  In addition, some composite types using both sunlight and artificial light in hydroponics have been proposed. For example, the cultivation space for cultivating plants is installed in multiple stages in the vertical direction, and the top cultivation space is used for plant cultivation using sunlight and possibly artificial light. A cultivation apparatus that performs plant cultivation by irradiation is known (see Patent Document 2). In this device, the cultivation space of the upper stage by the sunlight and the lower stage by the artificial light is separated by a light-shielding curtain, and the entrance and exit of light is inhibited, so that the plant growth control can be independently performed at the upper stage and the lower stage.

JP 2007-159410 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-174521

  However, hydroponics in a general greenhouse house are mostly one-stage on the plane, and the space in the house cannot be effectively used. For this reason, the harvesting efficiency per facility size is inferior. If, for example, the number of stages is simply increased, the upper stage is sufficiently irradiated with sunlight, but the lower stage is difficult to receive sunlight, so the plant growth in the lower stage is significantly delayed or only thin plants can be cultivated. The quality of the product cannot be made uniform.

  Patent Document 1 proposes multistage hydroponics in the vertical direction in the closed type, but it should be solved such that the device is complicated, a large number of lighting devices are required, and the amount of electricity used is increased. Many challenges remain.

  On the other hand, Patent Document 2 proposes a combination type of sunlight and artificial light as an environmentally friendly cultivation means that reduces the amount of electricity used. However, in this method, only the upper stage is sunlight (partly using artificial light). ), All but the upper stage use artificial light, which is insufficient from the viewpoint of energy consumption, leaving room for improvement. Moreover, the fluorescent lamp is used for the artificial light of the lower stage, and when it breaks during cultivation, there exists a possibility that a fragment may fall on vegetables and mix, and a safety concern remains.

  The present invention has been made to address such problems, and provides a plant cultivation apparatus and a plant cultivation method that can equalize the quality of the target plant while reducing the amount of electricity used, and that are excellent in harvest efficiency. With the goal.

  The plant cultivation apparatus according to the present invention is a plant cultivation apparatus in which hydroponic cultivation equipment is installed in a cultivation facility capable of capturing sunlight, and the hydroponic cultivation equipment has two or more cultivation panels in the vertical direction. Is a multi-stage hydroponic cultivation facility constructed in a layered manner, and has a structure in which sunlight partially enters the cultivation panel other than the uppermost stage of the equipment, and at the lower part of each stage other than the lowermost stage of the equipment A lighting device is installed, and the uppermost cultivation panel of the multi-stage hydroponic cultivation equipment is irradiated with sunlight to hydroponically cultivate the target plant, and each stage other than the uppermost stage of the equipment The cultivation panel is characterized in that the target plant is hydroponically cultivated by being irradiated with sunlight and artificial light from the lighting device.

  A plurality of the multistage hydroponic cultivation facilities are installed in parallel at intervals, and the interval is 50 cm or more, and 1/3 to 1 with respect to one width of the multistage hydroponic cultivation equipment It is characterized by being. Moreover, in order to utilize light effectively, you may install a light reflection material in the cultivation panel surface of the said multistage hydroponic cultivation equipment, and each stage lower part surface other than the lowest stage.

The lighting device is an LED lighting device and measured in the absence of sunlight, the photosynthetic photon flux density at the top of the target plant being cultivated on the cultivation panel at each stage other than the top (Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density: PPFD) is 100 to 300 μmolm ⁻² s ⁻¹ . In particular, the LED illumination device is a device having red and blue light emitting elements.

  The cultivation panel at each stage of the multistage hydroponic cultivation facility is divided into a plurality of areas according to the degree of growth of the target plant. Moreover, the said illuminating device can adjust the height with respect to a target plant for every said area.

  The target plant is a leafy vegetable.

  The plant cultivation method of the present invention is configured by stacking cultivation panels in two or more stages in the vertical direction in a cultivation facility capable of capturing sunlight, and a structure in which sunlight partially enters the cultivation panels other than the uppermost stage. A multi-stage hydroponics plant installation method for cultivating plants, wherein the uppermost cultivation panel of the multi-stage hydroponic culture equipment performs hydroponics of the target plant with sunlight, and the equipment In the cultivation panel of each stage other than the uppermost stage, the target plant is hydroponically cultivated by the combined use of sunlight and artificial light.

Further, in this method, the artificial light is irradiated by an LED lighting device provided at the lower part of each stage other than the lowermost stage of the multistage hydroponic cultivation equipment, and measured in the absence of sunlight, each other than the uppermost stage. The PPFD in the uppermost part of the target plant being cultivated on the terraced cultivation panel is 100 to 300 μmolm ⁻² s ⁻¹ .

  The plant cultivation apparatus according to the present invention has hydroponic cultivation equipment installed in a cultivation facility capable of taking in sunlight, and the hydroponic cultivation equipment is constituted by overlapping two or more cultivation panels in the vertical direction. It is a multi-stage hydroponic equipment, a structure where sunlight partially enters the cultivation panel other than the uppermost stage of the equipment, and a lighting device is installed at the lower part of each stage other than the lowermost stage of the equipment In addition, the uppermost cultivation panel of the equipment is irradiated with sunlight to hydroponically cultivate the target plant, and the cultivation panels at each stage other than the uppermost stage of the equipment are subjected to sunlight and a lighting device. Since the target plant is hydroponically cultivated by irradiating with artificial light, “multi-stage hydroponics” of target plants such as leafy vegetables is performed in the “combination type of sunlight and artificial light”, one-stage type Yields more than the solar-only type and uses more electricity than the multistage closed type. It can reduce the amount of use. At the same time, it can be cultivated at a high quality in the stages other than the uppermost stage, and the quality of the target plant can be made uniform.

  Since the multistage hydroponic cultivation equipment is installed in parallel at intervals, the intervals are 50 cm or more, and 1/3 to 1 with respect to one width of the equipment. In addition, it is easy for sunlight to enter the lower stage, reducing the amount of electricity used in the lower lighting equipment. Moreover, a light-reflecting material is installed in the cultivation panel surface of the said installation, and each stage lower surface other than the lowest stage, and sunlight can be used effectively in a lower stage.

The lighting device is an LED lighting device, and the PPFD at the uppermost part of the target plant being grown on the cultivation panel at each stage other than the uppermost stage, measured in the absence of sunlight, is 100 to 300 μmol ⁻² s ⁻¹ . As a result, sufficient growth of the target plant becomes possible in combination with sunlight to be inserted while suppressing the amount of electricity used. Moreover, since the said LED illumination apparatus is an apparatus which has a red and blue light emitting element, promotion of photosynthesis can be aimed at.

  The cultivation panel of each stage of the multistage hydroponics facility is divided into a plurality of areas according to the growth degree of the target plant, and the lighting device can adjust the height relative to the target plant for each area. Therefore, the light can be effectively used according to the growth stage.

1 is an overall schematic diagram of a plant cultivation apparatus according to the present invention. It is the figure which looked at multistage hydroponics equipment from the side. It is a lettuce photograph in the stage of 15th, 25th, and 40th after sowing in a greenhouse house test. It is a lettuce photograph at the stage of 40 days after sowing in a completely closed test.

  An example of the plant cultivation apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is an overall schematic diagram (front view) of a plant cultivation apparatus, and FIG. 2 is a diagram of hydroponics equipment viewed from the side. As shown in FIG. 1, the plant cultivation apparatus 1 includes a multistage hydroponic cultivation facility 3 configured by overlapping two or more cultivation panels 4 in the vertical direction inside a cultivation facility 2 capable of capturing sunlight. Installed. The cultivation facility 2 may be any facility that is partly composed of a resin film, glass, and the like and sufficiently transmits sunlight, and that can prevent rain and wind from entering, and the environment in the facility can be adjusted. Known greenhouses made of plastic or glass can be used. The plant cultivation apparatus according to the present invention is not an indoor completely closed type, but an apparatus that performs multistage hydroponics using sunlight and artificial light effectively in the greenhouse house or the like.

  In the cultivation facility 2 in this embodiment, various sensors capable of measuring the amount of sunlight, temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide amount, and PPFD are arranged in the facility, and the side and skylights are opened and closed so that the environment is suitable for cultivation. The air conditioner on / off is automated. Although not shown in the drawings, a light-shielding curtain that can control the amount of solar radiation, a heat-insulating curtain that can keep the inside of the greenhouse in a low temperature period, and a work passage that is arranged on the ground below each facility 3 to adjust humidity in the greenhouse. It has irrigation pipes with a timer to keep them running. Further, a material 8 having a moisturizing function such as soil capable of adjusting humidity and rock wool is disposed directly under each facility 3. Furthermore, when working at a high place such as replanting to the upper stage, an operator uses a step table, etc., but the work passage 9 is made of a hard material such as concrete so that the step table does not become unstable. Yes.

  In this embodiment, the multistage hydroponic cultivation equipment 3 is configured by stacking the cultivation panels 4 in two stages in the vertical direction. Each stage is spaced apart so as to secure a cultivation space. The cultivation panel 4 has a structure that is fitted into a step body 5 having a nutrient solution tank therein, is formed of a lightweight member such as polystyrene foam, and has a structure in which a plurality of holes for holding the target plant 10 are formed. Yes. The cultivation lane of each stage composed of the cultivation panel 4 and the stage main body part 5 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is placed on a rack 6 made of aluminum or the like composed of a plurality of support columns 6a and support parts 6b. Moreover, although illustration is abbreviate | omitted, in order to air easily in the cultivation space of each step (especially lower step), the circulation fan for ventilation for ventilating the air between the cultivation lanes of each step is installed.

  The plant to be cultivated by the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it can be hydroponically cultivated, and examples thereof include leafy vegetables such as arugula, large leaves, watercress, parsley and lettuce. Examples of the lettuce include head lettuce, leaf lettuce, Batavia lettuce, standing lettuce, cutting lettuce, and stem lettuce.

  As a hydroponics method of the multistage hydroponics equipment, any method of thin film hydroponics (NFT method) and submerged hydroponics (DFT method) can be adopted. Regardless of which method is used, the nutrient solution in which the nutrient solution temperature and nutrient solution composition are circulated in the nutrient solution tank inside the step body 5, and the target plant's rhizomes exposed from the bottom of the cultivation panel 4 Root growth conditions are adjusted. In the NFT system, rhizomes and roots are located in the air and nutrient solution, nutrients are taken from the nutrient solution, and oxygen is taken from the air. In the DFT method, the rhizome and root are located in the nutrient solution, and nutrients and oxygen are taken from the nutrient solution. As nutrient solution, depending on the type of target plant, nitrogen component such as oxygen, ammonia nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen, phosphorus component such as phosphoric acid, sulfur component, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, manganese, boron, etc. Are used as appropriate.

  In the multistage hydroponics facility 3 in this embodiment, the DFT type is adopted in all the cultivation lanes. The nutrient solution management is performed using a device that can automatically control the nutrient solution temperature, nutrient solution composition, EC value, dissolved oxygen amount, pH, and the like in an environment suitable for cultivation.

  The multistage hydroponic cultivation facility in the present invention has a structure in which sunlight partially enters the cultivation panel other than the uppermost stage. In the form shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a light shielding object such as a light shielding curtain is not disposed on both side surfaces of the cultivation panel 4 of the lower cultivation lane, and is in an open state. Thereby, a part of sunlight enters between the upper cultivation lanes and is also irradiated onto the lower cultivation panel 4. In addition, by reducing the area of the upper cultivation lane, shifting the position of the upper and lower cultivation lanes, forming the rack columns with transparent members, using light transmission means such as optical fibers, etc. It is easy to get in on the cultivation panel other than the upper stage. The more sunlight is used, the lower the amount of electricity used by the lower lighting equipment.

  A plurality of multistage hydroponic cultivation facilities 3 are installed in parallel at a predetermined interval D (three in FIG. 1). This distance D is preferably set to (1) 50 cm or more, and (2) 1/3 to 1 for one width W of the equipment. (2) is more preferably 1/2 to 2/3 with respect to the width W. If it is the form shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the width W of the multistage hydroponic cultivation equipment 3 is substantially the same as the width of a cultivation lane (cultivation panel 4 + stage main-body part 5). Further, the interval D is the interval of the work passage 9. By setting it as such a range, it is excellent in the workability | operativity of the operator who moves between facilities and performs cultivation work, and can fully ensure the light quantity inserted on the lower cultivation panel from between upper cultivation lanes. As a more preferable range, the width W of the multistage hydroponic cultivation equipment is about 120 cm, and the interval D in this case is 60 cm to 80 cm.

  The height H from the work passage 9 to the uppermost cultivation panel 4 can be set to any height as long as it does not significantly impede workability and the entry of sunlight into the lower stage. For example, it is preferably about 60 cm to 140 cm. According to this height, the number of stages of the multistage hydroponic cultivation equipment 3 can be determined. Moreover, instead of making the entire surface of the cultivation lane multi-stage, one stage may be left on one side of the end in consideration of workability. In particular, since it is preferable to grow completely with sunlight at the stage of seedlings such as leafy vegetables, it is possible to adopt a procedure such as growing in this one-stage part and then transplanting to a multi-stage part (including the lower part).

  Moreover, you may install a light-reflecting material in the cultivation panel surface of the multistage hydroponic cultivation equipment 3, and each stage lower part surface other than the lowest stage. The lower surface of each step is the lower surface of the support portion 6b of the rack 6 that supports each step. By installing a light reflector, it is possible to effectively use the sunlight that is inserted from the side of the cultivation lane, and the reflected sunlight and artificial light come from the back and sides of the leaves, which promotes photosynthesis. it can.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the cultivation panel 4 at each stage of the multistage hydroponic cultivation facility 3 is divided into a plurality of areas according to the degree of growth of the target plant (for example, cultivation stages A to D). Depending on the cultivation stage, the cultivation density of the target plant (adjusted by the number of holes in the cultivation panel) and the amount of light can be adjusted.

  The illuminating device 7 is installed in each stage lower part other than the lowest stage of the multistage hydroponic cultivation equipment 3. As the illuminating device 7, it is preferable to employ an LED illuminating device because of low power consumption and excellent safety. What is necessary is just to select the color of LED suitable for an object plant. Plants have chlorophyll (chlorophyll) in their cells, and the absorption spectrum of this chlorophyll has sharp absorption bands at 400 to 500 nm and 600 to 700 nm. Therefore, in order to promote photosynthesis, a mixed color LED including red (wavelength: 650 to 700 nm) and blue (wavelength: 430 to 440 nm) is preferable. Specifically, it is preferable to use an LED lighting device in which a plurality of red and blue light emitting elements are arranged. Moreover, since it will be used in places with a lot of moisture, the one having a waterproof function is preferable.

The LED lighting device 7 is preferably set so that the PPFD at the top of the target plant being grown on the cultivation panel 4 is 100 to 300 μmol ⁻² s ⁻¹ as measured in the absence of sunlight. Here, the uppermost part of the target plant is the uppermost part of the largest plant when the growth of the plant under the lighting device varies. Since the LED illuminating device significantly decreases the PPFD when the irradiation distance is increased, the light quantity, the distance, and the like are appropriately set so that the PPFD at the actual leaf portion (uppermost portion) of the target plant falls within this range.

If the PPFD is less than 100 μmol ⁻² s ⁻¹ , sufficient growth may not be possible or growth may vary. On the other hand, even if it exceeds 300 μmol ⁻² s ⁻¹ , the growth almost reaches its peak and the amount of electricity used increases. On cultivation panels other than the uppermost stage, by performing irradiation with an LED lighting device under conditions that satisfy the PPFD range, in addition to sunlight to be inserted, in target plants such as leafy vegetables, the number of leaves, leaf area, Sufficient growth is possible in terms of specific leaf area and overall shape.

  As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the LED lighting device 7 of this embodiment is configured by arranging a plurality of long LED tubes along the length of the cultivation lane in the width direction of the cultivation lane. . Further, in the longitudinal direction, it is appropriately provided according to the length of the cultivation lane and the cultivation stage range. In the LED tube, the LED light emitting elements are arranged in a straight line.

  In this embodiment, the LED tube can be controlled to be turned on / off individually, in units of cultivation lanes, and in units of cultivation stages, and also has a timer function. Thereby, control of PPFD in every cultivation stage etc. is attained. Further, when the growth of the lower plant is delayed, the degree of growth can be adjusted by irradiating the LED illumination device for a predetermined time with a timer at night. In addition, in order to reduce the burden on the operator's eyes, an extinguishing button is arranged on the end face of the facility within the reach of the operator so that it can be turned off collectively for each cultivation stage and each cultivation lane.

  The multi-stage hydroponic cultivation equipment 3 of this embodiment has a structure in which there is almost no cut in the longitudinal direction except for the end, and sunlight enters only from both sides in the width direction. For this reason, on the cultivation panel 4, the light quantity difference of the sunlight which enters easily becomes large in the width direction. This light quantity difference can be corrected by installing a plurality of LED illumination devices 7 in parallel in the width direction and independently controlling the lighting of each. Moreover, this light quantity difference can also be eliminated by increasing the number of LED tubes installed at the end in the width direction and increasing at the center in the width direction.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the LED illumination device 7 can adjust the height for each area of the cultivation stage (A to D). As described above, the LED illuminating device 7 significantly decreases PPFD as the irradiation distance from the target plant increases. Therefore, at the initial stage of cultivation (cultivation stage A, etc.) It is preferable to reduce the distance between the upper part and the LED lighting device 7. In addition, when the target plant grows in the late stage of cultivation (cultivation stage D or the like), the shape of the target plant is taken into consideration, and the distance between the uppermost part of the target plant and the LED lighting device 7 is increased so that the leaves and stems It is possible to irradiate a certain amount of light. Thus, considering not the distance between the cultivation panel and the LED lighting device, but the distance from the top of the target plant being cultivated with the cultivation panel, this distance becomes larger as the cultivation stage has a higher degree of growth. It is preferable to adjust to.

  The present invention is characterized by irradiating the cultivation panel other than the uppermost stage with the LED lighting device, but in the rainy season, the winter season, when the amount of solar radiation is small, the LED lighting device is also provided on the uppermost stage for supplementary light. Irradiation may be carried out by installing.

  The plant cultivation method of the present invention is a method using the plant cultivation apparatus described above. In other words, in a cultivation facility capable of taking in sunlight, it is configured by stacking cultivation panels in two or more stages in the vertical direction, and multistage hydroponic cultivation with a structure in which sunlight partially enters the cultivation panels other than the uppermost stage. It is a method of planting with the installation of equipment, and the uppermost cultivation panel of the multi-stage hydroponic cultivation equipment performs hydroponic cultivation of the target plant with sunlight, and the cultivation panel of each stage other than the uppermost stage of the equipment Is characterized by hydroponics cultivation of the target plant using both sunlight and artificial light.

  As described above, in the plant cultivation apparatus and the plant cultivation method of the present invention, multiple rows of hydroponic cultivation facilities arranged in a facility such as a greenhouse house are arranged in a plurality of rows at predetermined intervals. By using both sunlight and artificial light inserted between the uppermost cultivation lanes except for the uppermost stage, environmentally friendly hydroponic cultivation with reduced power consumption is possible.

  Using the plant cultivation apparatus of the present invention, lettuce was cultivated under the following conditions, and the growth state was observed.

[Greenhouse specifications]
-Tokai House Co., Ltd .: Steel-framed hard film house-Frontage 8m x Depth 18m x Height 5.3m (Front room: depth 3m, cultivation room: depth 15m)
・ Environmental control drive: skylights, side curtains, blackout curtains, thermal curtains ・ Control method: Measures temperature, solar radiation, rainfall, wind speed, etc. with various sensors and uses Tokai House complex control system (name: Marine System) Integrated control and automated opening and closing of each drive unit.
・ Concrete flooring was used except for hydroponics facilities.
-A watering tube for humidification was installed at the bottom of the hydroponic cultivation equipment. Watered / humidified as needed.

[Hydraulic cultivation equipment specifications]
・ M-type Hydroponic Research Institute: GFM Plant Product name “Emu”
-Three hydroponics lanes (upper / lower two stages) with a width of 1.2 m and a depth of 12 m were installed in the house.
・ Water temperature, pH, amount of dissolved oxygen, EC value, etc. were measured with various sensors and collectively controlled with a marine system.
-Water and nutrient solution components were automatically supplied according to the set values.
-The equipment interval was set to 60 cm to 80 cm, and the sunlight reached the lower stage.

[LED specifications]
・ Nabe Kiyosha: Red / Blue mixed LED Product name (DELED Slim): Total length 1200mm
・ Red LED λ = 625 nm × 216 + Blue LED λ = 450 nm × 72 combined type ・ Power consumption 28 W / book ・ Installed by attaching to an aluminum frame rack at the upper and lower part of hydroponics equipment.
-10 LED tubes were arranged in parallel with the cultivation lane with respect to the cultivation lane width of 1200 mm (interval: about 10 cm).
-10 pieces / unit, and 9 units were installed in each cultivation lane (90 pieces / lane × 3 = total 270 pieces used).
・ The optimum light intensity was controlled by the marine system.
・ The upper part is only sunlight, and the lower part is a combination of sunlight and artificial light.

[Control method]
・ The package was controlled by the marine system.

[Plant for cultivation, cultivation procedure, and cultivation conditions]
-Lettuce, which is a leafy vegetable (Batavia lettuce (non-headed) LE 2005, manufactured by Syngenda Japan) was used.
(1) The coated seeds were set on the urethane foam for raising seedlings and humidified.
(2) The mixture was allowed to germinate by being allowed to stand for about 3 days at room temperature (20 to 25 ° C.) and in a state where sunlight was blocked.
(3) After germination, the seedlings were allowed to stand for about one week in sunlight and were raised.
(4) It transplanted to the foaming cultivation panel for a transplant (600 mm x 900 mm, 120 holes / panel), and was cultivated for 2 to 3 weeks.
(5) Planted in a foaming cultivation panel for planting (600 mm × 900 mm, 16 holes / panel), harvested after cultivation for 2-3 weeks.
The height of the LED tube was set so that the PPFD at the top of the lettuce being grown on the lower cultivation panel was 100 to 300 μmolm ⁻² s ⁻¹ as measured in the absence of sunlight.
-The irradiation time by the LED tube was set as 7:00 to 19:00 (no irradiation at night).
・ Various setting conditions: nutrient solution temperature 18-23 ° C, EC value 1.0-2.0ds / m, DO value 4-8mg / L, room temperature 15-32 ° C (temperature control by opening / closing air conditioning equipment and various drive units) )
· CO ₂ was appropriately supplied.
・ A ventilation fan was installed in the lower center of the hydroponics facility to ventilate the lower stage.

  15 days and 25 days after sowing in the case of the upper stage (sunlight) and the lower stage (sunlight (for insertion) + LED) under the above conditions and the case of no lower LED (only sunlight (for insertion)) in the lower stage as a comparison FIG. 3 shows a lettuce photograph at the 40th day. As shown in FIG. 3, on the 40th day after sowing, in the case where there was an LED in the lower stage, almost the same growth as in the upper stage was observed. On the other hand, when there was no LED in the lower row, it seemed like a stubborn person.

  As another comparative example, a completely closed type test was performed on the same type of lettuce under the following conditions.

[Completely closed test]
-Tested in a room without a light source other than LEDs.
-Lettuce, which is a leafy vegetable (same as above), was used.
(1) The coated seeds were set on the urethane foam for raising seedlings and humidified.
(2) The mixture was allowed to germinate by being allowed to stand for about 3 days at room temperature (20 to 25 ° C.) and in a state where sunlight was blocked.
(3) After germination, the seedlings were allowed to stand for about one week in sunlight and were raised.
-PPFD at the top of lettuce being cultivated on the cultivation panel measured in a state where there is no other light source with each LED of white only, red only, blue only, and red / blue mixed, is 100 to 300 μmol ⁻² s ⁻ The height of the LED tube was set to be ¹ .
-The irradiation time by the LED tube was set as 7:00 to 19:00 (no irradiation at night).
・ Various setting conditions: nutrient solution temperature 25 ° C, EC value 1.0-2.0ds / m, DO value 4-8mg / L, room temperature 25 ° C (managed by air conditioning equipment)

  FIG. 4 shows a lettuce photograph at the stage of 40 days after sowing in the case of LED red only, blue only, white only, and red / blue mixed under the above conditions. As shown in FIG. 4, in any case, it could not grow into a desired shape. From the comparison between Fig. 4 and Fig. 3, it is used in combination with the intensity of LED irradiation that cannot be sufficiently grown in a sealed type, and the sunlight that is inserted into the lower tier, and that alone makes it sulky. By doing this, it can be seen that lettuce of very high quality (equivalent to that grown with sufficient sunlight) can be produced in terms of the number of leaves, leaf area, shape, and the like.

  The plant cultivation apparatus and the plant cultivation method of the present invention can homogenize the quality of the target plant while reducing the amount of electricity used, and are excellent in harvest efficiency. Therefore, various plants that can be hydroponically cultivated, especially lettuce, etc. It can be suitably used for cultivation of leafy vegetables.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Plant cultivation apparatus 2 Cultivation facility 3 Multistage hydroponic cultivation equipment 4 Cultivation panel 5 Stage main-body part 6 Rack 7 Illumination device (LED illumination device)
8 Moisturizing functional material 9 Work passage 10 Target plant

Claims (10)

A plant cultivation device in which hydroponic cultivation equipment is installed in a cultivation facility capable of capturing sunlight,
The hydroponic cultivation equipment is a multi-stage hydroponic cultivation equipment constructed by stacking cultivation panels in two or more stages in the vertical direction, and a structure in which sunlight partially enters the cultivation panel other than the uppermost stage of the equipment And a lighting device is installed at the lower part of each stage other than the lowest stage of the equipment,
The uppermost cultivation panel of the multi-stage hydroponic cultivation equipment is irradiated with sunlight to perform hydroponic cultivation of the target plant, and the cultivation panel of each stage other than the uppermost stage of the equipment has sunlight and The plant cultivation apparatus, wherein the target plant is hydroponically cultivated by irradiation with artificial light from the lighting device.   A plurality of the multistage hydroponic cultivation facilities are installed in parallel at intervals, the interval is 50 cm or more, and 1/3 to 1 with respect to one width of the multistage hydroponic cultivation equipment The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plant cultivation apparatus is provided. The said illuminating device is a LED illuminating device, and the photosynthesis effective photon flux density (PPFD) in the uppermost part of the object plant currently grown on the cultivation panel of each step | level other than the uppermost step measured in the state without sunlight is 100-. The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plant cultivation apparatus is 300 μmolm ⁻² s ⁻¹ .   4. The plant cultivation device according to claim 3, wherein the LED lighting device is a device having red and blue light emitting elements.   The cultivation panel of each step of the multi-stage hydroponic cultivation facility is divided into a plurality of areas according to the degree of growth of the target plant, according to any one of claims 1 to 4. Plant cultivation equipment.   6. The plant cultivation device according to claim 5, wherein the lighting device is capable of adjusting a height with respect to the target plant for each area.   The plant cultivation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the target plant is a leafy vegetable.   The plant according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a light reflecting material is installed on the cultivation panel surface of the multi-stage hydroponics facility and on the lower surface of each stage other than the lowest stage. Cultivation equipment. A multi-stage hydroponic cultivation facility with a structure in which the cultivation panels are stacked in two or more stages in the vertical direction in the cultivation facility capable of taking in sunlight, and the sunlight partially enters the cultivation panel other than the uppermost stage. A plant cultivation method for installing and cultivating plants,
The top cultivation panel of the multistage hydroponic cultivation equipment performs the hydroponics cultivation of the target plant with sunlight, and the cultivation panel of each stage other than the top stage of the equipment uses the combination of sunlight and artificial light for the target plant. The plant cultivation method characterized by performing hydroponics of. On the cultivation panel of each stage other than the uppermost stage, the artificial light is irradiated by an LED lighting device provided at the lower part of each stage other than the lowermost stage of the multistage hydroponic cultivation equipment, and measured in the absence of sunlight. 10. The plant cultivation method according to claim 9, wherein the photosynthetic effective photon flux density (PPFD) at the top of the target plant being cultivated is 100 to 300 [mu] molm ^<-2 > s ^{< -1} >.