JP2014217286A - Plant growth environment-adjusting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a growth environment-adjusting device which is capable of easily controlling environmental conditions of a temperature of culture medium or moisture, particularly root zone environment conditions, of plants, without a complex and expensive facility, and furthermore, assembly, disassembly, and for which maintenance are easy when using an assembly apparatus consisting of the plurality of the devices each as a unit.SOLUTION: There is provided a plant growth environment-adjusting device which includes: a pipe body having a pipeline which is surrounded by an outer pipe wall and an inner pipe wall both having a large number of through holes, while extending in an axial direction; and culture medium filled into the pipeline. The adjusting device supports the pipe body at a position of appropriate height above the ground surface horizontally or obliquely. A cross section of the pipeline is in an inverse U-shaped irregular cross section, the pipe body has a hollow path extending in the axial direction, which is formed by the inner pipe wall, and the hollow path has an opening at a bottom end of the pipe body along the pipe body.

Description

  The present invention relates to a plant growth environment control apparatus. Specifically, the present invention includes a tube body having a pipe line extending in the axial direction while being surrounded by an outer pipe wall and an inner pipe wall both having a large number of through holes, and a medium filled in the pipe line. The tube body is supported horizontally or inclined above the ground, and the cross section of the pipe line is an inverted U-shaped deformed section, and the tube body is an axis formed by the inner tube wall. A hollow path extending in a direction, and the hollow path relates to a plant growth environment adjusting device having an opening along the pipe body at a lower end of the pipe body.

  According to such a plant growth environment control apparatus, not only the root zone environment such as the temperature and moisture of the medium for the plant containing fungi but also the growth environment of the plant in the vicinity of the medium is utilized using the hollow path. It can be easily adjusted, and in addition, when used as a plant growth environment regulating assembly device in which the above-mentioned tube is used as a unit and a plurality of tubes are arranged in series, its assembly, disassembly and maintenance are easy. The present invention relates to a plant growth environment control apparatus.

  The present invention also relates to an elevated cultivation apparatus using such a plant growth environment adjusting apparatus.

  Conventionally, depending on the type of plant, various cultivation apparatuses having a function of adjusting the growth environment of the plant have been proposed in order to improve the yield and facilitate various agricultural operations (for example, Patent Document 1).

  However, in a conventional cultivation apparatus having a function of regulating the plant growth environment, that is, the plant growth environment regulation apparatus, the regulation of the environment such as the temperature and moisture in the root area of the plant including the fungi is extremely inefficient. In some cases, or in some cases inappropriate. For example, in order to heat (heat) the culture medium, for example, using a boiler facility, the whole greenhouse provided with the plant growth environment control device is heated, or warm air is sent around the plant growth environment control device. On the other hand, when the medium is cooled (cooled), cold water is passed through a metal heating medium tube embedded in the medium, or the vicinity of the plant on the medium is locally cooled by an air conditioner.

  Furthermore, according to the conventional plant growth environment control apparatus, the medium is usually filled in a box-shaped or bowl-shaped container, and the medium is efficient only because its outer surface is in contact with the outside air. Cannot be heated and cooled automatically. As described above, the conventional plant growth environment control apparatus is provided with a complicated and large-scale apparatus that requires a large amount of money for the control of the root region environment of the plant, but the control of the root region temperature is extremely non-existent. It is done efficiently and in some cases inappropriately.

  As described above, in the conventional plant growth environment control apparatus, the root zone environment of the plant planted in the culture medium is extremely inefficiently controlled. Even the dangers of inclusion.

  Therefore, a plant growth environment adjusting apparatus using a hollow tube as a medium container has also been proposed. For example, the bottom end surface of a short tube having a long tube inclined on an appropriate base and filled with a medium in each of a plurality of through holes formed on the upper surface side of the tube wall of the long tube. There has been proposed an apparatus in which a space is provided between the long pipe and the inner bottom wall surface of the long pipe, and the inner bottom wall surface of the long pipe is used as a culture solution channel by natural flow (see Patent Document 2). Such a plant growth environment control device improves the yield per unit as compared with the conventional cultivation device as described above, and even if the risk of root rot is somewhat reduced, The problem of environmental control, including the temperature of the area, is still left unresolved.

  On the other hand, as another problem related to the adjustment of the growth environment of plants, conventionally, various tall cultivation apparatuses have been proposed in order to reduce the burden on farm work. For example, strawberries are a crop with a low height, and therefore, during the cultivation, from the seedling collection to the harvest, the middle and lower back work postures that impose a heavy burden on the knees and waist are forced. Therefore, there is a strong demand for a cultivation method that enables workers to stand, and in recent years, various tall cultivation apparatuses have been proposed to meet such demands.

  For example, a conventional cultivating apparatus used for cultivation of strawberries, leafy vegetables, and the like is a bowl-shaped plastic container for filling a medium, that is, a cultivation tank and an appropriate height from the ground. It is comprised from the base structure for supporting it. As an example of such a cultivation apparatus, for example, both ends in the longitudinal direction of the cultivation tank are supported by a pair of mounts, each of the supports is further supported by a pair of support columns, and the cultivation tank is placed at an appropriate height from the ground. The cultivation apparatus made to support is mentioned (refer patent document 3).

  According to such a high-cultivation apparatus, it is possible to reduce the burden on farm work by allowing a farmer to stand up, but on the other hand, in order to support the cultivation tank at an appropriate height from the ground, It is necessary to build a pedestal structure on the ground for each cultivation tank. Therefore, in such an upright cultivation apparatus, combined with assembling the pedestal structure, the above-described adjustment of the root zone environment requires more complicated and expensive equipment.

  Then, instead of assembling a pedestal structure, several growth environment control devices have been proposed in which a culture tank filled with a culture medium is suspended from the ceiling of a greenhouse, for example (see Patent Documents 4 and 5). However, as in the case of the conventional cultivation apparatus, since the cultivation tank is made of a box-shaped container, the inefficiency of the adjustment of the medium temperature and the environmental condition of moisture has not been improved.

  As described above, the conventional plant growth environment control apparatus has various problems including the above-described tall cultivation apparatus, and therefore, various problems in such conventional plant growth environment control apparatus. In order to solve this problem, a double tube is composed of an inner tube and an outer tube both having a large number of through holes in the tube wall, and a medium is filled in the double tube of the double tube. The medium irrigation tube and the heating medium tube for heating and cooling the medium are provided in the hollow path formed by the inner tube, and the double pipe body is supported horizontally or inclined. A plant growth environment control device has been proposed (see Patent Document 6).

  Such a plant growth environment control device is practically a set in which a single device is used as a unit, a plurality of units are arranged in series, and the medium and the hollow path are held so as to extend in the axial direction. Used as a body device.

  Therefore, according to such an assembly apparatus, the irrigation tube or the heat transfer tube described above is provided in the continuous hollow path constituted by a plurality of units arranged in series, and the medium is provided inside. From the irrigation city, the medium can be heated and cooled from the inside.

  That is, for example, conventional growth in which the whole greenhouse is heated or the culture medium is heated by sending warm air around the cultivation tank, and the vicinity of the plant on the culture medium is locally cooled by an air conditioner. Compared with the method for adjusting the environment, the plant growth environment adjusting device described above can adjust the growth environment much more efficiently and at a lower cost.

  As described above, according to the above-described plant growth environment control apparatus, it is possible to solve the problems related to the control of the plant growth environment, and the medium can be heated and cooled efficiently and at a low cost. As described above, when assembling a collective device in which a plurality of units are arranged in series and the culture medium and the hollow path extend in the axial direction, the irrigation pipe and the heat transfer pipe are arranged along the hollow path extending in the above-described direction. It is difficult to assemble and assemble the assembly apparatus.

  Furthermore, according to the plant growth environment control apparatus described above, in order to maintain and manage the entire culture medium of the assembly apparatus in a desired state, the medium of any unit can be replaced, or any trouble in any unit. In order to replace the unit when it occurs, it is necessary to disassemble the assembly device into each unit, then replace the medium of the problem unit, or replace the problem unit with a new unit. Furthermore, after removing one unit from the assembly in this way, it is also cumbersome to assemble it into the assembly together with a plurality of other units. As a result, productivity as a cultivation device is lowered. It becomes a factor.

JP 58-165722 A JP 2001-69865 A JP 2003-18916 A JP 2000-14250 A JP 2004-275178 A JP 2010-130981 A

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned various problems in the conventional plant growth environment control apparatus, and without the complicated and expensive equipment, the environmental conditions of the temperature and moisture of the medium, in particular, the fungi. A plant growth environment control apparatus capable of easily adjusting the root zone environment of a plant including the above, and using the tube as a unit and arranging a plurality of tubes in series, the plant growth environment control assembly apparatus Even in such a case, an object of the present invention is to provide a plant growth environment adjusting device that can be easily assembled, disassembled and maintained.

  Furthermore, an object of this invention is to provide the tall cultivation apparatus using such a plant growth environment control apparatus.

  According to the present invention, a tube body having a pipe line extending in the axial direction while being surrounded by an outer pipe wall and an inner pipe wall both having a large number of through holes, and a culture medium filled in the pipe line, The pipe body is supported horizontally or inclined above the ground, and the cross section of the pipe line is an odd U-shaped cross section, and the pipe body is an axial direction formed by the inner pipe wall. A plant growth environment adjusting device is provided which has an opening along the tube at the lower end of the tube.

  In addition, the plant growth environment control apparatus according to the present invention is preferably a medium irrigation along the outer tube wall of the tubular body, or along the hollow passage in order to irrigate the medium. Means can usually have irrigation tubes.

  Furthermore, the plant growth environment control apparatus according to the present invention can preferably have heating / cooling means, for example, a heat transfer tube, for heating and cooling the medium along the hollow path.

  Furthermore, according to the present invention, there is provided an elevated cultivation apparatus in which the above-described plant growth environment adjusting device is suspended from a support skeleton by a suspension rope and supported horizontally or inclined above the ground. . Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a height-cultivating apparatus in which the above-described plant growth environment adjusting apparatus is supported by a supporting skeleton on the ground horizontally or inclined at an appropriate height.

  In the plant growth environment control apparatus according to the present invention, the pipe body has a pipe line extending in the axial direction while being surrounded by the outer pipe wall and the inner pipe wall both having a large number of through-holes. The surface is an inverted U-shaped cross section, and the inside of this pipe is filled with a medium, and this pipe, and thus the pipe, is horizontal above the ground and at an appropriate height. Or somewhat inclined. Accordingly, the tubular body has a hollow passage formed by the inner tubular wall, and this hollow passage extends in the axial direction and has an opening along the tubular body at the lower end of the tubular body.

  Therefore, in the plant growth environment control apparatus according to the present invention, not only can the medium irrigation means be provided along the outer tube wall of the tube body, but also the medium can be provided in the hollow path along the medium. Irrigation means can be provided, so that water can be supplied to the medium also from the inside of the medium, so that the above-ground part of the plant planted on the surface of the medium is wetted or the surface of the medium is excessively wetted. It is possible to efficiently supply water to the root area of the plant without any trouble.

  Moreover, in the plant growth environment control apparatus according to the present invention, by providing a medium heating / cooling means along the hollow passage, the medium can be heated and cooled (heating and cooling) from the inside of the medium. It is possible to efficiently adjust the temperature of the root zone of the potato.

  In particular, the plant growth environment control apparatus according to the present invention is used as a unit, that is, a tube body having a medium in a pipe line as a unit, a plurality of pipe bodies are arranged in series, and the medium and the hollow path are respectively connected in the axial direction. Therefore, it can be advantageously used as a plant growth environment regulating assembly device in which the opening at the lower end of the tube body extends in the axial direction. Such an assembly apparatus has the same advantages as the plant growth environment control apparatus described above, and is easy to assemble, disassemble, and maintain.

It is a fragmentary perspective view of the plant growth environment control apparatus by this invention. (A) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the plant growth environment control apparatus by this invention, (b) is sectional drawing in alignment with line AA in Fig. (A). 1 is a schematic view of a plant growth environment regulating assembly apparatus according to the present invention in which a plurality of tubes are arranged in series such that a tube having a culture medium and a hollow channel extend in the axial direction.

  Hereinafter, a plant growth environment control apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a plant growth environment control apparatus 1 according to the present invention includes a pipe having a pipe line 5 extending in the axial direction while being surrounded by an outer pipe wall 3 and an inner pipe wall 4 each having a large number of through holes 2. A body 6 and a culture medium 7 filled in the pipe line, and the pipe body is supported horizontally or inclined at an appropriate height above the ground, as shown in FIG. As shown in (b), the cross section of the pipe 5 is an odd U-shaped cross section, and the pipe body 6 has a hollow path 8 extending in the axial direction formed by the inner pipe wall 4. The hollow passage has an opening 9 along the tubular body at the lower end of the tubular body.

  In the plant growth environment control apparatus according to the present invention, it is usually preferable that the tube is supported horizontally at an appropriate height above the ground, but if necessary, it may be inclined and supported. Good. However, when tilting and supporting at an excessively large angle, the water content of the medium may be unevenly distributed in the axial direction of the medium filled in the tube, so even if tilted, the angle is Usually, it is preferably 10 degrees or less with respect to the horizontal direction.

  Although not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, as an example, a suspension cable is attached to an appropriate support skeleton, and the appropriate support 10 is suspended above the ground at an appropriate height by the suspension cable. The tube body is lowered and straddled across the support body, and the tube body is supported horizontally at an appropriate height above the ground. The method for supporting the tube will be described in detail later.

  In the plant growth environment control apparatus according to the present invention, as described above, the pipe body composed of the inner and outer wall walls is supported along with itself in the pipe line when supported horizontally or inclined above the ground. Any material can be used as long as the medium can be maintained, but it is preferably made of plastic, wood, metal or the like. The tube may be made of, for example, a plastic mesh (net body) such as polyethylene or polypropylene, or a metal mesh so that the tube wall has a large number of through holes. Needless to say, the through-hole is a mesh (gap) when the tube is made of a mesh. Although not shown, depending on the properties of the medium to be used, for example, a second mesh having a smaller mesh size is arranged inside the inner and outer tube walls as necessary so that the medium does not fall off the tube. You may let them.

  Moreover, in the plant growth environment control apparatus by this invention, the said pipe | tube has an odd U-shaped cross section as mentioned above. The pipe body having such a reverse U-shaped pipe having a deformed cross section is formed, for example, by flattening a normal cylindrical pipe body and forming a pipe body having a flat inside, and such a pipe body. It can be obtained by bending both ends of the flat tube body downward and forming the pipe in an inverted U shape.

  However, in the plant growth environment control apparatus according to the present invention, the method of manufacturing the tubular body is not limited to the above examples.

  Furthermore, in the plant growth environment control apparatus according to the present invention, the tubular body has an inverted U-shaped irregular section as described above, but does not need to be literally an inverted U-shape. For example, the both ends of the inverted U-shaped pipe line may be bent inward somewhat, that is, a horseshoe shape.

  In the plant growth environment control apparatus according to the present invention, as described above, the tubular body has a pipe line whose cross section is an odd U-shaped cross section, and such a pipe line is filled with a medium. . Therefore, according to the plant growth environment control apparatus according to the present invention, the culture medium is not only exposed to the outside air through the outer tube wall having a large number of through holes, but also exposed to the outside air through the inner tube wall. doing.

  Thus, according to the plant growth environment regulating apparatus according to the present invention, not only can the medium irrigation means be provided along the outer tube wall of the tube body, but along the tube wall, that is, along the tube body. As shown in FIG. 2, the medium irrigation means 11 can be provided along the hollow path. As a result, the medium water can be supplied from the inside of the medium, and it can be applied to the root area of the plant without wetting the above-ground part of the plant planted on the surface of the medium or excessively moistening the surface of the medium. Water can be supplied efficiently. On the other hand, when the medium is excessively irrigated, the excess wastewater is discharged from the opening along the lower end of the tube, so that the wastewater can be easily collected.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 2, according to the plant growth environment control apparatus by this invention, the culture medium heating-cooling means 12 can be provided along this in the said hollow path, and not only from the outer side of a tubular body. The medium can be heated and cooled (heating and cooling) from the inside of the medium, and therefore, the temperature of the root region of the medium can be adjusted efficiently.

  In the present invention, the structure and shape of the medium irrigation means are not limited as long as water can be supplied to the medium from the inside of the hollow channel, but preferably, water is ejected at regular intervals. This is an irrigation tube that is appropriately supported so as to be inserted through the hollow passage of the tubular body. Therefore, this irrigation pipe may be appropriately supported by the pipe body, but preferably, after the pipe body is suspended above the ground at a suitable height, as described above, the same as the pipe body In addition, the hollow path is inserted while being appropriately supported by the upper support skeleton.

  In the present invention, the medium heating / cooling means is not particularly limited as long as the medium can be heated or cooled. For example, a liquid (for example, hot water or cold water) or a heating medium for heating and cooling can be used. When gas (for example, heated air or cooling air) is used, it is a heat medium tube.

  In the plant growth environment control apparatus according to the present invention, the culture medium filled in the pipe line having an irregular U-shaped cross section is maintained in its own shape when the pipe body has sufficient strength. It is not necessary to have sex. Therefore, for example, a medium composed of rock wool, glass wool, urethane foam, or the like may be filled into the pipe having the irregular cross section. On the other hand, when the tube does not have sufficient strength, on the other hand, a medium having a deformed cross section, which has a cross section of the pipe in advance and having a shape retaining property, is used. The road may be filled.

  The medium used in the plant growth environment control apparatus according to the present invention is usually a ring having an irregular cross section in addition to the properties required for the medium, for example, water retention, air permeability, ease of work such as planting, etc. In the case where it is desirable to have a shape retaining property capable of maintaining the shape of the material, and further, it is desirable to have a light weight, such a medium is formed into a tube having an irregular cross section, for example, an appropriate medium material together with a solidifying agent. And can be obtained by solidification. One method for obtaining such a solidified medium is described in detail, for example, in JP-A-2005-102578.

  In the plant growth environment control apparatus according to the present invention, in order to plant a plant in a culture medium in a tube, when the through hole of the outer tube wall is small, it has an appropriate area including a plurality of the through holes as necessary. A planting hole is made in the outer tube wall in a size, and the root portion of the plant is embedded in the medium from the planting hole. However, in some cases, by sticking the plant to the surface of the outer tube wall, the plant can naturally grow its roots in the medium and grow. Depending on the size of the through-hole and the properties of the medium, a small mesh may be attached to the planting hole after planting.

  As described above, according to the plant growth environment control apparatus according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3, preferably, a plurality of tubes are arranged in series with the tube 6 having a medium in the pipeline as a unit. The supporting body 10 is suspended above the ground by a suspension rope 13 at an appropriate height so that the passage (medium) and the hollow passage, and thus the openings extend in series in the axial direction. It is used as a plant growth environment adjusting assembly device 14 that supports the pipe body horizontally or inclined above the ground so as to straddle the support body. Here, when connecting the pipe (medium), the hollow path, and the opening in series, it is not necessary that the pipe (medium), the hollow path, and the opening are actually formed in contact with each other. In addition, there may be a short interval between the tubes.

  The support body is not particularly limited in its material and shape as long as it can support the pipe body (s) horizontally or inclined at an appropriate height above the ground. A rod made of metal or wood or a wire made of metal is preferably used.

  As described above, according to the growth environment adjusting apparatus according to the present invention, a plurality of pipes are arranged in series, and the pipe (medium) and the hollow path extend in the axial direction. When used as an assembly apparatus extending in the axial direction, long medium irrigation means and culture medium heating / cooling means are provided along the continuous hollow passages of the assembly apparatus, respectively, along each of these tubes. There is an advantage that can be shared.

  Further, according to the plant growth environment adjusting device of the present invention, the attachment and detachment of such a long medium irrigation means and culture medium heating / cooling means is also provided with an opening extending in the axial direction below the assembly apparatus. It can be performed easily regardless of the number of tubes.

  In addition, according to the plant growth environment control apparatus according to the present invention, when it is an assembly apparatus as described above, in order to maintain the entire culture medium in a desired state, the medium of any tube is replaced, In addition, when any trouble occurs in any of the pipes, when the pipe is replaced, the assembly apparatus is once disassembled into the respective pipes, a long medium irrigation means or a medium heating Without removing the cooling means, remove only the tube in question from the assembly device and replace the medium, or replace only the tube in question with a new tube and replace it with the assembly device. There is also an advantage that it can be incorporated into the assembly apparatus, and the maintenance and management of the assembly apparatus is easy.

  Furthermore, such an assembly apparatus according to the present invention is complicated and expensive by supporting a plurality of tubes horizontally or inclined at an appropriate height above the ground in the same manner as described above. Without requiring a pedestal structure, it is possible to provide a tall cultivation assembly apparatus.

  Of course, according to such a high cultivation assembly apparatus, as already explained above, without complicated and expensive equipment, the environmental conditions of the temperature and moisture of the medium, especially the root zone of plants containing fungi The environment can be easily adjusted, and assembly, disassembly and maintenance are easy.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Plant growth environment control apparatus 2 ... Through-hole 3 ... Outer tube wall 4 ... Inner tube wall 5 ... Pipe 6 ... Tube 7 ... Medium 8 ... Hollow path 9 ... Opening 10 ... Support 11 ... Medium irrigation means 12 ... Medium heating and cooling means 13 ... suspending cord 14 ... aggregate device

Claims (9)

  A tube body that has a pipe line extending in the axial direction while being surrounded by an outer tube wall and an inner tube wall both having a large number of through-holes, and a medium filled in the pipe line, and the tube body from the ground Is also supported horizontally and inclined upward, and the cross section of the pipe is an inverted U-shaped cross section. The pipe has a hollow path extending in the axial direction formed by the inner pipe wall. And the said hollow path is a plant growth environment control apparatus which has an opening in alignment with the said pipe body in the lower end of the said pipe body.   The plant growth environment control device according to claim 1, wherein the outer tube wall and the inner tube wall having a plurality of through holes are each made of a mesh.   A medium irrigation means is provided along or in the hollow path above the outer tube wall of the tube body, and / or a medium heating and cooling means is provided along the hollow channel in the hollow path. The plant growth environment control apparatus according to claim 1.   An elevated cultivation apparatus comprising: the tubular body according to any one of claims 1 to 3 supported by being suspended from a supporting skeleton by a suspension rope and horizontally or inclined above the ground.   An elevated cultivation apparatus comprising the tube according to any one of claims 1 to 3 supported by a support skeleton horizontally or inclined above the ground.   A plant growth environment control comprising a plurality of plant growth environment control devices according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the tube bodies are arranged in series so that the pipe channel and the hollow channel extend in a row. Aggregate device.   The medium irrigation means is provided along and / or along the outer tube wall of the tube body extending in a row, and / or in the hollow channel extending in the chain and / or in the hollow channel extending in the chain. The plant growth environment-regulated assembly apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising medium heating and cooling means.   An elevated cultivation assembly apparatus comprising: a plurality of tubes in the assembly apparatus according to claim 6 or 7 supported by being suspended from a supporting skeleton by a suspension rope and horizontally or inclined above the ground. An elevated cultivation assembly apparatus comprising a plurality of tubes in the assembly apparatus according to claim 6 or 7 supported by a support skeleton horizontally or inclined above the ground.