JP2021153402A - Pollination system and pollination method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a pollination system or the like that can further reduce burden of a cultivator.SOLUTION: A pollination system 100 is used for pollination on plants 20 and comprises: one or more pollen amount sensors 220 which detect the amount of pollen present in a space 10 where plants 20 are cultivated; a first air flow generator 210 which generates a first air flow in the space 10; and a controller 200 which controls the first air flow generator 210 on the basis of a pollen amount detected by one or more pollen amount sensors.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present disclosure relates to pollination systems and pollination methods used for pollination of plants.

In the cultivation of fruit trees and fruits and vegetables, it is generally known that pollination is necessary for fruiting. Conventionally, such pollination operations are performed by human hands or by pollinators represented by insects such as honeybees. However, such a pollination operation imposes a heavy burden on the grower and there is room for improvement. For example, in Patent Document 1, as an example of an instrument for reducing the human burden when pollination is performed by human hands, pollen filled in a container together with high-pressure gas can be sprayed directly from the container. A pollen mixture for artificial pollination that can be produced is disclosed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-201392

However, even with the pollen mixture for artificial pollination disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to individually spray the female flowers or pistils, and the human burden is still large. Therefore, the present disclosure provides a pollination system and the like that can further reduce the burden on the grower.

The pollination system according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a pollination system used for pollinating a plant, and includes one or more pollen amount sensors for detecting the amount of pollen existing in the space where the plant is cultivated, and the space. It includes a first airflow generator that generates a first airflow inside, and a control device that controls the first airflow generator based on the pollen amount detected by the one or more pollen amount sensors.

Further, the pollination method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a pollination method used for pollination of the plant in the space where the plant is cultivated, and includes a detection step for detecting the amount of pollen existing in the space. It includes an airflow generation step for generating a first airflow in the space, and a control step for controlling the timing of the airflow generation step based on the amount of pollination detected in the detection step.

According to the pollination system and the like of the present disclosure, the burden on the grower can be further reduced.

FIG. 1 is an overview view showing a pollination system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the pollination system according to the embodiment. FIG. 3A is a diagram illustrating the release device according to the embodiment. FIG. 3B is a second diagram illustrating the release device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the detection of the emission amount according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the relationship between the controlled wind speed and the discharge amount of the second airflow generator according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating time division control of the first airflow generator according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the pollination system according to the embodiment.

(Background to this disclosure)
In recent years, fruit trees and fruits and vegetables have been actively cultivated as agricultural products. Since such fruit trees and fruits and vegetables contain various nutrients, they can be incorporated into the diet so that the predators can enjoy nutritional benefits. Such fruit trees and fruits and vegetables are produced by fruiting plants.

Fruiting means that when the cultivated plant blooms, pollen adheres to the pistil and is pollinated, and the fruit located around the seed grows and matures to form an edible part. In addition, "pollination" means that pollen adheres to the pistil, and is described separately from "pollination" which means an operation of attaching pollen to the pistil. Further, in the following embodiments, the plants are described as the above-mentioned fruit trees and fruit vegetables, but the plants may be leaf vegetables and root vegetables, as well as non-edible flowers. That is, in addition to fruits, the pollination system of the present disclosure may be used for the purpose of forming seeds, and in the present specification, the expression "crop" is used as a concept including these.

Generally, pollination of a plant requires an operation of attaching pollen collected from the stamen in advance to the pistil. In the production of many crops, this pollination operation is performed by humans or pollen-borne insects.

When a person (that is, a grower) performs the pollination operation, the grower attaches pollen to each pistil of the plant using an instrument called Brahma or the like. This puts a heavy burden on the grower in terms of time and physical strength. Even if the pollen mixture for artificial pollination disclosed in Patent Document 1 is used, the burden to be reduced is small. In addition, such a manual pollination operation may not be successful in pollination, and there is also a problem that uneven pollination is likely to occur, such as damage to the pistil and poor pollination.

On the other hand, when an insect (for example, a honey bee) performs the pollination operation, the grower only needs to manage the insect, and the burden on time and physical strength is small. However, growers have to bear the cost of managing insects. In recent years, the prices of insects that can be pollinators, such as honeybees, have risen. Furthermore, the homing ability of insects may be reduced due to climate change and the like, making it difficult to continuously use insects for pollination. Therefore, the cost burden for managing insects is very high.

In addition, practical application of pollination operation using an unmanned aerial vehicle (so-called drone), which is becoming popular these days, is being studied. However, the unmanned air vehicle has practical use because of the problem that the unmanned air vehicle itself is expensive, the difficulty of maneuvering, and the easy damage to both the unmanned air vehicle and the plant at the time of contact. There are a lot of issues in.

Therefore, the present disclosure provides a pollination system that can be easily used by growers and can pollinate plants with high efficiency. In the pollination system of the present disclosure, pollen is spread substantially uniformly in the space where the plant is cultivated by the air flow, so that the plant is pollinated with high efficiency while reducing the burden on the grower in terms of time and physical strength. Can be made to. Further, the pollination system can be realized by a simple device configuration, and the existing device or the like can be diverted, so that the burden on the grower in terms of cost can be reduced.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that all of the embodiments described below show comprehensive or specific examples. Numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement positions and connection forms of components, steps, order of steps, etc. shown in the following embodiments are examples, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Further, among the components in the following embodiments, the components not described in the independent claims will be described as arbitrary components.

It should be noted that each figure is a schematic view and is not necessarily exactly shown. Further, in each figure, substantially the same configuration may be designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description may be omitted or simplified.

(Embodiment)
[System configuration]
FIG. 1 is an overview view showing a pollination system according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 shows a space 10 in which the pollination system 100 according to the present embodiment is used. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the space 10 is a semi-closed space such as a vinyl house or a greenhouse in which a plant 20 to be pollinated by using the pollination system 100 is cultivated. The pollination system 100 and the like of the present disclosure can be applied to an open space for outdoor cultivation as long as it is affected by the air flow.

As shown in FIG. 1, a first airflow generator 210, a pollen amount sensor 220, and a release amount sensor 310 are installed in the space 10 where the plant 20 is cultivated. When the first airflow generator 210 generates the first airflow, the pollen released by the plant 20 is dispersed substantially uniformly in the space 10. This uniformity can be evaluated by the amount of pollen detected by the pollen amount sensor 220 installed in the space 10. Based on the evaluation result, the control mode of the first airflow generator 210 is changed, and the state in which pollen is dispersed substantially uniformly in the space 10 is maintained. The substantially uniform spraying is not only a completely uniform spraying, but also a spraying state in which pollen can come into contact with almost all plants 20 in the space 10, for example, a few percent of the plants 20. It is a concept that includes the case where pollen does not come into contact with individuals of a certain degree.

The plant 20 to which the pollination system 100 of the present disclosure can be applied is not particularly limited as long as it is a plant that forms pollen and pollinates.

The pollen dispersed substantially uniformly in the space 10 naturally adheres to the pistil and is pollinated. In addition, pollen that has fallen to the soil without being able to adhere to the pistil can be returned to the space 10 by being rolled up by the first air flow. The plant 20 can be pollinated evenly. In order to reduce the influence of sand grains that are rolled up at the same time as pollen, the pollen amount sensor 220 is arranged above the soil in the space 10. For example, in FIG. 1, the pollen amount sensor 220 is installed so as to be suspended from the frame structure forming the space 10.

Next, each component will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the pollination system according to the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 2, the pollination system 100 in the present embodiment includes a control device 200, a first airflow generator 210, and a pollen amount sensor 220.

The control device 200 is a device that acquires the pollen amount detected by the pollen amount sensor 220 and controls the first airflow generator 210 based on the acquired pollen amount. The control device 200 includes a communication unit 201, a processing unit 202, and a storage unit 203.

The communication unit 201 is a communication module for communicating between the pollen amount sensor 220, the first airflow generator 210, and the control device 200. The communication unit 201 acquires the amount of pollen periodically transmitted from the pollen amount sensor 220 and transmits it to the processing unit 202 described later. Further, the communication unit 201 acquires a control signal for controlling the first airflow generator 210 transmitted from the processing unit 202 described later, and transmits the control signal to the first airflow generator 210.

The processing unit 202 is an arithmetic unit that determines the control mode of the first airflow generator 210 based on the received pollen amount, and generates and transmits a control signal according to the determined control mode. Specifically, the processing unit 202 is realized by executing software for performing a series of processing from pollen amount analysis to generation of a control signal using a processor and a memory connected to the processor. NS. By the processing of this software, the control signal of the first airflow generator 210 is generated from the acquired pollen amount.

The storage unit 203 is a storage device including a part of the memory used in the processing unit 202, and is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory. In addition to storing software executed by the processing unit 202, the storage unit 203 stores a control history that is a log that controls the first airflow generator 210.

Further, the storage unit 203 has a harvest amount history which is a log of the yield amount of the agricultural products harvested by using the pollen system 100, and a pollen amount log maintained by using the pollen system 100 (that is, the pollen amount). The pollen amount history, which is a log of the pollen amount acquired from the sensor 220), is stored. Further, the storage unit 203 stores a harvest amount model using the harvest amount history and a pollen amount model using the pollen amount history as an example of the algorithm for generating the control signal. Details of the yield model and pollen amount model will be described later.

The first airflow generator 210 is a device that generates a first airflow in the space 10, and is, for example, a blower. As the first airflow generator 210, an existing blower, ventilation device, air conditioner (blower function), or the like may be used in the cultivation facility constituting the space 10. Therefore, the communication unit 201 in the present embodiment can communicate with these existing devices and the like. The first airflow generated by the first airflow generator 210 includes at least one airflow having at least one direction, airflow, and wind speed for diffusing pollen and spreading it substantially uniformly in the space 10. In other words, when the existing device is used as the first airflow generator 210, this condition must be satisfied.

In the present embodiment, as the first airflow generator 210, a blower capable of changing the direction, the air volume, and the wind speed is installed.

The pollen amount sensor 220 is a sensor that detects the amount of pollen existing in the space 10. Although a plurality of pollen amount sensors 220 are provided in the embodiment, a pollen system can be realized even if there is only one pollen amount sensor 220 in a narrow space that can be detected by one pollen amount sensor 220. The pollen amount sensor 220 is, for example, a device such as a dust meter or a particle counter that optically detects fine particles. The pollen amount sensor 220 sucks air within the effective detection range from the position where the pollen amount sensor 220 is installed, and detects the number of particles contained in the sucked air as the number concentration per volume.

Even if the particles are installed above the space 10 as described above, the particles contained in the sucked air may include sand particles rolled up from the soil. Therefore, the pollen amount sensor 220 detects the pollen amount from the particles more accurately by detecting the influence of the sand grains as a false positive component in advance and subtracting the pollen before the start of cultivation in which the pollen does not exist in the space 10. Can be done.

Further, as the pollen amount sensor 220, it is also possible to specifically quantify only the pollen released from the plant 20 by using a method such as an antigen-antibody reaction targeting a specific chemical substance or mass spectrometry. .. The specific chemical substance is a chemical substance that is specifically present in the pollen (particularly the pollen surface) of the plant 20 to be cultivated, or is present in a different ratio in the pollen of each of various plant species.

Further, in the present embodiment, the pollination system 100 further includes a release control device 300, a release amount sensor 310, and a release device 320. These devices are not essential to the pollination system 100, but by providing these devices, the effect of the pollination system 100 can be further enhanced.

The release control device 300 acquires from the release amount sensor 310 the result of detecting the release amount, which is the amount of pollen released from the plant 20, by the release device 320 described later. Further, the release control device 300 controls the release device 320 based on the acquired release amount. That is, the release control device 300 is an example of the release control unit. Although the internal configuration of the release control device 300 is not shown, it will be simplified because it is the same as the control device 200. The configuration of the emission control device 300 is realized by a program executed by a processor and a memory and peripheral devices (communication unit, storage unit, etc.). The release control device 300 may be realized by sharing the components with the control device 200. That is, the emission control unit may be realized by being integrated with the control device 200.

Unlike the pollen amount sensor 220, the release amount sensor 310 is a sensor that detects the amount of pollen released from the plant 20 by the release device 320. Therefore, the release amount sensor 310 is installed closer to the plant 20 than the pollen amount sensor 220. For example, the release amount sensor 310 is installed before the released pollen is moved by the air flow. As an example, the emission amount sensor 310 is realized by a dust meter or a particle counter similar to the pollen amount sensor 220. The release amount sensor 310 may be a sensor different from the pollen amount sensor 220.

The release device 320 is a device that vibrates the plant 20 by applying an external force to the plant 20 and releases pollen from the plant 20. The discharge device 320 will be described more specifically with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B. FIG. 3A is a diagram illustrating the release device according to the embodiment. Further, FIG. 3B is a second diagram illustrating the release device according to the embodiment. FIG. 3A shows an example in which the second airflow generator 320a is used as an example of the discharge device 320. In addition, in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B, the plant 20 planted in the planter is shown for convenience, but the plant 20 applies the external force of the release device 320 in the state of being planted in the soil in the space 10 as shown in FIG. May be granted.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the second airflow generator 320a vibrates the plant 20 by generating a second airflow toward the plant 20. The vibration of the plant 20 is generated by repeating the operation of bending along the second air flow and returning to the original posture by the elasticity of the stem or the like. In this way, pollen may be released from the plant 20 that vibrates due to the air flow. As described above, the second airflow generator 320a is controlled by the emission control device 300. Specifically, the second airflow generator 320a receives a emission control signal for controlling the second airflow generator 320a from the emission control device 300, and operates according to the emission control signal. If the first airflow equivalent to the second airflow generated by the second airflow generator 320a can be generated, the first airflow generator 210 can be used as the discharge device 320.

Here, the detection of the emission amount by the emission amount sensor 310 will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the detection of the emission amount according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 shows an example of detecting the amount of pollen released over time. In the middle of the passage of time, the operation of the discharge device 320 is switched from the OFF state to the ON state, and the time point of the boundary of the ON / OFF state is indicated by a two-dot chain line.

Further, in FIG. 4, as an example, a diagram for detecting the amount of emission when the second airflow generator 320a as shown in FIG. 3A is used is shown. Therefore, the OFF state of the discharge device 320 is a state in which the second airflow is not generated by the second airflow generator 320a (no second airflow), and the ON state of the discharge device 320 is the second airflow generator. It is a state in which a second airflow is generated by 320a (there is a second airflow). Since the case where the vibration device 320b in FIG. 3B, which will be described later, is used can be described by the same diagram, the description of the case where the vibration device 320b is used will be omitted.

As described above, the release amount sensor 310 is installed in the vicinity of the plant 20 (that is, in the vicinity of the soil) and is easily affected by sand grains and the like soaring from the soil. Therefore, even in a state where the second air flow is not generated and active pollen is not released, constant particles are detected in the release amount sensor 310. In order to reduce this effect, a reference point (indicated by a broken line in the figure) is set at the location of the number of particles detected without the second air flow and subtracted to obtain a value close to the actual emission amount. Can be calculated.

That is, the number of particles at the reference point can be subtracted from the number of particles detected in the state with the second air flow, and for example, the emission amount indicated by the alternate long and short dash line in the figure can be calculated. It is also predicted that by generating the second airflow, more sand grains and the like than the reference point will be rolled up. In this case, as described in the explanation of the pollen amount sensor 220, the sand grains and the like will be rolled up before the start of cultivation. The effect may be detected in advance as a false positive component, and the detected value may be subtracted. Since the false positive component includes the number of particles detected as a reference point, it is sufficient to simply subtract the false positive component. In this way, the emission amount sensor 310 detects the emission amount more accurately.

In addition, the strength for operating the discharge device 320 will also be described here. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the relationship between the controlled wind speed and the discharge amount of the second airflow generator according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 shows an example of detecting the amount of pollen released over time. Further, in FIG. 5, as in FIG. 4, as an example, a diagram of the amount of emission detected when the second airflow generator 320a is used is shown. The same applies to the case where the vibration device 320b is used as the discharge device 320. By using the control wind speed in the figure as the control frequency or the control amplitude and the optimum wind speed as the indicated frequency or the optimum vibration intensity. It can be explained.

As shown in FIG. 5, the control wind speed of the second airflow generator 320a, which is set to correspond to the intensity of the second airflow, increases the amount of pollen released from the plant 20 as it increases. After that, the amount released reaches the maximum value at the optimum wind speed while maintaining a substantially constant value as the controlled wind speed increases, and gradually decreases while maintaining a substantially constant value. If the controlled wind speed is further increased, for example, a part of the plant 20 cannot withstand the wind speed of the second airflow and is damaged such as breaking, so that pollen can not be released and pollinated, so that the second airflow cannot be released. The control wind speed of the generator 320a is set before and after the optimum wind speed.

The relationship between the controlled wind speed and the emission amount is pre-simulated and calculated by a computer or a preliminary experiment in real space.

Here, since the plant 20 has a different pollen release capacity depending on the growing state, a controlled wind speed at which an amount of pollen is released according to the release capacity is adopted. For example, the optimum wind speed for each growing state of the plant 20 may be set to the controlled wind speed (wind speed B in the figure). As the amount of pollen released into the space 10 increases, the probability of pollination of the plant 20 at a certain point in time increases. Therefore, it is effective to set the controlled wind speed so as to maintain the maximum amount released.

Further, a controlled wind speed (any one between the wind speed A and the wind speed C in the figure) that can maintain the release amount equal to or higher than the first threshold value determined according to the growing state of the plant 20 may be set. Since there is a limit to the amount of pollen that the plant 20 can release within a certain period of time, it is possible to set the control wind speed so as to maintain the first threshold value set lower than the maximum release amount in this way. Since the pollen in the space 10 can be maintained at a high concentration for a long period of time, the timing of pollination depending on the growing state of the pistil side can be extended for a long period of time, and such a setting of the controlled wind speed is also effective.

In the latter example, the control wind speed may be set to the median value of the wind speed A and the wind speed C in consideration of the fluctuation of the wind speed due to the convection in the space 10. In this case, even if the controlled wind speed and the actual wind speed fluctuate by half the difference between the wind speed A and the wind speed C, the emission amount theoretically equal to or higher than the first threshold value is maintained. Therefore, the control wind speed of the second airflow generator 320a may be dynamically changed and set according to the growing state of the plant 20.

Further, the control wind speed may be set in consideration of the plant species, the arrangement of the cultivated plants 20, the installation position of the second airflow generator 320a, and the like.

Next, FIG. 3B shows an example in which the vibration exciter 320b is used instead of the second airflow generator 320a as an example of the discharge device 320. The vibrating device 320b alternately moves (in other words, vibrates) a container such as a planter in which the plant 20 is cultivated from one end side to the other end side and from the other end side to one end side in a predetermined direction. The plant 20 is vibrated. The vibration of the plant 20 is generated when the petal side moves behind the stem side due to inertia when reciprocating between one end side and the other end side. In this way, pollen may be released from the plant 20 that vibrates due to vibration. As described above, the vibration exciter 320b is controlled by the release control device 300. Specifically, the vibrating device 320b receives a emission control signal for controlling the vibrating device 320b from the emission control device 300, and operates according to the emission control signal.

The release device 320 described with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B is an example, and a release device 320 of another aspect may be used. For example, the plant 20 is flexed by applying a pulling force to a member connected to the plant 20, and when the force is released, vibration is generated by repeating the operation of returning to the original posture by the elasticity of the stem or the like. May be good. Any of such release devices 320 may be selected and used, and two or more release devices 320 may be combined to realize the pollination system 100.

Further, when the discharge device 320 discharges pollen from the plant 20 by the air flow as in the second air flow generator 320a, the first air flow generator 210 may be used. That is, the first airflow generator 210 may be used as the discharge device 320. The first airflow generator 210 vibrates the plant 20 toward the plant 20 with, for example, an airflow having at least one direction, air volume, and wind speed for spraying pollen substantially uniformly in the air in the space 10. A complex first airflow is generated that includes an airflow having at least one direction, airflow, and wind speed.

Further, for example, the first airflow generator 210 faces the plant 20 with the first airflow having at least one direction, air volume, and wind speed for spraying pollen substantially uniformly in the air in the space 10. A second airflow having at least one direction, airflow, and wind speed for vibrating 20 may be generated in a timed manner. That is, the first airflow generator 210 may perform the first operation of generating the first airflow and the second operation of generating the second airflow toward the plant in a time-division manner.

FIG. 6 shows the generation of airflow by time-division control of the first airflow generator 210. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating time division control of the first airflow generator according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 shows a timing chart of the operating state of the first airflow generator 210 with respect to the passage of time.

As shown in FIG. 6, the first airflow generator 210 first performs a second operation of generating a second airflow for releasing pollen from the operation OFF state. When a certain amount of pollen is released into the space 10 due to the generation of the second air flow (for example, detected by the release amount sensor 310), the first air flow generator 210 diffuses the released pollen and enters the space 10. The first operation of generating the first airflow for spraying substantially uniformly is performed. When the amount of pollen in the space 10 becomes uniform and the amount of pollen detected decreases after a lapse of time (for example, detected by the pollen amount sensor 220), pollen is released to the plant again to supplement the amount of pollen. The second operation is performed so as to cause. In this way, the first airflow generator 210 may maintain the pollen in the space 10 in an appropriate amount and substantially uniformly by repeating the first operation and the second operation.

It is considered that most of the pollen amount that decreases after the first operation cannot float in the space 10 due to the fall to the soil. Therefore, after the second operation and the first operation, the first airflow generator 210 performs a third operation to generate a third airflow having at least one direction, air volume, and wind speed for hoisting pollen that has fallen on the soil. You may go. In this way, pollen may be recovered from the soil by an air flow different from the first air flow and the second air flow.

[motion]
Subsequently, the operation for pollination of the plant 20 performed by the pollination system 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. Further, in the following, an example of the operation using the yield model and the pollen amount model in the first airflow generator 210 will also be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the pollination system according to the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 7, in the pollination system 100, the release control device 300 first controls the release device 320 (release control step S11). The release control signal generated by the release control device 300 causes the release device 320 to operate to release pollen from the plant 20 (release step). Here, the release amount sensor 310 detects the amount of pollen released from the plant 20 (release amount detection step S12). The release control device 300 acquires the detected release amount and determines whether or not the release amount is equal to or greater than the first threshold value (step S13).

When the release control device 300 determines that the release amount is less than the first threshold value (No in step S13), the release control device 300 changes the control mode of the release device 320 (step S14). The release device 320 is controlled according to the control mode. For example, when the second airflow generator 320a or the first airflow generator 210 is used as the discharge device 320, the discharge control device 300 is generated by the second airflow generator 320a or the first airflow generator 210. 2 Increase the strength of the airflow.

Specifically, the emission control device 300 generates a new emission control signal that increases at least one of the wind speed or the air volume of the second airflow generated by the second airflow generator 320a or the first airflow generator 210. It is transmitted to the release device 320 (returning to the release control step S11). The emission device 320 operates according to the modified control mode based on the new emission control signal.

Further, for example, when the vibration device 320b is used as the discharge device 320, the release control device 300 raises at least one of the frequency or the amplitude per unit time in the vibration of the plant by the vibration device 320b. ..

On the other hand, when the release control device 300 determines that the release amount is equal to or higher than the first threshold value (Yes in step S13), the release control device 300 further keeps the release amount equal to or higher than the first threshold value for a predetermined period. Is determined (step S15). The predetermined period is a period in which the accumulated amount (total release amount) for the elapsed time of the release amount exceeds the amount of pollen estimated that all the plants 20 cultivated in the space 10 can be sufficiently pollinated. , The amount released, the number and arrangement of plants 20 cultivated, and the like.

When it is determined by the release control device 300 that the predetermined period has not elapsed (No in step S15), the process returns to step S13 until the release amount is maintained at the first threshold value or higher and it is determined that the predetermined period has elapsed. , Step S13 and step S15 are repeated. If the amount released is less than the first threshold value during this repetition, the process proceeds to step S14.

On the other hand, if it is determined by the release control device 300 that the predetermined period has elapsed (Yes in step S15), the process proceeds to step S16. In step S16, the control device 200 controls the first airflow generator 210 (control step). Further, in step S16, the first airflow generator 210 generates the first airflow according to the control signal generated by the control device 200 (airflow generation step).

Here, the first pollen amount sensor, which is one of the pollen amount sensors 220, detects the first pollen amount. Further, the second pollen amount sensor, which is one of the pollen amount sensors 220 arranged at a position different from the first pollen amount sensor, detects the second pollen amount. In this way, the pollen amount sensor 220 of 1 or more detects the pollen amount of 1 or more (detection step S17).

The control device 200 calculates a difference amount which is a difference between the first pollen amount and the second pollen amount, and determines whether or not the difference amount is equal to or less than the second threshold value (step S18). The second threshold value is a difference in the amount of pollen that cannot be regarded as substantially uniform, and is a value set by the grower or the like based on the size of the space 10 and the installation position of the first airflow generator 210.

When the control device 200 determines that the difference amount is larger than the second threshold value, the process proceeds to step S19, and the control device 200 generates the first airflow so as to increase the intensity of the first airflow in order to reduce the difference amount. The control mode of the device 210 is changed.

Specifically, the control device 200 generates a new control signal for increasing at least one of the wind speed and the air volume of the first airflow generated by the first airflow generator 210, and transmits the new control signal to the first airflow generator 210. (Return to step S16). The first airflow generator 210 operates according to the changed control mode based on the new control signal. As described above, when the strength of the first airflow is increased, the sales expansion of air in the space 10 is promoted, and the stagnation portion of the air that causes the difference amount in the space 10 can be eliminated.

On the other hand, when the control device 200 determines that the difference amount is equal to or less than the second threshold value, the process returns to step S16, and the first airflow generator 210 continues to operate according to the same control mode. In this way, in the pollination system 100, a uniform concentration of pollen is maintained in the space 10, and the plant 20 efficiently pollinates. Therefore, the time burden on the grower is reduced.

Further, in the pollination system 100, in addition to setting various values (parameters such as a threshold value) in advance, the pollination operation of the plant 20 is performed without the intervention of the grower's hands. In other words, by using the pollination system 100, the burden on the grower's physical strength can be reduced. Further, the pollen system 100 can be realized by a general computer and dedicated software as the control device 200, an existing device such as an air conditioning system in the space 10, and a pollen amount sensor 220, so that the introduction cost is reduced. be able to. That is, the cost burden on the grower is reduced.

In the change of the control mode of the first airflow generator 210 in step S19, even if the control mode is changed so as to generate the first airflow toward the installation position of the pollen amount sensor 220 in which a high pollen amount is detected. good. By doing so, the pollen in the space 10 can be made to have a substantially uniform concentration (in a short time) more efficiently than simply increasing the intensity of the first air flow.

Further, in a pollination system equipped with a pollen amount sensor of 3 or more, a difference amount is calculated brute force from the pollen amount of 3 or more, and when even one difference amount exceeds the second threshold value, a first air flow is generated. The control mode of the device 210 may be changed. Further, in a pollination system provided with three or more pollen amount sensors, the average value of the pollen amount is calculated, and when even one difference from the average value exceeds the second threshold value, the control mode of the first airflow generator 210 May be changed.

Further, the processing from the release control step S11 to the step S15 and the processing from the control step S16 to the step S19 may be independently processed in parallel. On the other hand, as described in the time division control of the first airflow generator 210, the steps from the release control step S11 to the step based on the amount of pollen floating in the space 10 during the processing from the control step S16 to the step S19. You may return to the process up to S15.

Here, another example of the processing from the control step S16 to the step S19 will be further described. As described above, as shown in FIG. 2, in the storage unit 203 of the control device 200, in addition to the program for processing the control device 200, the control history, the harvest amount history, the pollen amount history, the harvest amount model, and the harvest amount model, and The pollen amount model etc. are stored.

Depending on the structure of the space 10, the first airflow, the second airflow, disturbance factors, and the like affect each other in a complicated manner, and it may not be possible to control for proper pollen dispersal by a simple treatment. Therefore, in this example, an operation example in which the control mode of the first airflow generator 210 in the future second period is determined by using the control history of the first airflow generator 210 in the past first period and the control result. Will be explained. In order to obtain the past control history, it is assumed that at least the control history in the past first period is already stored in the storage unit 203.

As an example, a pollen amount model may be generated by machine learning using the control history stored in the storage unit 203 and the pollen amount history which is the result of the control corresponding to the control history as an input. In the pollen amount model, the control mode of the first airflow generator 210 predicts what kind of distribution the pollen amount detected by the pollen amount sensor 220 shows in the space 10, and the first airflow generator 210 is used. It can be controlled appropriately. Therefore, pollen can be sprayed more uniformly in the space 10.

Further, as the first period for generating the pollen amount model, a period such as 1 hour, 1 day, 1 week, or 1 month can be set. By setting the period for one cycle in the life cycle of the plant 20 from the start of cultivation of the plant 20 such as sowing or seedling planting to the harvesting of the crop obtained by the cultivation of the plant 20 as the first period. A pollen amount model may be generated in consideration of the growth factor of the plant 20.

Further, by setting the period for one cycle in the life cycle of the plant 20 as the first period in this way, it is possible to construct a more direct control model. Specifically, the yield model may be generated by machine learning using the control history and the harvest history of the crop in the past first period as inputs. In the yield model, it is possible to predict how the yield of agricultural products has changed and appropriately control the first airflow generator 210 according to the control mode of the first airflow generator 210. Therefore, the control mode in the second period (eg, the next cycle in plant 20) can be determined so as to improve the yield, which is a more direct result. As the first period for generating the yield model, a period corresponding to one or more cycles of life cycle may be set.

In addition to these, in the edible plant 20, an agricultural product having a higher market value may be produced by using the taste history reflecting the result of the taste index.

[Effects, etc.]
As described above, the pollination system 100 in the present embodiment is a pollination system 100 used for pollination of the plant 20, and is one or more that detects the amount of pollen existing in the space 10 in which the plant 20 is cultivated. The first airflow generator 210 is controlled based on the pollen amount sensor 220, the first airflow generator 210 that generates the first airflow in the space 10, and the pollen amount detected by one or more pollen amount sensors 220. It includes a control device 200.

In such a pollination system 100, pollen existing in the space 10 is diffused by the first air flow, and the plant 20 can be pollinated using the air flow. The first air flow is controlled based on the amount of pollen detected by the pollen amount sensor 220, and the pollen is uniformly diffused in the space. In this way, the pollination system 100 can pollinate the plant 20 while suppressing unevenness in the success or failure of pollination and further reducing the burden on the grower in terms of time and physical strength. Further, in the pollination system 100 realized by diverting the existing equipment or the like, the burden on the grower's cost can be reduced.

Further, for example, the pollination system 100 may further include a release device 320 that releases pollen from the plant 20.

According to this, the amount of pollen in the space 10 can be increased. Therefore, it is possible to more efficiently pollinate the plant 20 with less burden on the grower's time and physical strength.

Further, for example, the pollination system 100 further includes a release amount sensor 310 that detects the amount of pollen released from the plant 20 by the release device 320, and a release device 320 based on the release amount detected by the release amount sensor 310. The release control device 300 for controlling the above may be provided.

According to this, the amount of pollen in the space 10 is appropriately controlled. Therefore, it is possible to more efficiently pollinate the plant 20 with less burden on the grower's time and physical strength.

Further, for example, the release control device 300 may control the release device 320 so that the release amount is equal to or higher than the first threshold value determined according to the growth state of the plant 20.

According to this, the amount of pollen in the space 10 is appropriately controlled according to the growing state of the plant 20. Therefore, it is possible to more efficiently pollinate the plant 20 with less burden on the grower's time and physical strength.

Further, for example, the release device 320 may be a vibration device 320b that releases pollen from the plant 20 by vibrating the plant 20.

According to this, the amount of pollen in the space 10 can be increased by vibration. Therefore, it is possible to more efficiently pollinate the plant 20 with less burden on the grower's time and physical strength.

Further, for example, when the release amount is less than the first threshold value determined according to the growth state of the plant 20, the release control device 300 controls the vibrating device 320b and the frequency per unit time in the vibration of the plant 20. , Or at least one of the amplitudes may be increased.

According to this, the amount of pollen in the space 10 can be increased by the vibration according to the growing state of the plant 20. Therefore, it is possible to more efficiently pollinate the plant 20 with less burden on the grower's time and physical strength.

Further, for example, the discharge device 320 may be a second airflow generator 320a different from the first airflow generator 210, which discharges pollen from the plant 20 by generating a second airflow toward the plant 20.

According to this, the amount of pollen in the space 10 can be increased by the second air flow. Therefore, it is possible to more efficiently pollinate the plant 20 with less burden on the grower's time and physical strength.

Further, for example, in the pollination system 100, the first airflow generator 210 may be used as the discharge device 320.

According to this, the pollination system 100 can be realized only by the first airflow generator 210. Therefore, it is possible to pollinate the plant 20 with a reduced cost burden on the grower.

Further, for example, the first airflow generator 210 may perform the first operation of generating the first airflow and the second operation of generating the second airflow toward the plant 20 in a time-division manner.

According to this, the pollination system 100 can be realized by generating the first airflow and the second airflow only by the first airflow generator 210. Therefore, it is possible to more efficiently pollinate the plant 20 with a reduced cost burden on the grower.

Further, for example, one or more pollen amount sensors 220 include a second pollen amount sensor arranged at a position different from that of the first pollen amount sensor and the first pollen amount sensor, and the control device 200 includes the first pollen amount sensor in the first pollen amount sensor. The first airflow generator 210 may be controlled so that the difference between the detected first pollen amount and the second pollen amount detected by the second pollen amount sensor is equal to or less than the second threshold value.

According to this, it is possible to quantify the pollen dispersal unevenness (in other words, the dispersal bias) in the space 10 from the difference in the pollen amount detected by the first pollen amount sensor and the second pollen amount sensor, respectively. Therefore, it is possible to more accurately disperse pollen uniformly in the space 10. Therefore, it is possible to more efficiently pollinate the plant 20 with less burden on the grower's time and physical strength.

Further, for example, the control device 200 may control the first airflow generator 210 to increase at least one of the wind speed and the airflow amount of the first airflow when the difference amount is larger than the second threshold value.

According to this, the first air flow can be controlled so as to eliminate the uneven distribution of pollen. Therefore, it is possible to more efficiently pollinate the plant 20 with less burden on the grower's time and physical strength.

Further, for example, the control device 200 determines and controls the control mode of the first airflow generator 210 in the second period in the future based on the control history of the first airflow generator 210 performed in the first period in the past. The first airflow generator 210 may be controlled according to the embodiment.

According to this, the control mode of the first airflow in the future can be determined by using the information of the first airflow accumulated in the past. Compared with the case where the control mode is changed each time, the calculation resource required for processing can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to more efficiently pollinate the plant 20 with less burden on the grower's time and physical strength.

Further, for example, the control device 200 uses a yield model learned by inputting the control history of the first airflow generator 210 and the yield of the crop harvested from the plant 20 in the first period in the past in the future. The control mode in the second period of the above may be determined.

According to this, it is possible to determine a more optimized future control mode of the first airflow by machine learning using the information of the first airflow accumulated in the past and the yield of the related crops. Therefore, it is possible to pollinate the plant 20 more accurately and efficiently with less burden on the grower's time and physical strength.

Further, for example, the control device 200 uses a pollen amount model learned by inputting the control history of the first airflow generator 210 and the pollen amount in the past first period to determine the control mode in the future second period. You may decide.

According to this, it is possible to determine a more optimized future control mode of the first airflow by machine learning using the information of the first airflow accumulated in the past and the related pollen amount. Therefore, it is possible to pollinate the plant 20 more accurately and efficiently with less burden on the grower's time and physical strength.

Further, for example, the first period may be a period for at least one cycle of the life cycle of the plant 20, and the second period may be a period for one cycle of the life cycle of the plant 20.

According to this, the control mode of the first airflow for one cycle of the life cycle of the future plant can be determined by using the information of the first airflow accumulated over the period of one cycle or more of the life cycle of the plant in the past. Therefore, it is possible to more efficiently pollinate the plant 20 with less burden on the grower's time and physical strength.

Further, the pollination method in the present embodiment is a pollination method used for pollination of the plant 20 in the space 10 in which the plant 20 is cultivated, and includes a detection step for detecting the amount of pollen existing in the space 10. It includes an airflow generation step for generating a first airflow in the space 10 and a control step for controlling the timing of the airflow generation step based on the amount of pollination detected in the detection step.

Such a pollination method has the same effect as the pollination system 100 described above.

(Other embodiments)
Although the embodiments have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments.

In addition, it is realized by applying various modifications to each embodiment that can be conceived by those skilled in the art, or by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of each embodiment without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. Also included in this disclosure.

Although the example including a plurality of pollen amount sensors has been described above, the number of pollen amount sensors may be one. For example, the pollen amount in a substantially uniform state is estimated based on the release amount detected by the release amount sensor and the structure (for example, the size) of the space 10, and the measured pollen amount detected by the pollen amount sensor is used. The first airflow may be controlled based on the difference amount of.

Further, for example, when the amount of pollen detected by the pollen amount sensor shows a change exceeding a predetermined amount per unit time, it is determined that pollen is unevenly scattered in the space, and the intensity of the first airflow is determined. It may be higher.

In addition, general or specific aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented in recording media such as systems, devices, methods, integrated circuits, computer programs or computer-readable CD-ROMs. Further, it may be realized by any combination of a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program and a recording medium.

10 Space 20 Plant 100 Pollination system 200 Control device 210 First airflow generator 220 Pollen amount sensor 300 Release control device (release control unit)
310 Discharge amount sensor 320 Discharge device 320a Second airflow generator 320b Vibration exciter

Claims (16)

A pollination system used to pollinate plants
One or more pollen amount sensors that detect the amount of pollen existing in the space where the plant is cultivated, and
A first airflow generator that generates a first airflow in the space,
A pollination system including a control device that controls the first airflow generator based on the pollen amount detected by the one or more pollen amount sensors. The pollination system according to claim 1, further comprising a release device for releasing pollen from the plant. A release amount sensor that detects the amount of pollen released from the plant by the release device, and
The pollination system according to claim 2, further comprising a release control unit that controls the release device based on the release amount detected by the release amount sensor. The pollination system according to claim 3, wherein the release control unit controls the release device so that the release amount is equal to or higher than a first threshold value determined according to the growth state of the plant. The pollination system according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the release device is a vibration device that releases pollen from the plant by vibrating the plant. When the release amount is less than the first threshold value determined according to the growth state of the plant, the release control unit controls the vibration device to control the vibration frequency of the plant or the frequency per unit time of the vibration of the plant. The pollination system according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the amplitudes is increased. The discharge device is any one of claims 2 to 4, which is a second air flow generator different from the first air flow generator that discharges the pollen from the plant by generating a second air flow toward the plant. The pollination system described in the section. The pollination system according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the first airflow generator is used as the discharge device. The pollination system according to claim 8, wherein the first airflow generator performs a first operation of generating a first airflow and a second operation of generating a second airflow toward the plant in a time-division manner. The one or more pollen amount sensors include a first pollen amount sensor and a second pollen amount sensor arranged at a position different from that of the first pollen amount sensor.
The control device said that the difference between the first pollen amount detected by the first pollen amount sensor and the second pollen amount detected by the second pollen amount sensor is equal to or less than the second threshold value. The pollen system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, which controls a first airflow generator. The pollination according to claim 10, wherein the control device controls the first airflow generator to increase at least one of the wind speed and the airflow amount of the first airflow when the difference amount is larger than the second threshold value. system. The control device determines the control mode of the first airflow generator in the second period in the future based on the control history of the first airflow generator performed in the past first period, and the control device determines the control mode of the first airflow generator according to the control mode. The pollination system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, which controls a first airflow generator. The control device uses the yield model learned by inputting the control history of the first airflow generator and the yield of the crop harvested from the plant in the first period of the past, and the future first. The milling system according to claim 12, wherein the control mode is determined in two periods. The control device uses the control history of the first airflow generator and the pollen amount model learned by inputting the pollen amount in the past first period to control the control mode in the future second period. The pollination system according to claim 12, which is determined. The first period is a period for at least one cycle of the life cycle of the plant.
The pollination system according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the second period is a period for one cycle of the life cycle of the plant. A pollination method used for pollination of the plant in the space where the plant is cultivated.
A detection step that detects the amount of pollen present in the space, and
An airflow generation step that generates a first airflow in the space,
A pollination method including a control step for controlling the timing of the airflow generation step based on the pollen amount detected in the detection step.

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