JP2022035955A - Plant growth regulator and production method thereof, and plant growth regulator production system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a plant growth regulator and a production method thereof, capable of using easily and inexpensively, a crop plant unused material which has been discarded conventionally, as a biological resource, and capable of preventing application of a harmful effect to an ecosystem and a natural environment, and a plant growth regulator production system.SOLUTION: A plant growth regulator of the invention includes a component obtained by decomposing a crop plant unused material under a heated and compressed steam. A production method of the plant growth regulator of the invention comprises: a preparation step for storing the crop plant unused material in a closed space; a steam decomposition step for heating and compressing the crop plant unused material in the closed state by the steam for 2-5 hours under a temperature of 120°C to 149°C for decomposing the crop plant unused material; and a collection step for collecting the component decomposed by the steam decomposition step.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

Description

The present invention relates to a plant growth regulator, a method for producing the same, and a plant growth regulator manufacturing system.

In crop cultivation, unused materials such as strains thinned out in the cultivation process, side buds and fruit thinning to be removed, residues after harvesting, and non-standard products removed by sorting (that is, as agricultural products) Part or all of the crops that were not shipped; hereinafter referred to as "unused crop materials") will occur.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-136196 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-19713 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2019-42647

Until now, there has been a problem that unused crop materials are discarded even though they are biological resources. Therefore, it has been desired to develop a technology that can be used easily and inexpensively by using unused crop lumber as a biological resource.

Here, Patent Documents 1, 2 and 3 describe a method and an apparatus for extracting a predetermined component by steam-decomposing a plant tissue. By using this method or device, the components obtained by decomposing the plant tissue can be obtained in the form of liquid content (extract) and solid content (paste), but the effectiveness and use of the component have not been fully elucidated. Therefore, the present inventor has diligently studied a new utilization technique of unused crop lumber to which this steam decomposition method or apparatus is applied.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and is a technique that can easily and inexpensively use unused crop materials that have been discarded as biological resources, and has an adverse effect on the ecosystem and the natural environment. It is an object of the present invention to provide a plant growth regulator free of charge, a method for producing the same, and a plant growth regulator manufacturing system.

The plant growth regulator according to the present invention is characterized in that the unused crop material contains a component decomposed under heated and pressurized steam. As an example, the unused crop material is ume fruit, which can be used as an itaconic acid-containing plant growth regulator.

According to this, unused crop lumber that has been discarded so far can be used as a growth regulator for new crop cultivation.

Further, the method for producing the plant growth modifier according to the present invention includes a preparatory step of accommodating the unused crop material in the closed space and a temperature of 120 ° C. to 149 ° C. by steam in the closed space. It is characterized by including a steam decomposition step of heating and pressurizing for 2 to 5 hours to decompose, and a recovery step of recovering the components decomposed by the steam decomposition step.

According to this, the tissue of the unused crop wood can be easily and inexpensively decomposed in a short time to obtain a component having a plant growth regulating function (plant growth regulating functional component). Since it is made from unused crop wood, which is a natural product, and is obtained by a hydrolysis method using steam, a plant growth regulator containing this component is gentle on plants and soil and has an adverse effect on the destruction of the natural environment. Never give.

Further, in the steam decomposition step, it is preferable to heat and pressurize the sealed space by increasing the steam pressure and the temperature while controlling the steam pressure as a partial pressure in the closed space along the saturated steam pressure curve. .. According to this, the hydrolysis reaction by steam energy can proceed. Further, in the recovery step, it is preferable to cool the inside of the closed space while controlling the water vapor pressure along the saturated water vapor pressure curve. According to this, it is possible to prevent boiling of water and recover the decomposed component.

Further, as an example, the unused crop material can be used as a ume fruit, and the ume fruit can be decomposed to produce an itaconic acid-containing component in the steam decomposition step.

Further, the system for producing a plant growth regulator used for new crop cultivation from the unused material generated in the crop cultivation according to the present invention is a water supply source and hypochlorite in the water supplied from the water supply source. A hypochlorite water generator that dilutes and mixes sodium and hydrochloric acid to generate hypochlorite water, a water purification device that purifies the water supplied from the water supply source, and a plant is heated and pressurized with steam. The unused material, which is provided with a steam decomposition device for decomposing and has been washed and disinfected with the hypochlorite water generated by the hypochlorite water generating device, is purified by the water purifying device. It is characterized by the construction of a mechanism to obtain a plant growth regulating functional component by heating and pressurizing with steam generated from the water to decompose it.

Further, the method for producing a plant growth modifier used for new crop cultivation from the unused material generated in the crop cultivation according to the present invention is a washing and disinfecting step for cleaning and disinfecting the unused material and a water purification step for purifying water. And, the steam decomposition step of heating and pressurizing the unused material that has been washed and disinfected with the steam generated from the purified water to decompose it is carried out to obtain a plant growth adjusting functional component from the unused material. It is a feature.

According to this system and method, it is possible to construct an optimum mechanism for utilizing unused lumber generated in crop cultivation for new crop cultivation. A high-quality and safe plant growth regulator that can prevent pathogens and pests from being mixed into natural plant growth regulators by cleaning and disinfecting unused materials and decomposing them with water vapor generated from purified water. It will be possible to manufacture.

According to the present invention, a plant growth regulator that can easily and inexpensively use unused crop wood that has been discarded as a biological resource without adversely affecting the ecosystem or the natural environment can be obtained. Can be provided.

1A is a vertical sectional view of the steam decomposition apparatus, and FIG. 1B is a plan view thereof. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of the structure of the system for monitoring the progress of the steam decomposition reaction which progresses in a pressure vessel. It is a flow figure which shows the procedure which performs the steam decomposition process. It is a flow figure which shows the procedure which performs the steam decomposition process. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of the structure of the plant growth regulator manufacturing system which concerns on this embodiment. It is an FT-IR spectrum of a plum extract (solid line) and a plum acetone extract (broken line) obtained by using plums produced in Saitama prefecture. FT-IR spectrum (solid line) of ume extract obtained using ume from Yamanashi prefecture and spectrum of polyitaconic acid searched from FT-IR library (broken line). FT-IR spectrum (solid line) of ume extract obtained using ume from Yamanashi prefecture and spectrum of apple acid (broken line) searched from the FT-IR library. FT-IR spectrum (solid line) of plum extract obtained using plums produced in Yamanashi Prefecture and Z001 # 50; spectrum (broken line) of Pokka Lemon 100 searched from the FT-IR library ("Pokka Lemon 100". Is a registered trademark). It is a photograph of rice cultivated in tap water with or without a plant growth regulator added to unsterilized seeds. It is a graph which shows the expression rate of the protection-related gene PBZ1 of rice which cultivated a sterile seed in a 1/2 MS agar medium with or without a plant growth regulator. It is a photograph of Arabidopsis thaliana in which unsterilized seeds were germinated in a filamentous fungus breeding soil with or without a plant growth regulator and cultivated for 8 days. It is a graph which shows the biological weight of Arabidopsis thaliana which was cultivated for 8 days by transplanting unsterilized seeds into the soil for growing filamentous fungi to which a plant growth regulator was added or was not added after germination in advance.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. The plant growth regulator according to the present embodiment contains a component obtained by decomposing an unused crop material under heated and pressurized steam. The process of decomposing plants by heating and pressurizing them with steam is called steam decomposition, and the details will be described later.

The plant growth regulator includes plant growth (“growth” as used herein refers to growth (quantitative growth such as elongation and enlargement, growth) and growth (qualitative growth such as germination and organ differentiation, development)). ), Adjusting the shape and color of harvesting sites (fruits, leaves, roots, etc.), and inducing resistance to pathogens and pests to improve or stabilize plant quality or yield. A drug that has an action. As described above, the unused crop material refers to a part or all of the crop body (a piece of crop such as residue) that was not shipped as an agricultural product (the whole individual such as a thinned stock), and the crop is not limited. Crop crops include, for example, celery, broccoli, tomatoes, eggplants, carrots, common beans, leeks, beets, corn, marigolds, blueberries, plums, peaches and the like. Hereinafter, an example will be described in which the crop is ume and the unused crop material is ume fruit.

Plum nuts contain various organic acids such as malic acid, oxalic acid, and tartaric acid, as well as citric acid. In particular, it has a high content of citric acid, and citric acid is known to have an effect of relieving fatigue. It is known that nitrate nitrogen contained in vegetables can be reduced by irrigating or applying an organic nutrient solution containing citric acid to vegetables (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-182658).

By the way, in the present embodiment, it has been found that itaconic acid, which is considered to be separated from the citric acid contained in the raw ume fruit, is contained in the component (extract) obtained by decomposing the ume fruit under heated and pressurized steam. .. Itaconic acid (CAS Registry Number 97-65-4) is known as a plant growth regulator, as shown in the "Not Covered Substance Evaluation Report Itaconic Acid April 2015 Food Safety Commission". For example, as shown in the same document, itaconic acid was developed as a flower-picking agent for apples, and by spraying it after pollination of the apical bud center flower is completed, it inhibits pollen tube elongation or fertilization by burning the stigma with an organic acid. It is said that it causes a flower-picking effect.

When the extract obtained by decomposing the ume fruit according to the present embodiment under heating and pressurizing steam was diluted 5000 to 10000 times and sprayed on cherry tomatoes, 7-stage flower buds were usually attached at the stage of attaching 5-stage flower buds. It turned out to be attached. In addition to itaconic acid, various organic acids such as citric acid and malic acid, polyphenols, etc. are mixed in the extract obtained by steam-decomposing the plum fruit, but the plum fruit is immersed in ethanol. Since the solution extracted with ethanol has almost no effect of promoting the growth of cherry tomatoes, itaconic acid in the extract obtained by steam-decomposing plum fruits promoted the growth of cherry tomatoes. Conceivable.

Further, since the plant growth regulator according to the present embodiment is made from a natural product, plum (plum fruit), it is gentle on the plants and soil used and has an effect of not damaging the natural environment.

The plant growth regulator according to the present embodiment is obtained by steam-decomposing plum fruits, which are unused crops, and more specifically, preparations for accommodating unused crops (plum fruits) in a closed space. The step, the steam decomposition step of heating and pressurizing the unused crop material (plum fruit) with steam in the enclosed space at a temperature of 120 ° C. to 149 ° C. for 2 hours to 5 hours, and the steam decomposition step. Includes a recovery step of recovering the components decomposed by.

For the above steam decomposition treatment, known steam decomposition methods shown in Patent Documents 1, 2 and 3 and JP-A-2018-130112 can be adopted, but the following will be briefly described. Further, as the steam decomposition apparatus, the apparatus described in Patent Documents 1, 2 and 3 can be used as it is.

1A is a vertical sectional view of the steam decomposition apparatus 28, and FIG. 1B is a plan view thereof. The steam decomposition device 28 forms a cylindrical pressure vessel 2 (corresponding to a “sealed space”) provided with a lid 1 for opening and closing the hatch. Heaters 3 are mounted on the lower bottom and the outer peripheral surface of the pressure vessel 2, and the temperature inside the pressure vessel 2 is detected by the temperature sensor 4. The temperature at the bottom of the pressure vessel 2 and the temperature at the peripheral surface are controlled separately. The temperature detection signal in the pressure vessel 2 is transmitted to the control device 5.

A pressure sensor 6 for detecting the pressure in the pressure vessel 2 and a solenoid valve 7 for pressure control are attached to the lid 1. The solenoid valve 7 opens according to an instruction from the control device 5, discharges water vapor generated in the pressure vessel 2 to the outside, and controls the pressure in the pressure vessel 2.

The ume fruit, which is the object B to be processed, is housed in the basket 8 and inserted into the substantially central region in the pressure vessel 2. Further, at the bottom of the pressure vessel 2, an extract (an extract squeezed from the plum nut and a soluble component that falls down along the wall surface of the pressure vessel 2), which is a liquid component obtained by steam-decomposing the plum fruit, is present. The tray 11 for receiving the condensate) is stored. After the steam decomposition treatment, a paste which is a solid content is obtained in the basket 8, and the above liquid content (extract) and solid content (paste) are components obtained by steam decomposition of the ume fruit (that is, that is). Plum fruit is a component decomposed under heated and pressurized steam).

Plum fruits can be stored in the basket 8 as they are without removing the seeds. In addition, as for ume fruits as unused crop materials, it is possible to effectively use ume for disposal such as damaged ume that cannot be shipped for umeboshi, pickled ume, and the like. Since about 20 to 30% of ume for disposal is usually generated, it is extremely advantageous in terms of cost to be able to effectively use such ume for disposal.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the configuration of a system for monitoring the progress of the steam decomposition reaction progressing in the pressure vessel 2. The control device 5 is a computer installed in the monitoring room 9, and controls power on (ON, OFF) of the heater 3, setting of the processing time, opening / closing control of the solenoid valve 7, and the like. Further, the control device 5 executes a function of performing all control necessary for the component extraction process C, managing setting information, and a function of monitoring the progress of the steam decomposition reaction, and decomposes and extracts the tissue of the plum fruit. In addition to monitoring the progress of extraction of the substance by the monitor 10, it has a function of collecting these data in the auto sampler 12 and performing sampling. Reference numeral 13 indicates a sequencer.

The control device 5 cleans the unused crop material (raw material of plums including plum fruits) A, cuts the material to an appropriate size if necessary, or removes unnecessary parts, and puts the processed material (plum fruits) B into the pressure vessel 2. The components (obtained from the tray 11) obtained by the component extraction process C after being housed in the container (corresponding to the "preparation step") and subjected to the component extraction process C (corresponding to the "steam decomposition step" and the "recovery step"). The extract and the paste obtained from the basket 8) D are taken out from the pressure vessel 2 and subjected to a purification treatment E as necessary to control the treatment until a high-purity component is obtained.

Prior to the component extraction process C, the hatch of the pressure vessel 2 is opened, and a small amount of water is injected into the pressure vessel 2. Next, put the ume fruit B to be subjected to the component extraction process C into the basket 8, store it in the pressure vessel 2, close the hatch, and perform the component extraction process C of the ume fruit B in the pressure vessel 2. Start. In this way, from the preparatory step of accommodating the object to be treated (plum fruit) B in the pressure vessel 2, the step of the steam decomposition step, which is the next step, is started. The procedure of the component extraction process C (“steam decomposition step” and subsequent “recovery step”) will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 4.

3 and 4 are flow charts showing a procedure for executing the steam decomposition treatment. As shown in FIG. 3, first, the solenoid valve 7 provided in the pipeline connecting the inside and outside of the pressure vessel 2 is opened to open the pressure vessel 2 to the atmosphere, and the power of the heater 3 is turned on (ON) (step S1). , Step S2). While the pressure vessel 2 is being heated by the heater 3, the temperature (t) and the pressure (P) in the pressure vessel 2 are detected by the temperature sensor 4 and the pressure sensor 6 at appropriate time intervals (step S3).

The detected temperature data and the detected pressure data are transmitted to the control device 5 each time, and in the control device 5, whether or not the detected temperature (t) is within the set temperature range (for example, 70 ° C ≤ t ≤ 80 ° C). judge. This set temperature range is set to a temperature at which the water in the pressure vessel 2 does not reach boiling, and for safety, it is preferably set to a temperature range of 70 ° C to 80 ° C (may be about 70 ° C to 90 ° C).

In the present embodiment, the solenoid valve 7 is opened as described above, and the inside of the pressure vessel 2 is heated by the heater 3 in a state of being open to the atmosphere. As a result, the air in the pressure vessel 2 is excluded as the water vapor pressure increases. Therefore, when the temperature in the pressure vessel 2 is about 80 ° C., the air in the pressure vessel 2 is almost eliminated, and the detected pressure (P) (measured pressure value) is almost close to the saturated water vapor pressure.

If the detected temperature (t) does not reach the set temperature range, step S3 and the above determination are repeated. It is safe to measure the temperature so that the temperature rises as narrowly as possible (for example, about 5 ° C.) in order to avoid boiling. When the detected temperature (t) reaches the set temperature, the solenoid valve 7 is closed (step S4). Heating by the heater 3 continues.

After closing the solenoid valve 7, the steam decomposition treatment time is set to 2 hours to 5 hours (for example, 3 hours) by a timer (not shown) at an appropriate stage (step S5). Further, the temperature (t) and the pressure (P) in the pressure vessel 2 are detected at appropriate time intervals (or at appropriate temperature rise widths) (step S6). The detected temperature data and the detected pressure data are transmitted to the control device 5 each time, and the control device 5 substitutes the temperature value detected by the temperature sensor 4 into the approximate expression of the saturated water vapor pressure curve input in advance. The saturated water vapor pressure (calculated pressure value) based on the approximate expression is calculated (step S7). As the approximate expression, a Tetens equation or the like can be used, but the approximation is not limited to this.

Further, the control device 5 compares the calculated pressure value with the pressure value (P) (measured pressure value) detected by the pressure sensor 6, and the deviation of the measured pressure value (P) with respect to the calculated pressure value is within the required setting range. Whether or not it is determined (step S8). If the measured pressure value (P) deviates from the calculated pressure value by more than the set range, the output of the heater 3 is adjusted (step S9), and the measured pressure value (P) is as close as possible to the calculated pressure value. To control. Even at the stage leading to step S4, the same control as in steps S6 to S9 may be performed, and ON / OFF control of the heater 3 may be performed so that the measured pressure value (P) is close to the calculated pressure value. .. In this way, while controlling the steam pressure as a partial pressure in the pressure vessel 2 along the saturated steam pressure curve, the steam pressure and the temperature in the pressure vessel 2 are increased to heat and pressurize.

While controlling steps S6 to S9, as shown in FIG. 4, when the detection temperature (t) in step S6 rises to a set temperature within 120 ° C. to 149 ° C., the output of the heater 3 is adjusted (or OFF). ) (Step S10), the temperature is maintained at the above set temperature for the time set by the timer, and the necessary steam decomposition treatment is performed.

The steam decomposition treatment in the present embodiment is performed in the range of the temperature inside the pressure vessel 2 in the range of 120 ° C. to 149 ° C. When the temperature rises above 150 ° C, the ume fruit B is carbonized. When the timer is turned off (step S11), the heater 3 is turned off (step S12). By doing so, it is possible to control the temperature and pressure in the pressure vessel 2 so as to rise substantially along the saturated water vapor pressure curve until step S12. If the temperature is even slightly higher than the saturated water vapor pressure, it will be carbonized, and if it is lower than the saturated water vapor pressure, there is a risk of liquefaction and contamination of impurities due to incomplete decomposition.

By turning off the heater 3, the stage of the recovery step of recovering the components decomposed by the steam decomposition step is entered. In the present embodiment, the pressure vessel 2 is naturally cooled while the heater 3 is turned off (step S13). By this natural cooling, the temperature and pressure in the pressure vessel 2 will drop while substantially following the saturated water vapor pressure curve. In this way, the inside of the pressure vessel 2 is cooled while controlling the water vapor pressure along the saturated water vapor pressure curve. During this period, the temperature (t) in the pressure vessel 2 is detected by the temperature sensor 4 at appropriate time intervals (step S14). When the detection temperature (t) drops to, for example, about 90 ° C., a temperature that can avoid boiling of water, the solenoid valve 7 is opened (step S15), and the inside of the pressure vessel 2 is naturally cooled as it is (step). S16) The process is terminated.

In this way, even after step S12, the temperature and pressure in the pressure vessel 2 can be controlled so as to decrease substantially along the saturated water vapor pressure curve. As shown in step S15, since the solenoid valve 7 is opened when the temperature (t) in the pressure vessel 2 drops to 90 ° C. or lower, boiling of water in the pressure vessel 2 can be reliably prevented.

If the pressure vessel 2 is large and it takes a long time to cool naturally in step S13, after turning off the heater 3 in step S12, the electromagnetic valve 7 is opened for a short time at predetermined time intervals to release water vapor. By letting it escape, the cooling rate in the pressure vessel 2 may be increased to cool the pressure vessel 2.

In this case, the temperature (t) and the pressure (P) in the pressure vessel 2 are detected by the temperature sensor 4 and the pressure sensor 6, respectively, and the detected temperature (t) is obtained by the approximate expression of the saturated water vapor pressure curve in the same manner as described above. It is preferable to calculate the calculated pressure in the above and control the opening interval and opening time of the electromagnetic valve 7 so that the measured pressure (P) is close to the calculated pressure. Thereby, even during cooling, the temperature and pressure in the pressure vessel 2 can be controlled to be lowered along the saturated water vapor pressure curve without boiling the water in the pressure vessel 2.

In this way, the ume fruit can be steam-decomposed to produce an itaconic acid-containing component. As a conventional method for obtaining itaconic acid, a concentrated aqueous solution of citric acid is vacuum distilled at 200 ° C. or higher to obtain a mixture of itaconic acid and citraconic acid or an anhydride thereof, and the itaconic acid is separated from this mixture. However, there was a problem that the cost was high. Further, as another conventional method, there is a method of obtaining itaconic acid by fermentation of itaconic acid, but there is a problem that it takes a long time. On the other hand, according to the steam decomposition treatment according to the present embodiment, itaconic acid can be obtained in a short time by a simple and inexpensive method from the unused crop wood that has been discarded so far. This itaconic acid-containing component can be used as a plant growth regulator as it is, but as shown in FIG. 2, purification treatment E may be performed as necessary, and other substances may be added. You may.

In addition, among the components obtained by the steam decomposition treatment, a plurality of types of components having a plant growth adjusting function (plant growth adjusting function components) may be mixed, and as an example, a raw material crop (a crop used as a raw material) may be used. In the case of ume, itaconic acid contained in the components obtained by steam-decomposing ume fruits mainly has the functions of promoting plant growth, promoting elongation, and promoting flower bud differentiation, and 4-hydroxy 2-pentanone and dimethyl-2- Methoxysuccinate mainly has the functions of suppressing plant growth and growth. It is considered that the growth of plants can be adjusted according to the purpose by adjusting the dilution ratio and the spraying time.

In the present embodiment, the plant growth regulator is a technique for utilizing unused crop lumber that has been discarded so far as a biological resource, and can be used as a growth regulator for newly cultivated crops. The target crop (crop used) is not limited, but since it can be used for the same crop as the raw material crop, for example, by treating the unused material generated in the field with the steam decomposition device 28 and using it in the same field, the crop can be used. In cultivation, it is possible to realize low-cost agriculture that can produce resources for the next crop cultivation together with agricultural products.

Subsequently, with reference to FIG. 5, a system 20 for producing a plant growth regulator used for new crop cultivation from unused lumber generated in crop cultivation will be described. In the plant growth regulator manufacturing system 20 according to the present embodiment, the water supply source 22 and the water supplied from the water supply source 22 contain sodium hypochlorite (including an aqueous solution of sodium hypochlorite) and hydrochloric acid (dilute hydrochloric acid). (Including) is diluted and mixed to generate hypochlorous acid water, a hypochlorous acid water generator 24, a water purification device 26 for purifying water supplied from the water supply source 22, and plants are heated and pressurized with steam. It is provided with a steam decomposition apparatus 28 for decomposing.

Water supply or the like may be used as the water supply source 22. As the hypochlorite water generator 24, a hypochlorite water generator manufactured by Technomax Co., Ltd. can be preferably used. A RO water purifier or the like may be used for the water purifier 26. As the steam decomposition apparatus 28, the apparatus described in the above-mentioned Patent Documents 1, 2 and 3 may be used, and a color difference decomposition apparatus manufactured by Technomax Co., Ltd. can be preferably used.

In the plant growth regulator manufacturing system 20 according to the present embodiment, the steam decomposition device 28 cleans and disinfects the unused material with the hypochlorite water generated by the hypochlorite water generation device 24, and the water purification device 26. It is a mechanism to obtain a plant growth regulator functional component by heating and pressurizing with steam generated from water purified by Has been built. As a result, the unused material is first washed and disinfected with hypochlorite water (washing and disinfecting step), and then steam decomposed with steam generated from the purified water through the water purification step (steam decomposition step) to adjust plant growth. Functional ingredients can be obtained. Therefore, it is possible to prevent pathogens and pests from being mixed into the components derived from natural substances, and it is possible to produce a high-quality and safe plant growth regulator.

Using the steam decomposition apparatus 28 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the steam decomposition treatment of ume fruits was performed by the treatment procedure shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In steps S2 and S3, the pressure vessel 2 was heated with the solenoid valve 7 open (open to the atmosphere) until the temperature inside the pressure vessel 2 rose to about 80 ° C. After that, the solenoid valve 7 was closed, heating was continued (step S4), the temperature inside the pressure vessel 2 was raised to 132 ° C. (pressure of about 3.0 atm), and the temperature was maintained at this temperature for about 4 hours.

Next, the heater 3 was turned off and the pressure vessel 2 was naturally cooled. When the temperature inside the pressure vessel 2 dropped to about 90 ° C., the solenoid valve 7 was gradually opened, air was introduced into the pressure vessel 2, and the inside of the pressure vessel 2 was further naturally cooled. No liquid boiling occurred in the pressure vessel 2. After cooling the inside of the pressure vessel 2, the liquid content (extract) and the solid content (paste) in the pressure vessel 2 were recovered. In this example, a liquid component (extract) was used as a plant growth regulator.

6 to 9 show the above extract (hereinafter referred to as "ume extract") obtained by decomposing ume fruits under heating and pressure steam, and slicing ume fruits and immersing them in acetone for 1 day or more. The FT-IR spectrum (vertical axis is the absorbance) of the obtained acetone extract (hereinafter referred to as “plum acetone extract”) is shown. The analysis was performed at the Industrial Technology Testing Laboratory of the Iida Industrial Center, Minami Shinshu, and the instrument used was the micro-Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer IRT-5000 (manufactured by JASCO Corporation).

FIG. 6 is a spectrum of a plum extract (solid line) and a plum acetone extract (broken line) obtained using plums produced in Saitama Prefecture. As a result of FT-IR analysis, a carboxylic acid hydroxyl group near 2600 to 3600 cm ^-1 , a -NH group near 3300 cm ^-1 , a carboxylic acid and a carboxylic acid hydroxyl group near 1720 cm ^-1 , 1410 cm ^-1 , and an amide near 1650 cm ^-1 . Absorption presumed to be due to hydroxyl groups and ether was observed at 1000 to 1100 cm ^-1 . From these spectra, it is presumed to consist of a substance having a hydroxyl group and an ether group, a carboxylic acid, and a substance having an amide group.

It is known that ume contains citric acid as an acid component remarkably, but the ume extract and the ume acetone extract in FIG. 6 have a wave number of 3400 cm ^-1 , 1700 cm ^-1 , and 1100 cm ^-1 . The high and low are reversed, which means that the ume extract, that is, the extract obtained by decomposing the ume fruit under heating and pressure steam, has a highly decomposed acid component, and in particular, a part of citric acid is converted to itaconic acid. It is presumed that the spectrum changes due to the decomposition.

FIG. 7 shows the FT-IR spectrum (solid line) of ume extract obtained using ume from Yamanashi prefecture and the spectrum of polyitaconic acid (HU # 559; POLY (ITACONIC ACID)) searched from the FT-IR library. (Dashed line). As is clear from FIG. 7, these two spectra are almost the same in the tendency, and it is presumed that the ume extract contains polyitaconic acid. As can be seen from the solid lines in FIGS. 6 and 7, the FT-IR spectra of the ume extract obtained from the ume produced in Saitama Prefecture and the ume extract obtained from the ume produced in Yamanashi Prefecture are almost the same. It is presumed that the components of ume are almost the same even if they are produced in different places.

FIG. 8 shows the FT-IR spectrum (solid line) of the ume extract obtained using ume produced in Yamanashi Prefecture and malic acid (HP # 2907; S (-)-hydroxysuccinic acid) searched from the FT-IR library. It is a spectrum (broken line) of. As is clear from FIG. 8, these two spectra are almost the same in the tendency, and it is presumed that the ume extract contains malic acid.

FIG. 9 shows an FT-IR spectrum (solid line) of a plum extract obtained using plums produced in Yamanashi Prefecture and a spectrum (broken line) of Z001 # 50; Pokka Lemon 100 searched from the FT-IR library. "Pokka Lemon 100" is a registered trademark and consists of 100% concentrated and reduced lemon juice produced by Pokka Sapporo Food & Beverage Co., Ltd. According to the Japanese Food Standard Ingredients Table 2020 (8th revision), 100 g of lemon juice contains 90.5 g of water and 6.7 g of organic acid. Of the organic acids, 6.5 g is citric acid and 0.2 g. Is malic acid. As is clear from FIG. 9, both spectra are almost in agreement in that tendency, and it is presumed that the ume extract contains citric acid.

In addition, the components of ume extract and ume acetone extract obtained from ume produced in Saitama prefecture and ume extract obtained from ume produced in Yamanashi prefecture were analyzed by gas chromatograph. The analysis was conducted at the Industrial Technology Testing Laboratory, Iida Industrial Center, Minami Shinshu. In addition, PTAH (Phenyltrimethyl Ammonia Hydroxide) was used as a methyl ester inducing agent.

The analysis conditions are as follows.
<GC>
Injection volume: 10 μl
Method: 40 ° C 3min-10 ° C / min-240 ° C 5min (Run Time: 28min)
Injection: 240 ° C Split Flow: 3 ml
DB-WAX 30m, 0.25mm, 0.25μm
<MS>
Scan time: 2 to 28 min, m / z 30 to 550EI +

As a result, 4-methylitaconate was detected in both plum extracts obtained by decomposing plum fruits under heated and pressurized steam, but 4-methylitaconate was not detected in the plum acetone extract. (The graph is not shown in particular). From the above, it was found that the ume extract obtained by decomposing ume fruits under heating and pressurizing steam contains itaconic acid in which a part of citric acid contained in the ume fruits is decomposed.

Then, as described above, when this plum extract was diluted 5000 to 10000 times and sprayed on cherry tomatoes, it was found that 7-step flower buds were usually attached at the stage of 5-step flower buds. In addition to itaconic acid, various organic acids such as citric acid and malic acid, polyphenols, etc. are mixed in the extract obtained by decomposing the ume fruit under heating and pressure steam, but the ume fruit is ethanol. Since the solution immersed in the solution and extracted with ethanol has almost no effect of promoting the growth of cherry tomatoes, the action of itaconic acid in the plum extract obtained by steam-decomposing the ume fruits causes the mini tomatoes. It is thought that the growth of Japanese apricots was promoted.

In addition, in the component analysis by the above gas chromatograph, 4-hydroxy2-pentanone and dimethyl-2-methoxy were obtained from the ume extract obtained by decomposing ume fruits under heated and pressurized steam, in addition to 4-methylitaconate. Sukucinato etc. were detected. These 4-hydroxy 2-pentanone and dimethyl-2-methoxysuccinate are known to have a plant dwarfing function. In fact, during the long rainy season, the cherry tomatoes do not have flower buds and the stems grow long and thin (they grow long), but during the long rainy season, the above plum extract is diluted and sprayed on the cherry tomatoes. As a result, it was confirmed that the length of the stem was suppressed and the thickness of the stem increased. Itaconic acid is also considered to have a plant growth-suppressing function at this time. From the above facts, the ume extract obtained by decomposing ume fruits under heating and pressurizing steam contains various components, and in the process of plant growth, it promotes growth at a certain time and at a certain time. Has a plant growth regulating function of suppressing growth. It is considered that the growth of plants can be adjusted according to the purpose by adjusting the dilution ratio and spraying time of the ume fruit extract.

Liquid content (extract) and solid content (paste) can be obtained by steam-decomposing the ume fruit, and the solid content is a commercially available plum extract, that is, a paste-like boiled plum pulp. It contains a physiologically active substance (hydroxymethylfurfural) equivalent to that of ume, and is expected to be used as a preventive agent for lifestyle diseases.

Using the steam decomposition apparatus 28 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, beets (whole individual), corn (caryopsis), celery (root), and marigold (whole individual) were prepared by the processing procedure shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Each extract was obtained by steam decomposition. Hereinafter, each extract is referred to as "beet extract", "corn extract", "celery extract", and "marigold extract". As a plant growth regulator, a 1000-fold diluted solution and a 10000-fold diluted solution of each extract were prepared. The prepared plant growth regulator was added to rice seeds (variety: Koshihikari) and seedlings of Arabidopsis thaliana, and their effects were confirmed by comparing with those without additives (comparative example).

First, sterile rice seeds were cultivated in sterile water for 10 days. 1000-fold or 10,000-fold diluted beetroot extract, corn extract, celery extract, and marigold extract were added to the sterile water. According to this, the rice to which any extract was added showed the same or better growth (plant height, solid weight, root weight) as compared with the rice without addition. In a sterile environment, that is, in an environment excluding other external factors, no adverse effect was observed on the growth of rice, so that steam decomposition produces components that adversely affect the growth of crops. It is presumed that there is no such thing.

Next, unsterilized rice seeds were cultivated in tap water for 10 days. 1000-fold or 10,000-fold diluted beetroot extract, corn extract, celery extract, and marigold extract were added to the tap water. Under the stress environment of pathogens, rice with any extract showed the same or better growth than rice without addition, and as shown in FIG. 10, celery extract 10000 times diluted solution, marigold extract. Especially excellent growth was shown in the 10000-fold diluted solution.

Next, sterile rice seeds were cultivated on 1 / 2MS agar medium for 8 days. A 10000-fold diluted solution of beet extract, a 10000-fold diluted solution of celery extract, and a 10000-fold diluted solution of marigold extract were added to the medium. In a eutrophic environment, rice with the extract showed slightly better growth than rice without the addition, but no significant difference was seen. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 11, in the rice to which the extract was added, the expression rate of PBZ1, which is a defense-related gene, was improved as compared with the rice to which the extract was not added. The expression rate was about 2 times with the celery extract 10000 times diluted solution, about 6 times with the marigold extract 10000 times diluted solution, and about 24 times with the beats extract 10000 times diluted solution, and the PBZ1 inducer was produced by steam decomposition. There is a possibility. As an example, the expression of PBZ1 is known to have an effect of suppressing the infection of blast, and it is considered that the disease can be suppressed by using a component obtained by steam decomposition treatment.

Next, the unsterilized seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana were sown in the soil in which the filamentous fungi were propagated, and germinated at a constant temperature in an incubator and cultivated for 8 days. 1000-fold or 10000-fold diluted beet extract, corn extract, celery extract, and marigold extract were added to the soil. According to this, as shown in FIG. 12, the leaves of the additive-free Arabidopsis thaliana were all yellow and withered. On the other hand, in Arabidopsis thaliana to which the extract was added, a certain number of individuals continued to grow without dying and had green leaves.

Next, the unsterilized seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana were allowed to germinate at a constant temperature in an incubator and then transplanted to the soil in which the filamentous fungi were propagated and cultivated for 8 days. A 1000-fold or 10000-fold diluted beet extract, celery extract, or marigold extract was added to the soil. According to this, as shown in Table 1 and FIG. 13, Arabidopsis thaliana to which the extract was added had an average raw weight of about 1.2 times heavier than that without the extract (3.30 mg). The growth was promoted by the addition of the extract (4.04 mg). Individually, the growth was slightly inferior in the celery extract 1000-fold diluted solution as compared with the extract-free solution, but the same growth was shown in the beet extract 1000-fold diluted solution, and all the other extracts were excellent. Showed growth. In addition, beats, celery, and marigold all showed better growth in the 10000-fold diluted solution than in the 1000-fold diluted solution. From this, it is considered that the growth of plants can be adjusted according to the purpose by adjusting the dilution ratio of the components by the steam decomposition treatment.

1 lid, 2 pressure vessel, 3 heater, 4 temperature sensor, 5 controller, 6 pressure sensor, 7 electromagnetic valve, 8 basket, 9 monitoring room, 10 monitor, 11 tray, 12 auto sampler, 13 sequencer, 20 plant growth Conditioning agent manufacturing system, 22 water supply source, 24th hypochlorite water generator, 26 water purification equipment, 28 steam decomposition equipment

Claims (8)

A plant growth regulator characterized in that unused crop lumber contains components decomposed under heated and pressurized steam. The unused crop material is plum fruit,
The plant growth regulator according to claim 1, wherein the ume fruit contains itaconic acid in a component decomposed under heated and pressurized steam. The preparatory process for accommodating unused crop lumber in a closed space,
A steam decomposition step of heating and pressurizing the unused crop lumber in the enclosed space with steam at a temperature of 120 ° C. to 149 ° C. for 2 hours to 5 hours to decompose the wood.
A method for producing a plant growth regulator, which comprises a recovery step of recovering components decomposed by the steam decomposition step. The steam decomposition step is characterized in that the steam pressure as a partial pressure in the closed space is controlled along a saturated steam pressure curve, and the steam pressure and the temperature in the closed space are increased to heat and pressurize. The method for producing a plant growth regulator according to claim 3. The method for producing a plant growth regulator according to claim 3 or 4, wherein in the recovery step, the inside of the closed space is cooled while controlling the water vapor pressure along a saturated water vapor pressure curve. Using the unused crop wood as plum fruit,
The method for producing a plant growth regulator according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein in the steam decomposition step, the ume fruit is decomposed to produce an itaconic acid-containing component. It is a system that manufactures a plant growth regulator used for new crop cultivation from unused lumber generated in crop cultivation.
Water source and
A hypochlorous acid water generator that produces hypochlorous acid water by diluting and mixing sodium hypochlorite and hydrochloric acid with water supplied from the water supply source.
A water purification device that purifies the water supplied from the water supply source,
Equipped with a steam decomposition device that decomposes plants by heating and pressurizing them with steam.
The steam decomposition apparatus heats and pressurizes the unused material washed and disinfected with the hypochlorite water generated by the hypochlorite water generator with steam generated from the water purified by the water purification apparatus. A plant growth regulator manufacturing system characterized by the construction of a mechanism to obtain a plant growth regulator functional component by decomposing it. It is a method of producing a plant growth regulator used for new crop cultivation from unused lumber generated in crop cultivation.
A cleaning and disinfecting process for cleaning and disinfecting unused lumber,
A water purification process that purifies water and
A steam decomposition step of heating and pressurizing the unused material that has been washed and disinfected with steam generated from the purified water to decompose it is carried out.
A method for producing a plant growth regulator, which comprises obtaining a plant growth regulator functional component from the unused lumber.

Images