JP2023076419A - Plant cultivation device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a plant cultivation device that can economically perform environment adjustment of plants and insect pest control.SOLUTION: A plant cultivation device 1 that cultivates plants 2 held by a holding member 3 comprises: the holding member 3 for holding the plants 2; a sunlight irradiation region R1 for irradiating the plants 2 with sunlight; an environment adjustment region R2 which is positioned vertically below the sunlight irradiation region R1, and is for adjusting a cultivation environment of the plants 2; and an elevating mechanism which can move the holding member 3 between the sunlight irradiation region R1 and the environment adjustment region R2 by elevating in a vertical direction while maintaining a state where leaf/stem parts 21 of the plants 2 are positioned in an upper area. The holding member 3 can sink underwater.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present disclosure relates to plant cultivation devices. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to plant growing devices for use in hydroponics.

In general outdoor hydroponics, it is not possible to adjust the sunshine hours of plants to be cultivated. In this case, depending on the season, the sunshine lasts for a long time, and as a result, the flower buds are set in a state in which the growth of the vegetables is insufficient, and the commercial value of the vegetables may be significantly reduced. For this reason, sunshine hours are adjusted in open-field hydroponics.

In addition, in the case of open-field hydroponics, pests are more likely to appear than greenhouse or indoor hydroponics. However, it is required to avoid the use of agricultural chemicals as much as possible from the viewpoint of the safety of plants such as vegetables that are put into the mouth.

Patent documents 1 and 2, for example, disclose cultivation apparatuses capable of adjusting the duration of sunshine and exterminating pests without using agricultural chemicals.

Patent Document 1 discloses a cultivation apparatus having a normal cultivation section having a first conveying path for conveying a holding member that holds a plant, and an environment adjusting section having a second conveying path for conveying the holding member. there is In the cultivation apparatus, when the holding member is moved from the normal cultivation section located in the upper part to the environment adjustment section located in the lower part, the holding member in the normal cultivation section is first horizontally moved along the first conveying path. It is carried into the lift gauge, then the lift gauge is lowered, then horizontally transported out of the lift gauge, transported into the environment adjustment section, and moved horizontally along the second transport path to the target position. When moving the holding member from the environment adjustment section to the normal cultivation section, the above procedure is reversed. In addition, while the holding member is loaded into the rotating gauge inside the lifting gauge, the holding member inside the rotating gauge is turned upside down so that the leaf stem portion of the plant faces downward, and the lifting gauge is lowered to the storage tank at the bottom to remove the leaves. There is a disclosure of a method for exterminating pests by immersing the stems in a liquid in a reservoir to detach pests adhering to the leaf stems and floating or sinking them in water.

In Patent Document 2, a plurality of plant cultivation boxes in which the leaves and stems of plants are planted so as to extend above the box are arranged so as to be slidable on left and right guide rails, and the plurality of plant cultivation boxes are connected. , discloses a cultivating apparatus in which wire ropes are connected to plant cultivating boxes at both ends. In the cultivation apparatus, the plurality of plant cultivation boxes are moved between the upper cultivation zone zone extending linearly and the lower evacuation zone zone extending linearly in reverse. The movement from the upper cultivation zone zone to the lower evacuation zone zone is performed by moving the wire rope on the pulley at one end of the cultivation device, thereby sequentially turning the plurality of connected plant cultivation boxes upside down along the wire rope. is done. Movement of the plant cultivation box from the lower evacuation zone to the upper cultivation zone is performed by moving the wire rope on the pulley at the other end of the cultivation device, thereby sequentially moving the plurality of connected plant cultivation boxes to the leaves of the plants. It is performed by turning the stem part upside down from a state in which it extends downward. In Patent Document 2, pest control is carried out by a method of spraying a liquid onto the downward-facing leaf-stem portion or a method of immersing the downward-facing leaf-stalk portion in a liquid while the plant cultivation box is in the lower evacuation zone zone.

WO 2012/5121 JP 2011-30547 A

Thus, in the cultivation apparatuses of Patent Documents 1 and 2, it is necessary to move the plant horizontally in order to move the plant between the cultivation section positioned at the top and the environment adjustment section positioned at the bottom. . In addition, in the cultivation apparatuses of Patent Documents 1 and 2, it is necessary to turn the plant upside down so that the leaf stem portion faces downward for pest control. Therefore, the cultivation apparatuses of Patent Literatures 1 and 2 need to be equipped with parts for moving the plants and parts for turning the plants upside down, which raises the problem of increasing the cost of the cultivation apparatus. For example, when the plant is a vegetable, the price of the plant is fixed to some extent, so considering the purchase cost of the consumer, the reduction of the facility cost of the cultivation apparatus is a very important issue for the stable supply of the plant. be.

The present disclosure has been made in view of the problems described above, and an object thereof is to provide a plant cultivation apparatus capable of economically adjusting the environment of plants and exterminating pests.

The present disclosure is a plant cultivation device for cultivating a plant held by a holding member,
the holding member for holding the plant;
a sunlight irradiation area for irradiating the plant with sunlight;
an environment adjustment area positioned vertically below the sunlight irradiation area for adjusting the cultivation environment of the plant;
an elevating mechanism capable of moving the holding member between the sunlight irradiation area and the environment adjustment area by vertical elevating while maintaining a state in which the leaf and stem portion of the plant is positioned upward; prepared,
The holding member provides a plant cultivation device that is submersible in water.

As described above, the plant cultivation apparatus includes a sunlight irradiation area for cultivating plants by irradiating them with sunlight, and is positioned vertically below the sunlight irradiation area to adjust the plant cultivation environment. and an environment adjustment area for Then, when the holding member holding the plant is moved between the sunlight irradiation area and the environment adjustment area, the leaf and stem portion of the plant is maintained in the upper position and moved up and down in the vertical direction. An elevating mechanism capable of moving the holding member is provided. As a result, it is not necessary to move the holding member in the horizontal direction or turn it upside down, so mechanisms and parts for these are not required, and the manufacturing cost of the plant cultivation apparatus can be greatly reduced.

Moreover, in the plant cultivation apparatus, the holding member may be submerged in water. Accordingly, when the holding member is immersed in water, the holding member is submerged in water. Therefore, the plant can be immersed in water together with the holding member without turning the holding member upside down so that the leaf and stem portion of the plant faces downward. be able to. In addition, a mechanism/part for vertically inverting the holding member becomes unnecessary, and the manufacturing cost of the plant cultivation device can be significantly reduced.

According to the plant cultivation device of the present disclosure, it is possible to economically adjust the environment of plants and exterminate pests. Therefore, it is possible to stably provide consumers with pesticide-free plants grown under sunlight irradiation at a low price.

1 is a schematic diagram (front cross-sectional view) showing an embodiment in which a plant cultivation apparatus of the present disclosure is positioned in a sunlight irradiation area; FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram (front cross-sectional view) showing an embodiment in which a plant cultivation apparatus of the present disclosure is positioned in an environment adjustment area; FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram (front cross-sectional view) showing an example of a state in which a culture solution is sprayed onto a leaf-stem portion in the plant cultivation apparatus shown in FIG. 2 ; In the plant cultivation apparatus shown in FIG. 2, it is the schematic (front sectional drawing) which shows an example of the state which water-filled the area|region for environment adjustment. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating one embodiment of a panel-type retaining member; 1 is a schematic diagram (external view) showing an embodiment of a panel-type holding member having a plurality of through holes; FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing one embodiment of a lid member in a box-shaped holding member; FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing one embodiment of a bottom member in a box-shaped retaining member; 1 is a schematic diagram (front cross-sectional view) showing an embodiment of a box-shaped holding member; FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram (external view) showing an embodiment of a box-shaped holding member having a plurality of through holes; FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram (front cross-sectional view) showing an embodiment of a culture solution supply mechanism when a panel-type holding member is used; Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram (front cross-sectional view) showing a mode in which a plant is immersed in a culture solution in the panel-type holding member shown in Fig. 11; FIG. 12 is a schematic view (front cross-sectional view) showing a mode in which waves are generated on the liquid surface in the panel type holding member shown in FIG. 11; FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram (front cross-sectional view) showing another embodiment of a culture solution supply mechanism when using a panel-type holding member. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram (front cross-sectional view) showing still another embodiment of the culture solution supply mechanism when using a panel-type holding member. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram (front cross-sectional view) showing still another embodiment of the culture solution supply mechanism when using a panel-type holding member. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram (front cross-sectional view) showing an embodiment of a culture medium supply mechanism when a box-shaped holding member is used; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram (front cross-sectional view) showing an embodiment of a holding member having a swing mechanism; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram (front cross-sectional view) showing another embodiment of a holding member having a swing mechanism; FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram (front cross-sectional view) showing still another embodiment of a holding member having a swing mechanism; FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram (front cross-sectional view) showing still another embodiment of a holding member having a swing mechanism; 1 is a schematic diagram (external view) showing an embodiment in which a plant cultivation apparatus of the present disclosure is positioned in a sunlight irradiation area; FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram (external view) showing another embodiment in which the plant cultivation apparatus of the present disclosure is positioned in the sunlight irradiation area. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram (external view) showing still another embodiment in which the plant cultivation apparatus of the present disclosure is positioned in the sunlight irradiation area.

Each aspect disclosed in this specification can be combined with any other configuration disclosed in this specification. In addition, each embodiment disclosed in this specification is an example and is not limited to each embodiment itself. may be performed as appropriate. Moreover, each invention according to the present disclosure is not limited by the embodiments, but only by the scope of the claims.

The plant cultivation apparatus of the present disclosure is preferably an apparatus used for hydroponics (especially open-field hydroponics). In the present specification, hydroponics refers to a method of cultivating plants by contacting the roots with a culture solution so that nutrients are absorbed by the roots without planting the plants in soil. In this specification, open-field cultivation refers to a method of cultivating plants by irradiating the leaves and stems of the plants with sunlight instead of artificial light such as LEDs.

Plants cultivated by the plant cultivation apparatus of the present disclosure are not particularly limited, but are preferably vegetables, and more preferably leafy vegetables (leaf vegetables). Examples of the leafy vegetables include spinach, Japanese mustard spinach, lettuce, cabbage, green onion, and bok choy. The above plants are flowers, vegetables (fruit vegetables) whose fruits are edible such as cucumber, eggplant, tomato, strawberry, green soybean, and soybean, rhizomes such as radish, carrot, garlic, ginger, sweet potato, and shallot, and medicinal plants. There may be.

[Plant cultivation device]
A plant cultivation apparatus of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to embodiments. FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram (cross-sectional view) of one embodiment of the plant cultivation apparatus of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the plant cultivation apparatus 1 includes a holding member 3 for holding a plant 2, a wire rope 4 for suspending the holding member 3, an environment adjustment box 5, and a solar system inside the environment adjustment box 5. Lids 6a and 6b are provided for blocking the entry of light.

In addition, the plant cultivation apparatus 1 includes a sunlight irradiation region R1 for irradiating the leaf stem portion 21 of the plant 2 with sunlight, and a sunlight irradiation region R1 positioned vertically below the sunlight irradiation region R1. and an environment adjustment area R2 for adjusting the environment. The environment adjustment area R2 is formed of an environment adjustment box 5 buried in the ground and lids 6a and 6b.

The holding member 3 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in a one-dimensional direction, and has hook portions 31 on both end faces of the rectangular parallelepiped. A wire rope 4 is wound around a columnar portion of the hooking portion 31, and the hooking portion 31 has a disk portion having a larger diameter than the columnar portion so that the wire rope 4 does not come off from the columnar portion.

The holding member 3 is provided with a plurality of holes (through holes 32a, 33a, etc., which will be described later) penetrating in the vertical direction, and the plant 2 is held in each hole. From each hole, the leaf stem portion 21 of the plant 2 extends upward, and the root portion of the plant 2 extends downward. The number of plants 2 held by one holding member 3 is not particularly limited, and is appropriately set according to the size of the cultivation area.

The holding member 3 can be submerged in water. Accordingly, when the holding member 3 is immersed in water or a liquid containing water as a main component, such as an aqueous solution, the holding member 3 sinks in the aqueous solution. For this reason, for example, when an immersion liquid such as water or a culture solution is put in the environment adjustment region R2 from below, the holding member 3 does not need to be turned upside down so that the leaf stem portion 21 of the plant 2 faces downward. The plant 2 can be immersed in the immersion liquid together with 3, and the leaf stem portion 21 can be immersed to facilitate pest control and foliar fertilization. Further, a mechanism/part for vertically inverting the holding member 3 becomes unnecessary, and the manufacturing cost of the plant cultivation device 1 can be greatly reduced. It should be noted that the holding member 3 may be one that sinks in the immersion liquid, and specific means for this include increasing the specific gravity of the holding member 3 while holding the plant 2, attaching a weight to the holding member 3, and the like. , the plant 2, the holding member 3, and other members attached to the holding member 3 (attached members) have a higher total specific gravity than the immersion liquid such as water. In this case, when the plant 2 is held, the holding member 3 and the attached members as a whole need only have a higher specific gravity than the immersion liquid, and the specific gravity of each component constituting the holding member 3 is not particularly limited. The specific gravity of the holding member 3 may be appropriately set according to the buoyancy and specific gravity of the plant 2 . Examples of members constituting the holding member 3 include a hook portion 31, a panel-shaped holding member 32, a box-shaped holding member 35, and a lid member 33 and a bottom member 34 forming the box-shaped holding member 35, which will be described later. Materials for members constituting the holding member 3 include artificial wood, carbonized wood, resin, and metal materials such as stainless steel and aluminum. When a metal material is used, it is preferable to insulate the surface of the holding member 3 by applying a heat insulating paint or attaching a heat insulating sheet so that the surface does not become hot.

In addition, pest control and foliar fertilization in the leaf-stem portion 21 may be performed mainly by shower injection for spraying the culture solution to the leaf-stem portion 21, and depending on the situation, may be immersed in an immersion liquid such as a culture solution. . The showering of the leaf stem portion 21 and the immersion in the immersion liquid may be performed in the sunlight irradiation area R1, or may be performed in the environment adjustment area R2 as described later. The immersion of the leaf stem portion 21 in the liquid causes water pressure to be applied to the leaf stem portion 21 every time the leaf stem portion 21 enters and exits the liquid. On the other hand, pests such as caterpillars, which are relatively strongly attached to plants, are difficult to separate from the plants only by spraying the liquid. Therefore, it is preferable to combine the injection of the liquid onto the leaf stem portion 21 and the immersion of the leaf stem portion 21 in the liquid.

Moreover, the holding member 3 does not have to be submerged in water. In an environment where there are few pests, pests can be exterminated by spraying water on the leaf and stem portions, such as the above-described shower spray, without immersing the leaf and stem portions 21 in water. In this case, the material of the members forming the holding member 3 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, polystyrene foam.

The leaf-stem portion 21 of the plant 2 held by the holding member 3 may be covered with a net (mesh bag). The net is a leaf covering member that covers the leaves of the plant 2 . By covering the leaf-stem portion 21 of the plant 2 with a leaf-covering member such as a net, the leaf-stem portion 21 can be irradiated with sunlight while the holding member 3 is in the sunlight irradiation region R1 or when the sunlight is applied. It is possible to suppress insect pests from flying and adhering to the leaf stem portion 21 when vertically moving between the irradiation region R1 and the environment adjustment region R2. Further, when the holding member 3 is vertically moved between the sunlight irradiation region R1 and the environment adjustment region R2, the environment adjustment box in which the plant 2 held around the end portion of the holding member 3 forms the environment adjustment region R2. 5 can be prevented from contacting the wall. The leaf and stem portions 21 of a plurality of plants 2 may be covered with one net, or the leaf and stem portions 21 of individual plants 2 may each be covered with a plurality of nets. The net is removed in the sunlight irradiation area R1 and put on when moving to the environment adjustment area R2 in order to improve ventilation to the plants 2 and to prevent the inside of the net from becoming hot and stuffy. may be installed in In addition, in order to prevent the inside of the net from becoming hot and stuffy, it is preferable to use the net in an environment where the temperature is low, such as in winter. The net preferably has holes so that sunlight can directly irradiate the leaf stem portion 21, and may be a non-woven fabric. Also, a film may be used instead of the net.

The plant cultivation apparatus 1 includes an elevating mechanism that moves the holding member 3 between the sunlight irradiation area R1 and the environment adjustment area R2 while maintaining the leaf stem portion 21 of the plant 2 upward. A lifting mechanism in the plant cultivation apparatus 1 is composed of a wire rope 4 and a power source (not shown).

The wire rope 4 is a suspension mechanism for suspending the holding member 3 . By suspending the holding member 3 by the suspension mechanism, the vertical movement of the holding member 3 is facilitated, and the parts are economically efficient. In the suspension mechanism, the parts for suspending the holding member 3 include a chain, a fiber rope, and the like, in addition to the wire rope 4 .

For example, by using a power source (not shown) capable of unwinding and winding the wire rope 4, the wire rope 4 is unwound from above and lowered so that the hook 31 and the holding member 3 move vertically downward. By descending and winding up the wire rope 4 from above and pulling it up, the hooking portion 31 and the holding member 3 are raised vertically upward. Thereby, the holding member 3 can be moved between the sunlight irradiation region R1 and the environment adjustment region R2 while maintaining the state where the leaf stem portion 21 of the plant 2 is upward. The lifting mechanism is not limited to the wire rope 4 and a power source (not shown), and a known or commonly used lifting device can be used. Further, the lifting mechanism may be automatically operated or may be manually operated.

The sunlight irradiation region R1 is a region (space) for irradiating the leaf stem portion 21 of the plant 2 with sunlight. The sunlight irradiation region R1 may be covered with a light-transmitting film as in a vinyl house, but from the viewpoint of irradiating a wider variety of light with wavelengths emitted by sunlight, for example, the vinyl It is preferable that the region is directly irradiated with sunlight rather than light transmitted through a light-transmitting film such as a film. In addition, the sunlight irradiation region R1 does not have to be a region that is always irradiated with sunlight, as long as it is a region that can be irradiated with sunlight by opening and closing the lid, ceiling, openable vinyl house, etc. good. The open/close type greenhouse may be an automatic wind-up type equipped with sensors for temperature, rain, wind, humidity, and the like. It is preferable that the sunlight irradiation area R1 is on the ground.

The environment adjustment area R2 is an area (space) for adjusting the cultivation environment of the plant 2 . The environment to be adjusted includes, for example, the irradiation amount of sunlight, brightness, temperature, humidity, air conditioning, air volume, and the like. In the environment adjustment region R2, by adjusting such a cultivation environment, for example, nighttime simulation can be applied to the plants 2.

The environment adjustment area R2 is formed of an environment adjustment box 5 buried in the ground and lids 6a and 6b. Lids 6a and 6b can be opened and closed. E indicates the ground. The environment adjustment box 5 and the environment adjustment area R2 are underground. By moving the plant 2 to the environment adjustment area R2 by the lifting mechanism, the temperature and humidity of the environment adjustment area R2 can be instantaneously changed from an environment close to daytime (for example, bright environment) to an environment close to night (for example, high humidity and dark environment). environment), and the growth of the plant 2 can be hastened. In addition, in the event of a disaster such as a typhoon, heavy rain, or storm, in the event of bad weather such as heat, extreme cold, or snowfall, or when the environment of the sunlight irradiation region R1 deteriorates, such as volcanic ash, yellow sand, or sandstorm, the holding member 3 can be evacuated by moving to the environment adjustment area R2. Also, in rural areas, pests such as deer, wild boars, raccoons, palm civets, and weasels that appear at night, and monkeys during the daytime are common, and there are cases where they break or destroy vinyl houses and invade. By moving and storing the holding member 3 in the environment adjustment area R2, it is possible to prevent the invasion of vermin and prevent damage. In addition, by moving and storing the holding member 3 in the environment adjustment area R2, it is possible to prevent invasion of insects such as slugs and cutworms that are active at night.

The environment adjustment area R2 is not limited to being buried in the ground, and may be on the ground, for example, with the environment adjustment box 5 installed on the ground. For example, the environment control box 5 made of a heat insulating material can be installed on the roof of a building such as a building, and plants can be grown on the roof of the building using the plant cultivation apparatus of the present disclosure.

The plant cultivation apparatus 1 includes a sunlight blocking mechanism that blocks sunlight irradiation to the environment adjustment region R2. The solar blocking mechanism comprises lids 6a and 6b. As shown in FIG. 2, the holding member 3 in the state shown in FIG. 1 is lowered from the sunlight irradiation area R1 into the environment adjustment box 5 by the elevating mechanism and moved to the environment adjustment area R2, and the lids 6a and 6b are lifted. By closing the , it is possible to block sunlight irradiation and make the environment adjustment area R2 into a dark room. The lifting mechanism is movable only in the vertical direction when moving the holding member 3 between the sunlight irradiation region R1 and the environment adjustment region R2, and is not movable in the horizontal direction.

Air-conditioning pipes 7a and 7b are connected to the environment adjustment region R2, and the air-conditioned environment such as temperature, humidity, and air volume in the environment adjustment region R2 can be adjusted through the air conditioning pipes 7a and 7b. For example, since cucumbers are vulnerable to humidity and water, an optimum environment for cucumbers can be created by sending dry air in the environment adjustment region R2.

A plurality of injection ports 51 are provided on the inner wall surface of the environment adjustment box 5 . By injecting the liquid from the injection port 51 while the plant 2 is in the environment adjustment region R2, the liquid can be adhered to the leaf stem portion 21 (FIG. 3). The plant cultivation apparatus 1 also includes a leaf/stem soaking mechanism for soaking the leaf/stem part 21 of the plant 2 in the liquid in the environment adjustment region R2. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a liquid inlet 8 and a liquid outlet 9 are connected to the environment adjustment region R2. That is, in the plant cultivation apparatus 1 , the leaf-and-stem soaking mechanism includes the environment adjustment box 5 , the liquid inlet 8 and the liquid outlet 9 . From the state shown in FIG. 2, a liquid such as water or a culture medium can be injected through the liquid inlet 8 to fill the environment adjustment region R2 with the liquid (FIG. 4). At this time, the air conditioning pipes 7a and 7b and the drain port 9 are closed so that the liquid does not enter.

By filling the environment adjustment region R2 with the liquid, the holding member 3 does not float but becomes submerged in the liquid, and the leaf stem portion 21 is immersed in the liquid. By injecting the liquid from the injection port 51 to the leaf and stem portion 21 or by immersing the leaf and stem portion 21 in the liquid, pests such as aphids, aphids, cutworms, diamondback moths, etc. attached to the leaf and stem portion 21 are removed from the leaf and stem portion 21. can be detached from Thereafter, the liquid is discharged from the environment adjustment area R2 through the liquid discharge port 9. FIG. The liquid may be water or an aqueous solution such as a culture solution. By spraying the liquid on the plant 2 and immersing the plant 2 in the liquid, for example, if harmful substances such as radioactive substances and sulfur oxides contained in acid rain are attached to the plant 2 , the plant 2 can be washed to remove harmful substances, and foliar fertilization can also be performed if the liquid is a broth. In addition, when the liquid is a sterilizing liquid such as ozone water, the plant 2 can be sterilized, and bacteria, fungi, etc. adhering to the plant 2 can be removed. In addition, rather than lowering the holding member 3 and immersing the leaf stem portion 21 in the liquid previously stored in the environment adjustment box 5 , the holding member 3 that is stopped is poured into the empty environment adjustment box 5 . It is preferable to inject the liquid from the liquid port 8 to immerse the leaf stem portion 21 in the liquid from the viewpoint of lightening the load on the leaf stem portion 21 .

The holding member 3 may have a plurality of through holes penetrating the holding member 3 in the vertical direction. The through hole is a hole different from the through hole 32 a for holding the plant 2 . In this case, when the holding member 3 is lowered to immerse the leaf/stem portion 21 in the liquid preliminarily stored in the environment adjustment box 5, the liquid passes through the through holes, thereby reducing the resistance from the liquid to the holding member 3. can be lowered. In addition, when the holding member 3 is positioned in the sunlight irradiation region R1, cool air generated by evaporation of the liquid stored in the environment adjustment box 5 below the holding member 3 passes through the through holes. The leaf stem portion 21 of the plant 2 can be cooled by the heat. The larger the area ratio of the through holes on the upper and lower surfaces of the holding member 3, the more easily the above effect can be obtained. The area ratio is, for example, 50% or more, more preferably 60% or more, and still more preferably 80% or more.

The shape, size, position, and the like of the through holes are not particularly limited as long as liquid or gas can pass through them. The through holes do not need to be positioned vertically on the upper and lower surfaces of the holding member 3 . The plurality of through holes may be provided in a grid pattern in the holding member. Further, the holding member may be composed of a filamentous fabric (for example, an iron grid, a resin mesh, etc.).

The height of the environment adjustment area R2 (for example, the height of the environment adjustment box 5) is not particularly limited, and is appropriately set according to the height of the plant 2, but may be, for example, about 30 cm to 1.5 m. can.

The positions of the air conditioning pipes 7a and 7b, the injection port 8, and the drainage port 9 are not particularly limited. The immersion time is usually 1 to 120 minutes, preferably 10 to 20 minutes.

The holding member in the plant culture device of the present disclosure includes a panel-type holding member and a box-type holding member. The holding member 3 shown in FIG. 1 is a panel type holding member. The box-shaped holding member comprises a lid member and a bottom member, the bottom having medium passages capable of transferring medium between the roots of a plurality of plants. Also, the root portion is housed inside the holding member and is not exposed to the outside of the holding member. On the other hand, the panel-type holding member does not include a bottom member that accommodates the roots of the plant and has a culture solution passage, and the roots are exposed.

It is preferable that the panel-type holding member has a through hole for holding a plant, and a protruding portion provided on the periphery of the through hole. One embodiment of the panel type holding member is shown in FIG.

FIG. 5(a) is a top view of a panel-type holding member 32 which is an embodiment of the panel-type holding member, FIG. 5(b) is a cross-sectional view of the panel-type holding member 32 taken along line II', and FIG. II-II' sectional views of the panel type holding member 32 are shown respectively. As shown in FIG. 5, the panel-type holding member 32 has a sheet shape and has a through hole 32a passing through the panel in the thickness direction of the sheet shape. The upper surface of the panel-type holding member 32 includes a raised portion 32b circumferentially provided at the edge of the through hole 32a and a bottom portion of the upper surface provided adjacent to the periphery of the raised portion 32b and positioned lower than the raised portion 32b. 32g, and inclined portions 32c to 32f that slope downward from the top bottom portion 32g toward the periphery of the top surface of the panel type holding member 32. As shown in FIG. The top bottom portion 32g is a horizontal surface, but may be inclined.

The inclined portions 32c to 32f are inclined downward from the top bottom portion 32g toward the peripheral edge of the panel-shaped holding member 32. As shown in FIG. As a result, the liquid such as the culture medium that has flowed to the top bottom portion 32g and the inclined portions 32c to 32f flows toward the periphery of the panel-type holding member 32 and falls from the top surface of the panel-type holding member 32. Since the liquid such as the culture solution does not accumulate on the upper surface of the panel-type holding member 32 when the culture solution is sprayed on the upper surface of the panel-type holding member 32, the generation of algae can be suppressed. Also, when a large amount of culture solution flows into the through-hole 32a, the stem of the plant 2 is impacted and weakened. It becomes possible to protect the stem.

The inclined portions 32c to 32f are formed in this order on the four sides of the rectangular shape of the panel-type holding member 32 when viewed from above, and are inclined toward the periphery of the panel-type holding member 32. As shown in FIG. The inclined portion 32c and the inclined portion 32e, and the inclined portion 32d and the inclined portion 32f are located on the side facing each other. The arrangement and shape of the inclined portion are not particularly limited as long as the liquid supplied to the inclined portion flows toward the peripheral edge of the panel-type holding member 32 at a position lower than the raised portion 32b. Also, the number and arrangement of the through-holes 32a are not particularly limited, and can be adjusted as appropriate. Although the through-hole 32a has a circular shape in plan view, it may have another shape, and is not particularly limited. The through hole 32a is cylindrical. A sheet-like water absorbing member can be installed on the inner wall surface of the through hole 32a.

The panel-type holding member may have the plurality of through holes. One embodiment of a panel-type retaining member having a plurality of through holes is shown in FIG. The panel-type holding member 32 shown in FIG. 6 is formed into a lattice-shaped mesh with resin wires, and as a result has a plurality of through holes 32h. Although the through hole 32b does not have a through hole 32h, it may be formed into a grid-like mesh by resin wires, like the other portions.

The box-shaped holding member includes a lid member and a bottom member. The box-shaped holding member preferably has a culture solution supply port for supplying culture solution into the box. The culture medium supply port may be formed in either the lid member or the bottom member. When the culture medium supply port is formed in the lid member, it may penetrate in the thickness direction of the sheet shape of the lid member, or may penetrate through the side surface. When the culture solution supply port is formed in the bottom member, it may penetrate in the thickness direction of the sheet shape of the bottom member, or may penetrate in the side surface. The culture solution supply port may be one or plural. When the through-holes are arranged in a line, the culture solution supply port is preferably provided on one end side of the plurality of through-holes arranged in a line. Preferably, the lower surface of the lid member and the upper surface of the bottom member respectively have shapes (for example, concave and convex shapes) for fitting together. The shape for fitting (fitting shape) is preferably formed in a frame shape. The lid member may be used as the panel type holding member.

The lid member has a through hole for holding a plant. It is preferable that the upper surface of the lid member has a protuberance provided on the periphery of the through hole. Further, it is preferable that the upper surface of the lid member has an inclined portion that slopes downward from the peripheral edge of the raised portion toward the peripheral edge of the upper surface of the lid member. In particular, it is preferable that the upper surface of the lid member does not have a liquid-retaining portion.

The bottom member has a drain port for draining the culture medium supplied into the box to the outside of the box. The drain port preferably penetrates the bottom member so that the outlet faces vertically downward. It is preferable that the upper surface of the bottom member has a concave portion through which the supplied culture solution flows. It is preferable that the recess is provided at least below each through-hole in the vertical direction. It is preferable that the drain port is provided in the recess. It is preferable that all recesses are connected so that the culture solution can flow. Moreover, the number of the drainage ports may be one or plural. When the through-holes are arranged in a row, the drainage port is provided on the through-hole side on the other end side with respect to the culture solution supply port provided on one end side of the plurality of through-holes arranged in a row. It is preferable that The shape of the lower surface of the bottom member is not particularly limited. The upper surface of the bottom member may be flat without having the recess.

The recess forms a cavity inside the box when the lid member and the bottom member are combined to form a box-shaped holding member. The height of the cavity (that is, the height of the recess) is appropriately set according to the type of plant, but may be about 1 to 2 cm. It is preferable that the recess provided on the lower side of the through-hole has a shape having a diameter larger than the diameter of the through-hole (in particular, the diameter of the through-hole on the lower surface side of the lid member). Further, a water absorbing member may be arranged in the concave portion provided on the lower side of the through hole. By arranging the water absorbing member, the culture solution flowing through the concave portion can be held in the water absorbing member, and the drying of the roots is suppressed, and the roots are dispersed and prosperous, and the roots in contact with the water absorbing member are continuously cultured. liquid can be supplied.

One embodiment of the lid member of the box-shaped holding member is shown in FIG. 7, and one embodiment of the bottom member of the box-shaped holding member is shown in FIG. The bottom surface of the lid member 33 shown in FIG. 7 and the top surface of the bottom member 34 shown in FIG. 8 can be fitted together to form the box-shaped holding member shown in FIG.

7(a) is a top view of the cover member 33, FIG. 7(b) is a cross-sectional view of the cover member 33 taken along line III-III', and FIG. 7(c) is a cross-sectional view of the cover member 33 taken along line IV-IV'. As shown in FIG. 7, the lid member 33 has a sheet shape and has a through hole 33a passing through the lid member 33 in the thickness direction of the sheet shape. The upper surface of the lid member 33 has a raised portion 33b provided in a circumferential shape at the edge of the through hole 33a, and a top bottom portion 33g located adjacent to the peripheral edge of the through hole 33a and positioned lower than the raised portion 33b. , inclined portions 33c to 33f that are inclined downward from the top bottom portion 33g toward the peripheral edge of the top surface of the lid member 33, and the lid member 33 that penetrates in the thickness direction of the sheet shape and extends into the box (downward of the lid member 33). and a culture solution supply port 33h for supplying the culture solution. Although the top bottom portion 33g is a horizontal surface, it may be inclined. A convex shape 33 i for fitting with the concave shape 34 e of the bottom member 34 is formed on the lower surface of the lid member 33 in a frame shape.

The inclined portions 33c to 33f are inclined downward from the top bottom portion 33g toward the peripheral edge of the lid member 33. As shown in FIG. As a result, even if the culture solution remains on the upper surface due to, for example, the supply of the culture solution by showering or the immersion in the immersion solution, the culture solution on the bottom surface 33g and the inclined portions 33c to 33f will not reach the periphery of the lid member 33. It is possible to suppress the intrusion of excess culture solution into the inside of the box by flowing toward the lid member 33 and falling down. In addition, since the liquid such as the culture solution does not accumulate on the upper surface of the lid member 33, it is possible to suppress the generation of algae. In addition, when a large amount of culture solution flows into the through hole 33a, the stem of the plant 2 is impacted and weakened. It becomes possible to protect the stem.

The culture solution supply port 33h is a tube for supplying the culture solution to the inside of the box-shaped holding member composed of the lid member 33 and the bottom member 34 (below the lid member 33).

As shown in FIG. 7(c), the through hole 33a is cylindrical. A sheet-like water absorbing member can be installed on the inner wall surface of the through hole 33a.

8(a) is a top view of the bottom member 34, FIG. 8(b) is a V-V' cross-sectional view of the bottom member 34, and FIG. 8(c) is a VI-VI' cross-sectional view of the bottom member 34. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, the bottom member 34 has a sheet shape and has a drain port 34a for draining the culture medium supplied into the box to the outside of the box. The drain port 34a penetrates the bottom member 34 so as to face vertically downward. The upper surface of the bottom member 34 is formed with a frame-like concave shape 34 e for fitting with the convex shape 33 i of the lid member 33 .

The upper surface of the bottom member 34 has a recess for circulating the culture medium supplied into the box (upper surface of the bottom member 34 ) through the culture medium supply port 33 h of the lid member 33 . The recess is formed to be lower than the other bottom member upper surface inclined portion 34d. It has passage recesses 34c through which the culture solution can flow between 34b. As a result, all the through-hole lower recesses 34b are connected via the passage recesses 34c. The drainage port 34a is provided in the recess, and is provided on the through hole 33a side on the other end side with respect to the culture solution supply port 33h provided on one end side of the plurality of through holes 33a arranged in a row. . As a result, the culture solution supplied from the culture solution supply port 33h is sent to the drain port 34a through all the through-hole lower concave portions 34b. The concave portion may be a horizontal surface, or may be inclined so as to become lower from the culture solution supply port 33h side toward the drain port 34a side. When the concave portion is a horizontal surface, the box-type holding member can be inclined by adjusting the height of each of the wire hooks 4, for example. Note that the through-hole lower concave portion 34b may have a shape (such as an inverted cone shape) that is inclined toward the central portion instead of the cylindrical shape shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 8(b) and 8(c), the bottom member upper surface inclined portion 34d is lowered from the wall surface top portion of the concave shape 34e toward the wall surface top portion of the recess formed by the through-hole lower recess portion 34b and the passage recess portion 34c. It is slanted so that Further, the bottom of the recess is provided at a position lower than the lowest edge of the bottom member upper surface inclined portion 34d. As shown in FIG. 8(c), a water absorbing member 34f may be installed in the through-hole lower concave portion 34b. As the water-absorbing member 34f, the water-absorbing member 38, which will be described later, or those exemplified as a water-retaining material that can be substituted therefor can be used. When the water absorbing member 34f is present, the root portion 22 extending from the lower side of the through hole 33a is entwined with the water absorbing member 34f and grows thickly.

By fitting the convex shape 33i of the lid member 33 shown in FIG. 7 and the concave shape 34e of the bottom member 34 shown in FIG. 8, the box-shaped holding member 35 shown in FIG. 9 can be formed. In the box-shaped holding member 35, the concave portion of the bottom member 34 serves as a cavity 35a.

A lid member and/or a bottom member constituting the box-shaped holding member may have the plurality of through holes. One embodiment of a box-shaped retaining member having multiple through holes is shown in FIG. A box-shaped holding member 35 shown in FIG. 10 is composed of a lid member 33 and a bottom member 34 . Both the lid member 33 and the bottom member 34 are formed in a grid-like mesh with resin wires, and as a result have a plurality of through holes 32h. For this reason, the box-shaped holding member 35 has holes penetrating through the holding member from above and below. Although the through hole 32b does not have a through hole 32h, it may be formed into a grid-like mesh by resin wires, like the other portions.

The plant culture device 1 includes a culture solution supply mechanism for supplying the culture solution 10 to the roots 22 of the plants 2 . 11 to 16, the culture solution supply mechanism when a panel-type holding member is used as the holding member will be described.

The plant culture apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 11 uses the panel type holding member shown in FIG. 5 as the holding member 3 . The holding member 3 shown in FIG. 11 includes a hook portion 31 , a panel-type holding member 32 and an outer frame 36 . The hook portion 31 is for hooking the wire rope 4 . The outer frame 36 is attached so as to collectively cover the side surfaces of the plurality of panel-type holding members 32 so that the plurality of panel-type holding members 32 can be raised and lowered at the same time. The panel-type holding member 32 is provided with a plurality of through-holes 32a. In the through-holes 32a, the leaf/stem portions 21 are exposed on the upper surface of the panel-type holding member 32, and the root portions 22 are exposed on the lower surface of the panel-type holding member 32. The plant 2 is held in the through hole 32a so as to be exposed to the outside. A water absorbing member 38 and a pipe 37 that is a member for supporting the water absorbing member 38 are installed below the panel type holding member 32 . A plurality of pipes 37 are installed in parallel on the inner wall of the outer frame 36 over the facing surface (the front-rear direction in FIG. 11). A water absorbing sheet as the water absorbing member 38 is wound around the pipe 37 so that both ends hang downward, and the root portion 22 is placed on the pipe 37 . Instead of the pipe 37, any known or commonly used member capable of supporting the water absorbing member 38 while maintaining the root 22 in contact with air may be used.

The plant culture apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 11 employs a culture solution pool as a culture solution supply mechanism. In the culture solution supply mechanism shown in FIG. 11, the holding member 3 is lowered by the lifting device to the culture solution 10 pool in which the culture solution 10 is stored in the environment adjustment box 5 on the lower side in the vertical direction, or the holding member is lowered by the lifting device. 3 is lowered into the environment adjustment box 5 on the lower side in the vertical direction, the culture solution is supplied into the environment adjustment box 5 to raise the liquid level of the culture solution, and at least part of the root 22 and/or the water absorbing member 38 is immersed in the root portion 22 to supply the culture solution. Immersion in the culture solution 10 is preferably performed once every 30 to 60 minutes from the viewpoint of sufficient supply of oxygen to the roots 22 . Also, by using the water absorbing member 38 having a high water absorption retention amount, the number of times of immersion can be reduced. According to the culture medium supply mechanism shown in FIG. 11, since the injection port 40 and the pump are unnecessary, the culture medium can be supplied to the roots 22 simply by operating the elevating mechanism, resulting in a simpler cultivation method. Therefore, the cost of manufacturing equipment can be reduced. Moreover, by further lowering the holding member 3 shown in FIG. 11, the leaf stem portion 21 of the plant 2 can be immersed in the culture solution 10 as shown in FIG.

When the plant culture apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 11 is moved upward in the vertical direction to float the roots 22 from the pool of the culture fluid 10, the water absorbing member 38 retains the absorbed culture fluid 10 for a certain period of time, thereby drying the roots 22. The culture solution 10 can be continuously supplied to the root 22 while preventing the Excess culture solution 10 that cannot be retained by water absorbing member 38 drips down from panel type retaining member 32 as it is. When the culture medium 10 is removed from the pool of culture medium 10, the environment adjustment box 5 positioned vertically below the panel-type holding member 32 has a bottom, and the bottom can also serve as a drainage channel. The culture solution 10 can be collected by dropping it into the environment control box 5 . When the culture solution 10 is dropped into the environment adjustment box 5, the surface of the environment adjustment box 5 is cooled by the heat of vaporization in the environment adjustment region R2 due to the vaporization of the dropped culture solution 10, and the temperature rises in summer. Keeps cool and stable.

The water absorbing member 38 or a water retaining material that can be substituted for it is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include styrene foam chips, polyurethane foam chips, sponge chips, balls of thread, pieces of paper, fiber mats, stainless nets, and the like. .

In the state shown in FIG. 11, waves may be generated on the liquid surface of the culture medium 10 as shown in FIG. As a result, the culture solution 10 is agitated so that air is mixed in the culture solution and the oxygen concentration in the culture solution 10 is maintained high, so that oxygen is supplied to the roots 22 even while the roots 22 are immersed in the culture solution 10. can do. Furthermore, the generation of waves generates droplets, which can maintain the environment control region R2 at high humidity, increase the air flow within the environment control region R2, and cool the environment control box 5 by the heat of vaporization. can be done. As shown in FIG. 14, the roots 22 are stopped above the liquid surface of the pool of the culture solution 10, and the roots 22 are not immersed in the culture solution 10. By generating waves, in addition to the above effects, The wave acts as a culture solution supply mechanism, generates droplets, and can supply the culture solution 10 to the root portion 22 with the droplets of the culture solution 10 . In addition, when the wave acts as a culture solution supply mechanism, the water absorbing member 38 prevents the droplets from being applied to the root 22, so the water absorbing member 38 is not used, or a net-like water absorbing member with large meshes that allows the droplets to pass through is used. 38 is preferably used.

In the case of generating waves on the liquid surface of the pool of the culture solution 10, in an environment where the outside temperature is low such as in winter (for example, November to February), the width of the waves is reduced while the roots 22 are immersed in the culture solution 10. is preferred. When the roots 22 come into contact with cold air, the absorption of the culture solution 10 is inhibited, but by the above method, the generation and evaporation of droplets can be suppressed, and the temperature drop due to the heat of vaporization in the environment adjustment region R2 can be prevented. can. Moreover, the growth of the plant 2 can be promoted. In the method of immersing the roots 22 in the culture solution 10, it is preferable to provide equipment for heating and circulation of the culture solution 10 and for supplying oxygen. On the other hand, in an environment where the outside air temperature is high such as in the summer (for example, March to October), the temperature in the environment adjustment region R2 is lowered, so that the root portion 22 is above the liquid surface of the pool of the culture solution 10 as shown in FIG. It is preferable to stop the holding member 3 so as to generate waves without immersing the roots 22 in the culture solution 10 . As a result, the culture solution 10 can be supplied to the roots 22 by droplets while oxygen is sufficiently supplied to the roots 22, and the temperature in the environment adjustment region R2 can be lowered by the vaporization heat of the droplets.

The plant culture apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 15 uses the panel-type holding member shown in FIG. 5 as the holding member 3, and is the same as the plant culture apparatus 1 shown in FIG. is. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 15, a sheet-like water absorbing member 38 is installed on the lower side of the panel type holding member 32 so as to hang down from the inner wall surface of the through hole 32a shown in FIG. ing. The sheet-shaped water absorbing member 38 is installed in a cylindrical shape or in such a manner that a plurality of sheets hang down at intervals.

The plant culture apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 16 employs mist injection (in particular, direct mist injection to roots) as a culture solution supply mechanism. The plant culture device 1 shown in FIG. 16 uses the panel-type holding member 32 shown in FIG. 5 as the holding member 3 . In the plant culture apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 16, the injection port 40 is installed in the vicinity of the root portion 22 when the leaf stem portion 21 is positioned in the sunlight irradiation region R1. The culture solution 10 can be supplied to the root portion 22 by injecting the culture solution 10 from the injection port 40 installed near the root portion 22 .

Moreover, the plant culture apparatus 1 shown in FIGS. 13, 14, and 16 includes an air atmosphere region R3 in which the roots 22 can come into contact with air while the culture solution 10 is being supplied to the roots 22. FIG. For example, in FIG. 16, the culture solution 10 can be supplied to the roots 22 little by little by spraying the culture solution 10 instead of immersing the roots 22 in the culture solution 10. As a result, the roots 22 come into contact with the air. The culture medium 10 can be brought into contact while While the oxygen concentration in water is 5 to 6% by volume, the oxygen concentration in the air atmosphere region R3 is about 21% by volume. By having the air atmosphere region R3, sufficient oxygen can be absorbed from the roots 22, which is effective in preventing root rot and growing plants. Moreover, since nutrients can be supplied to the roots 22 by supplying the culture solution 10 little by little, it is economically superior to the case where the roots 22 are immersed in the culture solution. The roots 22 extending from the lower side of the panel type holding member 32 grow sufficiently because they have abundant oxygen and nutrients.

The culture solution 10 ejected from the injection port 40 and the culture solution 10 dripping from the root 22 drip downward as they are. The environment adjustment box 5 located vertically below the panel-type holding member 32 has a bottom, and the bottom can also serve as a drainage channel, so the dripping culture solution 10 is dropped into the environment adjustment box 5 and collected. can do. When the culture solution 10 is dropped into the environment adjustment box 5, the surface of the environment adjustment box 5 is cooled by the heat of vaporization in the environment adjustment region R2 due to the vaporization of the dropped culture solution 10, and the temperature rises in summer. Keeps cool and stable.

The injection port 51 provided on the inner wall of the environment adjustment box 5 may also serve as the injection port 40 . In this case, the injection port 51 is installed near the root portion 22 in a state where the leaf stem portion 21 is positioned in the sunlight irradiation region R1. That is, the injection port 51 can serve as a culture solution supply mechanism. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, by adjusting the vertical position of the holding member 3, the injection port 51 provided on the inner wall of the environment adjustment box 5 is positioned so that the leaf stem portion 21 is positioned in the sunlight irradiation region R1. The culture solution can be sprayed to the root portion 22 in the state where the leaf/stem portion 21 is located in the environment adjustment region R2, and the culture solution can be sprayed to the leaf/stem portion 21 for the purpose of both foliar fertilization and pest control. can do.

A culture medium supply mechanism in the case of using a box-shaped holding member as the holding member will be described with reference to FIG. 17 .

The plant culture device 1 shown in FIG. 17 uses the box-shaped holding member 35 shown in FIG. 9 as the holding member 3 . The holding member 3 shown in FIG. 17 includes a hook portion 31 , a box-shaped holding member 35 and an outer frame 36 . The outer frame 36 is attached so as to collectively cover the side surfaces of the plurality of box-shaped holding members 35 so that the plurality of box-shaped holding members 35 can be raised and lowered at the same time. A plurality of through holes 33a are provided in the lid member 33 of the box-shaped holding member 35. In the through-holes 33a, the leaf/stem portion 21 is exposed to the upper surface of the box-shaped holding member 35, and the root portion 22 is held in the box shape. The plant 2 is held in the through hole 33a so as to be exposed inside the member 35 (under the lid member 33). A water absorbing member 38 is installed in a through-hole lower concave portion 34 b provided on the upper surface of the bottom member 34 . The water absorbing member 38 may be installed in the passage recess 34c. As a result, the water absorbing member 38 absorbs the sent culture solution 10 and holds the culture solution 10 for a certain period of time, thereby preventing the roots 22 from drying out and continuously supplying the culture solution 10 to the roots 22 . Moreover, the excess culture fluid 10 that the water absorbing member 38 cannot hold flows through the passage recess 43c into the adjacent through-hole lower recess 34b, and the other water absorbing member 38 absorbs the culture fluid 10. FIG. After all the water absorbing members 38 are saturated with the culture solution 10, a small amount of the culture solution can be supplied to the roots little by little, which is economical.

The culture solution 10 distilled from the drain port 34a drips down from the box-shaped holding member 35 as it is. The environment adjustment box 5 positioned vertically below the box-shaped holding member 35 has a bottom, and the bottom can also serve as a drainage channel, so the dripping culture medium 10 is dropped into the environment adjustment box 5 and collected. can do. When the culture solution 10 is dropped into the environment adjustment box 5, the surface of the environment adjustment box 5 is cooled by the heat of vaporization in the environment adjustment region R2 due to the vaporization of the dropped culture solution 10, and the temperature rises in summer. Keeps cool and stable.

Moreover, the plant culture apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 17 includes an air atmosphere region R3 in which the roots 22 can come into contact with air while the culture solution 10 is being supplied to the roots 22 . Instead of immersing the roots 22 in the culture solution 10, by continuously supplying a small amount of the culture solution 10 to the recesses, the roots 22 can be supplied with the culture solution 10 little by little. The culture solution 10 can be brought into contact while being in contact. By having the air atmosphere region R3, sufficient oxygen can be absorbed from the roots 22, which is effective in preventing root rot and growing plants. Moreover, since nutrients can be supplied to the roots 22 by supplying a small amount of the culture solution 10, it is economically superior to the case where the roots 22 are immersed in the culture solution. The elongated roots 22 grow sufficiently because they have abundant oxygen and nutrients. The grown roots 22 are entwined with the water absorbing member 38 and prosperous.

A plant cultivation apparatus using a box-shaped holding member as a holding member, such as that shown in FIG. is.

The plant culture device 1 may include a rocking mechanism capable of rocking the box-type holding member into a horizontal state and an inclined state. One embodiment of the plant culture device 1 provided with a rocking mechanism is shown in FIG. In the horizontal state shown in FIG. 18(a), the roots 22 of the plant 2 are in contact with the liquid while the liquid is supplied into the holding member 3, which is a box-shaped holding member. Then, by swinging the holding member 3 holding the plant 2 from the horizontal state to the inclined state, the inclined state shown in FIG. 18(b) is obtained. As a result, the liquid moves within the holding member 3, so oxygen is taken into the liquid within the holding member 3, and the roots 22 of the plant 2 within the holding member 3 are exposed to air, promoting respiration of the roots. In addition, since the carbon dioxide generated by the respiration of the root 22 is released from the liquid by moving the liquid in the holding member 3, it is possible to suppress the decrease in the pH of the liquid. Furthermore, by moving the liquid, the concentration of each component in the liquid can be made uniform, and the roots 22 of the plant 2 can be stimulated and microorganisms can be activated. As a result, the growth of the plant held by the holding member 3 can be promoted. Further, by providing the swinging mechanism, the air atmosphere region R3 can be created by swinging. Although the inclination angle θ of the holding member 3 depends on the size of the holding member 3 and the amount of liquid in the holding member 3, it is preferably 10° to 30°, for example.

Although the plant culture apparatus shown in FIG. 18 implements a swinging mechanism by providing a difference in the winding amount of the left and right wires 4, the swinging mechanism is not limited to this mode. Plant cultivation apparatuses having other rocking mechanisms include, for example, the modes shown in FIGS.

In the plant culture apparatus shown in FIG. 19, the rocking mechanism B is a protruding member B1 that protrudes upward from the mounting surface A1 of the supporting portion A on which the holding member 3 is mounted. The holding member 3 normally maintains a horizontal state on the mounting surface A1 because the protruding member B1 is housed in the support portion A (FIG. 19(a)). When projected from the placement surface A1, the right end portion in FIG. 19 is lifted and inclined (FIG. 19(b)). The protruding member B1 may extend in the depth direction over the entire length of the right end of the holding member 3 in FIG. If possible, it may be configured to support only a portion of the right end.

The plant culture apparatus shown in FIG. 20 is the same as the plant culture apparatus shown in FIG. 19 except that an eccentric cam B2 is provided as the swing means B. The entire eccentric cam B2 is normally accommodated in the support portion A (FIG. 20(a)), but when it is turned over about the rotation axis, a part of it protrudes from the mounting surface A1 and is held. The right end of the member 3 in FIG. 20 is lifted to incline the holding member 3 (FIG. 20(b)). The eccentric cam B2 may extend in the depth direction over the entire length of the right end of the holding member 3 so as to support the right end of the holding member 3 in FIG. If possible, it may be configured to support only a portion of the right end.

In the plant culture apparatus shown in FIG. 21, the holding member 3 is installed in the center of the mounting surface A1, and the rotating body B3 extending in the depth direction of FIG. It is the same as the plant culture apparatus shown in FIG. 19 except that the member 3 is placed on the placement surface A1. In the plant culture apparatus shown in FIG. 21, the rotating body B3 is formed, for example, in a semi-cylindrical shape, and the holding member 3 has a lower surface of the semi-cylindrical rotating body B3 installed so that the arc surface faces downward. It is configured to be secured to a flat top surface. In addition, although it is preferable that the rotating body B3 extends over the entire length of the holding member 3 in the depth direction of FIG. Also, the shape of the rotating body B3 is not limited to a semi-cylindrical shape, as long as it can swingably support the holding member 3 in a horizontal state and an inclined state.

Various modifications can be made to the plant culture apparatus shown in FIGS. 18 to 21 without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, in FIGS. 18 to 21, only the right end portion of the holding member 3 is raised in each figure, but the holding member 3 is moved so that the liquid in the holding member 3 moves and the root portion 22 of the plant 2 is exposed to the air. 3 can be tilted. For example, the left end in each drawing may be lifted, or the right end and left end in each drawing may be lifted alternately.

The plant culture device 1 may not have the air atmosphere region R3, and in the holding member 3, the roots 22 are immersed in the culture solution 10 while the culture solution 10 is being supplied. It may be a mode that does not come into contact with. In this case, oxygen can be supplied to the root 22 by a known method such as aeration.

Further, the shape of the holding member 3 such as the panel-type holding member 32 and the box-type holding member 35 is not limited to a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and other prismatic shapes such as a triangular prism shape and a hexagonal column shape can be used. In particular, when the box-shaped holding member has a triangular prism shape in which the horizontal direction is the height direction, the grooves on the bottom facilitate the accumulation of the culture solution in the grooves, and the culture solution 10 can easily flow through the grooves. can do. Further, the shape of the holding member 3 is not limited to a prismatic shape, and may be a columnar shape, a conical shape, a pyramidal shape, or the like.

In FIG. 22, the external view of one Embodiment of the plant cultivation apparatus 1 is shown. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 22, the holding member 3 includes a plurality (five rows) of panel-type holding members 32 shown in FIG. ) side by side, an outer frame 36 is attached so as to collectively cover the side surfaces of the plurality of panel type holding members 32 . A hooking portion 31 is installed on the outside of two parallel side surfaces of the outer frame 36 , and the holding member 3 is suspended by hooking the wire rope 4 on the hooking portion 31 . The holding member 3 is installed in the sunlight irradiation region R1. By moving the holding member 3 from the sunlight irradiation area R1 to the environment adjustment area R2, the plurality of panel-type holding members 32 are simultaneously lowered into one environment adjustment box 5 in the vertical direction and stored. . In addition, it is preferable that the bottom surface of the outer frame 36 is not provided or has a net shape so that the roots 22 are exposed or the culture solution 10 can drip into the environment control box 5. .

FIG. 22 shows an example in which a plurality of panel-shaped holding members 32 are fixed with an outer frame 36 to form one holding member 3. However, as shown in FIG. good too. In this case, since the root portion 22 is not exposed, the bottom surface of the outer frame 36 is not particularly limited. In addition, the bottom surface of the outer frame 36 may be absent or meshed.

In addition, in FIG. 22, a description has been given of a plant cultivating apparatus provided with an elevating mechanism capable of collectively elevating the holding member 3 composed of a plurality of panel-type holding members 32. However, as shown in FIG. It is also possible to provide an elevating mechanism that allows each of the plurality of holding members 3 such as the panel type holding member 32 (or the plurality of box type holding members 34) to be raised and lowered independently. In this case, the environment adjustment box 5 may be partitioned by partitions so that each holding member 3 can be stored individually. In this case, the screen may have holes through which the air for air conditioning or the liquid for soaking can pass. In addition, the holding member is not limited to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 22 to 24. For example, it may be one or more holding members that extend two-dimensionally in the horizontal direction, or may accommodate only one plant. A plurality of holding members may be arranged.

According to the plant cultivation device of the present disclosure, it is possible to economically adjust the environment of plants and exterminate pests. Therefore, by using the plant cultivation apparatus of the present disclosure for open-field hydroponic cultivation, it is possible to stably provide consumers with pesticide-free plants grown by sunlight irradiation at a low price. Furthermore, the plant cultivation apparatus of the present disclosure can be fully automated, can be installed in a vinyl house, and can be made ultra-compact by lowering the height of the vinyl house. Cultivation can be performed regardless of the season. It can be installed in most places (subtropical Okinawa, snow country Hokkaido, building rooftops, in the mountains, on cruise ships, on the sea, in kitchen gardens, etc.).

Variations of the invention according to the present disclosure are described below.
[Appendix 1] A plant cultivation device for cultivating a plant held by a holding member,
the holding member for holding the plant;
a sunlight irradiation area for irradiating the plant with sunlight;
an environment adjustment area positioned vertically below the sunlight irradiation area for adjusting the cultivation environment of the plant;
an elevating mechanism capable of vertically moving the holding member between the sunlight irradiation area and the environment adjustment area while maintaining a state in which the leaf and stem portion of the plant is positioned upward; prepared,
The plant cultivation device, wherein the holding member is submersible in water.
[Appendix 2] The plant cultivation apparatus according to Appendix 1, including a leaf/stem soaking mechanism for soaking the leaf/stem part of the plant in the environment adjustment area.
[Appendix 3] The plant cultivation device according to Appendix 1 or 2, wherein the environment adjustment area is located underground.
[Appendix 4] The plant cultivation apparatus according to any one of Appendices 1 to 3, comprising a sunlight blocking mechanism for blocking sunlight irradiation to the environment adjustment area.
[Appendix 5] A culture solution supply mechanism for supplying a culture solution to the root of the plant;
5. The plant cultivation apparatus according to any one of Appendices 1 to 4, further comprising an air atmosphere region in which the roots can come into contact with air while the culture solution is being supplied to the roots.
[Appendix 6] The plant cultivation apparatus according to any one of Appendices 1 to 5, which includes a leaf covering member that covers the leaf of the plant.
[Appendix 7] The plant cultivation apparatus according to any one of 1 to 6, which includes a suspension mechanism for suspending the holding member.
[Appendix 8] A holding member for holding and cultivating a plant,
The holding member is provided with a plurality of through-holes for holding the plant and through-holes different from the through-holes.
[Appendix 9] The holding member according to Appendix 8, wherein the plurality of through holes are provided in the holding member in a grid pattern.
[Supplementary Note 10] The holding member according to Supplementary Note 8 or 9, wherein the holding member is made of a filamentous fabric.
[Appendix 11] A panel-shaped holding member or a box-shaped holding member having the plurality of through holes, wherein the box-shaped holding member includes a lid member having the plurality of through holes and a bottom member having the plurality of through holes. 11. A retaining member according to any one of clauses 8-10, comprising:

1 plant cultivation device 2 plant 21 leaf stem portion 3 holding member 31 hook portion 4 wire rope 5 environment adjustment box 51 injection ports 6a, 6b lids 7a, 7b air conditioning pipe 8 liquid injection port 9 drainage port E ground R1 for sunlight irradiation Area R2 Environment adjustment area

Claims (11)

A plant cultivation device for cultivating a plant held by a holding member,
the holding member for holding the plant;
a sunlight irradiation area for irradiating the plant with sunlight;
an environment adjustment area positioned vertically below the sunlight irradiation area for adjusting the cultivation environment of the plant;
an elevating mechanism capable of vertically moving the holding member between the sunlight irradiation area and the environment adjustment area while maintaining a state in which the leaf and stem portion of the plant is positioned upward; prepared,
The plant cultivation device, wherein the holding member is submersible in water. 2. The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a leaf/stem soaking mechanism for soaking the leaf/stem part of the plant in the environment adjustment area. The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the environment adjustment area is located underground. The plant cultivation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 and 2, comprising a sunlight blocking mechanism for blocking sunlight irradiation to the environment adjustment area. a culture solution supply mechanism for supplying a culture solution to the root of the plant;
3. The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an air atmosphere region in which said roots can come into contact with air while said culture solution is being supplied to said roots. The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a leaf covering member covering the leaf of the plant. The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a suspension mechanism for suspending the holding member. A holding member for holding and cultivating a plant,
The holding member is provided with a plurality of through-holes for holding the plant and through-holes different from the through-holes. 9. The holding member according to claim 8, wherein said plurality of through holes are provided in said holding member in a grid pattern. 10. A retaining member according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the retaining member comprises a woven thread. 4. A panel-shaped holding member or a box-shaped holding member having said plurality of through-holes, wherein said box-shaped holding member comprises a lid member having said plurality of through-holes and a bottom member having said plurality of through-holes. 9. The holding member according to 8 or 9.

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