JP5467438B2 - Plant cultivation facility - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a plant cultivation facility for cultivating plants by hydroponics or the like.

  As this type of facility, a plant factory has been generally known. The plant factory is a "high-level environment based on the monitoring of the environment and growth in the facility horticulture that grows by controlling the plant growth environment (light, temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, nutrients, moisture, etc.) in the facility" It is defined as a “cultivation facility that can perform the anniversary and planned production of plants such as vegetables by performing control and growth prediction”, and is roughly divided into a completely artificial light type and a solar-powered type 2 Divided into two types.

Among them, the fully artificial light type plant factory is a cultivation facility that performs the anniversary and planned production by controlling the environment without using sunlight in a closed space. It is roughly divided into
Multi-stage plant factories are mainly composed of seedling production systems, artificial lights with relatively small heat loads such as fluorescent lamps and LEDs, and multi-stage hydroponic cultivation shelves like vegetable plants such as lettuce and salad vegetables. ing. On the other hand, facilities for cultivating grains mainly consist of high-intensity lamps with high heat loads such as metal halide lamps and high-pressure sodium lamps, and flat hydroponic cultivation equipment. Suitable for cultivation.

In any case, facilities that cultivate plants use air currents to maintain temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, etc. in an optimal state for plant growth. It plays a necessary and important role.
In general, carbon dioxide absorption and transpiration on the leaves of plants are suppressed under windless conditions, and therefore it is preferable that there is a certain air velocity (for example, several tens of cm / s). Therefore, in order to improve the indoor distribution of temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, etc., the air velocity may be increased. However, if a strong air current is continuously applied to the plant, poor growth or leaf rubbing will occur. It is preferable to maintain the wind speed.

Here, the cultivation of plants by a plant factory will be briefly described. Usually, plants are often cultivated by hydroponics in plant factories, so this hydroponic cultivation will be described.
As shown in FIG. 3, in the hydroponic method, a hole 100a is made in a cultivation bed 100 made of foamed polystyrene, etc., and a plant P is planted in the hole 100a using a medium or the like. This is a method of cultivating while the culture solution W is absorbed by the roots of the plant P. The cultivation tray 101 is installed on the cultivation shelf 102.
An airflow is circulated through the room by an air conditioning system (not shown), and the plant P being cultivated is configured to be exposed to an airflow at a moderately low wind speed.

As one of the same air conditioning systems, it is connected to the air outlet of the air conditioner and feeds the air duct onto the cultivation bed, and the air that attracts the blown air to the semi-enclosed space provided below the cultivation bed. An air conditioner including a flow guide is known (see Patent Document 1).
According to this air conditioner, air can be efficiently circulated on the cultivation bed, and it is possible to promote the growth by efficiently applying an air flow only to the plant P.

  On the other hand, in the case of a multistage type in which the cultivation shelves are multistage, there are many cases where sufficient airflow does not reach the cultivation shelves at each stage, and the configuration is complicated even if the air conditioner described in Patent Document 1 is applied. It was easy to convert.

JP-A-5-292845

However, the conventional problems described above still have the following problems.
That is, since a large number of plants P are cultivated in the cultivation bed 100, even if the airflow is circulated efficiently, the airflow is blocked by the plants P located on the upstream side, and the speed of the airflow is reduced. The direction of was easy to change. Therefore, it has been difficult to supply a sufficient airflow to the plant P and the plant community (region A shown in FIG. 3) located on the downstream side. Therefore, there was a possibility that uneven planting of the plant P would occur.
In addition, in order to supply sufficient airflow to the plant community A, if the speed of the circulating airflow is temporarily increased, the airflow is excessively applied to the plant P on the upstream side, which may cause poor growth and leaf rubbing. .

  The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and the object thereof is to provide a plant cultivation facility that can give a uniform air flow to the entire plant and that can grow plants while eliminating uneven growth. It is to be.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following means.
(1) The plant cultivation facility according to the present invention is a plant cultivation facility for cultivating a plant in a room in which a growth environment is controlled, and a cultivation floor on which the plant is cultivated and a plurality of ventilation holes are in the thickness direction. A cultivation panel formed with a gap on the cultivation floor and an air-conditioning mechanism for sending gas into the gap defined between the cultivation floor and the cultivation panel , and the cultivation The floor is disposed between a storage tray in which a culture solution in which the root area of the plant is immersed is stored, the storage tray and the cultivation panel, and the gap between the cultivation panel and the storage tray. And a cultivation bed for defining the above.

According to the plant cultivation facility according to the present invention, gas (air or air containing carbon dioxide or the like having a concentration suitable for plant growth) is fed into the gap defined between the cultivation floor and the cultivation panel. It is possible to blow out the fed gas to the upper side of the cultivation panel through a plurality of ventilation holes. Therefore, gas can be blown upward from the vicinity of the root of the plant cultivated on the cultivation floor, and an airflow directed upward from the root can be created.
Therefore, an airflow can be reliably generated even in the plant community, and a uniform airflow can be given to the entire plant being cultivated. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the uneven growth and improve the production amount of the plant, and it is expected to accelerate the growth of the plant.
In addition, the cultivation floor is disposed between a liquid storage tray storing a culture solution in which the root area of the plant is immersed, and between the liquid storage tray and the cultivation panel, and a gap is defined between the cultivation panel. And a cultivation bed to be formed. Thereby, since a plant can be cultivated by hydroponics using a culture solution, a nutrient can be supplied equally to the whole plant, and it is possible to produce a high quality plant as planned.

(2) Moreover, the plant cultivation facility of the said invention WHEREIN: The said air-conditioning mechanism may be equipped with the ventilation part which sends in the said clearance gap while circulating the gas in the said room | chamber interior.

In this case, since the gas can be circulated in the room, it is possible to circulate the airflow directed upward from the root of the plant without stagnation, and it is easy to give the airflow uniformly to the whole plant. Moreover, since this circulating gas can be efficiently sent again into the gap defined between the cultivation floor and the cultivation panel, it is continuously possible without interrupting the upward air flow from the root of the plant. Easy to produce.
In addition, as described above, since an airflow having an appropriate wind speed can be created in the plant community, there is no need to increase the air speed of the airflow circulating in the room. For this reason, it is possible to prevent a strong airflow from being applied to some plants, and it is possible to prevent plant growth defects and leaf rubbing.

(3) Moreover, in the plant cultivation facility of the present invention, the plant is planted and supported removably in a cultivation hole formed in the cultivation panel, and through a through hole formed in the cultivation bed. You may provide the cultivation pot which immerses the root region part of a plant in the said culture solution.

  In this case, in addition to the above-described effects of hydroponics, the plant can be easily harvested simply by removing the cultivation pot from the cultivation panel, so that productivity can be further increased.

  According to the plant cultivation facility according to the present invention, it is possible to create an air flow upward from the root of the plant, so that a uniform air flow can be given to the whole plant, and the plant is efficiently cultivated while eliminating uneven growth. Can do.

It is a lineblock diagram showing an embodiment of a plant cultivation facility concerning the present invention. It is a figure which shows the modification of the plant cultivation facility which concerns on this invention, Comprising: It is a block diagram of a cultivation facility where a cultivation shelf is a multistage type. It is the figure which is cultivating the plant by the conventional hydroponics.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a plant cultivation facility according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
The plant cultivation facility 1 of this embodiment is a facility for cultivating a plant P in a room R in which the cultivation environment is controlled as shown in FIG. 1, and includes a cultivation floor 2 on which the plant P is cultivated, and the cultivation floor 2. A cultivation panel 3 that is overlapped with a gap D on the top, and an air conditioning mechanism 4 that sends air (gas) into the gap D defined between the cultivation floor 2 and the cultivation panel 3 are provided.
In the present embodiment, the case where the plant P is cultivated by hydroponics will be described as an example.

A lighting device 5 such as a fluorescent lamp or an LED is disposed on the ceiling of the room R, and a sufficient amount of light necessary for growing the plant P is secured. In addition, the environment of the room R is controlled so that the temperature, humidity, dioxide concentration, and the like are optimal for the growth of the plant P.
A cultivation shelf 6 is installed in the room R, and a cultivation floor 2 is installed on the cultivation shelf 6. The cultivation floor 2 of the present embodiment includes a cultivation tray (liquid storage tray) 10 in which the culture solution W is stored, and a cultivation bed 11 disposed between the cultivation tray 10 and the cultivation panel 3. ing.

The cultivation tray 10 is a bottomed tray having an upper opening, and stores a sufficient amount of the culture solution W necessary for cultivation. The culture medium W is circulated by a circulation device (not shown) so that a fresh state is always maintained.
The cultivation bed 11 is a sheet member made of foamed polystyrene, for example, and is arranged so as to cover the upper opening of the cultivation tray 10. In the example shown in the figure, the cultivation bed 11 is disposed in a state of being separated from the liquid level of the culture solution W, but may not be separated. Moreover, the through-hole 11a which penetrates the plant P is formed in this cultivation bed 11 in the thickness direction over the whole surface. The plurality of plants P are cultivated hydroponically with the culture solution W, with the root region P1 immersed in the culture solution W through the through-hole 11a.
At this time, the plant P is supported by a cultivation pot 15 described later.

The cultivation panel 3 is a sheet member made of foamed polystyrene similar to the cultivation bed 11, for example, and is disposed so as to overlap the cultivation bed 11 in a state where a gap D is defined with the cultivation bed 11. ing.
The cultivation panel 3 is formed with a plurality of cultivation holes 3a for supporting the cultivation pot 15 over the entire surface and a plurality of ventilation holes 3b in the thickness direction.
Specifically, the ventilation holes 3b are smaller in diameter than the cultivation holes 3a, and are formed more than the cultivation holes 3a so that a plurality of ventilation holes 3b are arranged between the cultivation holes 3a adjacent to each other.

  The cultivation pot 15 has a hat-shaped pot tray 16 which is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape and has an annular flange portion 16a formed at an upper opening edge portion thereof, and is disposed in the pot tray 16. And a support 17 to be supported.

  The pot tray 16 is detachably fitted in the cultivation hole 3a formed in the cultivation panel 3, and the flange portion 16a is in contact with the upper surface of the cultivation panel 3 at the time of fitting to prevent falling off. . Thereby, the cultivation pot 15 is supported by the cultivation panel 3.

The support 17 is a member that can be detachably disposed in the pot tray 16, and supports the plant P by softly wrapping the stem portion of the plant P from the outside. Specifically, a support hole (not shown) that supports the stem portion of the plant P is formed in the thickness direction along the central axis of the support body 17, and a notch for fitting the stem portion into the support hole. Is formed from the outer peripheral surface of the support 17 toward the support hole. Thereby, the stem part of the plant P can be easily fitted into the support hole of the support body 17 by using this notch, and the plant P can be stably supported by the support body 17. .
In addition, this support body 17 is formed from a soft material, such as sponge or soft rubber, which has a weak fastening force and does not hinder the growth of the plant P.

  By the way, the bottom part of the pot tray 16 is formed with a hole 16b through which the stem part of the plant P supported by the support body 17 passes. Therefore, even if the cultivation pot 15 is supported by the cultivation panel 3, the stem portion of the plant P can be hung down through the hole portion 16b and the through hole 11a of the cultivation bed 11, and the root zone portion P1 as described above. Can be immersed in the culture medium W.

  In the present embodiment, the example in which the cultivation pot 15 is configured by the pot tray 16 and the support body 17 is described, but the pot tray 16 and the support body 17 may be integrated. Further, the overall shape at that time is not limited to the hat type as described above, and may be freely designed. However, it is preferable to use a shape that does not fall from the cultivation panel 3, for example, a trapezoidal shape.

The air-conditioning mechanism 4 includes a blow-out unit 20 that sends air into the room R, and a gap D defined between the cultivation bed 11 and the cultivation panel 3 while circulating the sent air in the room R, that is, an underfloor space. And a ventilation portion 21 for feeding into the air.
The blowing unit 20 is disposed, for example, near the top of the room R, and blows air into the room R at a slight wind speed. The ventilation section 21 is, for example, a stirring fan, and circulates through the room R by stirring the air in the room R and actively feeds air into the gap D.

Next, plant cultivation using the plant cultivation facility 1 configured as described above will be described.
According to the plant cultivation facility 1, air can be fed into the gap D defined between the cultivation bed 11 and the cultivation panel 3 during cultivation of the plant P, and the fed air is supplied to a plurality of ventilation holes. It can be made to blow above the cultivation panel 3 through 3b. Therefore, air can be blown upward from the vicinity of the root of the plant P cultivated on the cultivation floor 2, and an airflow directed upward from the root can be created.

  Therefore, an airflow can be reliably generated even in the plant community A, and a uniform airflow can be given to the entire cultivated plant P. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the growth unevenness and improve the production amount of the plant P, and it is expected to accelerate the growth of the plant P.

In addition, since air can be circulated through the room R using the ventilation portion 21, the airflow directed upward from the root of the plant P can be circulated without stagnation, and the airflow can be uniformly distributed throughout the plant P. Easy to give. Moreover, since this circulating air can be efficiently sent again into the gap D defined between the cultivation bed 11 and the cultivation panel 3, the air flow upward from the root of the plant P is interrupted. Easy to produce continuously.
In addition, since it is possible to create an airflow with an appropriate wind speed in the plant community A, there is no need to increase the wind speed of the airflow circulating through the room R. For this reason, it is possible to prevent a strong airflow from hitting some plants P, and it is possible to prevent poor growth of the plants P, leaf rubbing, and the like.

  Moreover, since the plant P can be cultivated by hydroponics using the culture medium W, nutrients can be supplied evenly to the entire plant P, and a high-quality plant P can be produced as planned. In addition, since the plant P can be easily harvested simply by removing the cultivation pot 15 from the cultivation panel 3, productivity can be further increased.

  Furthermore, there is no need to change the design of the cultivation floor 2, and a very simple configuration in which the cultivation panel 3 is installed and air is sent into the gap D defined between the cultivation floor 2 and the cultivation panel 3. Thus, since a uniform airflow can be given to the entire plant P, the above-described effects that cannot be achieved in the past can be achieved while facilitating the configuration and reducing the cost.

  The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  For example, in the said embodiment, although it was set as the structure which circulates airflow in the room | chamber R, you may comprise so that air may be sent only into the clearance gap D defined between the cultivation bed 11 and the cultivation panel 3. FIG. Even in this case, it is possible to create an air flow upward from the base of the plant P and to give a uniform air flow to the entire plant P.

Moreover, although the case where the cultivation shelf 6 was installed in the room | chamber R in the said embodiment was mentioned as an example, you may make it the multistage cultivation facility which installed the cultivation shelf 6 in multiple stages.
That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the cultivation shelves 6 may be multi-staged, and the plant cultivation facility 30 that cultivates the plant P on the cultivation floor 2 installed in each stage may be used. Even in this case, air can be sent into the gap D defined between the cultivation bed 11 and the cultivation panel 3 at each stage, so that an airflow directed upward from the root is reliably generated at each stage. be able to.
Therefore, even in the case of such a multi-stage type, it is possible to efficiently cultivate all the plants P cultivated in each stage while eliminating uneven growth.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the plant P was planted to the cultivation pot 15, the cultivation pot 15 is not essential, and the plant P is planted directly to the cultivation bed 11, and the root zone part P1 is in the culture solution W. You may comprise so that it may immerse in. Even in this case, the plant P can be cultivated by hydroponics using the culture solution W.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the cultivation floor 2 was comprised with the cultivation tray 10 and the cultivation bed 11, and the case where the plant P was cultivated by hydroponics was mentioned as an example, it is not limited to hydroponics. . For example, the cultivation floor 2 may be a soil floor and the plant P may be cultivated by soil cultivation. Even in this case, the cultivation panel 3 can be used to create a flow of airflow upward from the root of the plant P, and the airflow can be uniformly applied to the entire plant P.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, you may utilize the gas which included the carbon dioxide etc. of the density | concentration optimal for the growth of the plant P in air. Moreover, you may devise by forming the distribution groove | channel which promotes the distribution | circulation of air in the upper surface of the cultivation bed 11, the lower surface of the cultivation panel 3, etc., and air flows more smoothly. In addition, the shape, size, and the like of the ventilation holes 3b formed in the cultivation panel 3 may be appropriately changed according to the type of the plant P, the growth state of the plant P, the interval between the plants P, and the like.

D ... Gap P ... Plant R ... Indoor W ... Culture solution 1, 30 ... Plant cultivation facility 2 ... Cultivation floor 3 ... Cultivation panel 3a ... Cultivation hole 3b ... Ventilation hole 4 ... Air conditioning mechanism 10 ... Cultivation tray (storage tray)
11 ... cultivation bed 15 ... cultivation pot 21 ... ventilation section

Claims (3)

A plant cultivation facility that cultivates plants indoors in a controlled environment,
A cultivation floor on which the plant is cultivated;
A plurality of ventilation holes are formed in the thickness direction, a cultivation panel that is stacked with a gap on the cultivation floor, and
An air conditioning mechanism that sends gas into the gap defined between the cultivation floor and the cultivation panel ,
And the cultivation floor is
A storage tray in which a culture solution in which the root area of the plant is immersed is stored;
A plant cultivation facility comprising: a cultivation bed which is disposed between the liquid storage tray and the cultivation panel and defines the gap between the cultivation panel . In the plant cultivation facility according to claim 1,
The air conditioning mechanism is
A plant cultivation facility, comprising: a ventilation portion that feeds the indoor gas into the gap while circulating the gas in the room. In the plant cultivation facility according to claim 1 or 2,
Cultivation pot in which the plant is planted, is removably supported in a cultivation hole formed in the cultivation panel, and immerses the root region of the plant in the culture solution through a through hole formed in the cultivation bed. A plant cultivation facility characterized by comprising:

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