JP7171105B1 - Germination cover used in plant cultivation system and method for germinating plants using the germination cover - Google Patents

Abstract

[PROBLEMS] To provide a germination cover capable of improving the germination rate at low cost even when germination is performed in a cultivation pot installed in a cultivation tank in a plant cultivation system for cultivating plants in a cultivation tank containing a nutrient solution. . SOLUTION: The germination cover has a lower opening having a shape and size corresponding to the shape and size of the upper opening formed by the upper end of the outer wall of the cultivation pot, and a covering part covering the entire upper opening of the cultivation pot. The cover portion has a side portion defining a bottom opening and has a side wall formed continuously upward from the side portion. A top surface is arranged on the upper end of the side wall, and the entire top opening of the cultivation pot is covered by the side wall and the covering part. The cover has a plurality of openings on or near the sides. [Selection diagram] Fig. 3

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to artificial cultivation of plants, and more specifically to a germination cover used for germination of plants in a culture tank in hydroponic cultivation of plants.

Plants including vegetables, flowers and the like are generally produced outdoors or indoors by a soil cultivation method (open or semi-closed soil cultivation method). However, the soil cultivation method has problems such as the fact that the harvest is dependent on the season and weather, the occurrence of continuous crop failure, and the risk of diseases caused by pests. In contrast to such soil cultivation methods, in recent years, an indoor artificial cultivation method has been put into practical use, in which plants are cultivated indoors using hydroponics.

There are various methods of hydroponic culture, but the most commonly used method uses a flowing nutrient solution to supply nutrients to the roots of plants. It is divided into a method and a submerged type hydroponics method. The thin-film type hydroponics method is a method in which a nutrient solution, in which nutrients necessary for plant growth are dissolved in water, is thinly poured down on a flat surface with a gentle slope, and plants are cultivated using the nutrient solution. The thin-film type hydroponics system hinders root elongation, which may cause problems in plant growth.

On the other hand, the flooding type nutrient solution cultivation method is a method in which a nutrient solution is supplied to a cultivation tank in which plants are grown so that the roots of the plants are immersed in the nutrient solution. Compared to the thin film type hydroponics method, the submerged hydroponics method uses a large amount of nutrient solution, so the water depth is deep, root growth is not hindered, and changes in nutrient concentration and liquid temperature are gentle. Therefore, it has the characteristics of being easy to manage. The present invention relates to the latter, the submerged hydroponic system, and hereinafter, hydroponic culture refers to submerged hydroponic culture. The inventor of the present application has proposed a flood-type hydroponic culture in Patent Document 1.

In the flooding type hydroponics, conventionally, seeds are placed in a cultivation pot installed in a cultivation tank and germinated as they are. Alternatively, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 2, germination is performed in a state where the seedling container is covered with a germination cover that prevents the seeds from drying out, and after the cotyledons are generated, the germination cover is removed from the seedling container, and the light from the light irradiation device is emitted. is also being irradiated.

JP 2015-84750 A JP 2012-147765 A

When seeds are placed in a cultivation pot installed in a cultivation tank and germinated as they are, that is, when the seeds are irradiated with light, there is a problem that the seeds in the cultivation pot do not germinate evenly. Many seeds are sown in cultivation pots, but if cultivation is carried out in a state where light is applied, seeds that germinate early and seeds that germinate late will coexist, causing differences in plant growth. In the case of soil cultivation, even if there is a difference in germination and growth, the degree of growth can be uniformed by thinning. However, in the case of hydroponic culture, if you try to thin out slow-growing plants, the non-woven fabric or medium in the cultivation pot will move, affecting plants that are growing well, resulting in a decrease in yield. be. In particular, in a commercial hydroponic plant, plants cultivated in the same cultivation tank are harvested and shipped at the same time, so if there is a difference in growth, there is a risk of quality variation at the time of shipment.

In the past, the applicant of the present application had a large-scale plant in which plants cultivated in a cultivation tank were germinated in a dark place (germination chamber, etc.) provided in a place separate from the cultivation tank, and after germination, the plants were grown under light. have been moved to the cultivation tank without taking measures such as blocking the However, when plant seeds are germinated in a dark germination chamber and then transferred to a cultivation tank after germination, the plants may wither or hinder growth due to sudden exposure to light from a dark place. rice field. In addition, in a small-scale plant (mini-plant), it is difficult to separately prepare a germination chamber from the viewpoint of cost, and it is preferable to sow seeds in cultivation pots installed in cultivation tanks and germinate them as they are.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY In a plant cultivation system for cultivating plants in a cultivation tank containing a nutrient solution, the present invention provides a germination cover capable of improving the simultaneity of germination at low cost even when germination is performed in a cultivation pot installed in the cultivation tank. The task is to provide

The applicant of the present application has conducted research on the hydroponics system for many years, and found that the timing of germination of a plurality of seeds is aligned when germination is performed in a state where the seeds are not irradiated with light. However, if the light is completely blocked during germination, the roots may grow upward, so it is necessary to let in a small amount of light. In addition, the applicant of the present application discovered that sudden exposure from a dark place to a bright place after germination causes the plant to wither or hinder its growth.

The present invention has been completed based on the above findings, and in a plant cultivation system for cultivating plants in a cultivation tank containing a nutrient solution, a germination cover that is used by covering a cultivation pot installed in the cultivation tank. I will provide a. The germination cover has a shape and size corresponding to the cultivation pot. Specifically, it includes a lower opening having a shape and size corresponding to the shape and size of the upper opening formed by the upper end of the outer wall of the cultivation pot, and a covering portion covering the entire upper opening of the cultivation pot. The cover has a side portion that defines the bottom opening and has a side wall that continues upward from the side portion. A top surface is arranged on the upper end of the side wall, and the entire top opening of the cultivation pot is covered with the side wall and the covering part. The cover has a plurality of openings on or near the sides.

In one embodiment, the cover portion is formed from a light opaque material, and in another embodiment is formed from a semi-light transmissive material to some extent. The light transmittance of the covering portion formed of the semi-light-shielding material is preferably 25% to 35%, more preferably 30%.

In one embodiment, the germination cover has a bottom opening that is generally square shaped and has four sides that define the bottom opening. The sprouting cover has one opening at or near each of the four sides. In another embodiment, the sprouting cover has a bottom opening generally rectangular in shape and has four sides defining the bottom opening. The sprouting cover has a plurality of openings on each of the long sides of the four sides or near the long sides, and openings on each of the short sides of the four sides or near the short sides. have one each.

In one embodiment, the cover has a collar extending outwardly from the sides. The collar has protuberances forming communication paths with the outside at positions corresponding to the plurality of openings.

The present invention provides a plant cultivation system for cultivating plants in a cultivation tank containing a nutrient solution, and provides a method for germinating plants in the cultivation tank using a germination cover. This method includes the steps of sowing plant seeds in a cultivation pot installed in a cultivation tank, covering the cultivation pot with a germination cover whose covering portion is made of a light-shielding material, and after germination, the covering portion is and replacing the sprouting cover made of a light-shielding material with a sprouting cover whose cover part is made of a semi-light-shielding material that allows a certain amount of light to pass through. A sprouting cover whose covering part is formed of a light-shielding material or a semi-light-shielding material is the sprouting cover described above.

According to the present invention, in a plant cultivation system for cultivating plants in a cultivation tank containing a nutrient solution, even when germination is performed in a cultivation pot installed in the cultivation tank, the amount of light irradiated to the seeds before and after germination By controlling , the timing of seed germination can be easily adjusted at low cost without preparing a germination chamber, and it is possible to prevent a decrease in yield and stabilize quality.

1 is a schematic overview of a plant cultivation system in which a germination cover according to one embodiment of the invention is used; FIG. 1 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of a cultivation tank in which a germination cover according to an embodiment of the invention is used; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a germination cover according to an embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a germination cover having a substantially rectangular shape, and (b) is a germination cover having a substantially square shape; FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a sprouting cover according to another embodiment of the invention; FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which the germination cover shown in FIG. 3 is attached to the cultivation pot;

(Overview of plant cultivation system)
FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a plant cultivation system 1 in which a cultivation pot according to one embodiment of the invention is used. The plant cultivation system 1 includes a house 60, one or a plurality of cultivation tanks 10 housed in the house 60 for cultivating plants, and a modified air producing means 25 for producing the reformed air RA. The reformed air RA produced is air that has been reformed to have a higher oxygen content. In FIG. 1 , the reformed air producing means 25 is provided outside the house 60 , but may be provided inside the house 60 .

In the cultivation tank 10, single or multiple plants are supported by a support (cultivation pot or float), and a nutrient solution S containing nutrients for growing the plants flows inside. The cultivation tank 10 is supported by a support frame 19, for example. When a variety of plants are cultivated, it is preferable to have a multi-stage configuration so as to be able to cope with the types of plants and the time until harvest. Roots of plants to be cultivated are immersed in the nutrient solution S in the cultivation tank 10 . The nutrient solution S is supplied with reformed air RA. Facilities such as a nutrient solution tank 41 are buried in the underground portion of the house 60 .

In the plant cultivation system 1, leafy vegetables such as spinach and leaf lettuce; fruit vegetables such as tomatoes, eggplants and cucumbers; head vegetables such as Chinese cabbage, cabbage and lettuce; Flowers and the like can be cultivated throughout the year as a single item or multiple items. In addition, when cultivating a variety of plants in the plant cultivation system 1, it is possible to simultaneously cultivate plants of different growth stages from immediately after germination to harvest.

The plant cultivating system 1 is configured such that the nutrient solution S in which the same nutrients are uniformly mixed is always circulated between all the cultivating tanks 10 in a constant state. As the nutrient solution S, the nutrient solution S of the same components is continuously used regardless of the type of plant, growth stage, and cultivation time, and water and/or nutrients are replenished by the amount reduced by evaporation and absorption by the plant. Just

The components contained in the nutrient solution S are not particularly limited, and any nutrient solution used in general hydroponics can be used. The nutrient solution S contains, for example, ammonia nitrogen, water-soluble phosphoric acid, nitrate nitrogen, water-soluble potassium, calcium nitrate, water-soluble magnesium, water-soluble manganese, water-soluble boron, water-soluble iron, water-soluble copper, It may contain water-soluble molybdenum and water-soluble zinc. The state of the nutrient solution S, that is, at least the values of parameters such as dissolved oxygen concentration (DO), electrical conductivity (EC), temperature Ts, hydrogen ion concentration exponent (pH), and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) are generally constant. managed to be maintained.

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing a cultivation tank 10 and peripheral equipment in which germination covers 15, 17 according to one embodiment of the present invention can be used. The cultivation tank 10 is a tank configured such that the nutrient solution S flows in one direction at a predetermined speed. Note that the germination covers 15 and 17 are not shown in FIG.

The length, width and depth of the cultivation tank 10 are determined according to the type and amount of plants cultivated in each cultivation tank 10 and the scale of the cultivation facility. roots and stems can maintain their original growth shape. The size of the cultivation tank 10 is, for example, about 1000 mm wide and about 200 mm deep for leaf vegetables, and about 1000 mm wide and about 200 mm deep for fruit vegetables such as eggplants and tomatoes. About 300 mm, and for head vegetables such as lettuce, a width and depth of about 200 mm are used. The length of the cultivation tank 10 is appropriately set according to the scale of the greenhouse 60 for any plant, and may be about 50 cm for a short one and about 100 m for a long one, for example.

A cultivation pot is arranged in the cultivation tank 10 . Cultivation pots of various shapes and sizes can be appropriately used according to the type of plant to be cultivated and the size of the cultivation tank 10 . For example, in the case of leaf vegetables, a cultivation pot 12 with a shallow interior and a wide top opening is usually used, and for fruit vegetables, for example, a cultivation pot 13 with a deep interior and a narrow top opening is usually used. The applicant of the present application has filed a separate patent application for a cultivation pot 13 mainly used for cultivating leaf vegetables (Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-069514).

The cultivation pot 12 having a shallow interior and a wide top opening can be installed in the cultivation tank 10 by, for example, being supported by the upper end of the side surface of the cultivation tank 10 or a support member (not shown) provided in the cultivation tank. can be done. The cultivation pot 13 having a deep interior and a narrow top opening can be installed in the cultivation tank 10 while being supported by the float 11 floating on the surface of the nutrient solution S, for example. A plurality of openings are provided in the float 11, and the cultivation pots 13 are installed in the openings. The germination covers 15 and 17 according to one embodiment of the present invention are used to germinate the seeds in the cultivation pots 12 and 13 installed in the cultivation tank 10 until a certain period of time has passed after sowing the seeds. is used by covering the cultivation pots 12 and 13 of the above. Details of the sprouting cover will be described later.

A nutrient solution S is supplied to the cultivation tank 10 from a supply path 45 . The nutrient solution S supplied from the supply port 45a flows in the cultivation tank 10 in the direction of the arrow S in FIG.

An air pipe 34 and an air supply unit 36 are provided inside the cultivation tank 10 . The reformed air RA is supplied to the air supply section 36 through the air pipe 34 and supplied to the nutrient solution S from the air supply section 36 . Although the air supply part 36 is not limited, it is preferably a hollow cylindrical porous body obtained by firing ceramics at a high temperature.

The cultivation tank 10 is provided with a nutrient solution discharge device 16 , and the nutrient solution S flowing through the cultivation tank 10 is discharged from the discharge device 16 . The discharge device 16 preferably comprises two discharge portions 16A and 16B, but is not limited to this. In this embodiment, the first discharge part 16A is provided so that the discharge port for the nutrient solution S is positioned at the same height as the liquid surface of the nutrient solution S. As shown in FIG. In addition, the second discharge part 16B has a sheath pipe provided with an intake port for the nutrient solution at its lower end, and the discharge port for the nutrient solution S is provided at a position lower than the discharge port of the first discharge part 16A. there is Regarding the ejection device 16 according to this embodiment, the applicant of the present application has filed a separate patent application (Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-001446).

The nutrient solution S discharged from the cultivation tank 10 passes through the discharge paths 46a and 46b and preferably enters the discharge side tank 41 buried in the ground. The nutrient solution S in the discharge side tank 41 is supplied to a supply side tank 44 preferably buried in the ground through a pipe 43 by a circulation pump (not shown). The nutrient solution S in the supply-side tank 44 is supplied to the cultivation tank 10 from the supply port 45a through the supply path 45 by a supply pump (not shown). The supply path 45 may be provided with a valve (not shown) for opening and closing the path, if necessary, so that the supply amount of the nutrient solution S can be controlled more precisely.

(germination cover)
A sprouting cover according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a sprouting cover; FIG. 3(a) shows a germination cover 15 having a substantially rectangular bottom opening 15o, and FIG. 3(b) shows a germination cover 17 having a substantially square bottom opening 17o.

The germination cover 15 is used by covering the cultivation pot 12 (mainly used for cultivating leaf vegetables) installed in the cultivation tank 10 when seeds are germinated in the cultivation pot 12 . The germination cover 17 is used by covering the cultivation pot 13 (mainly used for cultivating fruit vegetables) installed in the cultivation tank 10 when seeds are germinated in the cultivation pot 13 . Alternatively, after the seeds sown in the cultivation pots 12 and 13 have been germinated in a dark germination chamber, the germination covers 15 and 17 are placed in the cultivation pots 12 and 13 for a certain period of time when the cultivation pots 12 and 13 are moved to the cultivation tank 10. , 13.

The germination covers 15 and 17 are composed of a germination cover (hereinafter referred to as a light-shielding germination cover) entirely made of a light-shielding material that does not allow light to pass through, and a semi-light-shielding material (transmittance of about 30%) that allows a certain amount of light to pass through. %) is prepared (hereinafter referred to as a semi-shading germination cover). ing.

After seeds are sown in the cultivation pots 12 and 13 installed in the cultivation tank 10, or after the cultivation pots 12 and 13 in which the seeds are sown are installed in the cultivation tank 10, the light-shielding germination covers 15 and 17 are attached to the cultivation pots 12 and 13. Cover 13. By covering the cultivation pots 12 and 13 with the light-shielding germination covers 15 and 17 from sowing to germination, the seeds are hardly irradiated with light and the germination timing of a plurality of seeds can be aligned.

The inventors of the present application have discovered that if the light-shielding sprouting covers 15, 17 are removed and the seeds are suddenly exposed to sunlight after germination, the plants may wither. Therefore, immediately after germination, instead of the light-shielding germination covers 15 and 17, the cultivation pots 12 and 13 are covered with the semi-light-shielding germination covers 15 and 17, and this state is maintained for a certain period of time (for example, 2 to 3 days). Adjust the solar radiation to the seedlings.

The semi-shading sprouting cover preferably has a light transmittance of 25% to 35%, more preferably about 30%. The inventors of the present invention prepared semi-shading germination covers with different light transmittances and conducted experiments on adjusting the solar radiation on the seedlings, and found that the transmittance of 25% to 35% was most suitable. High permeability causes plant roots to burn, brown, and stop growing. Low permeability results in longer than usual stems between the leaves and roots, resulting in lower yields.

A germination cover 15 having a substantially rectangular shape shown in FIG. 3A is used, for example, in a leaf vegetable cultivation pot 12 having a shallow interior and a wide top opening. The leaf vegetable cultivation pot 12 often has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from above, and therefore the germination cover 15 preferably has a rectangular shape accordingly.

The germination cover 15 has long side walls 155 and 156 and short side walls 157 and 158, and a substantially rectangular top surface 159 is formed over the upper ends of the long side walls 155 and 156 and the short side walls 157 and 158. ing. An upper surface opening 125 formed at the upper ends of the four outer walls 121, 122, 123, 124 (FIG. 4A) of the cultivation pot 12 by the long side walls 155, 156, the short side walls 157, 158, and the top surface 159. is formed to cover the entirety of the At least the cover portions of the light-shielding sprouting cover and the semi-light-shielding sprouting cover are made of a light-shielding material and a semi-light-shielding material, respectively.

By the long side portion 151 at the lower end of the long side wall 155, the long side portion 152 at the lower end of the long side wall 156, the short side portion 153 at the lower end of the short side wall 157, and the short side portion 154 at the lower end of the short side wall 158, approximately A rectangular bottom opening 15o is defined. The shape and size of the lower opening 15 o correspond to the shape and size of the upper opening 125 of the cultivation pot 12 .

Openings 151a and 152a are provided near the lower ends of the long side walls 155 and 156, respectively, and openings 153a and 154a are provided near the lower ends of the short side walls 157 and 158, respectively. there is The openings 151a, 152a, 153a, and 154a are intended to (1) release the humidity inside the cultivation pot 12 covered with the germination cover 15, and (2) allow a slight amount of light to enter the cultivation pot 12. be provided.

Regarding (1) humidity adjustment, it is preferable that the humidity in the cultivation pot 12 is about 60% at the time of germination. Therefore, the size, number, shape, and the like are appropriately determined so that the humidity inside the cultivation pot can be kept approximately at this value. Regarding (2) light absorption, since the roots may extend upward if light is completely blocked during germination, the roots extend downward by allowing a small amount of light to enter through the opening. The size, number, shape, etc. of the openings are appropriately set so as to exhibit this function.

The germination cover 15 preferably has flanges 151b, 152b, 153b, and 154b projecting outward from the lower ends of the long side walls 155 and 156 and the short side walls 157 and 158, respectively. By providing these collars 151b, 152b, 153b, and 154b, when the germination cover 15 is put on the cultivation pot 12, the germination cover 15 is more stable and the strength of the germination cover 15 is improved. The width of the collars 151b, 152b, 153b, and 154b (that is, the amount of outward protrusion) is not limited, and is determined by the stability of the sprouting cover 15 on the cultivation pot 12 and the required sprouting cover 15. It can be determined appropriately according to the intensity.

In this embodiment, the openings 151a, 152a, 153a, 154a are formed at the lower ends of the sidewalls 155, 156, 157, 158, but are not limited to this, and are formed slightly above the lower ends of the sidewalls. may have been That is, the openings 151a, 152a, 153a, 154a can be provided at or near the sides 151, 151, 153, 154 thereof. In addition, in the present embodiment, the openings 151a, 152a, 153a, and 154a are formed as holes closed at the bottom, but the openings 151a, 152a, 153a, and 154a are not limited to this. A notch-shaped opening may be used.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a sprouting cover 15' according to another embodiment of the invention. For this embodiment, the same elements as in FIG. 3(a) are labeled with the same reference numerals.
Unlike the germination cover 15, the germination cover 15' has openings 151a, 152a, 153a and 154a covered by collars 151b, 152b, 153b and 154b, respectively. The flanges 151b, 152b, 153b and 154b have raised portions 151b', 152b', 153b' and 154b' at positions corresponding to the openings 151a, 152a, 153a and 154a, respectively.

A germination cover 17 having a substantially square shape as shown in FIG. 3B is used, for example, in a fruit vegetable cultivation pot 13 having a deep interior and a narrow top opening. The fruit vegetable cultivation pot 13 often has a generally square shape when viewed from above, and therefore the germination cover 17 preferably has a square shape accordingly.

The germination cover 17 has side walls 175, 176, 177 and 178, and a substantially square top surface 179 is formed over the upper ends of these side walls. Side walls 175 , 176 , 177 , 178 and top surface 179 form a covering part that covers the entire upper surface opening 135 formed by four outer walls 131 , 132 , 133 , 134 ( FIG. 4B ) of cultivation pot 13 . be done. At least the cover portions of the light-shielding sprouting cover and the semi-light-shielding sprouting cover are made of a light-shielding material and a semi-light-shielding material, respectively.

Side portions 171, 172, 173, and 174 at the lower ends of side walls 175, 176, 177, and 178 define a substantially square lower surface opening 17o. The shape and size of the lower opening 17 o correspond to the shape and size of the upper opening 135 of the cultivation pot 13 .

Openings 171a, 172a, 173a and 174a are provided near the lower ends of the side walls 175, 176, 177 and 178, respectively. The openings 171a, 172a, 173a, and 174a are intended to (1) release humidity inside the cultivation pot 13 covered with the germination cover 17, and (2) allow a slight amount of light to enter the cultivation pot 13. be provided.

Regarding (1) humidity control, it is preferable that the humidity in the cultivation pot 13 is about 60% at the time of germination. Therefore, the size, number, shape, and the like are appropriately determined so that the humidity inside the cultivation pot can be kept approximately at this value. Regarding (2) light absorption, since the roots may extend upward if light is completely blocked during germination, the roots extend downward by allowing a small amount of light to enter through the opening. The size, number, shape, etc. of the openings are appropriately set so as to exhibit this function.

The germination cover 17 preferably has outwardly protruding flanges 171b, 172b, 173b, and 174b at the lower ends of the side walls 175, 176, 177, and 178, respectively. By providing these collars 171b, 172b, 173b, and 174b, the germination cover 17 is more stable when the cultivation pot 13 is covered. As for the sprouting cover 17, as with the sprouting cover 15' of FIG. It is also possible to The raised portions form communication paths between the openings 171a, 172a, 173a, 174a and the outside.

In this embodiment, the openings 171a, 172a, 173a, 174a are formed at the lower ends of the side walls 175, 176, 177, 178, but are not limited to this, and are formed slightly above the lower ends of the side walls. may have been That is, the openings 171a, 172a, 173a, 174a can be provided at or near the sides 171, 172, 173, 174 thereof. In addition, in the present embodiment, the openings 171a, 172a, 173a, and 174a are formed as holes closed at the bottom, but the present invention is not limited to this. A notch-shaped opening may be used.

The light-shielding sprout covers 15 and 17 are not limited as long as they are made of a light-impermeable material. Further, the semi-light-shielding sprouting covers 15 and 17 are not limited as long as they are made of a material capable of transmitting light to some extent, preferably 25% to 35%. Shade and semi-shade germinating covers can be made of, for example, polypropylene.

(How to use the germination cover)
A typical use of the sprouting cover according to the invention will now be described.
First, the cultivation pots 12 and/or the cultivation pots 13 are installed in the cultivation tank 10 . A non-woven fabric, a culture medium, or the like is arranged as necessary inside the cultivation pot 12 and/or the cultivation pot 13 installed in the cultivation tank 10, and plant seeds are sown there. After seeding, the cultivation pot 12 is covered with a light-shielding germination cover 15 whose cover part is formed of a light-shielding material and has a substantially rectangular bottom opening. Similarly, the cultivation pot 13 is covered with a light-shielding germination cover 17 having a substantially square bottom opening. Cultivation is carried out in this state until germination.

After the seed germinates, the cultivation pot 12 is covered with a germination cover 15 whose cover part is made of a semi-light-shielding material instead of the germination cover 15 and the germination cover 17 whose cover part is made of a light-shielding material. 13 is covered with a sprouting cover 17 whose cover is made of a semi-light-shielding material. The semi-shading germination cover 15 and the semi-shading germination cover 17 are used for several days, preferably 2-3 days, and then removed.

For example, in a large hydroponic plant or the like, a germination chamber may be provided separately from the cultivation tank. When a germination chamber is provided, the cultivation pots 12 and 13 are placed in the germination chamber from seeding to germination. After the seeds have germinated, the cultivation pots 12 and 13 are placed inside the germination chamber in order to prevent the plants from withering or hindering their growth due to sudden exposure from a dark place to a bright place. After covering the cultivation pots 12 and 13 with the semi-shading germination covers 15 and 17, they are moved to the cultivation tank in the house. In this case also, the semi-shading sprouting covers 15, 17 are removed after a few days (preferably after 2-3 days).

1 Plant Cultivation System 10 Cultivation Tank 11 Float 12 Leaf Vegetable Cultivation Pot 121, 122 Long Side Wall 123, 124 Short Side Wall 125 Top Opening 13 Fruit Vegetable Cultivation Pot 131 Outer Wall 133 Top Opening 15 Germination Cover 151, 152 Long Side 151a , 152a openings 151b, 152b flanges 153, 154 short sides 153a, 154a openings 153b, 154b flanges 155, 156 long side walls 157, 158 short side walls 159 top surface 15o lower surface opening 15' germination cover 151b', 152b' , 153b', 154b' raised portion 17 sprouting cover 171, 172, 173, 174 side portion 171a, 172a, 173a, 174a opening 171b, 172b, 173b, 174b collar portion 175, 176, 177, 178 side wall 179 top surface 16 discharge Apparatus 16A First discharge section 16B Second discharge section 19 Support frame 25 Reformed air producing means 30 Reformed air supply means 40 Nutrient solution circulation means 60 House RA Reformed air S Nutrient solution

Claims (6)

In a plant cultivation system for cultivating plants in a cultivation tank containing a nutrient solution, a germination cover used by covering a cultivation pot installed in the cultivation tank,
a bottom opening having a shape and size corresponding to the top opening of the cultivation pot;
a covering part that has a side portion that defines the lower opening and covers the entire upper opening of the cultivation pot continuously upward from the side part;
The cover is made of a semi-light-shielding material with a light transmittance of 25% to 35%, and has a plurality of openings in or near the side.
sprouting cover. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the bottom opening is generally square in shape and has four said sides, one opening at or near each of the four sides. sprouting cover. 4, wherein the lower surface opening has a substantially rectangular shape and has four sides; and a plurality of the openings are provided on each of the long sides of the four sides or on each of the sides near the long sides; 2. The sprouting cover of claim 1, having one of said openings at or near each of the short sides of said sides. 4. The sprouting cover of any one of claims 1-3, wherein the cover portion has a collar portion extending outwardly from the side portion. 5. The sprouting cover according to claim 4, wherein said brim has protuberances forming communication paths with the outside at positions corresponding to said plurality of openings. In a plant cultivation system for cultivating plants in a cultivation tank containing a nutrient solution, a method for germinating a plant using a germination cover to cover a cultivation pot installed in the cultivation tank, comprising:
sprouting cover
a bottom opening having a shape and size corresponding to the top opening of the cultivation pot;
a cover portion that has a side portion that defines the lower surface opening and that covers the entire upper surface opening of the cultivation pot continuously upward from the side portion; has an opening,
The method includes:
a step of sowing plant seeds in the cultivation pot installed in the cultivation tank;
a step of covering the cultivation pot with the germination cover, the covering portion of which is formed of a light-shielding material;
After germination, replacing the germination cover whose covering part is made of a light-shielding material is replaced with the germination cover whose cover part is made of a semi-light-shielding material having a light transmittance of 25% to 35%. How to include.

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