JP7415716B2 - Artificial culture medium structure, cultivation device, and cultivation method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an artificial culture medium structure, a cultivation device, and a cultivation method.

2. Description of the Related Art Cultivation devices for hydroponic cultivation in which roots of plants are immersed in a nutrient solution for growth have been known (for example, see Patent Document 1). The cultivation device includes a mounting table capable of supplying a nutrient solution to a water-retaining medium in which plants take root. In addition, a material made of rock wool is sometimes used as a material for supplying a nutrient solution to a water-retaining medium. Rock wool is excellent in that it has high water retention and can easily supply moisture to the water retention medium.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 4-370044

However, rock wool has the problem of easily over-humidifying the roots of plants. If the water retention medium becomes overly humid, root rot and bacterial infection may occur more easily.
The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide an artificial culture medium structure, a cultivation device, and a cultivation method that enable good control of the environment of plant roots.

An artificial culture medium structure that solves the above-mentioned problems includes a base material having a gap through which a fluid can pass, and a liquid-conducting sheet that is in contact with a medium in which plants are planted, and the liquid-conducting sheet is lyophilic. Constructed from a woven fabric with a soft surface.

A cultivation device that solves the above problems includes an artificial culture medium structure that includes a base material having a gap through which a fluid can pass, a liquid conductive sheet that is in contact with a medium in which plants are planted, and an artificial culture medium structure that provides irrigation to the artificial culture medium structure. a liquid irrigation device for applying liquid, and the liquid guiding sheet is made of a woven fabric having a lyophilic surface.

In a cultivation method that solves the above problems, plants are grown in an artificial culture medium structure that includes a base material that has voids inside which a fluid can pass, and a liquid conductive sheet that is made of a woven fabric that has a lyophilic surface. The planted culture medium is placed in contact with the liquid guide sheet, and a nutrient solution is supplied to the artificial culture medium structure.

According to each of the above configurations, the liquid guiding sheet can absorb and diffuse excess nutrient solution absorbed into the culture medium. This prevents over-humidification of the culture medium and suppresses root rot. In addition, by increasing the fluidity of the nutrient solution in the culture medium, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of diseases caused by bacterial infection of the roots of plants. Further, the liquid guiding sheet can further improve the liquid drainage performance of the liquid guiding sheet provided on the base material having a gap. In addition, since the roots of the plants that have extended to the substrate can be brought into contact with the air supplied through the gaps in the substrate, it is possible to support the roots of the plants and promote the growth of the plants. can.

Regarding the artificial culture medium structure described above, it is preferable that the base material is a structure having a three-dimensional network structure.
According to the above configuration, since a molded product having a three-dimensional network structure is used as a base material, handling becomes easy. Furthermore, the base material can be reused by washing it with water or chemicals.

Regarding the artificial culture medium structure described above, it is preferable that the liquid guiding sheet is provided on an upper surface and a side surface of the base material.
According to the above configuration, the nutrient solution absorbed by the liquid guide sheet from the culture medium can be moved vertically downward along the liquid guide sheet that covers the side surface of the base material.

The artificial culture medium structure further includes a covering sheet that suppresses evaporation of the nutrient solution absorbed by the liquid guiding sheet, and the covering sheet has an opening for placing plants that opens on the upper surface of the base material. is preferred.

According to the above configuration, the portion of the liquid guiding sheet other than the opening for planting is covered with the covering sheet, so that the amount of nutrient solution contained in the liquid guiding sheet can be kept within an appropriate range.
Regarding the artificial culture medium structure, the liquid guiding sheet is preferably made of the woven fabric and nonwoven fabric.

According to the above configuration, since the liquid guiding sheet is made of woven fabric and nonwoven fabric, it is possible to keep the liquid guiding sheet in a moist state while suppressing retention of the nutrient solution within the liquid guiding sheet.
Regarding the artificial culture medium structure, the base material preferably includes a space for cultivating roots of root vegetables, and the liquid conductive sheet is preferably provided on the inner surface of the space.

According to the above configuration, the roots of the root vegetables grow while contacting the liquid guiding sheet in the space, so that the root vegetables can be grown while supplying the nutrient solution and air to the roots.
Regarding the above-mentioned cultivation device, it is preferable that a space for cultivating roots of root vegetables is formed between the plurality of artificial medium structures.

According to the above configuration, the roots of the root vegetables grow while contacting the liquid guiding sheet in the space, so that the root vegetables can be grown while supplying the nutrient solution and air to the roots.

According to the present invention, the environment of plant roots can be well controlled.

1 is a perspective view showing a cultivation device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the cultivation device according to the same embodiment. FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a cultivation device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) and (b) are cultivation devices for growing root vegetables, and (c) is a cultivation device for growing plants with wide roots. Show the device. A sectional view showing a cultivation device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. A sectional view showing a cultivation device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. A sectional view showing a cultivation device according to a modification. A sectional view showing a cultivation device according to a modification. A sectional view showing a cultivation device according to a modification. A sectional view showing a cultivation device according to a modification.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the cultivation device 10 includes an artificial culture medium structure 11 and an irrigation device 12. A medium 13 in which plants 15 are planted is placed on the artificial medium structure 11 . The irrigation device 12 supplies the artificial culture medium structure 11 with a nutrient solution. In this embodiment, the nutrient solution has water as its main component.

With reference to FIG. 2, the artificial medium structure 11 will be described in detail. The artificial culture medium structure 11 includes a base material 20 , a liquid guiding sheet 21 with which the culture medium 13 comes into contact, and a covering sheet 22 .
The base material 20 has voids through which fluid can pass. The fluids are air and nutrient solution. For example, the base material 20 is constituted by a structure in which wire rods made of resin are molded so that gaps are formed between the wire rods. The structure may be a three-dimensional network structure, or may be a wire formed into a coil shape. The contact points between the wire rods may be joined by heat fusion or the like. The porosity of the base material 20 is preferably 45% or more, more preferably 80% or more. Note that the porosity is a percentage of the total volume of voids with respect to the entire volume of the base material 20. The thickness of the base material 20 is adjusted depending on the type of plant 15 to be cultivated, but in consideration of versatility, ease of handling, etc., the thickness is preferably 25 mm or more and 75 mm or less. Further, in order to repeatedly use the base material 20 after washing it with chemicals, the base material 20 is preferably formed using a material having chemical resistance. As the base material 20, for example, "Hechimaron (registered trademark)" (manufactured by Shinko Nylon Co., Ltd.), "Moyai Drain Mat (registered trademark)" (manufactured by Yoshiwara Kako Co., Ltd.), etc. can be used.

The liquid guide sheet 21 is a sheet made of fibers. The liquid guiding sheet 21 spreads the absorbed liquid over a wide area by capillary action within or between the fibers. The liquid guide sheet 21 only needs to be in contact with the culture medium 13 in order to enable movement of the nutrient solution to and from the culture medium 13, and may be provided on a part of the upper surface 25 of the base material 20. Moreover, when the liquid guide sheet 21 is provided so as to cover the upper surface 25 and the side surfaces 26 of the base material 20, the nutrient solution can be spread over a wide range along the liquid guide sheet 21. In this embodiment, all surfaces of the base material 20 are covered.

The structure of the liquid guiding sheet 21 will be explained in detail. The liquid guide sheet 21 is a woven fabric made by weaving lyophobic fibers, and the surface of the woven fabric is further subjected to a lyophilic treatment. In this embodiment, fibers that do not cause a chemical reaction or substantially dissolve or swell when containing a nutrient solution are referred to as lyophobic fibers. As the lyophobic fiber, for example, fibers such as polyester, polyamide, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, etc. can be used. The lyophobic fibers may be either short fibers or long fibers. The thickness of the fiber is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.1D (denier) or more and 800D or less. Moreover, the same type of fiber may be used as the lyophobic fiber, or a plurality of different types of fiber may be used. The lyophobic fiber is a yarn such as a twisted yarn, a spun yarn, or a non-twisted yarn in which fibers are arranged in one direction and twisted together. Threads made of lyophobic fibers are woven into fabrics by various methods such as plain weaving, twill weaving, and satin weaving. Note that at least some of the plurality of threads constituting the woven fabric may be lyophobic fiber threads. The woven fabric may be bonded with a lyophobic resin binder to the extent that the gaps between the fibers are not significantly blocked.

The lyophilic treatment can be performed by various types of lyophilic treatments conventionally applied to synthetic fibers. For example, when the lyophobic fiber is polyester, a lyophilic treatment is performed using a treatment agent prepared by graft polymerizing polyethylene glycol onto polyester. Further, when the lyophobic fiber is a polyamide fiber, a lyophilic treatment is performed using a treatment agent obtained by graft polymerizing polyethylene glycol to polyamide.

Further, the surface 220 of the liquid guiding sheet 21 is subjected to a raised treatment. The liquid guiding sheet 21 is provided so that the front surface 220 is in contact with the culture medium 13 and the back surface 221 is on the base material 20 side. By subjecting the liquid guide sheet 21 to the napping treatment, the ability to absorb liquid from the culture medium 13 is increased. This liquid guide sheet 21 preferably has the ability to suck up water (water pumping ability) to a height of 20 cm or more from the lower end by capillary action when the lower end is suspended from the water surface.

The covering sheet 22 is a sheet that suppresses evaporation of liquid from the liquid guiding sheet 21 . The covering sheet 22 is made of resin such as vinyl. The covering sheet 22 is provided with one or more openings 23 for placing plants. The plant placement opening 23 for bringing the culture medium 13 into contact with the liquid guiding sheet 21 is formed to match the size of the culture medium 13. From the viewpoint of suppressing evaporation of the nutrient solution absorbed by the liquid guiding sheet 21, the covering sheet 22 covers at least the upper surface 25, front, rear, left side, and right side surfaces 26 of the base material 20 on which the liquid guiding sheet 21 is provided. It is preferable to cover the

The irrigation device 12 is a device for irrigation of the artificial culture medium structure 11. The nutrient solution may contain a fertilizer component. Various types of devices can be used as the irrigation device 12, such as a device that drips the nutrient solution little by little from a hole provided in a tube through which the nutrient solution passes, or a device that drips the nutrient solution from a reservoir. In FIG. 2, the irrigation device 12 is a device equipped with a tube in which a hole is formed, and supplies a nutrient solution to the liquid guide sheet 21 from the upper side of the covering sheet 22 through the plant mounting opening 23.

Next, a cultivation method using the cultivation device 10 will be explained along with its effects.
First, the liquid guide sheet 21 is fixed to a base material 20 that matches the plant to be grown. Further, the covering sheet 22 is placed over the liquid guiding sheet 21 to fix the covering sheet 22 to the base material 20 .

Next, the culture medium 13 in which the plants 15 are planted is placed on the liquid guide sheet 21 through the plant placement openings 23 formed in advance in the covering sheet 22 . After placing the culture medium 13, the irrigation device 12 is operated to perform irrigation. Since the surface of the woven fabric constituting the liquid guiding sheet 21 has been subjected to a lyophilic treatment, the nutrient solution is easily absorbed into the woven fabric. In addition, the lyophobic fibers that make up the woven fabric do not swell even if they contain a nutrient solution, so the nutrient solution absorbed into the woven fabric is nourished by capillary action inside the threads that make up the woven fabric or between the threads. It forms a film of liquid and moves along the thread with a slight gradient. As a result, the nutrient solution moves over a wide range of the liquid guide sheet 21. A part of the nutrient solution that has permeated into the liquid guide sheet 21 is absorbed into the culture medium 13, and the other nutrient solution mainly flows toward the bottom surface of the base material 20 along the liquid guide sheet 21 that covers the side surface 26 of the base material 20. Moving.

Further, since the liquid guide sheet 21 is in contact with the base material 20 having voids, the nutrient solution absorbed by the liquid guide sheet 21 evaporates more easily than in the case where rock wool is used as the base material. Moreover, since the excess nutrient solution absorbed by the liquid guiding sheet 21 falls to the base material 20 side, the liquid guiding sheet 21 is unlikely to reach a saturated state in which it has absorbed the maximum amount of nutrient solution.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, the roots 16 of the plants 15 have the property of sensing moisture (moisture potential gradient) and extending toward areas where moisture is easily absorbed. It extends along the liquid guiding sheet 21. The roots 16 extend from the liquid guide sheet 21 that covers the upper surface 25 of the base material 20 along the liquid guide sheet 21 that covers the side surface 26, although it depends on the type of the plant 15. Furthermore, the woven fabric forming the liquid guiding sheet 21 is less likely to hinder the growth of the roots 16 than a nonwoven fabric. The reason for this is that nonwoven fabrics have a structure in which the fibers are randomly intertwined, making it difficult for the roots to stretch between the fibers, whereas woven fabrics have moderately sized gaps regularly formed between the threads. This is because they are less likely to cause resistance to root growth. Further, since the roots 16 extending along the liquid guiding sheet 21 come into contact with the air supplied through the gaps in the base material 20, the roots are encouraged to breathe.

The artificial culture medium structure 11 having such a configuration is lightweight and therefore easy to transport. Furthermore, since it is only necessary to place the culture medium 13 in contact with the plant placement opening 23, the operation is simple and it is suitable for large-scale cultivation in which a huge number of plants 15 are cultivated. When the cultivation of the plants 15 is completed, the artificial medium structure 11 is once decomposed. The roots 16 of the plants 15 may be slightly entangled with the base material 20, but most of them extend along the liquid guide sheet 21, so by peeling off the liquid guide sheet 21, the liquid guide sheet 21 and the base material 20 can be separated. can be easily separated. Furthermore, when rock wool is used as a base material, roots and bacteria remain even after washing, making it impossible to reuse the base material. By cleaning with a chemical or the like, roots and bacteria can be removed, and the base material 20 can be reused. Moreover, since the base material 20 is made of resin, when the base material 20 is disposed of, there is no need to dispose of it as industrial waste like rock wool.

As explained above, according to the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) Since the liquid guide sheet 21 absorbs excess nutrient solution from the culture medium 13, it can prevent the culture medium 13 from becoming overly humid and suppress root rot of plants. Furthermore, since the nutrient solution moves easily within the liquid guiding sheet 21, the growth of bacteria caused by the stagnation of the nutrient solution is suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of diseases caused by bacterial infection of the roots. In addition, the liquid guiding sheet 21 is provided on the base material 20 having a gap, and can further improve the liquid drainage performance of the liquid guiding sheet 21 and allow the roots of plants that have extended to the base material 20 to come into contact with the air. It can encourage root respiration. Therefore, it is possible to improve the growth environment for roots.

(2) Since the liquid guiding sheet 21 is made of a woven fabric whose surface 220 has been treated to make it lyophilic, it is possible to make the nutrient solution flow easily through capillary action inside the threads or between the threads. In addition, since woven fabrics are made of lyophobic fibers, they do not swell even when nutrient solution is contained in the fibers, making it difficult for the gaps within the threads or between the threads to be closed, allowing the nutrient solution to move over a wide range. be able to.

(3) The base material 20 is made of a three-dimensional network structure using resin wires or a structure made of coiled wires, so it is lightweight and difficult to break, making it easy to handle. Furthermore, the base material 20 after growing the plants 15 can be reused by washing it with water or chemicals.

(4) Since the liquid guiding sheet 21 covers at least the upper surface 25 and side surfaces 26 of the base material 20, the nutrient solution absorbed from the culture medium 13 into the liquid guiding sheet 21 covers the side surface 26 of the base material 20. It becomes easier to flow down along the line 21.

(5) Since the liquid guiding sheet 21 is covered with the covering sheet 22, excessive drying can be suppressed.
(Second embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the cultivation device will be described. In addition, in 2nd Embodiment, the space was provided between adjacent base materials in order to cultivate root vegetables. Hereinafter, parts similar to those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 3(a) to 3(c), in this embodiment, a plurality of artificial culture medium structures 11 are arranged with spaces 30 provided between them. The space 30 is a space for growing the roots 16, 16A of the plant 15. In the artificial culture medium structure 11, the inner surface 24 on the space 30 side is not covered with the covering sheet 22, and the liquid guiding sheet 21 is exposed, so that the roots 16, 16A can come into contact with it. Further, the culture medium 13 is in contact with the liquid guiding sheet 21 . Since the arrangement interval of the artificial medium structures 11 can be easily adjusted, the width of the space 30 can be changed as appropriate depending on the type of the plants 15 and the purpose for growing the plants 15. Note that these artificial culture medium structures 11 may be collectively covered with one covering sheet 22. In addition, the liquid guide sheet 21 should just be provided in the inner surface 24 at a position where at least a part of the root 16A can come into contact with it.

FIG. 3(a) shows an artificial medium structure 11 for growing root vegetables 17, such as carrots, whose roots 16A are edible. The width of the space 30 may increase as the root vegetables 17 grow. Root 16A extends into space 30. At this time, since the roots 16A come into contact with the liquid guiding sheet 21, the roots 16A can absorb the nutrient solution from the liquid guiding sheet 21. Moreover, since the liquid guiding sheet 21 does not make the roots 16A overly humid, root rot is suppressed. Furthermore, since the liquid guide sheet 21 moves the nutrient solution from the upper surface side of the base material 20 toward the lower surface side of the base material 20 according to gravity, the nutrient solution is less likely to stay and can suppress bacterial infection.

FIG. 3(b) shows an artificial medium structure 11 for growing a plant 15 of a root vegetable 17 that grows by spreading fine roots 16A such as hair roots. Examples of such plants 15 include those containing active ingredients in their roots 16A, such as ginseng, wasabi, cinnamon, and the like. In this embodiment, the space 30 of the artificial culture medium structure 11 is adjusted to such an extent that at least a portion of the roots 16A that spread in the vertical and horizontal directions can contact the liquid guiding sheet 21 and absorb the nutrient solution. If such a plant 15 is grown in soil, it is difficult to harvest fine roots such as whiskers because they are cut when harvesting the roots. However, when the roots 16A are grown in the space 30 like this The roots can be easily harvested.

FIG. 3(c) shows a mode in which one plant 15 spreads roots 16 in a plurality of spaces 30. In this case, the roots 16 of the plants 15 grow over a wide range, resulting in stable growth and a longer harvestable period. This embodiment is suitable for plants 15 that are grown year-round, such as tomatoes, for example.

As explained above, according to the second embodiment, the following effects can be obtained in addition to the effects described in the first embodiment.
(6) The roots 16, 16A of the plant 15 grow while contacting the liquid conductive sheet 21 covering the base material 20, so the growing environment of the roots 16, 16A is improved by supplying nutrient solution and air to the roots 16, 16A. It can be made good.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment of the cultivation device will be described. Note that in the third embodiment, the configuration of the liquid guiding sheet 21 is different from the first embodiment. Hereinafter, parts similar to those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 4, the liquid guide sheet 21A has a laminated structure in which a woven fabric 210 and a nonwoven fabric 211 are laminated. The woven fabric 210 is made of a woven fabric of lyophobic fibers whose surface has been subjected to a lyophilic treatment, similarly to the liquid guide sheet 21 of the first embodiment. The nonwoven fabric 211 is a sheet made of fibers chemically, mechanically or thermally without being woven. The fibers used for the nonwoven fabric 211 may be either hydrophobic fibers or hydrophilic fibers. Examples of the fibers used for the nonwoven fabric 211 include rayon, nylon, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester, vinylon, and cellulose. Woven fabric 210 and nonwoven fabric 211 may be fixed to each other using an adhesive, heat treatment, or the like. The liquid guide sheet 21A is provided so that the woven fabric 210 is in contact with the culture medium 13 and the nonwoven fabric 211 is in contact with the base material 20. Further, the thickness of the woven fabric 210 is not particularly limited, and may be thicker or thinner than the nonwoven fabric 211.

The function of the liquid guiding sheet 21A will be explained. Since the medium 13 is in contact with the fabric 210, most of the roots 16 of the plants 15 grow within the fabric 210. Therefore, the growth of the roots 16 can be prevented from being hindered. In addition, the woven fabric 210 moves the absorbed nutrient solution over a wide range and suppresses retention of the nutrient solution. The nonwoven fabric 211 retains the nutrient solution on the back side of the woven fabric 210. The liquid guiding sheet 21A acts in the same manner as the liquid guiding sheet 21 of the first embodiment, but is better than the liquid guiding sheet 21 in maintaining the moist state of the growth environment of the roots 16 and falling into the base material 20. The amount of nutrient solution can be reduced.

As explained above, according to the third embodiment, the following effects can be obtained in addition to the effects described in the first embodiment.
(7) Since the nonwoven fabric 211 of the liquid guide sheet 21A retains the nutrient solution on the back side of the woven fabric 210, it is possible to keep the liquid guide sheet 21A relatively moist while maintaining a good environment for the roots of the plants 15. can.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, a fourth embodiment of the cultivation device will be described. In the fourth embodiment, the structure of the liquid guide sheet 21 is different from the first embodiment, and the order of stacking the woven fabric 210 and the nonwoven fabric 211 of the liquid guide sheet 21A of the third embodiment is different. Hereinafter, parts similar to those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 5, the liquid guiding sheet 21B has a laminated structure in which a nonwoven fabric 213 and a woven fabric 212 are laminated. The nonwoven fabric 213 and the woven fabric 212 are made of the same materials as in the third embodiment, but are provided so that the nonwoven fabric 213 is in contact with the culture medium 13 and the woven fabric 212 is in contact with the base material 20. Further, the thickness of the nonwoven fabric 213 is not particularly limited, and may be thicker or thinner than the woven fabric 212.

The function of the liquid guiding sheet 21B will be explained. Since the medium 13 is in contact with the nonwoven fabric 213, most of the roots 16 of the plants 15 grow within the nonwoven fabric 213. Since the woven fabric 212 absorbs a portion of the nutrient solution absorbed by the nonwoven fabric 213, the nonwoven fabric 213 does not reach a saturated state in which the nutrient solution is absorbed to the limit. The woven fabric 212 moves the nutrient solution over a wide range and suppresses retention of the nutrient solution within the nonwoven fabric 213. The liquid guide sheet 21A functions similarly to the liquid guide sheet 21 of the first embodiment, but makes the growth environment of the roots 16 moister than the liquid guide sheet 21, and reduces the amount of nutrient solution that falls into the base material 20. can be reduced. Therefore, it is particularly suitable for growing plants that require a large amount of nutrient solution. After the cultivation of the plants 15 is completed, the woven fabric 212, the base material 20, and the covering sheet 22 can be reused by replacing only the nonwoven fabric 213.

As explained above, according to the fourth embodiment, the following effects can be obtained in addition to the effects described in the first embodiment.
(8) Since the nonwoven fabric 213 of the liquid guiding sheet 21B retains the nutrient solution on the surface side of the woven fabric 212, it is possible to keep the liquid guiding sheet 21B in a relatively moist state while improving the environment for the roots of the plants 15. can.

Each of the above embodiments can be modified and implemented as follows. This embodiment and the following modified examples can be implemented in combination with each other within a technically consistent range.
- In the third embodiment and the fourth embodiment, liquid guide sheets 21A and 21B made of woven fabric and nonwoven fabric were used. A braided cord may be further combined with these liquid guiding sheets 21A and 21C. The example shown in FIG. 6 has a configuration in which a braid 31 is added to the liquid guide sheet 21B of the third embodiment. The braid 31 is a string formed by braiding a plurality of threads, and is provided within the nonwoven fabric 211. The plurality of braids 31 are arranged in the nonwoven fabric 211 so as to be substantially parallel to each other. According to this aspect, it is possible to further facilitate the movement of the nutrient solution in the direction in which the braid 31 extends.

- In the second embodiment, a space 30 is provided between a pair of artificial culture medium structures 11. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 7, a space 30A for cultivating roots 16A of root vegetables may be provided inside the base material 20. The space 30A is formed in the process of molding the base material 20A, or by processing such as cutting the base material 20A. The space 30A is provided with a liquid guiding sheet 21 that covers the inner surface 24A of the space 30A. Even in this case, the roots 16A of the root vegetables 17 grow while contacting the liquid guiding sheet 21 covering the base material 20, so that a good growth environment for the roots 16A can be achieved by supplying the nutrient solution and air to the roots 16A. can do. Further, since the space 30 is formed in advance in the base material 20, the work is easier than when a pair of artificial culture medium structures 11 are placed facing each other.

- In each of the above embodiments, the irrigation device 12 supplies the nutrient solution to the liquid guide sheet 21 from above the cover sheet 22 through the plant placement opening 23, but the location of the irrigation device 12 is It is not limited to the area above the covering sheet 22. As shown in FIG. 8, the irrigation device 12A may be embedded in the base material 20. The nutrient solution supplied by the irrigation device 12A moves to the upper surface side of the base material 20 due to the pumping capacity (pumping capacity) of the liquid guiding sheet 21, and is absorbed into the culture medium 13. Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the irrigation device 12B may be provided between the liquid guiding sheet 21 and the covering sheet 22. In this case, the nutrient solution supplied by the irrigation device 12B moves to the upper surface side of the base material 20 due to the liquid lifting ability of the liquid guide sheet 21, and is absorbed into the culture medium 13.

- In each of the above embodiments, the liquid guiding sheet 21 is covered with the covering sheet 22. If it is desirable to reduce the amount of nutrient solution absorbed by the liquid guide sheet 21 due to the characteristics of the plants to be grown, etc., the covering sheet 22 may be omitted to facilitate the discharge or transpiration of unnecessary nutrient solution. Good too.

- In each of the embodiments described above, the liquid guiding sheet 21 and the covering sheet 22 are separated and fixed to the base material 20, but they may be integrated into a laminated sheet. The liquid guiding sheet 21 and the covering sheet 22 are formed into a laminated structure by welding by heat or vibration, bonding with an adhesive, stitching, or the like.

- In each of the embodiments described above, plants are grown with the plant mounting opening 23 of the covering sheet 22 facing upward. Instead, plants may be grown vertically (also referred to as wall cultivation) with the plant placement openings 23 of the cover sheet 22 facing sideways. Even in this case, since the culture medium 13 does not become overly humid, root rot, bacterial infection, etc. can be suppressed.

- In each of the above embodiments, the liquid guiding sheets 21, 21A, 21B were attached to cover all surfaces of the base materials 20, 20A. Instead, the liquid guide sheets 21, 21A, 21B only need to be able to contact the culture medium 13, and the liquid guide sheets 21, 21A, 21B provided on the base material 20 are provided on a part of the upper surface 25 of the base material 20, on the upper surface 25. It may also be provided only in Furthermore, the liquid guide sheets 21, 21A, and 21B may be provided on a part of the side surface 26 or only on the side surface 26. Moreover, the base materials 20 and 20A for forming the space 30 for growing the root vegetables 17 may be provided with liquid conductive sheets 21, 21A, and 21B at least on the side surfaces that come into contact with the roots of the plants.

- In each of the above embodiments, the liquid guide sheets 21, 21A, 21B are woven fabrics made of lyophobic fibers whose surfaces have been treated to make them lyophilic. Instead, a woven fabric made of fibers other than lyophobic fibers and whose surface is lyophilic may be used. At least if it is made of woven yarn, the nutrient solution absorbed by the woven fabric can move along the direction of the yarn.

10... Cultivation device, 11... Artificial medium structure, 12, 12A, 12B... Irrigation device, 13... Medium, 15... Plant, 16, 16A... Root, 17... Root vegetables, 20, 20A... Substrate, 21, 21A, 21B, 21C...Liquid guiding sheet, 22...Covering sheet, 23...Plant placement opening, 24, 24A...Inner surface, 25...Top surface, 26...Side surface, 30, 30A...Space, 31... Braid, 210, 212... Woven fabric, 211, 213... Non-woven fabric, 220... Front surface, 221... Back surface.

Claims (9)

a base material having a large number of voids therein through which a fluid can pass;
A liquid conductive sheet that is in contact with a medium in which root vegetables are planted,
The liquid guiding sheet is made of a woven fabric having a lyophilic surface ,
Using the base material, the width is adjusted according to the type of roots of the root vegetables, and a space in which the roots grow is configured,
The medium is provided in a position above the space and in contact with the liquid guiding sheet,
The liquid conductive sheet is an inner surface of the base material that partitions the space, and the liquid conductive sheet is an inner surface of the base material that partitions the space, and when the roots of the root vegetables grow downward from the medium through the space, the roots of the root vegetables are An artificial culture medium structure, characterized in that it is provided at a position where it comes into contact with . The artificial medium structure according to claim 1, wherein the base material is a structure having a three-dimensional network structure. The artificial culture medium structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the liquid guiding sheet is provided on an upper surface and a side surface of the base material. Further comprising a covering sheet that suppresses transpiration of the nutrient solution absorbed by the liquid guiding sheet,
The artificial culture medium structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the covering sheet has an opening for placing a plant that opens on the upper surface of the base material. The artificial culture medium structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the liquid guiding sheet has a laminated structure in which the woven fabric and the nonwoven fabric are laminated. Any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the plurality of base materials are provided so that their arrangement can be adjusted, and the width of the space is changed according to the growth of the root vegetables by adjusting the position of the base materials. The artificial culture medium structure according to item 1. The artificial culture medium structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the base material has a porosity of 45% or more. An artificial culture medium structure comprising a base material having a large number of voids therein through which a fluid can pass, and a liquid conductive sheet in contact with a medium in which root vegetables are planted;
an irrigation device for applying irrigation to the artificial medium structure,
The liquid guiding sheet is made of a woven fabric having a lyophilic surface ,
Using the base material, the width is adjusted according to the type of roots of the root vegetables, and a space in which the roots grow is configured,
The medium is provided in a position above the space and in contact with the liquid guiding sheet,
The liquid conductive sheet is an inner surface of the base material that partitions the space, and the liquid conductive sheet is an inner surface of the base material that partitions the space, and when the roots of the root vegetables grow downward from the medium through the space, the roots of the root vegetables are A cultivation device characterized in that it is provided at a position where it comes into contact with . Constructing an artificial culture medium structure using a base material having a large number of voids through which a fluid can pass, and a liquid guiding sheet made of a woven fabric having a lyophilic surface,
Using the base material, configure a space whose width is adjusted according to the type of root of the root vegetable and in which the roots grow,
The liquid-conducting sheet is located on the inner surface of the base material that partitions the space, and is in contact with the roots of the root vegetables when the roots of the root vegetables grow downward through the space. established,
placing the medium in which the root vegetables are planted in a position above the space in contact with the liquid conductive sheet provided on the upper surface of the base material;
A cultivation method characterized by supplying a nutrient solution to the artificial culture medium structure.