JPH0555863U - Seedling automatic irrigation system - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Objective] To provide an automatic watering apparatus for seedlings, which can be watered under the most suitable conditions for plant growth and can be cultivated efficiently. [Structure] A pool 2 for containing a culture solution 1 for seedlings, a seedling vat 5 arranged in the pool 2 for holding soil 3 and seedlings 4, and inserted into the soil 3 in the seedling vat 5. Water sensor 6, a water level sensor 7 for detecting the water level of the pool 2, the water sensor 6 and the water level sensor 7
And a control unit 8 that receives and. This control unit 8
Is based on the signals from the moisture sensor 6 and the water level sensor 7,
The pool 2 has a watering section 10 and a draining section 11 for replenishing water in the soil 3 by temporarily raising and lowering the water level.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial application]

 The present invention relates to an apparatus for automatically watering seedlings for labor-saving cultivation.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 Heretofore, various types of automatic watering devices for seedlings have been proposed. One example is shown in FIG. This device is configured such that a water sprinkler 101 is arranged in a plant cultivation area 100 and the amount of water sprinkled from the water sprinkler 101 is controlled by a control device 102.

The control device 102 is for supplying water from the water tank 103 to the sprinkler 101, has a built-in sequential timer, and controls the sprinkling time and the sprinkling amount under preset conditions. Works like.

In addition, a solar radiation sensor may be used, or a solar radiation sensor may be combined with the timer as described above.

[0005]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, in the above-mentioned conventional type, since a preset amount of water is sprayed at all times, it is possible to cope with changes in temperature and humidity, as well as fluctuations in water consumption in plants. However, there is a risk of overspraying or underspreading at times. Therefore, it was absolutely necessary to make corrections according to weather conditions, soil conditions, and growth stages, and it was impossible to control the water physiology of seedlings.

[0006] For these reasons, the conventional apparatus may cause insufficient seedling growth or root rot. The present invention has been made in view of the above matters, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic watering device for seedlings, which can irrigate under conditions most suitable for plant growth, and which is capable of cultivating good quality and uniform seedlings Subject.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 The present invention has the following configuration in order to solve the above technical problems. That is, a pool 2 for containing the culture solution 1 for seedlings, a seedling vat 5 which is arranged in the pool 2 and holds the soil 3 and the seedlings 4, and a pool 3 which is inserted in the soil 3 in the seedling vat 5. The water sensor 6 includes a water sensor 6, a water level sensor 7 for detecting the water level of the pool 2, and a controller 8 having the water sensor 6 and the water level sensor 7 as inputs. And a signal from the water level sensor 7 to determine whether or not it is necessary to replenish the seed and seedling 4, and by temporarily raising the water level of the pool 2 based on the signal from the determination unit 9. The soil 3 has an irrigation unit 10 and a drainage unit 11 for replenishing water.

Further, a seedling vat for holding the soil and the seedling, and a control unit for inputting a moisture sensor inserted in the soil in the seedling vat are provided, and the control unit controls the moisture sensor from the moisture sensor. Based on the signal from the judgment section, it comprises a judgment section that judges whether or not the seedlings need to be replenished with water, and a watering section that replenishes the soil by irrigating water from above the seedlings based on the signal from this judgment section. Can be In this case, watering is performed from above the seedlings based on the signal from the determination unit 9. A pump or an electromagnetic valve can be used as the watering unit 10.

Here, the judging unit 9 can use a comparator, for example, to make a judgment by comparing a reference voltage with an input voltage, or can also use a microcomputer. The seed culture solution may be water alone or a mixture of water and an appropriate fertilizer.

Further, the control unit 8 can be configured to include a determination unit 9 that determines whether or not the seedlings need to be replenished with water based on the signals from the moisture sensor and the timer. Furthermore, in this irrigation system, the pF value is set to 2.5 until a certain period after sowing, taking into consideration the growth process of seeds, seedlings, environment, etc., and then 2. It is possible to adjust the frequency of irrigation by appropriately selecting the pF value at which the moisture sensor reacts, such as setting to 3.

[0011]

[Action]

 The water sensor 6 detects the water content of the soil 3, and the water level sensor 7 detects the water level of the cultivation liquid 1. When the water content of the soil 3 falls below the water content required by the set plant, the judgment unit 9 in the control unit 8 judges this, and the water level of the pool 2 is raised to dip the culture solution 1 into the seedling vat 5. Let At this time, the water level sensor 7 detects the water level in the pool 2, which is monitored by the control unit 8 so as to supply a predetermined cultivation liquid to the soil 3.

Then, when the water level of the cultivation liquid 1 reaches the position of the soil 3 and the cultivation liquid 1 permeates into the soil 3, the water level is lowered by the command from the control unit 8 and the watering to the soil 3 is stopped. .. When the culture solution 1 is naturally permeated from the lower surface of the soil 3 to irrigate it (bottom irrigation), the moisture given to the seedlings becomes uniform.

When the watering unit is installed above the seedlings, the watering unit is operated by a command from the control unit 8 to perform watering. If a timer is combined with this in addition to the moisture sensor, the irrigation unit is controlled by these mutual commands.

According to the present invention, since the moisture sensor 6 accurately detects whether or not the soil needs watering, watering is performed only when necessary or when necessary. Therefore, seedlings can be cultivated very efficiently without causing water shortage or root rot. When a timer is combined, for example, it is possible to set the detection by the moisture sensor 6 only at a designated time, or to stop the irrigation within a designated fixed time.

[0015]

Embodiment Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a block diagram. The pool 2 has a size corresponding to the cultivation area, and accommodates the cultivation liquid 1 for seedlings of vegetables such as lettuce, Chinese cabbage, cabbage, and tomato. The pool 2 may be formed by forming a recess having a constant width, and a film of synthetic resin or the like may be spread over the recess.

Further, a seedling vat 5 is arranged above the pool 2 in a floating manner via a base material. The seedling vat 5 has a large number of small holes on its surface so that water can freely pass between the upper surface and the bottom surface where soil is piled up. Soil 3 is placed on this seedling vat 5, and seedling 4 is planted on this soil 3.

A moisture sensor 6 is inserted in the soil 3, and this moisture sensor 6 is used to measure the pF value of the soil. Here, the pF value indicates the surface tension (or negative pressure called surface tension) of water existing between soil particles by the height of the water column, and the common logarithm of this is taken. This pF value also serves as an index indicating the physiological condition of the soil component with respect to the plant, so that the state of the plant can be grasped more accurately.

The moisture sensor 6 does not directly measure the negative pressure of soil moisture, but uses the surface tension of soil moisture. That is, the increase and decrease of water content in the soil are carried out in sequence according to the size of the pores in the gap formed by soil particles. For example, water is most quickly lost in areas with large gaps between soil particles, and water tends to remain as the gap becomes smaller. Therefore, if ceramics with multiple types of gaps (small holes) corresponding to the respective gaps are inserted into such soil, each ceramic will be in a water retaining or draining state depending on the water retaining capacity of the soil.

Ceramics in a water-retaining state have a low electric resistance, and ceramics in a draining state have a high electric resistance. Therefore, if the electric resistance of each ceramic is measured, how much gap (small hole It can be easily judged whether the ceramics having a diameter is in a water retaining state. Thus, the soil pF value becomes clear when the one with the largest gap among the ceramics in the water retaining state is detected.

In this embodiment, the ceramic sensors 6a, 6b, 6c and 6d corresponding to four kinds of pF1.9, pF2.1, pF2.3 and pF2.5 are used. It should be noted that this moisture sensor that detects the same pF value may be installed at several places in the soil. Then, if any of the moisture sensors reaches a predetermined value, if this is detected, irrigation is performed according to the condition of the most dry place. Therefore, safe water management is possible even if soil thirst varies. Install multiple moisture sensors by connecting the sensors in series and adjusting the input signal voltage.

On the other hand, the pool 2 is provided with a water level sensor 7 for detecting the water level of the cultivation liquid 1. The water level sensor 7 has electrodes 7a and 7b set to various lengths and is installed toward the water surface. When the water surface rises, the electrodes 7a and 7b are brought into contact with the cultivation liquid 1 in sequence. The cultivation liquid 1 is brought into contact with another reference electrode 7c, and by measuring the electric resistance between these electrodes 7a and 7b and the reference electrode, which electrode has come into contact with the water surface can be detected. This makes it possible to detect the water level.

Outputs from the moisture sensor 6 and the water level sensor 7 are input to the control unit 8. The control unit 8 has a determination unit 9 that determines whether or not the seedling 4 needs to be replenished with water based on the signals from the moisture sensor 6 and the water level sensor 7. This criterion can be arbitrarily set depending on the kind and growth condition of the seedling 4. That is, the setting of the pF value can be freely changed according to the growth stage, the type of soil, and the like.

The amount of water in the soil is determined by the ceramics sensors 6a, 6b, 6c and 6d depending on how much water is retained. An irrigation unit 10 is connected to the determination unit 9. The irrigation unit 10 is a pump, and the drainage unit 11 is a pump or an electromagnetic valve, and the culture solution 1 is supplied to or discharged from the pool 2 from a tank 12 provided separately. Then, the irrigation unit 10 and the drainage unit 11 replenish the soil 3 by temporarily raising and lowering the water level of the pool 2 based on the signal from the judging unit 9. As described above, in this embodiment, since the bottom surface irrigation system is adopted, the uneven irrigation is small and the seedlings are well aligned. Further, since only the underground part is watered, the risk of diseases due to moisture damage on the above-ground part is low, and the judgment part 9 can judge by comparing the reference voltage with the input voltage using, for example, a comparator. Of course, a microcomputer can also be used.

Explaining the appearance of this device with reference to FIG. 2, it is composed of a main unit 50 and a sub-unit 51. The main unit 50 supplies power to the sub-unit 51 and performs a pF value detection operation in the sub-unit 51. It is configured to check every second. The main unit 50 can connect up to three subunits 51.

The sub-unit 51 has power outlets 60 and 61 for operating the irrigation unit 10. The power outlet 60 is a water supply operation power source and 61 is a drainage operation power source. Further, the sub-unit 51 is provided with a sensor switch 62 for switching and inputting the ceramics sensors 6a, 6b, 6c and 6d. The sensor selected here is displayed on the used sensor indicators 63, 64, 65, 66 by blinking lamps. The subunit 51 is further provided with an operation check switch 67. This operation check switch 67 is turned on when it is desired to see the current pF value, and the sensor switching switch 62 can be turned in this state to know the state (conductive or non-conductive) of each ceramic sensor. ing. A water sensor 6 and a water level sensor 7 are connected to the connection terminals 69 and 68, respectively.

Since the signals from the moisture and water level sensors are digital values, the control unit 8 can be configured by a relatively simple circuit or device. The operation will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

First, the operation is started in step 200, and in the next step 201, the irrigation unit 10 is set to a stopped state (no water supply / drainage). Then, in step 202, it is judged whether or not the water content is sufficient, and the positive branch Y returns to step 202, and the negative branch N moves to step 203. In step 203, the pump enters the water supply state and the water level rises. Then, in step 204, it is determined whether or not the water level has risen to a predetermined value. Here, irrigation is stopped when the water level rises and contacts the upper pole of the water level sensor.

The negative branch N returns to step 203, and the positive branch Y puts the pump in the drain state in step 205. In the next step 206, it is judged whether or not the water level has dropped to a predetermined value. The negative branch N returns to step 205, and the positive branch Y stops the pump drainage. That is, when the water level drops and moves away from the lower pole, the pump will be stopped and drainage will be stopped.

In the present embodiment, an example of the bottom watering method is given, but a method of watering this from above the seedlings can also be adopted. In this case, a suitable watering machine is used in the plant cultivation area. It is only necessary to arrange them and control the operation of this sprinkler by the control unit 8. Since the irrigation unit such as the sprinkler is installed above the seedling vat, there is no need to provide a pool for storing the culture solution.

Further, in this embodiment, the tank 12 is installed to store the cultivation liquid 1 and circulate the cultivation liquid 1. However, the tank 12 is not provided, and the irrigation unit 10 is an electromagnetic valve, which is a water supply. It is also possible to connect to a water supply port such as a mouth and perform irrigation, and the culture solution 1 in the pool 2 can be discharged from the drainage unit 11.

As described above, since the present invention has a simple control device, it is easy to handle and install in a cultivation house, and can be applied to a wide range of vegetable cultivation, as well as flowers other than vegetables, paddy rice, etc. It can also be applied to box nursery crops.

[0032]

[Effect of the device]

 According to the present invention, based on the data from the moisture sensor or the like, it is configured such that the amount of the cultivation liquid required by the plant can be supplied to the soil, so that the soil can be supplied even if the producer does not constantly monitor it. It can be managed according to the weather conditions and the growth stages of seeds. As a result, there is an effect that high quality and uniform seedlings can be stably produced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a conventional device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 ・ ・ Cultivation liquid 2 ・ ・ Pool 3 ・ ・ Soil 4 ・ ・ Seedling 5 ・ ・ Seedling vat 6 ・ ・ Water sensor 7 ・ ・ Water level sensor 8 ・ ・ Control unit 9 ・ ・ Judgment unit 10 ・ ・ Watering unit 11 ・・ Drainage part 12 ・ ・ Tank

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor, Motoji Fujiwara Fujiwara Manufacturing Co., Ltd. 1-46-16 Nishigahara, Kita-ku, Tokyo

Claims (3)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A pool for containing a culture solution for seedlings, a seedling vat which is arranged in the pool and holds soil and seedlings, and a moisture sensor which is inserted into the soil in the seedling vat. A water level sensor for detecting the water level of the pool,
It comprises a control unit that inputs these moisture sensor and water level sensor, the control unit, based on the signal from the moisture sensor and the water level sensor, a determination unit that determines whether or not replenishing the seedlings is necessary. An automatic watering device for seedlings, comprising: a watering part and a draining part for replenishing the soil by temporarily raising and lowering the water level of the pool based on a signal from this judging part. 2. A seedling vat for holding soil and seedlings, and a control section for inputting a moisture sensor inserted into the soil in the seed vat, wherein the control section controls the data from the moisture sensor. Based on the signal, the judgment unit that judges whether it is necessary to rehydrate the seedlings, and based on the signal from this judgment unit,
An automatic watering apparatus for seedlings, comprising: a watering unit for replenishing soil by watering the seedlings from above. 3. The automatic seedling seedling according to claim 1, wherein the control portion includes a determination portion that determines whether or not the seedlings need to be rehydrated based on signals from a moisture sensor and a timer. Irrigation device.