JPH07203770A - Method of cultivating plant to permit increase in productivity - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To improve planting density while quickening the harvest of fruits, nuts and juice from a plant by transplanting and cultivating the plant while putting the vessel of porous cloth, which limits the growth of root, into a hole formed on the surface of the ground and filling that vessel with a culture medium. CONSTITUTION: A plant 10 is transplanted and cultivated while putting a vessel 14 of porous cloth, which limits the growth of root, into the hole formed on the surface of the ground and filling this vessel with the culture medium such as soil. A growing part in the root of plant is passed through the vessel of porous cloth but even when the root in the vessel is expanded, a growing part 15 of root to the outside of vessel is limited.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an improvement in a method for cultivating plants such as fruit trees, and it is possible to increase productivity by accelerating the start time of harvesting fruits and the like and increasing the planting density per unit area. And a method for cultivating the plant.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Cultivation of large plants and trees that produce food products such as fruits is very well known. For example, in orchards for commercial use, fruit-rich trees, nut-rich trees, juice-producing tree, etc. are continuously cultivated every year.
That is, in this kind of orchard, new plants are usually continuously transplanted from seedlings and cultivated, and old plants are replaced. In addition, various cultivation methods are used to maximize the productivity of each tree.

By the way, when operating a commercial orchard, since the size of land that can be used is generally limited, plant productivity has been increased by increasing plant density per unit area. Therefore, it is necessary to control the size of the plant as small as possible while maintaining high productivity, and methods such as increasing the number of times of tree pruning and the degree of pruning to make the tree shape compact are generally adopted. .

Although many of the conventional methods utilized by the commercial growers have met with some success in increasing plant productivity, they have not been sufficient and improvements in these methods continue to be required. There is.

[0005]

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention The present invention has the drawback of the prior art in the cultivation of fruit trees, that is, the method of increasing the planting density and controlling the size of plants by pruning etc. This is to solve the problem of being unable to fully and significantly increase the productivity of plants, which is a matter of being overwhelmed by the delay, and the total number of crops and quality, and it is possible to greatly increase the productivity of plants. And an improved plant cultivation method.

[0006]

The invention according to claim 1 of the present application comprises: (a) forming a hole in the surface of the ground; and (b) interfering with the growth of a root penetrating therethrough. Put a container of porous cloth with sufficient strength to limit the growth of roots to the outside; (c) Fill the container with cultivation medium; (d) Then produce fruit, nuts or juice etc. The present invention comprises a step of planting and cultivating a plant in the container, and accelerating the harvest of fruits, nuts, sap or the like from the plant is a basic constitution of the invention.

The invention according to claim 11 of the present application is
(A) A plurality of holes are formed on the surface of the earth at relatively small intervals; (b) In each of the holes described above, there is sufficient strength to hinder the growth of the penetrating roots. Put a container of porous cloth to limit root growth; (c) fill each container with a cultivation medium; (d) then add one tall tree producing fruits, nuts or juices to each container The present invention comprises a step of planting and cultivating in the inside, and has the basic constitution of the invention to accelerate the harvest of fruits, nuts or sap from the tree and to increase the planting density per unit area of the tree.

[0008]

[Function] When the root growth is restricted by the container of porous cloth, the start time of harvesting from plants such as fruits, nuts or sap is accelerated by several years, and the quality is deteriorated or the yield is substantially reduced. Without reducing the size of the plant,
As a result, more plants can be cultivated per unit area, and the overall plant productivity is significantly improved. Therefore, a general object of the present invention is to provide an improved method for cultivating plants, which allows a significant increase in plant productivity.

[0009]

[Example] A method of suppressing root growth by enclosing a seedling in a container of a porous cloth and cultivating the seedling on the surface until transplanting is described in Reiger et al., March 1986.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,574,522 granted on the 1st
No. 4,888,914 issued to Reiger on Dec. 26, 1989 and Reig.
No. 5,103,588 issued April 14, 1992 to Er. According to the methods disclosed in these patents, seedling plants are confined in a porous container and cultivated on the surface while being kept in the container until transplanted.

The porous container has sufficient strength to impede the roots passing therethrough, resulting in restricted root growth outside the container, resulting in expanded root nodules within the container. Generate and root branches. When transplanting this seedling plant,
Is the container and plant removed from the surface as a unit, and the roots with limited growth outside the container are easily broken?
Or come out of the surface. After removing the container from the root pot of the plant, the plant is transplanted, but since the nodule is formed and the root is branched in the container, the root pot is rapidly regenerated and the plant is quickly fed with nutrition. It is fixed on the surface of the earth.

In the present invention, a container of a porous cloth similar to that used for cultivating and transplanting the seedlings described above is used in a completely different cultivation method, that is, a plant for increasing the productivity of fruits, nuts and sap of a plant. It is used to carry out the cultivation method of. 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is shown a plant 10 such as an apple tree after being planted and cultivated in a porous fabric container 14. As will be described further below, Takagi 10
The root growth 12 of the roots penetrates the porous fabric container 14, which impedes the growth of the root and thus expands the roots within the container, but allows the roots to grow outside the container. Section 15 is strictly limited.

The root growth portion 12 is replaced with a porous cloth container 14
By confining the trees inside and cultivating the tall trees 10 on the surface of the ground, the harvest of fruits from the tall trees is accelerated. That is, the tree produces fruits much sooner than when first planted, as compared to a tree cultivated on the surface without root confinement. Moreover, since the tall trees cultivated in such a porous cloth container are small, more tall trees can be cultivated per unit area. Furthermore,
The yield of fruits from each of these smaller trees is substantially equal to the normally grown larger trees.

According to the method of the present invention, a hole is formed in the surface of the earth, and then a container of porous fabric is placed in the hole, the container being of sufficient strength to obstruct the roots therethrough. , Which prevents the growth of roots on the outside of the container.
Each of the containers is filled with soil or other cultivation medium dug out of the holes, and then plants are planted in the cultivation medium in the container for cultivation.

Although there are various forms of this porous fabric container, the most convenient form is generally the cylindrical bag 14 as shown in FIGS. As already mentioned, the porous fabric of the container 14 has sufficient strength to impede the penetrating roots, so that the root knot 26 in the bag is shown in FIGS. 3-6. Formation and root branching 30 should be promoted and root growth outside the bag should be limited. This fabric is on it,
It must be capable of capturing the tip of a growing root and allowing the root tip to penetrate the fabric initially.

Suitable porous fabrics for this purpose are fabrics made of staple fibers or continuous fibers. Preferred for these fibers are needle-punched, therefore entangled and entangled, polymeric plastic fibers. Also, to provide additional strength to hinder root growth, these fibers are preferably bonded, for example by heat fusion.

Particularly suitable of such fabrics are non-woven fabrics made of polymeric thermoplastic staple fibers, needle punches and adhesive fabrics. With such staple fiber fabric, Phillips Petro
Phillip, a subsidiary of leum Company
Manufactured by s Fibers Corporation
What is sold is described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 4,574,522 issued Mar. 11, 1986. This patent document is incorporated into the present application. Other polymeric staple fiber porous fabrics can be utilized as long as they have sufficient strength to interfere with the penetrating roots and readily capture the root tips.

Another porous fabric suitable for use in accordance with the present invention is a fabric made of continuous polymeric fibers which can be woven or non-woven. It is preferable that the continuous fiber cloth also has the strength of interfering the fibers by needle punching and entangled to have the strength of hindering the roots. Also, as in the case of staple fiber fabrics, continuous fibers, after needle punching,
For example, it may be heated to at least partially fuse and bond to add strength to the fabric.

Particularly suitable uniform and porous needlepunched fabrics made of polymeric continuous thermoplastic fibers are commercially available from Polyfelt, Inc. of Evergreen, Alabama, USA. The company manufactures it under the product name "TS". Polyfe
lt TS600 is a 6 ounce continuous fiber needle punched nonwoven fabric, Polyfelt TS6
50 is a 7 ounce continuous fiber needlepunched nonwoven fabric, both of which are useful in the present invention. Other continuous fiber woven fabrics or needle punched non-woven fabrics can also be used in the present invention as long as the requirements for strength and penetration are satisfied.

Another porous fabric suitable for practicing the method of the present invention is made of continuous fiber, which is woven into a support layer and stapled onto the support layer prior to needlepunching. It is one or more layers of fibers laid down.
The staple fibers and the backing layer are then needle punched so that the staple fibers are bonded to one side of the backing layer to form a fluffy surface for trapping roots. If a container made of this fabric is used, its fluffed surface is placed to be the inner surface of the container.

A particularly suitable fabric of the type reportedly formed of needle punched staple fibers in a support layer of a continuous fiber woven fabric is Exoon Chem.
Polymer Company's Polymers Gro
manufactured by up. The fabric comprises a support layer of 3 ounces of continuous fiber woven fabric having 3 ounces of staple fibers bonded thereto. The continuous fibers and / or staple fibers utilized to make the various porous fabrics described above are preferably selected from the group consisting of polyolefin fibers, polyester fibers, polyamide fibers and mixtures thereof. Most preferred is when these fibers are made of polypropylene.

It should be noted that while the above polymer fiber fabrics are presently preferred for practicing the method of the present invention, they have sufficient strength and root-trapping properties to trap and interfere with plant roots as described above. It should be understood that any porous fabric having a can be utilized.

3 to 5, the cultivation medium 16 and the tall tree 1 are shown.
1 shows a portion of a container 14 containing a single root 0 of 0.
The container 14 is formed of a support layer 20 of continuous fiber woven fabric needle-punched with staple fibers, the needle-punched staple fibers forming a fluffed staple fiber surface 22 inside the container. 3, 4 and 5 show roots 18 of a tree 10,
FIG. 3 shows the roots first contacting and penetrating the container 14, FIG. 4 showing the initially grown roots 18 being obstructed by the fabric of the container 14, and FIG. It shows full growth and its roots are obstructed by the fabric.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the tip 24 of the root 18 contacts the easily pierceable fabric wall of the container 14, it is captured by the fabric and prevented from bending and sliding along the face of the fabric. , Penetrate the fabric. As shown in FIG. 4, the root tip 24 that has penetrated through the fabric 14 after the initial growth is finished.
Grows outside the container 14 for a limited length and does not extend as the fabric obstructs the root portion extending therethrough. On the other hand, the root part in the container 14 grows,
Expand and store carbohydrates inside. The obstructing action of the fabric forming the container 14 on the roots 18 creates large enlarged nodules 26 inside the container 14 and small knots 28 outside the container 14.

Due to the fabric restrictions on the root 18, the root 1
The outward growth of the container 8 of 8 is severely hindered. Moreover, obstruction of the root 18 at the fabric wall of the container 14 induces root branching inside the container. That is, the branch 30 of the secondary root is generated along the length of the root 18. Figure 5
As shown in Figure 3, when the roots 18 are fully grown in the area of the fabric container 14, the branched roots 30 provide large amounts of stored carbohydrates to the roots 18 and to the roots of the roots and the roots 18 and their nodules. 26 expands.

As mentioned above, plants such as fruit trees, nut trees, juice-producing trees or other producing plants may be placed in a porous fabric container of the type described herein. When placed and planted on the surface, the product from that plant is harvested earlier by several years, thus increasing productivity compared to the same plant planted on the surface without root-blocking containers. For example, the fruit tree after planting seedlings according to the present invention can begin producing good quality commercial grade fruit two or three years sooner than the tree from conventionally grown seedlings. Moreover, the size of the plant is generally reduced by the root-hindering fabric container, but the quality of the product produced by this small plant is not reduced compared to normally grown plants.

Therefore, more plants can be planted per unit area in a fabric container, which not only speeds up the harvest, but also substantially increases the productivity per unit area. For example, in a commercial orchard, a fruit tree grows faster and becomes smaller when placed in a container that limits the roots and planted on the ground surface. Can be planted more densely while producing a substantially equal amount of fruit. The method of the present invention is particularly suitable for the following commercially grown tall trees.
Ie fruit trees such as apples, peaches, pears, cherries and other similar fruit trees; nut trees such as pecans, walnuts and other similar tree nuts; and sap such as sugar maple trees, gum trees and so on. Suitable for production trees. The invention is illustrated in more detail by the examples below.

[0027]

Example 1 Immature apple and peach trees were planted on a horticultural test farm. A part of these trees was planted as a control as usual, and the rest were cylindrical bag-shaped underground (in-g).
It was put in a porous cloth container of the round) and planted on the ground surface. These containers are made from needle staple punched and thermally bonded thermoplastic staple fiber fabric. Immediately after planting, all the trees were cut off at a position 60 cm above the ground surface. These apple trees were grown as central trunk trees by selecting five main branches for the lower row of the branch. These main shoots were selected during the first growing season and all other side shoots were removed to minimize pruning severity.

Peach trees were not trimmed except for the initial Kozue cutting, and were grown to have a natural crown shape and a natural size. Both the apple and peach trees above were grown as independent trees without additional struts. These trees were uniformly watered and irrigated, fertilized, and maintained in strip culture with contact herbicides based on standard methods. All of these trees were given the same amount of water per day during the growing season.

The trees were monitored over four growing seasons to determine the relative size of the trees, the amount of fruit harvested from the trees, the size and quality and other conditions. The test results show that both peach and apple tree canopy canopy when roots are closed according to the method of the present invention.
When the volume of y) is measured, it shows that the size of the tree has become smaller. By the end of the third growing season, the canopy volumes of peach and apple trees cultivated in porous fabric containers averaged 44% and 5%, respectively, compared to control trees.
It was 9% smaller. Even slightly past the first growth period, peach trees grown in root containers had a trunk cross-sectional area of less than 58% that of control trees.

Fruit collected from all tree-grown tall trees was of normal size and quality. However, the harvest time of tall trees grown in containers was concentrated and accelerated. Through four growth periods, including two outcome periods,
The tall trees cultivated in the containers had no visible signs of tilting or disease. The results of testing peach and apple trees with and without root limitation by a porous fabric container in the ground show that such containers limit the size of both peach and apple trees. And it was shown to promote precocious ripening. By these actions,
Harvesting efficiency per single tree is increased. In addition, since the tall trees whose roots are cultivated in the container are small, they can be arranged and planted at smaller intervals, and the harvesting efficiency per unit area can be greatly increased. Thus, the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objects and maintain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. Those skilled in the art can make many modifications to the steps and fabrics utilized in the method of the present invention, and these modifications are included in the spirit of the invention as claimed in the claims of the present application. Be done.

[0031]

Industrial Applicability According to the present invention, a porous fabric which forms a hole in the surface of the ground and has sufficient strength to prevent the growth of a penetrating root into the hole and restricts the growth of the root to the outside is formed. Since the container is put in, and the container is then filled with the cultivation medium to grow the seedlings of plants such as fruit trees in this, growth of the roots of the plant is restricted, and nodules or branched roots are formed in the roots. To be born. As a result, the size of the grown plant (tree) is naturally limited, and as a result, the planting density per unit area can be increased. In addition, although trees such as fruit trees are smaller in size, the number and quality of fruits per tree are almost the same as those of the tall trees directly planted on the ground, and the start time of harvesting fruits is several years. Get faster As a result, the overall productivity of plants such as fruit trees is greatly improved, and the present invention has excellent practical utility.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional side view of a tree planted on the surface of the tree, with root growths contained within a container of porous fabric.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial perspective view showing a root growth portion and a container portion of the tree of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of a porous fabric container, soil and root, showing the state where the tip of the root is captured and penetrates the porous fabric of the container.

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3 showing roots having undergone initial growth after being restricted by the porous fabric of the container.

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view similar to FIGS. 3 and 4 showing the state of considerable growth, thus producing nodules in the container and branching of the roots.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 is a plant (for example, an apple tree), 12 is a root growth part, 14 is a porous cloth container, 15 is a root growth part outside the container, 16 is a cultivation medium, 18 is a single root of a tree, 20 Is the support layer of the container, 22 is the inner layer of the container (the surface of the staple fiber), 24 is the tip of the root, 26 is the large nodule, 28 is the small nodule, and 30 is the branched root.

Claims (20)

[Claims] 1. (a) forming a hole in the surface of the ground; (b) limiting the outward growth of the root in the hole with sufficient strength to impede the growth of the penetrating root. (C) Fill the container with cultivation medium; (d)
Then, it comprises a step of planting and cultivating a plant producing fruits, nuts or sap, etc. in the container, which enables an increase in productivity characterized by accelerating the harvest of fruits, nuts or sap, etc. from the plant. Method of growing plants. 2. The method for cultivating a plant capable of increasing productivity according to claim 1, wherein the plant is a fruit tree. 3. The method for cultivating a plant according to claim 1, wherein the cultivation medium is soil. 4. The method for cultivating a plant capable of increasing productivity according to claim 1, wherein the porous cloth container is in the form of a bag. 5. The method for cultivating a plant capable of increasing productivity according to claim 1, wherein the container of the porous cloth is made of a staple fiber non-woven fabric. 6. The method for cultivating a plant capable of increasing productivity according to claim 1, wherein the container of the porous cloth is made of a continuous fiber non-woven fabric. 7. The method for cultivating a plant capable of increasing productivity according to claim 1, wherein the container of the porous cloth is a woven cloth of continuous fibers. 8. The method of cultivating a plant according to claim 5, 6, or 7, wherein the staple fiber and the continuous fiber are needle punched. 9. The method for cultivating a plant, which is capable of increasing productivity according to claim 5, 6, or 7, wherein the staple fiber and the continuous fiber are thermoplastic and are fused by heat. 10. The plant of claim 5, 6 or 7 wherein said staple fibers and continuous fibers are thermoplastic, needle punched and heat fused. Cultivation method. 11. A plurality of holes are formed on the surface of the earth at relatively small intervals; (b) In each of the holes, there is sufficient strength to impede the growth of roots that penetrate therethrough. And put a container of porous fabric to limit the growth of roots to the outside; (c) fill each of the containers with cultivation medium; (d) then fruit;
It consists of planting and cultivating each tall tree that produces nuts or juice in each of the above-mentioned containers, and accelerates the harvest of fruits, nuts or sap from the tall tree, while increasing the planting density per unit area of the tall tree. A method for cultivating a plant capable of increasing productivity, which is characterized by increasing the productivity. 12. The method for cultivating a plant capable of increasing productivity according to claim 11, wherein the tall tree is selected from one or more of fruit-bearing tree, nut-bearing tree and sap-producing tree. . 13. The culture medium is soil.
A method for cultivating a plant capable of increasing the productivity according to 1. 14. The method for cultivating a plant capable of increasing productivity according to claim 11, wherein the container of the porous cloth is in the form of a cylindrical bag. 15. The method for cultivating a plant capable of increasing productivity according to claim 11, wherein the container of the porous cloth is made of a staple fiber non-woven fabric. 16. The method for cultivating a plant capable of increasing productivity according to claim 11, wherein the container of the porous cloth is made of a nonwoven fabric of continuous fibers. 17. The method for cultivating a plant capable of increasing productivity according to claim 11, wherein the container of the porous fabric is a woven fabric of continuous fibers. 18. The method for cultivating a plant capable of increasing productivity according to claim 15, 16 or 17, wherein the staple fiber and the fiber are needle punched. 19. The method for cultivating a plant capable of increasing productivity according to claim 15, 16, or 17, wherein the staple fibers and the fibers are thermoplastic and are fused by heat. 20. Cultivation of a plant with increased productivity according to claim 15, 16 or 17 wherein the staple fibers and fibers are thermoplastic, needle punched and heat fused. Method.