JPH10174521A - Plant cultivating method and device therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce cultivation cost by growing plants in the upper/lower plural stages of cultivation spaces. SOLUTION: The plural stages of the cultivation spaces 53, 54 57 for cultivating plants are installed in a vertical direction and the plants are cultivated through the use of sunlight with artificial light as the case may be in a cultivation space on the uppermost stage and by irradiating cultivation spaces 54 and 57 on stages other then the uppermost stage with a fluorescent lamp 36. In addition, in this plant cultivating device for cultivating plants while transporting holders in which the plants are planted in a line in a prescribed direction, the cultivation spaces 53, 54 and 57 for cultivating the plants are installed by plural stages in a vertical direction and a fluorescent lamp 36 for illuminating the cultivation spaces 54 and 57 are provided. A plant holding means is lifted to over culture solution by a height adjusting member arranged within the flow passage of a gutter-lick container and consists of a material floating on the culture solution flowing through the passage. Tow guide rails 5 are installed on each stage both ends of the holder 3 are suspended by a suspension moving means 4.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a plant cultivation method and a plant cultivation apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to a cultivation method and a multi-stage plant cultivation apparatus for cultivating a plant in a multi-stage cultivation space in upper and lower stages.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, plant cultivation apparatuses for producing plants such as vegetables in a factory have been developed and spread. This type of plant cultivation apparatus is installed in a building, and cultivates the plant while transferring the plant like a production line of a factory, mainly using a lighting device or as a supplement to sunlight.

[0003]

However, in order to spread this type of plant cultivation apparatus more, it is important to reduce the production cost. In order to reduce production costs, it is necessary to expand the production scale, but simply increasing the size of the plant cultivation equipment in a plane would require a large installation space, which would be disadvantageous in terms of cost. In addition, indoor installation becomes difficult. Also,
Since a large number of lighting devices are required, costs such as electricity costs are enormous. Furthermore, in order to prevent plant diseases, etc., it is necessary to hygienically manage the holder for planting the plant, but it is necessary to reduce the labor for hygiene management. On the other hand, enabling simultaneous cultivation of different types of plants is also effective for further spreading the plant cultivation apparatus.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a plant cultivation method and a plant cultivation apparatus which can reduce the cultivation cost and can simultaneously cultivate a plurality of types of plants.

[0005]

In order to achieve this object, a plant cultivation method according to the first aspect of the present invention is arranged such that a plurality of cultivation spaces for cultivating plants are provided in a vertical direction, and a cultivation space at an uppermost stage is provided. In this method, plant cultivation is carried out by using sunlight and artificial light in some cases, while plant cultivation is carried out by irradiating artificial light to cultivation spaces other than the top stage.

Therefore, in the uppermost cultivation space, plants can be cultivated while distinguishing day and night by sunlight, and using artificial light as a supplement to sunlight in bad weather or the like. On the other hand, in the cultivation spaces other than the uppermost stage, plant cultivation is performed while controlling the irradiation with artificial light of illumination.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plant cultivation apparatus for growing and harvesting plants while transferring holders in which the plants are planted in a row in a predetermined direction. In addition to being installed in a plurality of stages in the direction, it is configured to have lighting for illuminating the cultivation space of the stages other than the top stage. Therefore, the cultivation area increases without increasing the installation space of the plant cultivation apparatus. In addition, plants to be cultivated can be changed for each stage, and these different types of plants can be cultivated simultaneously.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the holder comprises:
It is provided with a gutter-like container which is supported and transferred at both ends and forms a flow path of a culture solution, and a plant holding means which is installed in the gutter-like container and holds a plant.

Therefore, the assembly of the holder is completed by placing the plant holding means in the gutter-like container. Further, the holder can be disassembled by removing the plant holding means from inside the gutter-shaped container.

[0010] The invention according to claim 4 is configured so that the plant holding means is lifted above the culture solution by a height adjusting member arranged in the flow path. Therefore, the seeds immediately after sowing and the protruding sprouts do not sink into the culture solution flowing in the channel.

In the invention according to claim 5, the plant holding means is formed of a material floating in a culture solution flowing in the flow channel.
Therefore, the plant holding means rises and falls according to the change in the water level of the culture solution flowing in the holder, and the seeds and buds are protected from submersion.

The invention according to claim 6 is configured such that two guide rails for transfer are provided for each stage, and both ends of the holder are suspended from these guide rails by suspension moving means. Therefore, each holder is transferred while both ends are hung by the guide rail.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the suspension moving means includes one or two wheels rolling on a guide rail,
A holder support member suspended from the wheel is provided. Therefore, each holder is suspended by one or two wheels and smoothly transferred. In addition, since the holder supporting member that supports the holder is suspended from the wheels, the center of gravity of the suspension moving unit is lowered, and the holder is prevented from tipping over.

Further, the invention according to claim 8 is a structure in which a light-shielding means which can be opened and closed is provided between the uppermost cultivation space and the lower cultivation space. Therefore, when the light-shielding means is closed, the light-shielding means blocks the light of the illuminating means, thereby preventing an effect on the plants cultivated in the uppermost cultivation space.
When the light shielding means is opened, it can be used in the same manner as a plant cultivation apparatus without the light shielding means.

The invention according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is configured to include a lifter for carrying a holder into the cultivation space of each stage and a lifter for carrying the holder out of the cultivation space of each stage. Therefore, the work can be performed by raising and lowering the holder to a height that facilitates the work.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The configuration of the present invention will be described below in detail based on an embodiment shown in the drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an embodiment of a plant cultivation apparatus according to the present invention. This plant cultivation device is, for example, a three-stage hydroponic cultivation device having three upper and lower cultivation spaces 53, 54, and 57.
The lifter 59 and the lift traction machine 2 are attached. In this plant cultivation apparatus, for example, a culture solution is constantly circulated while transferring a holder 3 holding a plant in a certain direction to perform hydroponic cultivation. In the present embodiment, the cultivation space 53 of each stage,
Each holder 3 is transferred from one end side of the gantry 8 to the other end side for every 54, 57. That is, one end of the cultivation apparatus main body 1 is the carry-in position, and the other end is the harvest position.

The cultivation apparatus main body 1 has a plurality of holders 3 each having a gutter-shaped flow path and in which plants are arranged in a line. Each of these holders 3 is separately attached to a guide rail 5 by a suspension moving means 4. A transfer means 6 for adjusting the distance between the holders 3 in accordance with the growth of the plant while suspending and connecting and pulling the holders 3 is provided. This is done by means 7.

The guide rails 5 constitute, for example, one set of two rails, and are provided in three steps at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction. The cross-sectional shape of each guide rail 5 is almost C
The cultivation apparatus is fixed to the frame 8 of the cultivation apparatus body. The installation height of one of the guide rails 5 provided one by one for each step smoothly changes in the middle. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the middle of the guide rail 5 is partially smoothly inclined, and the installation height of the two guide rails 5 is the same on the upstream side in the transfer direction of the holder 3. However, on the downstream side, the installation heights of the two guide rails 5 are different from each other and are different. Therefore, when the holder 3 is hung on each guide rail 5 and transferred, the posture of the holder 3 automatically changes from a horizontal state to an inclined state. In the present embodiment, the middle of one of the guide rails 5 is raised about 0.2 m by about 3 m, and the holder 3 can be tilted about 5 degrees.

Shortly after sowing, when the roots of the plant are relatively short, that is, at the stage of raising seedlings, the holder 3 is used horizontally. By making the holder 3 horizontal, the water level of the culture solution supplied to the holder 3 is increased, and nutrients can be supplied even when the root is short. On the other hand, after the roots of the plant have grown to some extent, the holder 3 is tilted to speed up the flow of the culture solution to some extent and to sufficiently supply dissolved oxygen.

As shown in FIG. 4, for example, the holder 3 is a gutter-shaped container 60 which is supported and transferred at both ends and forms the flow path 12 of the culture solution, and a plant which is installed in the gutter-shaped container 60 to hold the plant. It comprises a plant holding means 61 for holding. The gutter-shaped container 60 is, for example, an elongated gutter-shaped container having a substantially U-shaped cross section, and is integrally formed of, for example, plastic. At both ends of the gutter-shaped container 60, hanging rods 68 of the suspension moving means 4 which will be described in detail later.
Is formed with a pair of holes 60a.

The plant holding means 61 has, for example, two methods. First, as shown in FIG. 5, the first structure is a plate material formed of urethane foam, and is formed to have substantially the same length and width as the trough-shaped container 60. At the center in the width direction of the plant holding means (hereinafter, referred to as a plant holding plate) 61, a large number of holes 61a for holding seeds are formed at predetermined intervals.
The plant holding plate 61 is lifted above the culture solution by a height adjusting member 62 arranged in the flow channel 12. The height adjusting member 62 is, for example, a plastic net whose center in the width direction is bent in a mountain shape, and has such a rigidity that the plant holding plate 61 can be lifted. The height adjustment member (hereinafter, referred to as height adjustment net) 62 supports the position where each hole 61a of the plant holding plate 61 is formed from below,
The seeds 63 sown one by one in each hole 61a are prevented from falling. The height adjusting net 62 is covered with a water retaining material 64 made of, for example, felt. Further, on the plant holding plate 61 after sowing, a moisture holding film 65 for preventing the seed 63 from drying is covered. This moisture retaining film 65 is used only at the time of germination, and is removed after germination.

In order to assemble the holder 3, the height adjusting net 62 and the water retaining material 64 are first placed in a gutter-shaped container 60, and the plant holding plate 61 is placed thereon. On the other hand, in order to disassemble the holder 3, the plant holding plate 61, the water retaining material 64, and the height adjustment net 62 may be removed in this order. Gutter container 6
The 0 and height adjustment members are made of, for example, plastic,
Cleaning work is easy. Note that the gutter-shaped container 60 and the height adjusting member may be made of metal such as stainless steel, for example.
Even in this case, the cleaning operation becomes easy.

When the gutter-shaped container 60 is made of plastic, it can be manufactured by a processing method such as injection molding, and when it is made of metal, it can be manufactured by a processing method such as press working. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the holder 3 used in large numbers, in other words, the manufacturing cost of the plant cultivation apparatus can be suppressed.

Another structure of the plant cultivation means 61 is shown in FIG.
It is shown in FIG. The plant holding means 61 may float on the culture solution flowing in the flow channel 12. For example, FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 8, the plant holding means 61 may be composed of a foam plate 72 and a number of urethane cubes 73. That is, a large number of urethane cubes 73 are provided on the foam plate 72 at predetermined intervals.
And a concave portion 73a may be formed on the upper surface of each urethane cube 73, and the seeds 63 may be sown one by one in the concave portion 73a. Since the urethane cube 73 and the foam plate 72 float on the culture solution, as shown in FIG. 15, the urethane cube 73 and the foam plate 72 move up and down in accordance with a change in the liquid level of the culture solution, thereby preventing the seeds from being submerged. The roots extending from the seed 63 penetrate the urethane cube 73 and grow. Also, instead of forming the concave portion 73a on the upper surface of the urethane cube 73, FIG.
As shown in (2), a place where the seed 63 is sown may be formed by closing each hole 72a of the foam board 72 with each urethane cube 73 from below.

At one end of the trough-shaped container 60, a culture solution
A funnel 13 for pouring into 2 is attached. On the other hand, at a predetermined position at the other end of the trough-shaped container 60, a discharge hole for removing the culture solution in the flow channel 12 is formed. Therefore, the culture solution guided from the funnel 13 to the channel 12 is
Flows from one end to the other end, and is discharged from the discharge hole.

The suspension moving means 4 is a slider which is suspended from the guide rail 5 and moves, for example, as shown in FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 5, one wheel 66 rolling on the guide rail 5, a holder support member 67 suspended from the wheel 66, and a pair of fixed members fixed to the lower end of the holder support member 67 at a predetermined interval. Is formed by a hanging rod 68. The holder support member 67 has a substantially triangular shape extending from the upper end to the lower end, and has a lower center of gravity. Therefore, each hanging rod 68 is connected to each hole 60a of the gutter-shaped container 60.
, The holder 3 attached to the suspension moving means 4 is hardly turned over, and the plants planted in the holder 3 are prevented from overturning.

The suspension moving means 4 can be slightly displaced and inclined with respect to the guide rail 5 in the width direction (longitudinal direction of the holder 3). Therefore, even when the holders 3 suspended on the guide rails 5 are inclined, the inclined holders 3 can be smoothly transferred without exerting an excessive force on the suspension moving means 4. . That is, even if the apparent length of the holder 3 with respect to the horizontal plane is shortened by inclining the holder 3, the amount of the shortening can be absorbed by the displacement or inclination of the suspension moving means 4. Of the positional relationship between the length of the guide rail and the distance between the guide rails is absorbed.

A pair of transfer means 6 is provided for each stage. The transfer means 6 includes a hook 19 attached to each suspension moving means 4 and a traction chain 20 connecting the hooks 19 to integrate the suspension movement means 4. As shown in FIG. 8, each traction chain 20 forms a loop having a length capable of reciprocating from one end to the other end of the arranged germinator 58, lifter 59, cultivation apparatus main body 1 and lift traction machine 2. The forward path is hung over each hook 19, and the return path is passed through a pipe 74 attached to the cultivation apparatus main body 1. The pipe 74 is disposed below the cultivation spaces 53, 54, and 57 in each stage, and is fixed to the gantry 8.

The tow chain 20 can be replaced by shifting the position with respect to the hook 19, and the length of the tow chain 20 between the hook 19 and the hook 19 adjacent thereto (hereinafter referred to as inter-hook chain length). Can be gradually expanded according to the growth of the plant. That is, for example, the tow chain 20 is replaced at least once every day to shift the position where the tow chain 20 is hooked on the hook 19, and the chain length between hooks is gradually increased by a predetermined length (for example, 5 cm) as the cultivation days elapse. . Then, when the two tow chains 20 are replaced and the tow chains 20 are simultaneously pulled, the respective holders 3 are transferred and the interval between the respective holders 3 is set to a distance corresponding to the chain length between the hooks. . That is, the spacing and the transfer of each holder 3 can be performed only by simultaneously pulling the two tow chains 20 at both ends of each holder 3.

The means for simultaneously pulling the two traction chains 20 may be either mechanical power such as a motor or an engine, or human power. However, since each suspension moving means 4 moves smoothly along the guide rail 5, each pulling chain 20 needs only a small pulling force, and can be pulled lightly by human power. In the present embodiment, a drive sprocket 21 is provided for each towing chain 20, and an operation handle 22 (FIGS. 10 and 11) for simultaneously rotating the two drive sprockets 21 of each stage is provided for each stage. I have. When the operator winds each tow chain 20 around the driving sprocket 21 and turns the operation handle 22 by hand, the two tow chains 20 of the corresponding stage are simultaneously driven, and the transfer and spacing of each holder 3 is performed. Will be
Each drive sprocket 21 and each operation handle 22 are
For example, it is attached to the lift traction machine 2. However,
Each drive sprocket 21 and each operation handle 2
2 may be attached to the gantry 8 of the cultivation apparatus body 1 as a matter of course. Further, by operating each operation handle 22, each tow chain 20 can be pulled in both forward and reverse directions.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 9, a plurality of culture medium circulating means 7 are arranged side by side above a space (hereinafter, referred to as a passing space) 24 through which one end of each of the pulled holders 3 passes. A drip hole 25, a first collection unit 26 disposed below the passage space 24 and collecting the culture solution dropped from each drip hole 25 through the space between the holders 3, and each holder 3 is provided with a second collection unit 27 for collecting a culture solution from the other end.

The drip holes 25 are formed at regular intervals, for example, at 5 cm intervals, at the bottom of a pipe (hereinafter, referred to as a perforated pipe) 28 which is disposed above the passage space 24 and fixed to the gantry 8. . First and second collection units 26 and 27
Is, for example, a liquid collecting gutter and is attached to the gantry 8. The first collecting section (hereinafter, referred to as a first liquid collecting gutter) 26 is arranged below the passage space 24. In addition, a second collection unit (hereinafter, referred to as a second collection gutter) 27 is disposed below a space 37 through which the other end of the pulled holder 3 passes.

Therefore, the culture solution is dropped from each dropping hole 25 of the porous tube 28 in a shower shape. Among the dropped culture liquids, those collected by the funnel 13 at one end of the holder 3 feed the plants while flowing through the flow path 12 in the holder 3 and then collect the second liquid from the other end of the holder 3. Gutter 2
Fall to 7. On the other hand, the culture solution that has fallen through the space between the holders 3 falls into the first collection trough 26 and is collected.

The porous tube 28 and the first and second collecting troughs 26 and 2
7 is provided separately for each cultivation space 53, 54, 57 of each stage. The culture solution in the culture solution tank 30 is supplied to the upstream end of each porous tube 28 by a circulation pump 29 shown in FIG. The circulation pump 29 continuously or intermittently pumps the culture solution. On the other hand, the first and second collecting troughs 26 of each stage,
The culture solution collected by the filter 27 is filtered by the filter 31 and then returned to the culture solution tank 30.

The plant cultivation apparatus is provided between the uppermost stage and the lower stage, with illumination for illuminating the cultivation space in the stages other than the uppermost stage. In the present embodiment, since the plant cultivation apparatus is of a three-stage type, lighting for illuminating the cultivation spaces 54 and 57 at the upper and middle stages and between the middle and lower stages other than the upper stage, ie, the middle and lower stages, for example, a fluorescent lamp 36 Are installed. Each fluorescent lamp 36 is provided between the upper cultivation space 53 and the middle cultivation space 54 of the gantry 8 and between the middle cultivation space 54 and the lower cultivation space 5.
It is attached to each beam 49 bridged between 7.
The fluorescent lamps 36 are installed at a smaller interval as the fluorescent lamps 36 are installed on the downstream side in the transfer direction of the holder 3. The illumination is not limited to the fluorescent lamp 36, but may be a high-pressure sodium lamp, an incandescent lamp, or the like.

The plant cultivation apparatus is provided with a light-shielding curtain (light-shielding means) 50 that can be opened and closed between the upper and middle cultivation spaces 53 and 54. Blackout curtains 50
For example, as shown in FIG. 12, a ceiling 50a that partitions an upper cultivation space 53 and a middle cultivation space 54, and hangs from both sides of the ceiling 50a to hide the middle and lower cultivation spaces 54 and 57. The holder 3 is divided into two parts in the moving direction of the holder 3, for example. Blackout curtains 50
Are supported, for example, by wires. That is, on both sides of the gantry 8, two pairs of wires are stretched from one end to the other end, and the light-shielding curtain 50 is hung on each of these wires. Therefore, when opening the light-shielding curtain 50, each of the divided parts may be dragged toward one end or the other end of the gantry 8. On the other hand, when closing the light-shielding curtain 50, each of the divided portions may be stretched and their tips may be slightly overlapped. In addition, the shading curtain 50
May be directly attached to the gantry 8 or the beam 49. Further, the middle and lower cultivation spaces 54, 5 are provided at one end and the other end of the gantry 8, respectively.
Light-shielding means such as a curtain for hiding 7 may be attached. In this case, the cultivation spaces 54 and 57 in the middle and lower stages can be completely surrounded by the light-shielding member.

The lift traction machine 2 is a lifter arranged on the other end side of the gantry 8 to carry out the holder 3 from the cultivation spaces 53, 54, 57 of each stage. This lift traction machine 2 is shown in FIG.
And a pair of holder mounting rails 38 as shown in FIG.
And a pair of elevating wires 39 connected to the holder mounting rails 38 and a pair of winding drums 40 and 41 for individually winding the elevating wires 39. The holder mounting rails 38 are arranged at the same intervals as the respective guide rails 5 of the cultivation apparatus main body 1, and are integrally connected by, for example, a plurality of cross shafts 42 in a frame shape.
Each holder mounting rail 38 is suspended by a corresponding lifting wire 39.

Each of the winding drums 40 and 41 is fixed at a position near both ends of a shaft 44 rotatably mounted on an upper portion of a frame 43 of the lift traction machine 2. The shaft 44 is connected to a reduction gear train accommodated in gear boxes 45 and 55, and the reduction gear train is connected to a vertical movement handle 46. Therefore, when the vertical movement handle 46 is operated to rotate, the winding drums 40 and 41 are driven to rotate at the same speed by the torque amplified by the reduction gear train, and the lifting wires 39 are wound or pulled out to hold the holders. The mounting rail 38 moves up or down. In each stage, the two holder mounting rails 38 are arranged so as to extend the two guide rails 5 in each stage of the cultivation apparatus main body 1. Wheels 47 are attached to the lift traction machine 2 and can be moved independently.

The lifter 59 is provided in each of the cultivation spaces 53, 5
The holder 3 can be carried in to the members 4, 57. That is, the lifter 59 bridges the germinator 58 and the cultivation apparatus main body 1, and the number of germinators 58 is larger than the number of cultivation apparatus main bodies 1 to increase the number of holders 3 accommodated in the germination stage. It is necessary when you make it. The lifter 59 has a function of raising and lowering the holder 3 similarly to the lift traction machine 2, but does not have the function of pulling the traction chain 20 because the drive sprocket 21 is not attached.

The germinator 58 is provided with a plant holding plate 61 of the holder 3.
The seeds 63 sown one by one in each hole 61a are germinated. The sprout 58 is provided with a driving sprocket 21.

This plant cultivation apparatus is installed in a facility 69 such as a greenhouse or a plastic house through which sunlight passes, as shown in FIG. 13, for example. The cultivation spaces 54 and 57 in the stages other than the top stage, specifically, the middle and lower tiers are subjected to artificial lighting.

The facility 69 is provided with a light-shielding / heating curtain 70 that can be opened and closed. With this light-shielding / heat-insulating curtain 70, the sunlight radiating into the facility 69 is shielded by about 50% and the inside of the facility is further kept warm. A number of high-pressure sodium lamps 71 are attached to the ceiling of the facility 69. Each high-pressure sodium lamp 7
1 is used in bad weather or in a season with a short photoperiod, etc., to make up for the shortage of sunlight.

Next, the cultivation of a plant by this plant cultivation apparatus will be described.

In the upper cultivation space 53, plants are cultivated by sunlight. On the other hand, plants are cultivated in the middle and lower cultivation spaces 54 and 57 by the light of the fluorescent lamp 36. That is, the upper cultivation space 53 and the middle and lower cultivation spaces 54 and 57 are made independent of each other by the light-shielding curtain 50. In this way, the uppermost cultivation space 5 can be prevented while preventing light from entering and exiting between the uppermost tier and the other tiers.
In the case of 3, the plant is cultivated by using the light of the high-pressure sodium lamp 71 in combination with the sunlight and in some cases, that is, when the weather is poor or the daylight is short, etc. The plant can be cultivated by artificial light while controlling the irradiation time by the fluorescent lamp 36. In this way, the irradiation time of the middle and lower cultivation spaces 54 and 57 can be reversed day and night, and the heat generated by irradiation can be used as a part of night heating in winter, and the fluorescent lamp 36 can be used in summer. The maximum cooling load can be reduced by dissipating heat at night,
It is possible to use economical nighttime power and reduce costs. The middle and lower cultivation spaces 54, 5
7 can be irradiated for 24 hours to promote plant growth. In these cases, the middle and lower cultivation spaces 54,
Since the light of the fluorescent lamp 36 irradiating 57 is not blocked by the light shielding curtain 50 and does not leak to the upper cultivation space 53, plants such as spinach exhibiting a photoperiod reaction are simultaneously cultivated in the upper cultivation space 53. can do. Note that the cultivation spaces 54, 5 in the middle and lower stages are used without using the fluorescent lamp 36.
7 may be a dark room, and plants that do not require light such as sprouts may be cultivated.

By making the cultivation space of the plant multi-stage, the capacity of the plant (cultivation amount) is increased, and therefore, the production amount is also increased. For example, when the cultivation space is made up of three stages, the capacity of cultivated plants is tripled, and although the amount varies depending on the type of plant to be cultivated and the stage of cultivation, the production is approximately three times in proportion to the capacity. To increase.

Next, the operation of the plant cultivation apparatus will be described. The transfer and spacing of the holder 3 are performed in the same manner in the cultivation spaces 53, 54, and 57 of each stage.

In this plant cultivation apparatus, one end of the cultivation apparatus main body 1 is a carry-in position, and the other end is a harvest position. That is, the holder 3 is hung from one end of the cultivation apparatus main body 1 to each guide rail 5 of each stage. In this case, the state of the seed 63 has been germinated in advance using the germinator 58.

Next, the suspension means 4 at both ends of the newly suspended holder 3 are connected to the suspension means 4 already suspended by the respective pulling chains 20. At this time, a chain length between hooks of, for example, 5 cm is provided between the immediately preceding holder 3 and the holder 3. Similarly, after a required number of holders 3 are newly suspended from each guide rail 5,
Connect with. Also, for the other holders 3 that have been suspended for a number of days, the chains are replaced as needed to adjust the chain length between the hooks. That is, for the holder 3 that needs to be spaced, the chain length between hooks is further extended, for example, by 5 cm.

Next, by rotating the operation handle 22, 2
The tow chains 20 are simultaneously pulled by a predetermined distance.
Since all the holders 3 in one stage are connected to each tow chain 20, each of these holders 3 is pulled and moved one after another, and reaches a predetermined position as a whole while leaving an interval corresponding to the chain length between the hooks. Be transported. Since the chain length between the hooks is gradually increased with the passage of days, the longer the number of hanging days (the number of plant cultivation days), the larger the holder 3 in which plants that have grown are planted, the greater the distance between the holders and the greater the distance between them. Wide open.

One end of each holder 3 in the middle of transfer is a porous tube 28.
, The culture solution can be supplied during the transfer of the plant. In the state after the spacing has been performed, the intervals between the holders 3 are all multiples of 5 cm. Therefore, one end of all the holders 3 is located immediately below or near each of the drip holes 25 provided at intervals of 5 cm in the same arrangement relationship, and the funnel 13 can be supplied with the culture solution. That is, the culture solution can be constantly supplied even during the spacing and the transfer, and even after the completion, and further, no special operation or labor is required.

Immediately after each holder 3 is hung on each guide rail 5, the orientation of each holder 3 is horizontal. Therefore, the culture solution in each holder 3 is continuously supplied with the culture solution. Water level has reached a relatively high position. Most of the plants in the holder 3 immediately after hanging on each guide rail 5 are young and have relatively short roots. However, since the culture solution in the holder 3 has a high water level,
Plants can absorb nutrients well.

Each of the holders 3 is spaced at least once daily according to the growth of the plant, and
Is transferred toward the other end. When the holder 3 is transported to some extent, the height of one of the two guide rails 5 changes, so that the holder 3 is inclined with the change in the height.
At this time, since the holders 3 are suspended by the suspension moving means, each holder 3 is smoothly transferred while being inclined. Due to the inclination of the holder 3, the culture solution dropped from the dropping holes 25 of the porous tube 28 to the funnel 13 at one end of each holder 3 flows vigorously through the flow path 12 in the holder 3 and drops from the hole at the other end. It is collected by the second collecting trough 27.

When the plant grows to the point where it can be harvested, the holder 3 where the plant is planted reaches the other end of the cultivation apparatus main body 1. The holder 3 arriving at the other end of the cultivation apparatus body 1 is drawn into each holder mounting rail 38 of the lift traction machine 2 by the subsequent transfer. That is, in this state, the holder mounting rails 38 are arranged at the stage where the holder 3 has been transferred, and all the holders 3 holding the plants at the appropriate time for harvesting are drawn into the holder mounting rails 38 and harvested. . The operator can perform the harvesting operation by rotating each of the holders 3 to a height at which the work can be easily performed by rotating the vertical movement handle 46 of the lift traction machine 2.

When the germinator 58, the lifter 59, and the lift traction machine 2 are moved from the cultivation apparatus main body 1 to another place, the germination machine 58 and the lift traction machine 2 are moved from the respective drive sprockets 21 to the cultivation apparatus 2. Remove the tow chain 20 and drop its loop end. On the other hand, when installing the lifter 59 or the lift traction machine 2 next to the cultivation apparatus main body 1, after stopping them next to the gantry 8, the loop ends of the hanging traction chains 20 are connected to the respective driving sprockets. It is good to multiply by 21.

In this plant cultivation apparatus, each suspension moving means 4
After being connected by the tow chain 20, the transfer and spacing of each holder 3 can be simultaneously and easily performed simply by pulling the tow chain 20 by operating the handle. The lifting of each holder 3 by the lifter 59 can be easily performed by operating the handle. These operations are light, and the number of workers is sufficient for one person. Therefore, labor saving of the cultivation work is achieved.

The plant cultivation apparatus is of a three-stage type.
The cultivation area can be increased without increasing the installation space. Therefore, the yield can be increased, and the air-conditioning cost and utility cost per share can be reduced, which is very economical.

In this plant cultivation apparatus, the number of high-pressure sodium lamps 71 for illuminating the uppermost cultivation space 53 is set to be equal to the number of solar lights installed in the facility 69 capable of receiving sunlight. Can be reduced to about の of the case where not used. In addition, high-pressure sodium lamp 7
Since 1 is used auxiliary, its irradiation time is reduced. For these reasons, the power consumption can be reduced to about 1/15 of that when no sunlight is used.

Further, since the germinator 58, the lifter 59, and the lift traction machine 2 can be separated from the cultivation apparatus main body 1 and can be moved separately, several cultivation apparatus main bodies 1 can be used for one lift traction machine 2 and the like. It can be shared, and it is economical by suppressing an increase in equipment costs.

The above-described embodiment is an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the above description, the gutter-shaped container 60 of the holder 3
Is substantially U-shaped, but may be substantially W-shaped as shown in FIG. When the cross-sectional shape of the gutter-shaped container 60 is substantially W-shaped, the plant holding plate 61 can be lifted by the gutter-shaped container 60, so that the height adjustment net 62 can be omitted.

Further, instead of the holder 3 having the above-described various structures, a plant cultivation apparatus (application number: Hei 2-311021) previously filed by the present applicant may be used.

Although the three-stage cultivation apparatus has been described, the invention is not necessarily limited to the three-stage cultivation apparatus, but may be applied to a two-stage cultivation apparatus or a multi-stage cultivation apparatus having four or more stages. is there.

Further, the case has been described in which the holders 3, that is, the plants are transferred from one end to the other end of the gantry 8, but the plants may be transferred from the other end to one end. Of course. As described above, by controlling the transfer direction of the plant, it is possible to change the position at which the holder 3 is carried in or the plant is harvested, and the work can be performed at a position that is easy to work according to the type of the plant. , And the work labor can be further reduced.

In the above description, two guide rails 5 of each stage are formed as one set, and both ends of each holder 3 are suspended from each guide rail 5. For example, one guide rail is added. To make a set of three, and add one
The center of each holder 3 may be suspended with a book,
Alternatively, four or more guide rails 5 may be used as one set. Increasing the number of guide rails 5 can cope with an increase in the size of the device.

Further, in the above description, as shown in FIG. 3, one of the two guide rails 5 of each stage is inclined in the middle to change the installation height of each guide rail 5 from the middle. However, this is not always necessary, and the two guide rails 5 may have the same height or different heights over the entire length. Alternatively, one of the guide rails 5 may be installed obliquely as a whole and the height may be gradually changed. That is, a necessary inclination angle of the holder 3 may be obtained according to the growth of the plant.

The germinator 58, the lifter 59 and the lift traction machine 2 are not always necessary and may be omitted. If the germinator 58 is omitted, the seeds 63 are germinated while transferring the holder 3 using a plant cultivation apparatus. It is desirable to provide a germination cover for temperature control.

The lifter 59 and the lift traction machine 2 may be the same.

Further, in the above description, the holder 3 is suspended and transferred from each guide rail 5. However, the present invention is not limited to such a suspension transfer type plant cultivation apparatus. It goes without saying that the present invention may be applied to a plant cultivation device of a type in which plants are arranged and transported for each truck.

[0069]

As described above, according to the method for cultivating a plant according to the first aspect, the cultivation space for cultivating the plant is provided in a plurality of stages vertically, and in the cultivation space at the uppermost stage, sunlight and artificial cultivation may occur. While plant cultivation is performed using light in combination, plant cultivation is performed by irradiating artificial light to the cultivation space other than the top stage, so that different types of plants can be cultivated at the same time. it can.

Further, the plant cultivation apparatus according to the second aspect is provided with a plurality of cultivation spaces for cultivating plants in a vertical direction, and is provided with illumination for illuminating the cultivation spaces in the stages other than the uppermost stage. The cultivation area can be increased without increasing the installation space of the device. For this reason, the production amount can be increased, and the air conditioning cost per share can be reduced, and plant cultivation at low cost becomes possible. Moreover, since the cultivation spaces in the tiers other than the upper tier can be illuminated by illumination, plants can be cultivated while controlling the irradiation time.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the holder is
Since the apparatus is provided with a gutter-shaped container that is supported and transferred at both ends and forms a flow path of a culture solution, and a plant holding unit that is installed in the gutter-shaped container and holds a plant, the assembly operation of the holder is performed. And disassembly work becomes easy. Further, since the gutter-shaped container is made of a plastic molded product, the work of cleaning the holder is also facilitated. For this reason, work efficiency is improved, and plant cultivation costs can be reduced.

In the invention according to claim 4, the plant holding means is lifted above the culture solution by a height adjusting member disposed in the flow path. Since the holding means is formed of a material floating in the culture solution flowing in the flow channel, it is possible to prevent the seeds and the extended shoots from being submerged immediately after sowing, and to grow healthy plants.

In the invention according to claim 6, two guide rails for transfer are provided for each stage, and both ends of the holder are suspended from these guide rails by the suspension moving means. The shadow of each guide rail is less likely to fall on the plants on the stage, and effective use of sunlight becomes possible. In addition, since each holder is hung on the guide rail at both ends, the holder can be stably transferred.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the suspension moving means includes one or two wheels rolling on a guide rail,
With the holder support member suspended from the wheel, each holder moves lightly along each guide rail,
The spacing operation and the transfer operation can be made light. In addition, the center of gravity of the suspension moving means is reduced, and it is possible to prevent the holder from being inverted and to prevent the plant from tipping over.

In the invention according to claim 8, since the light-shielding means which can be opened and closed is provided between the uppermost cultivation space and the lower cultivation space, the lighting means is provided in the uppermost cultivation space. It is possible to prevent adverse effects on cultivated plants. That is, it is possible to cultivate plants that are adversely affected by the photoperiod effect in the topmost cultivation space, and the degree of freedom in the combination of types of plants that can be cultivated at the same time is improved. Effective utilization can be achieved.

The invention according to claim 9 is provided with a lifter for carrying the holder into the cultivation space of each stage and a lifter for carrying out the holder from the cultivation space of each stage. The work can be done by raising and lowering.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an example of an embodiment of a plant cultivation apparatus according to the present invention, as viewed from a transfer direction of a plant.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the plant cultivation apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a positional relationship of a guide rail of the plant cultivation apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a holder of the plant cultivation apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a plant holding means of the holder of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the suspension moving means of the plant cultivation apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the suspension moving unit of FIG. 7;

FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram showing a positional relationship of a towing chain of the plant cultivation apparatus of FIG.

9 is a cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of one end of a holder of the plant cultivation apparatus of FIG. 1 in detail.

FIG. 10 is a front view of a lift tractor attached to the plant cultivation apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is a side view of the lift tractor of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a schematic configuration diagram of a light shielding curtain of the plant cultivation apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 13 is a schematic configuration diagram of a greenhouse facility in which the plant cultivation apparatus of FIG. 1 is installed.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the holder of FIG. 4;

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing still another embodiment of the holder of FIG. 4;

FIG. 16 is a longitudinal sectional view of the holder of FIG.

FIG. 17 is a plan view of the plant holding means of the holder of FIG.

FIG. 18 is a sectional view showing a main part of the plant holding means of FIG.

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the plant holding means of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 cultivation apparatus main body 2 lift traction machine (lifter) 3 holder 4 suspension moving means 5 guide rail 12 flow path 36 fluorescent lamp (lighting) 50 light shielding curtain (light shielding means) 53, 54, 57 plant cultivation space 59 lifter 60 gutter-shaped container 61 Plant holding means 62 Height adjusting member 66 Wheel 67 Holder supporting member

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A cultivation space for cultivating plants is installed in a plurality of stages in the vertical direction, and in the uppermost cultivation space, plant cultivation is performed by using sunlight and optionally artificial light, while the other cultivation spaces are cultivated. A method for cultivating a plant, wherein the cultivation space is irradiated with artificial light to perform plant cultivation. 2. A plant cultivation apparatus that grows and harvests the plants while transferring the holders in which the plants are planted in a row in a predetermined direction, wherein a plurality of cultivation spaces for cultivating the plants are installed in a vertical direction. A plant cultivation apparatus, further comprising illumination for illuminating a cultivation space in a stage other than the top stage. 3. The holder includes a gutter-shaped container which is supported and transferred at both ends and forms a flow path of a culture solution, and a plant holding means which is installed in the gutter-shaped container and holds the plant. The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that: 4. The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the plant holding means is lifted above the culture solution by a height adjusting member arranged in the flow path. 5. The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the plant holding means is formed of a material floating in a culture solution flowing in the flow channel. 6. A transfer guide rail is provided for each stage.
The plant cultivation apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the apparatus is installed one by one, and both ends of the holder are suspended from the guide rails by suspension moving means. 7. The plant cultivation according to claim 6, wherein the suspension moving means includes one or two wheels rolling on the guide rail, and a holder supporting member suspended from the wheels. apparatus. 8. The plant cultivation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a light-shielding means that can be opened and closed is provided between the uppermost cultivation space and the lower cultivation space. 9. The lifter for carrying the holder into the cultivation space of each stage and a lifter to carry the holder out of the cultivation space of each stage. Plant cultivation equipment.