JPH10178900A - Elevated cultivation device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an elevated cultivation device capable of performing standing work, raising and maturing plants and the fruits without irregularities and evading harmful insects as well. SOLUTION: Culture soil housing parts 32 are hierarchically and parallelly arranged on a ground surface 31, culture soil 35 is filled inside the respective culture soil housing parts 32 and strawberries 36 are cultivated. A material for constituting the culture soil housing parts 32 or the like is foamed polystyrene containing aluminum powder and the surface is provided with light reflectivity.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an elevated cultivation apparatus for growing strawberries, leafy vegetables, flowers and the like at a position higher than the ground surface.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When growing strawberries and leafy vegetables, a so-called soil cultivation method has conventionally been adopted in which seedlings are planted and grown along ridges formed on the ground surface of the cultivation area. In soil cultivation, a series of operations from raising seedlings to harvesting are often performed in a squatting or crouching position. It has become very large.

[0003] In order to improve such harsh working conditions, cultivation vessels have been improved and developed, and so-called elevated cultivation has been partially implemented as a cultivation method capable of standing work.

[0004] The present applicant has also developed a cultivation container for strawberry and leafy vegetables, which requires a small amount of cultivation soil and has good root growth. Auxiliary tools suitable for watering and fertilizing have been developed (see Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-16495). FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a state where the cultivation container on which the auxiliary tool is set is held by a holding device.

[0005] As shown in FIG. 6, the holding device 80 is composed of a frame 81 and a supporting column 82, and holds a tapered cylindrical cultivation container 91 and an auxiliary tool 92 for watering and fertilizing by the holding device 80. As a result, the standing work becomes possible, so that the efficiency of the cultivation work can be improved and the working conditions can be improved.

[0006] On the other hand, there are various other methods for holding the cultivation container at a position higher than the ground surface, but the present applicant has proposed a cultivation container having a shape in which a plurality of container bodies are connected by a connecting member. Developed a method of holding it over a gantry,
A patent application has been filed as Japanese Patent Application No. 7-132727.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an example of a cultivation apparatus according to the patent application. The cultivation container 20 is formed by continuously forming a part of the upper end of a synthetic resin container main body 21. The container body groups 22a and 22b have a shape in which the individual container bodies 21 are linearly connected, and the upper portions of the container body groups 22a and 22b are connected by a connecting member 23.

Each container body 21 is a tapered cylindrical container having a circular cross section. The connecting member 23 is formed integrally with the container body groups 22a and 22b so as to extend from one side of the upper end flange of the container body groups 22a and 22b, and matches the shape of the locking frame 13 of the holding device. Thus, the longitudinal section has a convex shape.

By using this cultivation apparatus, standing work becomes possible, and a large number of conventional cultivation containers can be locked to the frame by a single locking operation.
The work of locking the cultivation container can be made more efficient.

[0010]

In the case of the conventional cultivation apparatus, the cultivation container and the holding device are separate from each other. A holding device constituted by a support, a frame, and the like is installed on the ground surface, and the cultivation container is set. Installation work is troublesome, and the equipment cost is high. In addition, a large installation space is required as compared with a part that actually contributes to cultivation.

Regardless of the shape of the cultivation container, whether it is a single container or a connected container, the operation of filling the soil into the container must be performed for each container. Takes a lot of time and effort.

Further, since the conventional cultivation container has a tapered cylindrical shape, it is extremely difficult to fill the cultivation container without using a so-called smooth cultivation soil. In addition, since the cultivation container is used in a state of being hung down on the holding device, if the cultivation container is filled with a large specific gravity, the holding device may be deformed or damaged by the weight.

However, ordinary field soil has a high water content, a high specific gravity, and is not smooth, so that it is extremely difficult to use it as cultivation soil in a conventional cultivation container. For this reason, it is necessary to use expensive cultivation soil specially prepared, the cultivation cost is large, and much labor is required for carrying in the cultivation soil to the cultivation area.

On the other hand, temperature management is extremely important in the cultivation of strawberries and leafy vegetables. For example, in the case of strawberries, in the initial stage of cultivation, the growth balance between the above-ground part and the underground part is maintained, and Avoiding abrupt changes will stabilize the yield, so at the beginning of flowering, the night temperature should be 8 ° C.
It is a target of the temperature control to set the daytime temperature within a range of 25 ° C to 28 ° C. In the early stage of the harvest transition, the temperature management is set to 5 ° C. to 6 ° C. at night and 22 ° C. to 25 ° C. at daytime for the purpose of maintaining grass vigor and stabilizing fruit coloring.

However, in the case of the elevated cultivation, the cultivated soil is held at a position higher than the ground surface, so that the cultivated soil is susceptible to a temperature change, and more accurate temperature control is required as compared with the cultivated soil. You. Even in the case of elevated cultivation, in the case of house cultivation, by managing the temperature in the house, it is relatively easy to perform the temperature management, but when a large house has a large volume, the heating equipment is also large, Energy consumption also increases.

In the case of elevated cultivation in the open ground, the outer periphery of the cultivation container and the holding device is covered with a vinyl sheet or the like, and the temperature is controlled by a method such as installing a water storage duct or a hot water pipe on the ground. However, with this method,
It is extremely difficult to maintain the temperature of a cultivation container installed on the ground within a range of several degrees Celsius.

Furthermore, in the case of high-growth cultivation, a large number of seedlings are often cultivated in a dense state as compared with soil cultivation, so that the shaded portion of the plant is poorly lit and poorly grown, There are irregularities in fruit ripening. Also,
Depending on the types of plants to be cultivated, pests such as aphids are apt to parasitize and proliferate in portions where the sunshine condition is poor, and thus damages by these pests are also occurring.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an elevated cultivation apparatus capable of standing work, capable of growing and ripening plants and their fruits evenly, and capable of repelling pests. Is to do.

[0019]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention relates to an elevated cultivation apparatus having a cultivated soil storage section for holding cultivated soil at a position higher than the ground surface, wherein at least the cultivated soil storage section is provided. Characterized by being formed of a material having light reflectivity.

Since the cultivation soil storage section has a structure for holding the cultivation soil at a position higher than the ground surface, cultivating the plant here enables the standing operation. In addition, since at least the cultivation soil storage part is formed of a material having light reflectivity,
The portion has a function of reflecting incident sunlight. Therefore, the reflected sunlight hits the plants planted in the cultivation soil storage unit, and the plants can be grown evenly. Further, the reflected sunlight hits the back side of the leaves and the like, so that it is possible to repel pests having the property of being parasitic in the shade.

As the material having light reflectivity, a foamed plastic containing a light reflective substance can be used. By including a light-reflective substance in the foamed plastic, the surface of the foamed plastic has reflectivity over the entire surface and reflects most of the incident sunlight, so that the cultivated plants have good sunlight.

Further, since the foamed plastic has a high heat insulating property, by forming the buried soil accommodating portion and the like with the foamed plastic, the heat retaining function is improved, and the temperature can be controlled more accurately. Since the foamed plastic is lightweight, the transportability is improved by reducing the weight of the soil storage section, and the corrosion resistance is also good.

Here, foamed polystyrene can be used as the foamed plastic. Expanded polystyrene has a high heat retaining function, is lightweight, has excellent moldability, and has good strength and durability, and therefore can be suitably used as a material for an elevated cultivation apparatus.

On the other hand, as the light reflecting substance to be contained in the foamed plastic, at least one of metal powder, metal flakes and organic pigments can be used. By adding these substances to the foamed plastic before molding, the surface of the cultivated soil storage section and the like after molding can have light reflectivity over the entire surface. In addition, by incorporating metal powder, metal flakes, organic pigments, etc., it has the property of irregularly reflecting light, and reflects incident sunlight in all directions, so that the sunlight of cultivated plants can be irrespective of the incident angle of sunlight. The state can be kept good.

Here, as the metal powder and the metal flake, at least one of them may contain aluminum. Aluminum has a small specific gravity, so that even if it is contained in a foamed plastic, the weight increase is slight, and light reflection properties are maintained for a long time due to its excellent corrosion resistance.

In the erecting cultivation apparatus of the present invention,
The buried soil accommodating portion may have a groove shape. By adopting such a shape, the amount of cultivated soil used can be reduced as compared with soil cultivation. In addition, since the upper surface of the cultivation soil storage section is in a continuous open state, the cultivation soil filling operation into the cultivation soil storage section becomes easy.

In this case, an opening that can be connected to the ground surface may be provided in the cultivated soil storage unit. If such an opening is provided, when the cultivation soil is filled into the cultivation soil storage part, the cultivation soil will be continuous with the ground surface at the opening, so the weight of the cultivation soil will be applied to the ground surface, and the burden of the cultivation soil storage part will be reduced. Can be smaller. In addition, field soil having a large specific gravity can be used as cultivation soil.

Further, an inclined wall surface for holding the cultivated soil in an inclined state may be provided in the cultivated soil storage part. Generally, when a plant seedling is planted at an angle, it has a property that the generation of new roots is promoted more than when planted in an upright state. Therefore, by providing such an inclined slope in the cultivation soil storage section, the seedlings of the plants to be planted in the cultivation soil can be maintained in an inclined state, so that the generation of new roots is promoted, and the subsequent growth state becomes good .

[0029]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an elevated cultivation apparatus according to an embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing the elevated cultivation apparatus.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the elevated cultivation apparatus 30 of the present embodiment, the cultivated soil storage units 32 are arranged in a layered manner and in parallel on the ground surface 31, and the cultivated soil storage units 32 are arranged in the respective cultivated soil storage units 32. It is a device for growing strawberries and the like with filling.
The material constituting the cultivated soil accommodating portion 32 and the like is expanded polystyrene containing aluminum powder, and the entire surface has light reflectivity.

Further, as shown in FIG.
2 includes an opening 33 connectable to the ground surface 31 and an inclined wall surface 34 for holding the soil in the soil storage unit 32 in an inclined state.

Further, a hot water pipe 37 and a water supply pipe 38 are disposed below each of the soil cultivation sections 32, and a detachable earth cover 39 having a protruding portion 39a is provided on the upper surface of the cultivation soil section 32 at the top. Have.

In the elevated cultivation apparatus 30, since each of the cultivated soil storage sections 32 is located above the ground surface 31, it is possible to perform a standing operation, and the cultivated soil 35 is filled in the cultivated soil storage section 32 in a sufficient amount. Therefore, compared with the case of growing strawberries by forming ridges, the amount of soil used can be reduced, and the amount of fertilizer and water used can be reduced. In addition, since the covering cover 39 has the protruding portion 39a, the amount of cultivated soil used corresponding to this space can be reduced.

On the other hand, since the elevated cultivation device 30 can be installed on the ground surface 31 without any other holding device, the installation space is small, and the groove-shaped cultivated soil accommodating portions 32 are arranged in a hierarchical manner and in a side-by-side manner. Therefore, a large number of plants can be cultivated even in a narrow cultivation area, and the yield can be increased. When the ridge is raised in soil cultivation, the ridge shape becomes large, so that the number of cultivation per unit area, so-called planting density substantially decreases, but when the elevated cultivation apparatus 30 is used, the planting density decreases. Without growing the plant, the plant can be cultivated at a position higher than the ground surface 31.

Further, since each cultivated soil accommodating portion 32 has a groove shape and its upper surface is continuously open, the filling operation of the cultivated soil 35 is easy, and even if the soil is not smooth, the cultivated soil can be easily formed. Can be filled. In particular, since the upper surface of the cultivation soil storage section 32 at the uppermost portion is largely opened when the cover cover 39 is removed, the filling operation of the cultivation soil 35 is extremely easy.

Each of the cultivated soil storage sections 32 has an opening 33 that can be connected to the ground surface 31, so that the filled cultivated soil 35
Becomes continuous with the ground surface 31 at each opening 33, and the weight of the cultivation soil 35 is applied to the ground surface 31.
For this reason, even when the field soil having a large specific gravity is filled, no burden is imposed on the cultivated soil storage unit 32.

Here, referring to FIG.
The growth state when strawberry 36 is cultivated using 0 will be described. FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway sectional view showing a use state of the erect cultivation apparatus 30.

When using the elevated cultivation apparatus 30, FIG.
As shown in (1), the cultivation soil 35 is filled in the cultivation soil storage part 32, and the strawberry 36 is planted in the cultivation soil 35. The root of the strawberry 36 planted in the cultivation soil 35 filled in the cultivation soil storage part 32 tends to extend downward, but since the strawberry 36 is maintained in an inclined state, generation of a new fine root R from the crown C portion occurs. Is performed actively. That is, the generation of the fine roots R from the crown C portion is promoted more than the existing roots grow, and these fine roots R extend into the cultivated soil 35, and rooting and rooting become good. The growth state is activated. In addition, many fine roots R are generated from the crown C portion,
Since the increase in the number of flowers is promoted, the yield can be increased. Further, since the runner has a property of extending in the direction in which the crown C is inclined, the growth direction of the runner can be appropriately guided by holding the strawberry 36 in the inclined state.

For example, in the case of seedlings cultivated by small-diameter pot seedlings, although the number of roots is larger than the amount of soil,
When planted in the cultivated soil 35 in 2, the roots are immediately rooted in the cultivated soil 35, so that rooting is fast and the root growth is good thereafter. Also, since the cultivation soil 35 is held in an inclined state,
It is easy to plant diagonally.

Generally, strawberries are said to be light rooted plants,
May extend roots to a depth of several tens of cm, for example,
For strawberries grown in the desert of California, North America,
Some have a root zone with a depth of 1 m or more, and 6 to 8 t / 1
A high yield of 0a is obtained. Thus, in the case of strawberries, it has been found that the formation of a deep and large root group leads to a high yield. Therefore, if conditions such as the hardness of the soil and the air permeability associated with the vertical movement of the water are adjusted, a deep and large root group can be formed, and so-called "snarling" can be suppressed. Therefore, in the case of the elevated cultivation apparatus 30, the cultivation soil storage portion 32 is provided in the up-down direction, and the cultivation soil 35 is filled up in the up-down direction. Become.

Furthermore, since the surface of the cultivated soil accommodating portion 32 and the like is entirely provided with light reflectivity, the incident sunlight H is reflected. Then, since the reflected sunlight hits the lower side of the fruit S of the strawberry 36, the fruit S can be aged evenly. Further, the sunlight reflected on the surface of the cultivated soil storage unit 32 and the like also strikes the back side of the leaves of the strawberries 36, so that it is possible to repel pests such as aphids that are parasitic in the shade.

Since the light reflectivity of the expanded polystyrene constituting the buried soil accommodating portion 32 is due to the aluminum powder dispersed in the expanded polystyrene, the incident sunlight H
Has the property of irregularly reflecting in all directions. Therefore,
Irrespective of the incident angle of the sunlight H, the sunshine state of the strawberry 36 is good.

Also, aluminum has a small specific gravity, so that even if it is contained in expanded polystyrene, the weight increase is slight, and the aluminum does not hinder the transportability of the elevated cultivation apparatus 30 and has excellent corrosion resistance. Reflectivity is long lasting. It should be noted that, in addition to the aluminum powder, light reflectivity can also be imparted by adding a master batch during the molding of expanded polystyrene. Here, the master batch refers to a plastic, rubber or elastomer mixture containing a high concentration of additives, such as a plastic containing a pigment and a rubber containing carbon black.

As described above, in the elevated cultivation apparatus 30, since the cultivated soil accommodating portion 32 and the like have light reflectivity, it is not necessary to use a sheet material having light reflectivity as in the related art. There are also benefits.

On the other hand, the elevated cultivation apparatus 30 is provided with a hot water pipe 37 for heating the inside of the cultivation soil accommodating section 32.
By passing hot water through the hot water pipe 37, the temperature and strawberries 3
Since the temperature of the filled soil 35 can be controlled in accordance with the growth state of No. 6, the growth state is good, and the yield can be increased. In this case, since the cultivation soil 35 filled in the cultivation soil storage part 32 may be heated, energy consumption can be reduced as compared with the case where the entire ridge is heated. Further, when used in combination with a solar water heater, the effect of reducing energy consumption can be further improved.

Further, in the elevated cultivation apparatus 30, a water supply pipe 38 for supplying water into the cultivated soil accommodating section 32 is arranged. A large number of through holes 41 are provided in the wall of the water supply pipe 38.
By supplying water into the water supply pipe 38, an appropriate amount of water can be supplied to the soil 35 filled in the soil storage unit 32. Since the water is directly supplied into the cultivation soil 35 by the water supply pipe 38, the amount of water can be reduced as compared with a method of irrigating the surface of the cultivation soil. In addition, since the drying time of the cultivation soil 35 can be adjusted, the supply of air to the root is also facilitated.

In the case of the strawberry 36, the supply of water is carried out in a small number of times to promote the generation of fine roots and increase the yield, but by arranging the water supply pipe 38,
The labor of watering work can be saved, and fine water supply management becomes possible.

Next, another embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing an elevated cultivation apparatus according to another embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway front view showing the elevated cultivation apparatus.

The elevated cultivation apparatus 60 shown in these figures has a structure in which the side walls 63, 64 of the cultivated soil storage sections 61, 62 are each inclined from the vertical. The other parts have the same structure and function as those of the elevated cultivation apparatus 30.

In the case of the elevated cultivation apparatus 60, as shown in FIG. 5, the side wall surface 63 of the upper cultivation container 61 is inclined such that the lower end is spread outward, and the side wall surface 64 of the lower cultivation container 62 is lowered. Is inclined such that the lower end is narrowed inward. For this reason, the strawberries 36 planted in the cultivation soil storage units 61 and 62 can secure sufficient sunlight by the reflected light from the side wall surfaces 63 and 64, respectively, and can ripen the fruits S without unevenness.

By the way, the elevated cultivation apparatus 3 of this embodiment
The size of 0,60 has a length of 1 m in consideration of the convenience in production and transportation, and therefore, when actually used, it is necessary to connect them according to the area of the cultivation area. In this case, if a convex portion and a concave portion having a shape fitted to each other are provided on the end surfaces of the elevated cultivation apparatus, the convex portion and the concave portion are fitted simply by bringing the respective end surfaces into close contact with each other. A connected state is obtained. Therefore, not only when the elevated cultivation devices are arranged, but also during the cultivation period, it is possible to prevent disturbance of the rows and the like.

When a plurality of elevated cultivation apparatuses are connected and used, a method of connecting the hot water pipe 37 or the like becomes a problem. In this case, the elevated cultivation apparatus is installed with the hot water pipe 37 and the water supply pipe 38 removed. After the connection is completed, the long pipes are sequentially connected and penetrated, or the hot water pipe 37 and the water supply pipe 3 are connected.
A connecting portion may be provided at both ends of the unit 8, and a hot water pipe 37 and the like may be connected when connecting the elevated cultivation apparatus.

On the other hand, when connecting the elevated cultivation apparatuses,
The cultivation soil accommodating part 32 may be connected so as to form a continuous groove in the lateral direction. In this case, a reliable connection state can be obtained by providing a concave portion and a convex portion or a step to be fitted to each other at an end portion such as an inclined wall surface constituting the cultivated soil storage portion 34.

As described above, since the elevated cultivation apparatuses 30 and 60 become a long apparatus by being connected, a large number of plants can be cultivated by installing them according to the area of the cultivation area. The yield per unit area can be increased.

Each of the elevated cultivation devices 30 and 60 is made of expanded polystyrene containing aluminum powder. Since expanded polystyrene has excellent heat insulating properties, the heat retaining function of the cultivated soil accommodating portion 32 and the like is good, temperature control can be performed more accurately, and energy saving for heating is effective.

Further, since the expanded polystyrene is light in weight, it can be easily transported and installed, and has good strength and corrosion resistance, so that it can be repeatedly used without corrosion during use. Furthermore, since expanded polystyrene is excellent in moldability, it is possible to form an elevated cultivation apparatus having various shapes and sizes according to use conditions.

In the above embodiment, the elevated cultivation apparatus 30,
Although the case where the strawberry 36 is cultivated using 60 is described, since the elevated cultivation apparatus of the present invention is not limited to this, it is also possible to cultivate leafy vegetables or flowers other than strawberry. It can be widely used, and its size and shape can be changed according to various conditions such as the condition of the plant to be cultivated and the cultivation place.

[0058]

According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) In an elevated cultivation apparatus having a cultivated soil storage section for holding cultivated soil at a position higher than the ground surface, at least the cultivated soil storage section is formed of a material having light reflectivity, so that the reflected sun Since the light shines on the growing plant, the plant can be grown evenly. Also,
Since the reflected sunlight shines on the back side of the leaves and the like, it is possible to repel pests having the property of being parasitic in the shade.

(2) By using a foamed plastic containing a light-reflective substance as a material having light reflectivity, the surface of the foamed plastic has reflectivity over its entire surface,
Since most of the incident sunlight can be reflected, the sunlight condition of the plant is improved. Further, since the foamed plastic has a high heat insulating property, the heat retaining function is improved, and the temperature can be controlled accurately.

(3) By using expanded polystyrene as the expanded plastic, it is possible not only to improve the heat insulation function but also to reduce the weight and to improve the durability.

(4) By using metal powder, metal flakes, organic pigments and the like as the light-reflective substance to be contained in the foamed plastic, the surface of the cultivated soil accommodating section and the like has a diffuse reflection property over the entire surface. Irrespective of the angle of incidence of light, the sunshine state of the plant can be kept good.

(5) By using a metal powder and a metal flake containing aluminum, light reflectivity can be provided without greatly increasing the weight of the device, and light reflectivity can be maintained for a long period of time. I do.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an elevated cultivation apparatus according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing the elevated cultivation apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway sectional view showing a use state of the elevated cultivation apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an elevated cultivation apparatus according to another embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a partial front view of the elevated cultivation apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a conventional elevated cultivation apparatus.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a conventional elevated cultivation apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 30, 60 Elevated cultivation device 31 Ground surface 32, 61, 62 Cultivation soil storage part 35 Cultivation soil 36 Strawberry 33 Opening 34 Inclined wall surface 37 Hot water pipe 38 Water supply pipe 39a Projection 39 Covering soil cover 63, 64 Side wall surface C Crown R Fine root S Fruit H sunlight

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An elevated cultivation apparatus having a cultivated soil storage section for holding cultivated soil at a position higher than the ground surface, wherein at least the cultivated soil storage section is formed of a material having light reflectivity. Elevated cultivation equipment. 2. The elevated cultivation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cultivated soil accommodating portion is formed of a foamed plastic containing a light-reflective substance. 3. The elevated cultivation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the light-reflective substance contains at least one of a metal powder, a metal flake, and an organic pigment. 4. The elevated cultivation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the metal powder and the metal flake contains aluminum. 5. The elevated cultivation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the foamed plastic is foamed polystyrene.