JPS6344817A - Water holding material for vegetation - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (a) Purpose of the Invention (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention is applied to soil for greening or gardening to maintain or improve the planting environment. What to aim for.

The present invention also relates to a water-retaining material for planting, which can be applied to planting soil in urban areas, mountainous areas, etc., and thus can also be used as a soil improvement material.

<Prior art> In recent years, super absorbent polymers or highly water-containing polymers such as starch graft polymerization systems, carboxymethylated polysaccharide systems, polyacrylate systems, and nonionic polymer systems have been developed.
Its water absorption varies depending on the composition of the polymer and the manufacturing method, but it is several tens to hundreds of times the weight of the polymer. It's paper.

Unlike physical water absorption, in which water is drawn into the gaps between materials through capillary action, such as in sponges, water is absorbed through the chemical bonds of the molecules of the material itself, so once water is absorbed, it cannot be easily pushed out.

Therefore, attempts have been made to utilize the properties of the highly water-absorbent or high water-containing polymers to apply them to the fields of horticulture, agriculture, or forestry.

In other words, it has been found that by placing the polymer in juxtaposition with the required soil, the plant can be provided with a suitable amount of water without becoming overly humid, and without losing water retention over a long period of time. .

For example, highly water-absorbent polymer powder can be applied to the roots of seedlings to prevent them from drying out when transplanted, or to prevent drying when planting grass, potted plants, or roadside trees. Alternatively, the field of use is expanding, such as by mixing highly water-containing polymer powder, Pereso I, etc. into the soil.

By the way, the soil environment improvement method using superabsorbent polymers that has been studied so far involves adding and mixing several percent (by weight) of the polymer powder or pellets to the soil, and gradually absorbing water into the soil. The purpose of this method is to reduce the number of times the cultivated plants are irrigated by discharging water into the water, but this method has the following problems.

(1) The amount of the polymer added is required depending on the type of soil and plant, but it is difficult to improve the soil environment for existing plants, that is, to mix the necessary amount of polymer into the soil without disturbing the current situation. Very difficult.

(2) It is extremely difficult to adjust the amount added again after mixing.

(3) Once contaminated, it is difficult to restore the soil's original characteristics.

(4) Since the powder is in the form of 9 grains or fibers, it can be measured at the time of construction.
It is difficult to handle and lacks consideration for home gardening.

(5) When used in large-scale stirring/mixing operations using a tractor or the like, or when used at great depths, a large amount of polymer is needlessly consumed, which is not economical.

It is inevitable that such inconveniences will occur.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> The present invention has been developed with sufficient consideration to solve the problems inherent in the above-mentioned prior art, and to enable it to be used especially for home gardening such as potted plants. It is extremely easy to handle, and when used on existing plants, it can be used optimally depending on the characteristics of the soil and plants without disturbing the soil. , nutritional supplements (
It is possible to replenish and fertilize (fertilizer), and is relatively inexpensive and can return soil characteristics to the previous state at any time as needed, especially for improving the soil environment for home gardening, street green areas, tree planting, etc. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a water retaining material for planting that has a remarkable effect when applied to the water.

(I7) Structure of the Invention Means for Solving the Problems> Super absorbent polymers are insoluble in solvents and are usually in the form of powder (including pellets), fibers, or sheets;
In order to improve the soil environment for greening and horticulture, the conventional method of mixing and stirring powdered or pellet-shaped polymers into the soil in advance makes it difficult to apply it later while leaving the plants as they are. Problems arise, such as the work being large-scale and uneconomical, and the polymer not being able to be separated from the soil even if the soil is later returned to its original state. In the water-retaining material for planting of the present invention, in order to improve these problems, the above-mentioned polymer powders or fiber bundles are gathered together and the outer periphery is covered with a protective sheet that has high water permeability and has a certain degree of shape retention. The present invention provides a partially or fully coated water retaining material, which eliminates the inconvenience of handling conventional polymers and improves the effectiveness of its use.

The external shape of the above-mentioned water-retaining material for planting is preferably stain-like, and the polymer is interposed in the soil in a lump or a solid form, so for use, it is necessary to make a hole in the ground near the plant. It is also possible to insert the polymer into the soil, so that no visible objects appear on the ground surface, and the required amount can be added later, and it is also easy to recover the polymer from the soil if necessary. be. It can be used not only before and after sowing, but also during transplanting and other times when necessary. The key point is that the superabsorbent polymer can be inserted into the soil in the form of a block or stick unit that is easy to handle.

The diameter and length of the water retaining material for planting of the present invention are determined by the soil.

Various shapes can be formed depending on the type and characteristics of the plant, but the length can also be cut to suit the site if necessary. In addition, this material not only reduces the number of times of irrigation, but also allows you to maintain the effect of fertilization over a long period of time by pre-mixing fertilizer or adding liquid fertilizer to the water. For this reason, it is also highly effective when applied to sand dune greening work.

Of course, improving the soil environment in large-scale gardening, orchards, etc.
If used for tree planting in forestry, greening of terrain, construction to prevent desertification, etc., it will have a considerable effect as a ground improvement agent. Furthermore, when carrying out afforestation and greening work by adding strength to the protective sheet and applying it to sloped areas to prevent ground collapse, it absorbs water before the soil becomes saturated with water to prevent collapse, and also provides protection. Due to the strength of the sheet, it also has the effect of improving the ground, and can have a combined effect of being useful for civil engineering work.

The outer periphery protection sheet of the water retaining material for planting of the present invention can be made of a highly water-permeable material sheet made of a sheet of plastic, rubber, metal, or the like with a plurality of water-permeable holes, or a net made of the above-mentioned material in the form of a cylinder with a bottom. The inside is filled with powdered or fibrous polymer, and if necessary, sponge, moss, etc.9
Mixing a bucking material or granular fertilizer, etc., and giving it shape retention due to the material of the protective material to facilitate storage, handling, transportation, etc., or do not require the protective material to have shape retention. Wrap a fibrous or sheet polymer to give it shape retention properties, and cover the outer periphery with highly absorbent paper, cloth, plastic net, rubber, etc. Or, more broadly, with cloth or fine mesh. There are two possible variations, such as a bag-like container made of plastic mesh filled with powder or a fibrous polymer, and corresponding usage methods.

<For production> The water retaining material for planting of the present invention can be used for flower pots, gardening, and garden trees.

It can be used for the purpose of soil environment improvement in orchards, road green belts, desert (hill) greening, etc., and has a diameter that allows the water retention material for planting to be inserted from the surface of the specified soil. A hole is drilled vertically or at an angle to the required depth, and a unit of water retaining material for planting is inserted into the hole, or if the soil is soft, it is press-fitted using the shape-retaining properties of the protective material. Also, if the soil is mobile, units of water retaining material can be embedded in the soil. The upper end of the village is usually buried in the soil below the ground surface, but it does not necessarily have to be buried to be effective.

Water-retaining materials for planting are usually shaped into sticks or blocks, so it is extremely easy to insert the water-retaining material into a hole or embed it in the soil, and it is also possible to (Yo, I understand the basics, so when using it, you can adjust the depth of the hole and the number of pinots used, etc., 8 times, depending on the characteristics of the soil or plants.

The above-mentioned polymer absorbs several hundred times its own weight in water and gradually releases the retained water into the soil at this temperature, but the rate of release is generally much slower than in the soil alone. . Figure 1 shows an example of the water wicking characteristics of the polymer and soil, with time on the y-axis and saturation on the y-axis. The S curve represents the water saturation characteristics of the soil over time when an appropriate amount of water retaining material for planting is applied to the soil. As shown in the figure, in the case of only soil, even after time t1 when the degree of saturation reaches zero and there is no more water to supply to the plants,
If the super absorbent polymers are placed side by side, the water contained in the polymers will be gradually supplied to the soil side as shown in the S curve, so the drying time of the soil will be extended to t2,
It is known that it is possible to extend the interval between irrigations during this period.

Furthermore, even when excessive watering is applied temporarily, the water saturated in the soil is absorbed into the superabsorbent polymer side, which has the effect of lowering the water content in the soil to an appropriate level.

This means that when a water retaining material for planting is applied to the soil for the purpose of planting trees or greening as a landslide prevention measure, by using a strong material for the protective material, it will also work as a drain pile for ground improvement. This shows that it can be expected to have a combined effect with soil environment improvement for purposes such as afforestation.

As explained above, it can be easily used without making any changes to existing plants, and it is not only possible to improve the soil afterwards, but also to add the required amount by layering. Another advantage is that the water retaining material used for planting can be removed later, if necessary, and the soil condition can be returned to its previous state.

For this reason, it is preferable that the superabsorbent polymer protective material does not disappear even if it is embedded in the soil for a long period of time.
Even if this is not the case, since the polymer is embedded in a specific position in the form of a lump or a rod, its removal is relatively easy.

Note that since the superabsorbent polymer swells due to water content, the inner volume of the protective material is increased. For example, if it is a fibrous polymer, the void ratio is large, so there is room for it to swell if it is packed loosely, but if it is in the form of two powder particles, it can be mixed with a packing material such as moss or sponge and covered with a protective material. It can provide room for swelling when the polymer absorbs water. In addition, if powdered fertilizer is mixed with the packing material, it can also serve as a long-term fertilizer application.

If the protective material is a coarse porous sheet or net, powder 1
In order to prevent particulate polymer etc. from leaking out of the eye, it is desirable to wrap the required amount in advance using thin paper or the like and then cover with a protective material.

If the protective material is made of hard metal or plastic, the tip can be sharpened and pushed directly into the soil. In addition, even when the protective material is relatively soft, a locking part is provided at the tip of the water-retaining material for planting of the present invention, and this is housed in a pipe with approximately the same inner diameter, and the water-retaining material is attached to the edge of the pipe. By engaging the locking portions, inserting the pipe as it is into the soil, and then pulling it out, it is possible to employ a usage method in which only the water retaining material remains in the soil.

<Example I> Figure 2 shows a side sectional view of an example of the water retaining material for planting of the present invention, in which ■ indicates powder, pellet, fibrous material, or sheet of 2 to 3φn of super absorbent polymer. Examples of the super absorbent polymer include starch/acrylate graft polymer, carboxymethylcellulose framework, vinyl alcohol/acrylate copolymer, polyacrylonitrile hydrolyzate, and crosslinked polyacrylic. acid salt.

Substances such as denatured polyvinyl alcohol are known.

2 is a protective material for Polymer 1 in 1. It is made of paper, mesh metal or plastic sheet, rubber sheet, or net-like material that has high water permeability and shape retention under normal conditions, and has strength as required. let 3 may be made of weak material, highly water permeable paper or dissolvable paper, or sometimes even something like cloth can be used, and it is formed by keeping a gap between it and the protected forest 2, and is made of highly water absorbent polymer powder. The granules are covered in a stick-like or lump-like form, but when the polymer expands due to absorption of moisture, it breaks.

In this embodiment, the protective material has a stick-like external shape, and is preformed to a unit length, and is shaped to be convenient for storage, handling, and slipping into a hole drilled in the soil. , bag-shaped depending on the purpose of use.

They may be in the form of lumps, and are characterized in that they can be handled and used in bulk.

<Example ■> The water retaining material for planting of Example I is characterized in that a backing material such as sponge or moss is filled in the gap between the protective material 2 and the highly water permeable paper/cloth 3. In this example, the banking material has a buffering effect even when the polymer 1 absorbs water and swells, and also has all the functions and effects described in Example (2).

<Example ■> Fig. 3 is a side sectional view of another example of the water retaining material of the present invention, and in the figure, members given the same symbols as in Fig. 2 are as explained in Example ■. . 4 is powder.

A banking material such as moss or sponge mixed with a pellet-shaped polymer serves to evenly distribute the polymer within the voids of the protective material and to act as an escape when the polymer swells upon water absorption. If the backing material is required, it should maintain the effect of the fertilizer over a long period of time.

<Example ■> Figure 4 is a side sectional view of another example of the water retaining material of the present invention, in which 1 is a fibrous polymer, which is loosely packed into the voids of the protective material 2. . The void volume corresponds to the volume of the polymer when it swells with water, and of course powdery fertilizer can be mixed therein freely.

<Example ■> Fig. 5 shows a side sectional view of another example of the water retaining material of the present invention, in which 2 is a plastic mesh tube or hemp mesh tube, and 5 is a lock provided at the tip of the water retaining material. The cap 6 is a construction vibrator, and the end face of the construction vibrator 6 is locked to the edge of the locking cap 5.
If you push the Vibro directly into the soil, the water retaining material for planting will also be put into the ground, so by pulling out the Vibro afterwards, you can leave the water retaining material in the soil, which makes installation very easy. It's easy. Furthermore, the protective material 2 does not necessarily need to be made of a material that retains its shape.

<Example ■> Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing how the water retaining material for planting of the present invention is used. The material is buried through a hole, and the hole on the surface of the ground is then backfilled with soil so that the water absorbed by the water retention material for planting does not unnecessarily dissipate into the air.

<Example ■> Figure 7 is an experimental example of application of the water retaining material for planting of the present invention to a flowerpot, in which 18) has a diameter of 10C11 and a depth of 10CI.
11 pots filled with soil and planted with Yugao seedlings, without any treatment.Part (b) is the same condition as (al), and in addition, three pots of water retaining material for planting with a diameter of 1 cm are planted at a depth of 6 cm. (al and (b) were saturated with the same amount of water on the same day, placed in the same environment, and no water was supplied after that. After 10 days, fa) Although it withered, the one in (b) was still healthy.After 14 days, the evening glory in (a) withered and died, but the one in fb) is still doing well.

However, two of the nine leaves are yellow.

Experiments have continued since then, and it has been demonstrated that the water-retaining material for planting of the present invention has water-retaining properties equal to or better than those of the conventionally used powdered or embedded sheet-like water-retaining material. did.

<Example ■> FIG. 8 shows a case where the water retaining material for planting of the present invention is added to a flower pot, and in this case, the protective material for the super absorbent polymer 1 may be a bag-like material.

The usage and effects of each of the above-mentioned embodiments are as follows.
This has been explained in detail in the previous section, so it will not be explained again.

(c) Effects of the invention As explained above, by applying the water retaining material for planting of the present invention to soil, the frequency of irrigation can be reduced, saving the trouble of irrigation, and, for example, growing potted plants. Even if you are cultivating it, you can grow it without the need for expensive automatic irrigation equipment.
It will also be possible to travel for longer periods than before.

Once used, it has a semi-permanent effect, and can be applied over and over again without changing the flora of existing plants, so it can be used for gardening, garden trees, and transplanting of street trees.

It can be used optimally depending on the characteristics of the soil and plants for work such as revegetation of sand dunes or collapsed ground surfaces.

In addition to water, water retention materials can also be used to retain nutrients (liquid fertilizer, etc.) for long periods of time. Since the method of use is simple and it is easy to return to the old state if necessary, there is no inconvenience that once used, it is extremely difficult to readjust afterward as seen in the prior art.

Since it only needs to be used locally, it can be implemented at a relatively low cost. These and other special effects cannot be expected from conventional soil environment improvement techniques.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of water dissipation characteristics in a super absorbent polymer and soil, Figs. 2 to 5 are side sectional views of an example of the water retaining material for planting of the present invention, and Fig. 6 7 is a schematic diagram showing the construction state of the water retaining material for planting of the present invention, and FIG.
b) shows a case in which three water-retaining materials for planting are used, and FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view when the water-retaining material for planting is added to another flowerpot. 1...Super absorbent polymer 2...Protection +A Agent Patent attorney Nagai 1) Hiroshi - -H1 Bureau Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 6 Figure 8 Figure 5 (al (b) Figure 7 Procedures Amendment March 28, 1986

Claims (7)

[Claims] (1) Water retention for planting, characterized in that powder, filament, film, etc. made of super absorbent polymer are bundled together, and the outer periphery of the powder, filament, film, etc. is partially or completely covered and molded with a sheet etc. with good water permeability. Material. (2) The water retaining material for planting according to claim 1, wherein the super absorbent polymer is a mixture of spacers such as sponge and moss. (3) The water retaining material for planting according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the superabsorbent polymer contains powdered fertilizer mixed therein. (4) A water-retaining material for planting according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which is formed by covering part or all of the outer periphery with highly water-permeable paper cloth and molding the material. (5) A water-retaining material for planting according to claims 1 to 3, which is formed by covering and molding part or all of the outer periphery using a perforated plate or net made of metal, plastic, rubber, etc. . (6) A gap is provided on the outside of the water retaining material whose outer periphery is covered and molded using thin paper with good water permeability, and then part or all of it is covered using a perforated plate or net made of metal or plastic. Claim 1 consisting of
Water retaining material for planting as described in Items 1 to 3. (7) The water retaining material for planting according to claim 6, which comprises filling the gaps with a cushioning material such as sponge or moss.