JPS6374428A - Plant culture apparatus - 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) Field of Industrial Application This invention relates to an apparatus for cultivating plants. More particularly, the invention relates to a device for cultivating plants in which a molding medium, in particular a rock wool molding medium, is placed on a layer containing gravel-like material.

(b) Conventional technology Recently, molded products made of organic or inorganic fibers or foamed plastics, and rock wool whose main components are silicic acid and lime, have been developed.
0c+a, a rectangular parallelepiped with a height of 7 to 10 cm and a length of about 90 to 120 cm, commonly called a rock wool mat, is used as a culture medium, and an aqueous solution (culture solution or nutrient Rock wool cultivation, which cultivates plants by irrigating them with hydroponic liquid or hydroponic liquid, was developed in Denmark, and E.
It is widely used in countries C. Rock wool cultivation was introduced to Japan several years ago, and today it is being actively tested at various agricultural research institutes and advanced farmers, where it is referred to as the third hydroponic system.

In addition to the above-mentioned rock wool mats, hydroponic cultivation has also been attempted using rectangular or cubic molded materials such as glass fiber, peat moss, pulp, synthetic fibers, or foamed plastic deck as a medium. The explanation will focus on Fukishita Rockwool plowing.

(c) Problems to be solved by the invention In hydroponic cultivation using rock wool mats, which are currently attracting the most attention among the above-mentioned molded media, the rock wool mats have a water-retentive property as described below. Because the water is too good, drainage is extremely poor, and it tends to be overhumidified, so cultivated plants often suffer from overhumidity problems.

For example, 30cm in 80kg/1m, length 91e
A rock wool mat with a length of 1 m and a thickness of 10 cm has a volume of approximately 2712 mm, and the rock wool content is only 4 to 5%, which is approximately 9.
5% is in the gas phase, but when irrigated with nutrient solution, about 25g
become saturated. Therefore, the same phase is 4-5%, the liquid phase is 92-93
%, and the gas phase is only 2 to 4%, containing almost no air. Also, although it is hydroponic cultivation, air cannot be forced into it like in hydroponic cultivation. When the saturated rock wool mat is left horizontally, only about 200 cc of liquid is drained after 24 hours. Although the above differs somewhat depending on the degree of compaction of the rock wool mat, it is still a superhumidified culture medium.

Therefore, recently, several proposals have been made to avoid overhumidity (- Facilities and Horticulture Magazine No. 53. Yasui manuscript), such as raising the bottom of the mat a little or making some cuts in the bottom. , the mat is placed at a slight incline, and both have some effect, but are not designed to actively drain saturated liquid.

For example, creating a space by floating the bottom part has the effect of preventing the weight of the medium from weighing down the roots that have grown out from the bottom part, but it does not have the effect of actively draining the saturated liquid. rare. Further, the idea of providing some notches at the bottom allows air to enter the notches, thereby increasing the gas phase and decreasing the liquid phase, but does not have the effect of actively draining saturated liquid. Also, unlike the above two methods, the idea of placing the mat at an angle of about 6° has the effect of draining the saturated liquid. Apparently, 720cc of fluid was drained in 24 hours. This resulted in only 520 cc more liquid being drained than when the container was placed horizontally. In addition, this invention has the disadvantage that the irrigation solution permeates the mat evenly, making it difficult to absorb.

All of the above ideas have very little effect as a countermeasure against excessive humidity.

Therefore, among conventional molding media, especially rock wool mats, there is a high risk of overhumidity and other problems occurring due to the characteristics of the material and the small size of the culture medium. An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for cultivating plants that eliminates the drawback of conventional molded culture media, such as excessive humidity, and has other improved performance.

(d) Means for Solving the Problems The apparatus for cultivating plants of the present invention is constructed by placing a molded medium on a layer containing gravel-like material.

Powdered or granular materials such as perlite, vermiculite, artificial gravel made from fired clay, various granulated ore slags produced as by-products when refining various metals, rice husk charcoal, and other artificial gravel. can be mentioned.

=4- The thickness of the layer containing the above-mentioned gravel-like substance varies depending on the properties and particle size of the gravel-like substance, and is not particularly limited, but is generally preferably about 3 to 10 cm. Furthermore, the proportion of the stratified substance contained therein varies depending on its nature, particle size, etc., but it is important that the content is at a level that does not significantly impair the water absorption and drainage properties of the layer. For this purpose, it is generally preferable that the content be about 50% by volume or more.

Examples of the molding medium include rock wool mats, glass fiber mats, pulp mats, peat moss mats, synthetic fiber mats, foamed polyurethane home mats, foamed urea resin mats, and other organic or inorganic molding media.

Further, in the present invention, for example, a net or a nonwoven fabric is provided between the layer containing the gravel-like substance and the molding medium.
<c - It can also be constructed by sandwiching substances that do not cut off the water supply.

(E) Effect 1 - As described above, when a forming medium, especially a rock wool mat, is placed in one of the layers containing gravel-like substances and the culture solution is irrigated into the forming medium, the layer containing the gravel-like substances but,
It acts like a blotting paper to absorb the overly humid culture solution contained in the forming medium, and the layer containing the layered material has good drainage properties, so the culture solution exceeds its own water retention capacity. is drained.

In addition, the layer containing the layer-like material can expand the rooting zone of the cultivated plant and can also supplement components other than those contained in the forming medium.

(F) Example Experimental Example I As an experimental example of this invention, the width is 30c+++ and the length is 30c.
m, 10cm thick rock wool mat (Nittobo RF
(Mat divided into 3 parts) 7.800 each for 3 pieces
(a) A 5 cm thick layer of granulated blast furnace slag with a grain size of 2.5 am or less, and (b) a 5 cm thick layer of volcanic sand with a grain size of 5 w + m or less. (c) A 5 cm layer of sandy soil with a particle size of 1.5 mm or less was placed on top of the rock wool mat, and the state of water loss in each rock wool mat was observed. As a comparative example, a rock wool mat of the same size as the experimental example was made to absorb the same amount of water, and was placed on a plastic plate for observation. The progress is as follows.

(a) (b) (c) Comparative example
First 8,500g 8,500g
8.500g 8,500g 30 minutes later 5,84
0 6,360 4.640 8.5001 hour later 5,740 6.200 4.540 8.
5002 hours later 5,680 5,980 4.4
50 8.5003 hours later 5,530 5.65
0 4.240 8.50024 hours later 5,10
0 5.200 3.800 8.400 or more-L
As shown, the water contained in the rock wool mat is 2,660g in (a) and 2.140g in (b) in the first 30 minutes.
In g and (c), the water was reduced by 3,860g, and after one day, the water was reduced by 3.400g, 3,300g, and 4.700g, respectively. The rate of water loss is extremely fast and the amount is large. On the other hand, in the comparative example, the water did not decrease at all in 30 minutes, and 11
"The water loss was only 100g, which is equivalent to no water loss at all.

Generally, in a solid medium, it is considered ideal that the gas phase should be 25 to 30%. In this experimental example, the volume of one rock wool mat is 9Q, so 2,000
A gas phase equivalent to 0-2,700 cc is required, but as mentioned above, in any of the mats (a), (b), and (c), saturated water will reduce by more than 2,000 cc within 30 minutes. Therefore, all of them satisfy the above-mentioned ideal gas phase ratio. On the other hand, in the comparative example, there is almost no water loss not only after 30 minutes but also after 24 hours, so the gas phase is only a few percent. This is why it is a superhumidified medium.

Experimental Example 2 Melon (legume No. 1) was cultivated using the apparatus for cultivating three types of plants of the present invention.

(a) A 7 cm layer of a mixture of granulated blast furnace slag 7 with a particle size of 2.51 or less and peat 3 in a volume ratio.

(b) 7CI+ layer of powdered or ultrafine sand-like perlite mixed with 1% by weight of nitrofumic acid.

(c) 7cm layer of rice husk charcoal.

On top of the above layers, in (a) and (b), each layer has a width of 30 mm.
cm, 14 cm, 91 cfll, thickness 10 c + s rock wool mat (manufactured by Nittobo);
A device for cultivating the plants of the present invention was constructed by stacking two glass fiber mats (using a commercially available heat insulating material) with a length of 91 cm, a length of 91 cm, and a thickness of 5 cm+.

Into the equipment for cultivating each of the above plants, two melon plants (Natsu type) were planted with white roots in triplicate, with one seedling for each plant.
The fruit was cultivated by leveling it one by one.

Further, as a comparative example, the same melons were cultivated in triplicate using the same rock wool mat as above but without using the layer containing gravel-like substances.

For cultivation, hydroponic cultivation was performed using Otsuka House Fertilizer No. 1 and No. 2 aqueous solutions.

The cultivation results are as follows.

(a) All 6 plants are growing healthy, have good rooting, and there are no diseased plants.

Fruits: minimum 1.35kg, maximum 1.62kg, average 1
．． 43kg, sugar content minimum 14 degrees, maximum 16 degrees, average 15.
3 times, good internet.

(b) All 6 plants are growing healthy, have good rooting, and there are no diseased plants.

Fruits: minimum 1.29kg, maximum 1.52kg, average 1
．． 41kg, sugar content minimum 13 degrees, maximum 15 degrees, average 14.
4 times, good net.

(c) All 6 plants are growing healthy, have good roots, and there are no diseased plants.

Fruits: minimum 1.25kg, maximum 1.53kg, average 1
．． 38kg, sugar content minimum 14 degrees, maximum 16 degrees, average 15.
4 times, good net.

In the comparative example, four plants grew healthy, but their rooting was generally poor. In addition, one plant had a constriction at the base and died during growth, and one plant had particularly poor root expansion and poor growth. Fruit size: minimum 0.75kg, maximum 1°15kg, average 0.91
kg, sugar content minimum 10 degrees, maximum 12 degrees, average 11.3 degrees,
Bad network.

As described above, melons grown using the plant cultivation device of the present invention have extremely good rooting despite being cultivated using white roots, all plants grow healthily, and the melons grown in the medium at the time of net development are Thanks in part to good settlement, the standard weight of fruit in soil cultivation is 1.2 kg, and the standard sugar content is 13~
It is better than 14 degrees, and the net expression is by no means inferior to the standard product grown in soil. On the other hand, in a comparative example using conventional rock wool plowing, 1 out of 6 plants died and 1 plant died.
The plants have poor growth, and even the four plants that grew healthy have poor rooting. In addition, the weight, sugar content, and net weight of the fruit were inferior to the standards for soil cultivation and also to the experimental examples of this invention.

(g) Effects of the invention In conventional hydroponic cultivation using molded media, especially in rock wool cultivation, even if the nutrient solution management, in which the amount of cultivation control is important, is always and carefully carried out, rock wool cultivation Due to the nature of the mat, it is said that it is quite difficult to avoid the drawback of over-humidity, but in this invention, as explained above, a layer containing a gravel-like substance is placed on top of the molded material. It naturally absorbs excess moisture from the culture medium, especially the rock wool mat, and discharges it out of the system.
Since an appropriate amount of moisture remains and sufficient air is contained within the molded medium system, cultivated plants are effectively grown in a healthy and good manner without suffering from problems due to excessive humidity.

In addition to this, depending on the thickness of the layer containing gravel-like substances, roots extending from the bottom of the molding medium may be compressed by the water-retaining molding medium and may be damaged. This can be avoided, and the nutrient solution that was previously wasted is captured by this layer.

It also has great effects, such as being retained and absorbed by plants.

Therefore, as shown in the examples, it is said that it is extremely difficult to cultivate melons in conventional hydroponic cultivation, and in particular in rock wool cultivation as well, in this invention. As mentioned above, even if conventional hydroponic cultivation is performed, melons grow extremely well even in white root cultivation, and it is possible to obtain fruits of higher quality than conventional soil cultivation. Although the explanation has been given using melon as an example, the same applies to the cultivation of not only melons but also tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, and other plants.

Although the above description has been made regarding hydroponic cultivation using a molded medium, it goes without saying that this invention is equally applicable not only to hydroponic cultivation but also to cultivation performed by applying solid fertilizer to a molded medium. It is.

Furthermore, it is also possible to cultivate by applying mainly soluble, slow-release, slow-release fertilizers as a base fertilizer to the layer containing gravel-like substances. If this is done, fertilization management will become easier and the effect of saving on fertilizer costs will be significant.

At this time, it is also more effective to use substances with a large CEC such as zeolite and other clays, peat moss and other organic substances, and microbial materials in combination.

Thus, according to the plant cultivation apparatus of the present invention, not only the problem of over-humidity of the molded medium is eliminated, but also the various features described above work synergistically to make plant cultivation extremely effective. I can do what I want to do.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A device for cultivating plants, characterized in that a molded medium is placed on a layer containing gravel-like material. 2 Claim 1 characterized in that the molding medium is composed of rock wool whose main components are silicic acid and lime.
A device for cultivating the plants described in .