KR200491385Y1 - Seedling mat - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is to enable / provide an improved seed / seedling mat 10 intended to optimize mat usability, especially rice seedling mats. The present invention also provides materials having specific properties, and the use of such materials for seedling mats 10, as well as component layers made of such materials and capable of being incorporated into seedling mats 10. One such component acts as a seed cover component 02 within the assembled seedling mat 10, promotes consistent seedling germination and growth, and also provides moisture and nutrients while potentially providing environmental factors (eg For example, it is a compressed coating mat that acts to shield the seed 05 from ambient radiation, temperature, birds and insects). The present invention also uses the hot melt adhesive (04) in the preparation of the seed / seedling mat (10), as well as in the preparation of the components for the seedling mat (10). Moreover, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing such seed / seedling mat 10, and / or component layers, and in particular rooting material 06 components and / or seeds for use in such seedling mat 10. The method of manufacturing the cover 02 component is extended.

Description

Seedling mat {SEEDLING MAT}

The present invention is to enable / provide an improved seed / seedling mat intended to optimize mat usability, especially a rice seedling mat. The present invention also provides materials having specific properties, and the use of such materials for seedling mats, as well as component layers made of such materials and capable of being incorporated into seedling mats. One such component acts as a seed cover component within the assembled seedling mat, promotes consistent seedling germination and growth, and also provides moisture and nutrients potentially, while environmental factors (eg, ambient radiation, It is a compressed coated mat that acts to shield seeds from temperature, birds and insects. The present invention also uses a hot melt adhesive in the preparation of the seed / seedling mat, as well as in the preparation of components for such seedling mats. Moreover, the present invention provides methods for making such seed / seedling mats, and / or component layers, and in particular for manufacturing rooting substrate components and / or seed cover components for use in such seedling mats. How to expand.

In farming (and general gardening), seedlings are initially grown in specialized environments such as nursery, glasshouse, or dedicated seed-bed areas. In this way, certain environmental factors can be more easily controlled to improve the likelihood and quality of their initial occurrence. Subsequently, the seedlings are transplanted into paddy fields / gardens for long-term growth.

The seed mat facilitates the initial settling and propagation of seedlings, storage and also convenient seed / seedling transport for seedling / greenhouse, and thereafter, long-term cultivation and growth (eg, in paddy fields).

Mat-type products containing seeds are known on the market. Patent document WO 01 / 60144A1 discusses the problems associated with growing seedlings, and discloses examples that are intended to provide a lightweight alternative to seedbed soil only and require vacuum forming in its manufacture.

To improve its usefulness, seed / seedling mats (hereinafter referred to as seedling mats) must address various aspects related to seed / seedling handling and propagation. For example, it is desirable to simultaneously balance seed (seedling) protection and the environment, mat integrity (eg, for ease of handling and transplantation), and growth promotion / control within and after mating.

A wide variety of mats exist in the prior art, including seeds and different component layers. Many mats use aqueous glue throughout their manufacture. The use of such adhesives can result in high moisture content in the seedling mat during production, which may include (i) the time it takes to dry the mat, and / or the need for specific equipment to dry the mat, and (ii) during drying. It has been found that the space required to store such mats and / or (iii) the high humidity present in the mats is disadvantageous due to undesired premature seed germination.

The present invention solves these problems in two ways, (i) through the use of hot melt adhesives, and (ii) through the production of compressed and pre-dried seed cover components, which facilitates mat assembly. And minimizes the undesired onset of germination of seeds caused by the high moisture content in the assembled prior art mat, and unexpectedly beneficial for the growth of seeds / seeds grown in mats comprising such seed cover components. Influence. This resulted in an improved seedling mat intended to optimize mat usability. The present invention also provides the use of specific materials and materials having specific properties for the seedling mat, and a layer of product (component) that can be incorporated into the seedling mat.

Accordingly, in the first aspect, the present invention provides a seedling mat, the seedling mat comprising:

Seed root growth is a self-supporting, generally planar rooting material, wherein one surface is coated with a seed adhesive for fixing the seed in or on the upper surface area of the rooting material;

A seed cover component that covers the seed and allows seedling growth through it; And

Includes a plurality of seeds distributed within or on the top surface area of the rooting material and attached to the rooting material by seed adhesive:

The seed cover component is self-contained, and includes an organic material compressed into a self-supporting layer, the organic material being a group consisting of coir, rice husk, guar gum and bagasse Contains materials selected from.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a seed cover component for seedling mats, wherein the component is freestanding and comprises an organic material compressed into a freestanding layer, the organic material being coir, rice husk, guar gum and bagasse It contains materials selected from the group consisting of.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a rooting material component for a seedling mat, the component comprising a generally planar layer of a stone wool coated with one surface with a hot melt adhesive, the stone wool Is generally provided with a vertical perforation.

Considering that the present invention described above relates to seedling mats and components, those skilled in the art will understand that the terms “rooting material” and “rooting component” may be used interchangeably in this description where appropriate. will be.

As used herein for any component, the term "stand-alone" means that the formed component has structural integrity, so that it does not collapse and can be treated as a separate product and does not require additional support elements. . This is different from, for example, a loose layer of coating or soil that cannot be treated as a separate layer without having some other supporting element. Therefore, the rooting material component and / or seed cover component of the present invention is sufficiently robust to hold by hand.

As described above, the rooting material is self-supporting, and supports germination root growth in the rooting material following germination. This rooting material should preferably allow the development of strong, healthy and white roots, and thus should be able to settle following transplantation. In addition, the rooting material must support the structural integrity of the assembled mat, for example by being continuous instead of being broken.

Preferably, the rooting material comprises mineral wool (also known as stone wool). Specific examples are Rockwool ^® (supplied by Grodan) and stone wool from Cultilene. In this way, mat flexibility facilitates rolling up and loading into commercial implantation machines. Mineral wool / stone wool is either vertically-spun, horizontally-spun or multi-spun (i.e., the fibers do not have a preferred orientation, for example in X-Fiber ™ technology from Cultilene) ).

The rooting material may or may not be perforated (eg, to facilitate root growth into the rooting material). The perforations can be generally vertical, extending partially or completely through the rooting material. The partial perforations may extend, for example, about 0.1 to 1 cm, more preferably about 0.5 to 1 cm into the rooting material. The perforations may be approximately 0.1 to 1 mm in diameter, preferably present at a density of about 1 to 4 (including boundary values) perforations / cm 2 of the rooting material. Preferably, the rooting material comprises a vertical spun-shaped perforated stone wool. Preferably, the perforations extend about 0.5 cm into the rooting material.

Optionally, the rooting material is about 0.5 to 2.6 cm thick, for example about 0.5 cm, 1 cm, 1.5 cm, 2 cm or 2.6 cm thick. Preferably, the rooting material is about 1 to 2.6 cm thick, more preferably 1.5 cm to 2 cm thick, and is conveniently about 1.5 cm or 2 cm thick.

The rooting material component (and thus any subsequently assembled seedling mats) may be of any size suitable for growing seeds in the seedlings and then transplanted into paddy fields, but is preferably rectangular. Conveniently, the rooting material component / seedling mat has a width of 20 to 50 cm, preferably about 25 to 40 cm, more preferably about 25 to 30 cm (including boundary values), and rooting component / The length of the seedling mat is about 50 to 100 cm, preferably about 50 to 75 cm, more preferably about 55 to 60 cm (including boundary values). In this way, the use of a mechanical implantation machine to implant the seedling mat can be facilitated. Also, the rooting material component / seedling mat is made to have a longer length (e.g., approximately twice the length of the length, e.g., 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x times, etc.), to facilitate implantation thereafter It can be used initially in this form for storage, transport and / or initial growth of seedlings in a seedling environment before being cut to a shorter length. Preferably, the rooting material component / seedling mat has a width of about 25-30 cm and the length of the rooting material component / seedling mat is about 55-60 cm. In certain embodiments, the rooting material component / seedling mat has a surface area of about 28 cm × 58 cm.

As described herein, the rooting material is coated with one surface (in the assembled seedling mat of the present invention, corresponding to the upper surface of the rooting material during use), preferably with a seed adhesive that is a hot melt adhesive. In one embodiment, the rooting component of the present invention further comprises a separating layer disposed on top of the hot melt adhesive layer. In other embodiments, the seeds may be applied to the rooting material component prior to the addition of the separation layer, the separation layer being disposed on top of the seed and adhesive layers in this embodiment. By fixing the seeds, the seed adhesive increases the practicality of transporting the mat (or sown rooting component).

The use of hot melt adhesives reduces the overall moisture content in the seedling mat, thereby facilitating its manufacture (because the time and space required to dry the seed mat is reduced) and (e.g., as a seed adhesive, among others) The quality is improved by minimizing unwanted premature germination of seeds caused by the higher humidity present in the mats made using water-based adhesives.

In addition, the use of such adhesives that coat the surface of the rooting material and attach the seeds to the assembled seedling mat facilitates the preparation of such mats in component form. Thus, it allows the rooting material component to be manufactured at a different location than the rest of the seedling mat, for example, and assembled with the rest of the component, for example in the seedling.

Hot melt adhesive refers to a thermoplastic adhesive that is applied in molten form at temperatures above 100 ° C. and solidifies upon cooling. Preferably, the operating temperature of the hot melt adhesive is 150 ° C or more and 200 ° C or less, preferably 155 ° C or more and 190 ° C or less, even more preferably 160 ° C or more and 185 ° C or less, and most preferably 160 ° C or more and 175 ° C or less It will be the scope of. Examples of hot melt adhesives suitable for use in the present invention include ethylene-vinyl acetate-based adhesives, ethylene-acrylate-based adhesives, polyolefin-based adhesives, polyamide and polyester-based adhesives, polyurethane-based adhesives, and styrene block copolymer adhesives ( Also known as styrene copolymer adhesives and rubber-based adhesives). Hot melt adhesives, which are pressure-sensitive adhesives, are particularly useful in the present invention because they facilitate the production of the component parts of seedless seedling mats. For example, the rooting material may be coated with one surface of such an adhesive that maintains the degree of adhesion even when solidified and does not bond until pressure is applied. This is particularly advantageous since the seeds can then be applied when the adhesive is at a temperature that minimizes or even avoids potential thermal damage to the seeds, such as room temperature. The degree of tack is sufficient to keep the seeds in place during transport in embodiments where the seeds are sown on top of the rooting component.

Therefore, styrene copolymers and rubber-based hot melt adhesives are particularly preferred because they provide such pressure-sensitive properties. Examples include H1125, with a softening point on the order of 75 ° C to 90 ° C, an operating temperature of 160 ° C to 175 ° C, and a typical viscosity of 14 to 20 poise at 160 ° C and 9 to 14 poise at 175 ° C. / 6 ™, a blend of thermoplastic rubbers, resins and plasticizers such as H1155 ™ (Sealock); Styrene-based block copolymers and synthetic resins such as D74 ™ (Powerbond Adhesives Ltd) having a softening point of about 88 ° C to 98 ° C, an operating temperature of 160 ° C to 170 ° C, and a viscosity at 170 ° C of 6500 ± 1700 cPs Includes blends. Therefore, in one embodiment, the hot melt adhesive used is a softening point of about 75 ° C to 90 ° C, an operating temperature of 160 ° C to 175 ° C, and 14 to 20 poise and 175 ° C at 160 ° C It will be a blend of thermoplastic rubber, resin and plasticizer having a typical viscosity of 9 to 14 poise at, in other embodiments, the hot melt adhesive has a softening point of about 88 ° C to 98 ° C, an operating temperature of 160 ° C to 170 ° C, And a blend of styrene-based block copolymers and synthetic resins having a viscosity at 170 ° C. of 48-82 poise.

Hot melt adhesion, and in particular the use of pressure sensitive hot melt adhesives, include, for example, an optionally perforated stone wool coated with a surface of the hot melt adhesive, as described in the Examples herein. Facilitates the production of rooting material components (in component form).

As described above, when prepared in component form, the adhesive coated rooting material may further include a separation layer to facilitate packing, storage and / or transport. This separation layer is removed prior to use / assembly into the intact seedling mat. Suitable separation layers include silicone paper, waxed paper, rice paper, potato starch paper and PVOH film.

To prepare the rooting material component of the present invention, the mineral wool rooting material is cut to a desired size and selectively perforated using any suitable method, particularly using a perforator as described herein. Hot melt adhesives can be used using any suitable application means, e.g. on a small scale where hot melt glue guns and suitable nozzles can be used, or ITW Dynatec DDS Delta Fx ™ fiberized spray applicators or similar (e.g., AltaSpray ™ A Nordson AltaBlue ™ TT series melter with gun and Signature Nozzle). Thereafter, a suitable separating layer (eg, silicone paper, wax paper or as described above) can be placed on top of the adhesive coated rooting material. The separating layer serves to prevent the rooting component from adhering to each other material / packaging material when stored and / or transported. Subsequently, the rootstock component can be packaged for storage and / or transport or alternatively can be used immediately. Alternatively, it can be arranged in a rooting barrier as will be described below is rooting material components, such rooting barrier may form an additional part of the packaging. In embodiments in which pre-sown rooting material components are prepared, the seeds may be applied as described below for the seedling mat prior to application of the separation layer.

In the seedling mat or pre-sown rooting material component of the present invention, the seed is sown on the top of the rooting material and attached to the rooting material by a seed adhesive. Such seeds are preferably non-germinated. In certain embodiments, such seeds are rice seeds. Seeds from any suitable inbred or hybrid rice variety can be used (eg, IR64, NK3325, Koshihikari, TR-10 and ADT-34). Before incorporation into the mat, the seeds are, for example, pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, nematicide, molluscicides, safeners, plant growth regulators, micronutrients and / or Or it can be pretreated with fertilizer. In one embodiment, the seeds are treated prior to thiamethoxam ^{(thiamethoxam) (Cruiser ®, Syngenta} ). Preferably about 100 to 150 g of seeds are used on a mat having a size of approximately 58 cm x 28 cm. Conveniently, about 150 g is used for such mats for allogeneic seeds, and about 100 g is used for such mats for hybrid breeding seeds. Therefore, the (rice) seed density is conveniently 1 to 20 seeds / cm 2 (including the boundary value), preferably 1 to 15 seeds / cm 2 (including the boundary value), and more preferably 1 to 10 seeds / cm 2 ( Boundary value). Those skilled in the art will understand that the seed density will depend on the thousand grain weight for any given variety. For example, for rice seeds of IR64 varieties, the preferred seedling density is in the range of 1 to 5 seeds / cm 2 (inclusive), and for rice seeds of the NK3325 item, the preferred seedling density is 1 to 7 seeds / cm 2 ( Range).

As previously described, in the assembled seedling mat of the present invention, the seed cover component promotes consistent seedling germination and growth and also provides moisture and nutrients while potentially providing environmental factors (e.g., ambient radiation, It acts as a covering mat which serves to shield the seeds from temperature, birds and insects). The production of seed cover components in compressed and pre-dried form facilitates mat assembly, minimizes the undesired onset of germination of seeds caused by the high moisture content in the assembled prior art mat, and such seed cover It has an unexpectedly beneficial effect on the growth of the seed / seedling grown in the mat containing the component.

The seed cover component must be able to allow the seedling to grow through it during use in order to be suitable for use in the seedling mat. As described above, the seed cover component comprises an organic material selected from materials consisting of coir, rice husk, guar gum and bagasse. Moreover, these seed cover components are distinguished from materials used in the prior art in that they do not preferably contain soil, wood pulp, straw and / or cotton.

The coir may be filtered, and / or pre-washed, buffered (eg, to pH 6.0), and dried to provide standard particle size (eg, 2.8 mm) prior to use. Rice husks and bagasses may or may not be crushed (grinded).

Preferably, the seed cover component comprises coir, coir and guar gum, coir and bagasse, or coir and chaff.

If the seed cover component comprises a corer and guar gum, the preferred weight ratio of corer to dried guar gum is 10: 1.

If the seed cover component comprises coir and bagasse, any weight ratio of coir to bagasse may be from about 1: 1 to 9: 1. The preferred weight ratio (coir to bagasse) is 1: 1; 3: 2; 7: 3; 4: 1 and 9: 1. 3: 2 is particularly preferred. The use of ground bagasse is also particularly preferred.

When the seed cover component comprises coir and chaff, the preferred weight ratio of coir to chaff is from about 10: 1 to about 1: 1, preferably from about 5: 1 to about 1: 1, and more preferably About 4: 1 to about 2: 1.

Optionally, the organic material can be combined with the adhesive prior to compression. Suitable adhesives for use in the preparation of seed cover components include, for example, water-based adhesives such as VAE (vinyl acetate ethylene), polyvinyl acetate (PVA), polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) and acrylic adhesives. PVOH adhesives such as E3443C ™ (Sealock) for example and VAE adhesives such as E1215C ™ (also Sealock) are preferred, and PVOH is particularly preferred.

Particular preference is given to including such adhesives in seed cover components comprising coir, coir and bagasse, or coir and chaff. In this embodiment, the weight ratio of organic material to adhesive is on the order of about 5: 1 to 5: 2. Conveniently, the weight ratio is from about 4: 1 to about 3: 1.

Optionally, the organic material is selected from pesticides, biological treatment agents and / or nutrients (e.g. herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, molluscs, nematodes, toxic mitigators, plant growth regulators, micronutrients and / or fertilizers). It can be combined with one or more additional agents. In particular, organic materials can be combined with fertilizers.

The organic material is optionally mixed with the adhesive (s) and / or additional agent (s) as described herein, and then using any suitable press from 100 to 250 kgf / cm 2, preferably from 120 to It is compressed to a pressure of 220 kgf / cm 2. If an adhesive is included, the seed cover component can be dried prior to subsequent use in storage / packaging / carrying and / or seedling mats as described herein. To facilitate packing, storage and / or transport, a separation layer can be placed over the seed cover component. Suitable separation layers include, for example, silicone paper, wax paper, rice paper, potato starch paper and those made of PVOH films.

The seed cover component may have any size suitable for future use in seedling mats, but is preferably square or rectangular. Conveniently, the width of the seed cover component is on the order of 20 to 50 cm, preferably about 25 to 40 cm, more preferably about 25 to 30 cm (including borders), and the length of the seed cover component is 20 To about 100 cm, preferably about 20 to 75 cm, more preferably about 25 to 60 cm (including boundary values). The seed cover component is made to have a longer length and / or width (e.g., approximately twice the length of the length, e.g. 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x times, etc.), and is then easy to use in seedling mats It can be used initially in this form for storage and / or transport, before being cut into smaller sizes to allow for. Preferably, the width of the seed cover component is about 25 to 30 cm and the length of the mat is about 25 to 30 cm or about 55 to 60 cm. In certain embodiments, the surface area of the seed cover component is about 27 cm x 28 cm or about 28 cm x 58 cm.

The depth of the seed cover component is less than 10 mm, preferably less than 5 mm, and more preferably less than 3 mm. In one embodiment, the depth of the seed cover component is on the order of 2-3 mm. Those skilled in the art will understand that the depths presented apply to the seed cover component immediately after assembly into the seedling mat and / or during manufacture as described later. For assembled seedling mats, such a process may cause the depth to extend beyond the features set out above, in use, i.e., when water is applied and / or when the seeds are germinating and / or the seedlings are growing. have.

The seed cover component as described herein is then placed on top of the seeded rooting material.

If appropriate / preferred, the mat may include a seed cover adhesive for attaching the seed cover component to the underlying layer as described herein. Suitable seed cover adhesives include hot melt adhesives as discussed above for seed adhesives. It can be applied over the seeds. In an alternative, the physical force alone may be convenient to hold the seed cover component in different ways. In another alternative, the seed adhesive may also function as a coating adhesive.

Preferably, the seedling mat of the present invention further comprises a root barrier structure in which rooting material is accommodated, which barrier structure is configured to inhibit root growth in the lateral and / or downward direction beyond the periphery of the rooting material. The root barrier structure must support the mat structure and make the mat easier to handle. The root barrier structure can be disposed around the lateral and / or base region of the rooting material. In this way, seedling roots are prevented from penetrating through the soil in the seedlings and / or entangled with the roots of the seedlings in adjacent mats. Preferably, the root barrier structure extends around all sides and surrounds the lower side of the rooting material.

Preferably, the root barrier structure has structural stiffness to help support and constrain the rooting material, seed cover components and / or the top cover (described below). In this way, handling of the mat in both its original position and during transport is facilitated, for example, by preventing the seed cover component and / or the top cover from falling off.

The root barrier structure can be considered separate or integral to other mat components, depending on, for example, fitability and how easily the root barrier structure can be separated. For example, during / after manufacturing, the seedling mat can be formed / placed, for example, in a plastic tray, which tray can act as a root barrier structure during seedling growth and facilitate handling. And, the mat can simply be removed from the plastic tray for later implantation.

The root barrier structure may be provided with a plurality of channels facing adjacent rooting materials. In this regard, the channel can promote roots to grow in a particular direction. For example, the barrier structure can be provided with a plurality of generally parallel channels extending across the upper surface of the base region. In this way, subsequent root damage when the seedlings are mechanically pulled from the mat and transplanted into the paddy field can be reduced. The channel may generally extend parallel to the mat edge, for example the shorter edge of the rectangular mat. It can be found that the channel is conveniently integral to the barrier structure.

In one embodiment, the root barrier structure is a tray having a base region and upright sidewalls. The tray is preferably formed from a plastic material or (structural) cardboard.

Cardboard provides a degree of flexibility that can help when the mat is used with an automatic implant. Moreover, after the seedling growth period, deterioration of the cardboard can further facilitate subsequent winding and handling of the mat for transplantation. Therefore, the cardboard is conveniently relatively thin. The root barrier structure may also act to alleviate changes in mat humidity during storage.

Optionally, the seedling mat further comprises a top cover overlying the seed cover component. In this way, the seed cover component can be protected, for example, from pests, incidental moisture, and while the generally assembled mat is being handled. In one embodiment, the top cover is water soluble and / or perforated. The top cover can include paper or (polymer) films such as rice paper, potato starch paper, polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) films or glue films. Liquid chemical coatings may also be used.

Conveniently, the top cover PVOH film can have a thickness of 10 to 300 microns (including boundary values). Preferably, the thickness will lie in the range of about 30 microns or more and 45 microns or less.

A top cover adhesive can be used between the seed cover component and the top cover.

The chemical and content of the adhesive (s) used in the seed cover component and / or the top cover layer may be the same or different from each other, and still need to be carefully controlled to promote seed / seedling health while still functioning as desired. It can be. Conveniently, the adhesive (s) used in the seed cover component and / or the top cover (if a separate adhesive is used in addition to the seed adhesive) is, for example, VAE (vinyl acetate ethylene), polyvinyl acetate (PVA) ), Polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) and water based adhesive (s) such as acrylic glue. In other embodiments, the adhesive (s) used for the seed cover components and / or the top cover can be hot melt adhesives as previously described. In manufacturing the mat, the adhesive (s) can be applied by any suitable method including, for example, spraying, rolling, foaming, and slurry.

Adhesives (eg, aqueous adhesives, such as PVOH glue, or hot melt adhesives) can also be used as the top cover.

Conveniently, the one or more seedling mat (s) (including rooting material, root barrier structure, adhesive (s), seeds, seed cover components and / or top cover) is one or more plant protection chemicals, pesticides, biological Treatment agents and / or nutrients (eg, herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, molluscs, nematodes, toxicity mitigators, plant growth regulators, micronutrients and / or fertilizers), or may be pre-treated.

To achieve an embodiment of the seedling mat of the present invention, rooting material components are cut to the required size (if necessary). If an integrated root barrier structure is not used, the rooting material can be placed in a plastic tray, for example. Alternatively, rooting barriers are not used. Thereafter, a seed adhesive, preferably a hot melt adhesive, is applied to the rooting component (eg, by spraying), and the pre-treated (rice) seed is scattered on the rooting material. Optionally, a coating adhesive is sprayed onto / on the seeds. Thereafter, the seed cover component is applied over the seeds. Thereafter, the top cover adhesive can be sprayed onto the top surface of the seed cover component and, if desired, the applied top cover. Thereafter, the mat remains dry before storage or use.

Accordingly, in another aspect, the present invention provides a method of preparing a seedling mat as described herein, the method comprising:

(a) coating seed surface on one surface of a generally planar rooting material, wherein seed root growth is supported and freestanding, wherein the seed adhesive is preferably a hot melt adhesive;

(b) sowing seeds on the adhesive coated surface of the rooting material component;

(c) applying the seed cover component over the top of the seeded seed, the seed cover component being free-standing and comprising an organic material compressed into a free-standing layer, the organic material being coir, rice husk, guar And comprising a material selected from the group consisting of gum and bagasse.

Once assembled, the dried mat can be stored or used to grow (rice) seedlings in seedlings / greenhouses more immediately. After that, the mat with the seedling settled can be transplanted into a paddy field (paddy field). Commercial machinery is typically used for seedling transplantation, and the process also allows a small “plug” of the mat to be transplanted.

Various aspects and embodiments of the present invention will now be illustrated in more detail in the drawings as examples. It will be understood that modifications to the details can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

1 schematically shows two embodiments of a rooting substrate component from a lateral cross-sectional view.
The drawing shows a generally planar, straight rooting material 09. The rooting material component in Part A comprises a generally planar rooting material 06 formed of vertically-spun stone wool having a thickness of 0.5 to 2.6 cm, preferably 1.5 to 2.0 cm. Includes. Covering one surface of the rooting material 06 is a hot melt adhesive layer 04 that serves to function as a seed adhesive (see also Part B or FIG. 2). On top of the exposed surface of the hot melt adhesive 04 is a separation layer 08 of silicone paper.
The rooting member component 09 of Part B comprises a generally planar rooting member 06 formed of vertical-spun stone wool having a thickness of 0.5 to 2.6 cm, preferably 1.5 to 2.0 cm. Covering one surface of the rooting material 06 is a hot melt adhesive layer 04 that serves as a seed adhesive for fixing the seed 05 to the rooting material. On top of the exposed surfaces of the hot melt adhesive 04 and the seed 05 is a separation layer 08 of silicone paper.
2 schematically shows the basic seedling mat structure from the side cross-sectional view.
2 shows a generally planar, straight seedling mat 10. The mat comprises a generally planar rooting material 06 formed of vertical-spun stone wool having a thickness of 0.5 to 2.6 cm, preferably 1.5 to 2.0 cm. The rooting material 06 is accommodated in the rooting barrier tray 07. The tray has a flat base and upright sidewalls. The side wall of the rooting barrier tray surrounds the rooting material 06. Rice seeds 05 are scattered on the upper surface of the rooting material. The seed adhesive 04 on the upper surface of the rooting material 06 fixes the seed 05 to the rooting material. A plurality of vertical perforations (not shown) are formed in the upper surface area of the rooting material. These perforations extend to a depth of 0.5 to 1 cm, preferably 1 cm, providing a passage for downward root growth.
Above the seeds, there is a seed adhesive component 04 and / or a seed cover component 02 which is attached to the underlying component by physical force. Above the seed cover component 02 is a protective top cover 01 (optional) of rice paper.

Example

Example 1: Use of hot melt adhesives as seed adhesives in seedling mats

The suitability of three different types of hot melt adhesives as seed adhesives for seedling mats was investigated, and aqueous control obtained from Sealock, ScottOH, Walworth Industrial Estate, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 5NU, UK, as a control seed adhesive as a control seed adhesive. Adhesive).

A 58 cm x 28 cm vertical-spun stone wool with a thickness of 1.5 cm was obtained from Grodan (Industrieweg 15, 6045 JG Roermond, PO Box 1160, 6040 KD Roermond, Rockwool BV (Rockwool ^® ) from The Netherlands). , Handheld perforator (manufactured in bronze by Perforation Machinery Ltd. of Bradford, UK, 1353 bronze pins arranged on a bronze cylinder, each pin 13 mm high, spacing between pins This 8 mm, each pin having a diameter of 1.02) was punched down to a depth of approximately 0.5 to 1.0 cm, by pressing the perforator down on the stone wool to form two passes over the entire surface.

Following drilling, each stone wool mat was placed in a black plastic tray (size of approximately 30 x 60 x 3.0 cm) with one tray per treatment.

For treatments A to L, hot melt adhesive was applied to the top (perforated) surface using an ITW Dynatec DDS Delta Fx ™ fiberized spray applicator using the parameters described in Table 1 below.

Using a conveyor belt, rooting material was passed under the ITW Dynatec DDS Delta Fx ™ fiberized spray applicator at a rate suitable to achieve a hot melt adhesive application rate of 5 g / m 2 or 20 g / m 2. Hot melt adhesive was applied to the perforated surface. Rooting material components were prepared with three different hot melt adhesives, Sealock H1125 / 26 ™, Sealock H1155 ™, and Power Bond D74 ™, using this method.

For the control, PVOH E3443C ™ glue was crossed over the upper (perforated) surface of the stone wool using a handheld Graco Easymax battery-operated nebulizer with 310 nozzles for 10 seconds at a rate of 5.33 g glue per second. It was applied evenly.

For each treatment, 150 g of IR64 rice seeds were evenly sprinkled on top of the seed adhesive, providing a seed density of approximately 4 seeds / cm 2. This led to the application of a layer of PVOH E3443C ™ glue (equal application for 2 seconds at a rate of 5.33 g / sec) as a coating adhesive prior to application of 25 g of filtered coir. An additional coating adhesive layer (PVOH E3443C ™ glue, uniform application for 2 seconds at a rate of 5.33 g / sec) was applied over the first layer of coir, and a second layer of 25 g of filtered coir was applied thereon Became. The final layer of PVOH E3443C ™ glue was applied over the second layer of coir as a top cover (4 sec application, 5.33 g / sec).

It can be seen that treatments A-L consisted of 42.67 g aqueous glue compared to the control group consisting of 85.33 g aqueous glue. Therefore, the use of a hot melt adhesive as a seed adhesive halves the moisture content of the assembled seedling mat.

The seedling mat is transported to the greenhouse and placed in a bay set under the following conditions: daytime temperature of 28 ° C, nighttime temperature of 18 ° C, photoperiod of 14 hours, relative humidity of 70%. All mats were immediately watered by overhead watering and also flooding the tray with tap water until the water surface was just below the top surface of the stone wool layer. After 20 minutes, water was drained from the tray. Thereafter, all mats were watered every other day using this method.

Seedling mats were grown in greenhouses for a total of 12 days. Seedlings reached growth stage 3.4 and were visually evaluated against the criteria described in Table 2 below.

Seedling mats prepared using all three hot melt adhesives and control aqueous adhesives as seed adhesives performed equally well in supporting healthy seedlings and root growth. It was found that seedlings grown on mats when the seed adhesive was a hot melt adhesive exhibited lower root lift than the control group. Root lifting is when the root does not penetrate into the (stone wool) rooting material and instead grows more on its surface, which excites the rice seeds and thus causes uneven growth.

Example 2: Large Scale Preparation of Rooting Material Components

A 58 cm x 28 cm size and 1.5 cm thick vertical-spun stone wool was obtained from Grodan (see above). The rooting material was perforated to a depth of approximately 0.5 to 1.0 cm using a handheld perforator (as before) by pressing the perforator down on the stone wool to form two passes over the entire surface.

Using a conveyor belt, rooting material was passed under the ITW Dynatec DDS Delta Fx ™ fiberized spray applicator at a rate of 5 m / min to achieve a hot melt adhesive application rate of 5 to 7 g / m 2. The rooting material component was made of three different hot melt adhesives using the conditions described in Table 3 below.

Following adhesive application, a sheet of silicone paper was placed over the adhesive-coated rooting material. The rooting component was then packaged and transported to the seedlings for assembly into a complete seedling mat.

The use of a relatively low air pressure and a relatively high application temperature provides an open web spray pattern of the hot melt adhesive, which provides the advantage of maintaining optimal wicking / permeability into the rooting material for future use. It turns out to have.

Example  3: Suitability of different types of organic materials for the preparation of seed cover components

3.1 Preparation of seed cover components

Seed cover components were prepared with the compositions specified in Table 4 below. PVOH E3433 ™ glue was obtained from Sealock (Scott Close, Walworth Industrial Estate, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 5NU, UK).

The components are mixed and compressed to approximately 120 kgf / cm 2 for several minutes using an apple press. The compressed seed cover component was removed from the press and then allowed to dry overnight at room temperature prior to incorporation into the seedling mat.

The dried seed cover component had the properties described in Table 5 below.

3.2 Seedling  Mat assembly

A 58 cm x 28 cm size and 1.5 cm thick vertical-spun stone wool was obtained from Grodan (Industrieweg 15, 6045 JG Roermond, PO Box 1160, 6040 KD Roermond, Rockwool BV (Rockwool ^® ) from The Netherlands), Using a handheld perforator (manufactured by Aircraft Spruce, Aircraft Spruce West, 225 Airport Circle, Corona, CA 92880, USA), press the perforator down onto a stone wool and form one pass across the entire surface By doing so, it was drilled to a depth of approximately 0.5 to 1.0 cm.

Following drilling, each stone wool mat was placed in a black plastic tray (approximately 30 x 60 x 3.0 cm size). Power Bond D74 ™ hot melt adhesives (Powerbond Adhesives Ltd. from 253 Scotia Road, Tunstall, Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, ST6 6AB, United Kingdom) offer Reka TR 60 LCD hand sprayers (Moor Mead Road, Twickenham, Middlesex, TW1 1JN, Rheological Ltd. of the UK) and a swirl jet nozzle were applied to the upper (perforated) surface at 3 bar pressure to provide a seed adhesive in the range of 5 g / cm 2.

150 g of IR64 rice seeds were evenly sprinkled on top of the seed adhesive, providing a seed density of approximately 4 seeds / cm 2.

For each seeded stone wool mat / tray, two seed cover components were placed on top. Each treatment was performed with a single replicate (two seedling mats / one tray per treatment). For all treatments, the seedling mat was transported to a greenhouse and placed in a compartment set with the following conditions: daytime temperature of 28 ° C, nighttime temperature of 18 ° C, photoperiod of 14 hours, and relative humidity of 70%. All mats were watered immediately, by irrigating the tray with tap water overhead and also irrigating until the water surface was just below the top surface of the stone wool layer. After 20 minutes, water was drained from the tray. Thereafter, all mats were watered every other day using this method. The seedling mat was grown in a greenhouse.

3.3 Results

After 18 days, the seedlings were visually evaluated against the criteria described in Table 6 below.

Example  4: Different proportions in the seed cover component Coir: Burgess  Usage investigation

From Example 3 above, it can be seen that the seed cover component comprising coir and bagasse performed well on the rice seedling mat. Therefore, a study was conducted to investigate the effect of changing the coir to bagasse ratio in the seed cover component.

The following ratio of filtered coir to ground bagasse was used: Treatment 1: 3: 2; Treatment 2: 7: 3; Treatment 3: 4: 1; Treatment 4: 9: 1. For each treatment, seed cover components were prepared using the method described in paragraph 3.1 above followed by 50 g of organic matter + 16 g of PVOH E3433C ™ adhesive.

The seedling mat was assembled and the seedlings were grown as described in section 3.2 above. The results obtained are summarized in Table 7 below.

Example  5: Loose Coir  Compared with the use of cloth Coir  And performance of the seed cover component comprising rice husk

Use of layers of filtered coir and water-based adhesive loose use of the effect of seed cover components including filtered coir and ground chaff (treatments 1 to 4, 9 to 12 and 17 to 20) in rice seedling mats (results) Compared to loose (ie, uncompressed) coating, LM; treatment 5-8, 13-16, 21-25.

5.1 Preparation of seed cover components

The seed cover component was prepared as follows. The pre-washed, buffered, pH 6.0 dried coir was filtered to provide a particle size of 2.8 mm or less. For each seed cover component (approximately 28 cm x 29 cm size), 40 g of filtered coir was mixed with 20 g of ground chaff and 16 g of PVOH E3433C ^™ glue. The mixture was compressed at approximately 15 psi for several minutes using an Apple press. The compressed seed cover component was removed from the press and then allowed to dry overnight at room temperature prior to incorporation into the seedling mat.

5.2 Preparation of rooting material components

A 58 cm x 28 cm vertical-spun stone wool with 1.5 cm thickness is obtained from Grodan (see above; Rockwool ^® ) and is made of bronze by Perforation Machinery Ltd. of Bradford, UK: 1353 bronze pins are arranged on a bronze cylinder, each pin has a height of 13 mm, the spacing between the pins is 8 mm, and each pin has a diameter of 1.02). By pressing to form two passes over the entire surface, it was drilled to a depth of approximately 0.5 to 1.0 cm.

Following drilling, each stone wool mat was placed in a black plastic tray (size of approximately 30 x 60 x 3.0 cm) with one tray per treatment.

For treatments 1 to 24, hot melt adhesive was applied to the top (perforated) surface using an ITW Dynatec DDS Delta Fx ™ fiberized spray applicator using the parameters described in Table 8 below.

Using a conveyor belt, rooting material was passed under the ITW Dynatec DDS Delta Fx ™ fiberized spray applicator at a rate suitable to achieve a hot melt adhesive application rate of 5 g / m 2 or 20 g / m 2. Hot melt adhesive was applied to the perforated surface. Rooting material components were prepared with three different hot melt adhesives, Sealock H1125 / 26 ™, Sealock H1155 ™, and Power Bond D74 ™, using this method.

For treatment 25, PVOH E3443C ™ glue was crossed over the top (perforated) surface of the stone wool mat using a handheld Graco Easymax battery-operated sprayer with 310 nozzles for 8 seconds at a rate of 5.33 g glue per second. It was applied evenly.

5.3 Seedling  Assembly of mat

For each treatment, 150 g of IR64 rice seeds were evenly sprinkled on top of the seed adhesive, providing a seed density of approximately 4 seeds / cm 2.

For treatments 1 to 4, 9 to 12, and 17 to 20, the seed cover components prepared as described in paragraph 5.1 above were placed on the seeded rooting material (size 28 cm x 29 cm per seeded rooting mat). (2 seed cover components of the were used).

For treatments 5 to 8, 13 to 16, 21 to 25, Graco Easymax battery with 310 nozzles, before a uniform layer of PVOH E3443C ™ glue (as a coating adhesive) applied 25 g of filtered coir- It was applied using a working sprayer (2 seconds spray at a rate of 5.33 g / sec). A layer of additional coating adhesive (PVOH E3433C ™ glue, applied equally for 2 seconds at a rate of 5.33 g / sec) was applied over the first layer of the coir, and a second layer of 25 g of filtered coir was on top of it. Applied. The final layer of PVOH E3433C ™ glue was applied as a top cover over the second layer of coir (4 sec application, 5.33 g / sec).

For all treatments, the seedling mat was transported to a greenhouse and placed in a compartment set with the following conditions: daytime temperature of 28 ° C, night temperature of 18 ° C, photoperiod of 14 hours, relative humidity of 70%. All mats were immediately watered, by irrigating the tray with tap water overhead and also irrigating until the water surface was just below the top surface of the stone wool layer. After 20 minutes, water was drained from the tray. Thereafter, all mats were watered every other day using this method.

The seedling mat was grown in a greenhouse for a total of 12 days, after which the seedling reached growth stage 3.4. Then, it was visually evaluated against the criteria described in Table 9 above.

Example 6: Performance of seedling mat in seedling environment

6.1 Preparation of rooting material components with hot melt adhesive

A 58 cm x 28 cm vertical-spun stone wool (Rockwool ^® , Grodan) with a 1.5 cm thickness was hand-held (Aircraft Spruce West, 225 Airport Circle, Corona, CA 92880, USA Aircraft Spruce, USA). (Prepared by), was drilled down to a depth of approximately 0.5 to 1.0 cm by pressing the perforator down on the stone wool to form one or two passes over the entire surface.

Using a conveyor belt, the rooting material was passed under the ITW Dynatec DDS Delta Fx ™ fiberized spray applicator at a rate suitable to achieve a hot melt adhesive application rate of 5 g / m 2 or 20 g / m 2. Hot melt adhesive was applied to the perforated surface. Rooting material components were prepared with three different hot melt adhesives, Sealock H1125 / 26 ™, Sealock H1155 ™, and Power Bond D74 ™ using this method. Following adhesive application, a sheet of silicone paper was placed over the adhesive-coated rooting material. The rooting component was then packaged and transported to the seedlings for assembly into a complete seedling mat.

6.2 Test A

A 58 x 28 x 1.5 cm vertical-spun stone wool obtained from Grodan (see above) is perforated as described above (i.e., Sealock H1125 / 6 ™ at 5 g / m 2 or 20 g / m 2) Or on a top perforated surface with Sealock H1155 ™, supplied to the seedlings in the form of a component pre-coated as described above and removed with silicone paper removed prior to use), or on the upper perforated surface with an E3433C ™ PVOH adhesive. Coated on site. 150 g of ADTT45 rice seeds (treated with thiamethoxam [Cruiser® 350FS, Syngenta] at a rate of 70 g / 100 kg seeds) were sown evenly over the adhesive-coated rooting material, after which the seeds were filtered. A seed cover component comprising a coir to crushed rice hull in a 2: 1 ratio (prepared as described in paragraph 5.1 above; two seed cover components measuring 28 cm x 29 cm per seeded rooting mat) Used), or with a layer of loose coir coating as follows:

Wagner W450 SE compressed air sprayer (Wagner, UK) before 25 g of coir (pre-washed, dried, buffered to pH 6.0, filtered before application) are applied using a Kubota SR-K610IN seeder ), Or using a Graco Easymax battery-operated sprayer, 10 g of E3433C ™ PVOH adhesive was sprayed onto the surface of each seeded rooting material and all mats. A second layer of 10 g E3433C PVOH adhesive was sprayed over the core, and (as before) a second layer of 25 g core was applied onto the top using a Kubota planter. A third layer of 20 g E3433C ™ PVOH was sprayed onto the second layer of coir and the mat remained air dry. This type of seed covering is referred to in the results as a loose (uncompressed) sheath (LM).

Subsequent to manufacture, the mat was laid out on the seedling. All mats were watered overhead with fertilizer treatment including 500 g base fertilizer / m ³ (see above) and 20 g ZnSO ₄ / m ³ at a rate of 1 liter / tray. After comparative application, a single layer of black net was placed over all treatments to protect against birds. The mat continued to be irrigated and drained twice a day from day 2. When the growth stage of the rice plant reached the 3.2 leaf stage, the mat was dried and transplanted into a pre-prepared (i.e., flattened and puddled) rice field using a Kubota transplanter (source: Kubota).

6.3 Test B

This test was performed essentially as described above for Test A. The difference is that the mat was further prepared using a hot-melt adhesive, a pre-prepared rooting material coated with Power Bond D74 ™, and after production and when all mats were placed outside in the seedling, these mats were placed in a 2 liter / tray. It was watered at an overhead rate.

6.3 Results

Prior to rolling and implantation, mats from both tests were visually evaluated against multiple criteria as described above. The results are shown in Table 10 below.

6.3.1 Summary of Results from Test A: Mats made from seed cover components comprising compressed cores and rice husks are taller than mats made using a sheath of loose coir layers with an aqueous glue layer interposed therebetween. Large, dark green seedlings were prepared. On average, the increase in seedling height at the 3.2 leaf stage was 1.5 cm. No root lift was observed in the mats made using the seed cover components including compressed cores and rice husks. Better implantation efficiency was obtained from mats made using a seed cover component comprising compressed cores and rice husks compared to mats made using a loose coir layer coating with an aqueous glue layer interposed therebetween.

6.3.2 Summary of Results from Test B: All mats produced healthy seedlings with good root growth and root whiteness. The mat made of a seed cover component comprising compressed coir and rice husk produced seedlings taller and deeper in green than mats made using a coating of a loose coir layer with an aqueous glue layer interposed therebetween. No root lift was observed in the mats made using the seed cover components including compressed cores and rice husks.

Claims (46)

In the seedling mat,
A rooting material in which seed root growth is supported and is a self-supporting planar rooting material, wherein one surface is coated with a seed adhesive for fixing the seed in or on the upper surface area of the rooting material;
A seed cover component covering the seed and allowing seedling growth through it; And
A plurality of seeds distributed in or on the upper surface area of the rooting material and attached to the rooting material by a seed adhesive,
The seed adhesive is a pressure-sensitive hot melt adhesive, the seed cover component is free-standing, and comprises an organic material compressed into a free-standing layer, the organic material selected from the group consisting of coir, rice husk, guar gum and bagasse Seedling mat containing material to become. In the seedling mat,
A rooting material in which seed root growth is supported and is a self-supporting planar rooting material, wherein one surface is coated with a seed adhesive for fixing the seed in or on the upper surface area of the rooting material;
A seed cover component covering the seed and allowing seedling growth through it; And
A plurality of seeds distributed in or on the upper surface area of the rooting material and attached to the rooting material by a seed adhesive,
The seed cover component is self-contained, and includes an organic material compressed into a free-standing layer, the organic material comprising a material selected from the group consisting of a combination of coir and chaff, and a combination of coir and bagasse. Seedling mat. According to claim 1, The pressure-sensitive hot-melt adhesive, a styrene-based block copolymer having a softening point of about 88 ℃ to 98 ℃, an operating temperature of 160 ℃ to 170 ℃, and a viscosity at 170 ℃ of 6500 ± 1700 cPs And blends of synthetic resins; Thermoplastics, resins and plasticizers with softening points on the order of 75 ° C to 90 ° C, operating temperatures of 160 ° C to 175 ° C, and typical viscosity of 14 to 20 poise at 160 ° C and 9 to 14 poise at 175 ° C Blends; And a blend of a styrenic block copolymer and a synthetic resin having a softening point of 88 ° C to 98 ° C, an operating temperature of 160 ° C to 170 ° C, and a viscosity at 170 ° C of 48 to 82 poise, Seedling mat. According to claim 1,
The seed cover component comprises coir and bagasse, wherein the coir to bagasse ratio is 60:40 to 90:10 by weight, seedling mat. According to claim 1,
The seed cover component comprises a coir and rice husk, a seedling mat. The method of claim 5,
The coir to chaff ratio is 10: 1 to 1: 1 by weight, seedling mat. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The rooting material includes a vertical spun-type mineral wool, seedling mat. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The rooting material has a seedling mat having a thickness of 1 to 2.6 cm. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The rooting material is provided with a vertical perforation extending 0.5 to 1 cm into the rooting material, the seedling mat. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The root barrier structure further includes a root barrier structure in which the rooting material is accommodated, and the root barrier structure is configured to inhibit lateral root growth, downward root growth, or lateral and downward root growth beyond the periphery of the root root material. , Seedling mat. The method of claim 10,
The root barrier structure is a seedling mat, which is a tray having a base region and upright sidewalls. In the seed cover component for the seedling mat,
The component is free-standing and comprises an organic material compressed into a free-standing layer, the organic material comprising a material selected from the group consisting of a combination of coir and chaff, and a combination of coir and bagasse. Cover component. The method of claim 12,
The organic material comprises a combination of coir and bagasse, the coir to bagasse ratio being 60:40 to 90:10 by weight, seed cover component. The method of claim 12,
The organic material comprises a combination of coir and rice husk, seed cover component. The method of claim 14,
Seed cover component, wherein the coir to chaff ratio is 10: 1 to 1: 1 by weight. delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete

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