NL2000182C2 - Vegetable with a low nitrate content and its cultivation system and cultivation method. - Google Patents

Description

Vegetable with a low nitrate content and its cultivccrsystccm and cultivcring method

Background of the invention. Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a vegetable with a low nitrate content and its cultivating system and method, and more particularly to a vegetable with a low nitrate content and its cultivating system and method which uses an advanced water cultivating system and a method for controlled administration and removal of nutrients.

Description of the Prior Art Vegetables with a high nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) concentration have a bad influence on our health, and the high nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) concentration has been a subject for agricultural experts for a long time, and the agricultural industry still cannot provide a suitable solution to solve this technical problem. So far, no description has been made of controlling the high nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) concentration of vegetables or even mentioning its technical development or breakthrough. Before the inventor of the present invention filed a patent application for the present invention, others used genetic moderation technologies and tried to change the genes and composition of agricultural products (including vegetables), but only a few focus on the constituent parts of vegetables, that are harmful to humans by conducting research and experiments on quantitative control. Furthermore, no scientist in the field of genetic modification has provided any convincing dissertations, data or theory regarding the issues or agricultural products produced by genetic modification technology, whether or not they are harmful to humans, how genetic modification technology affects the agriculture or ecology and to what extent, and what other unpredictable risks arise from genetic engineering technology. The answers to all these questions cannot be obtained in 2 short time. For simplicity, nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) is also commonly referred to as nitrates.

Summary of the invention 5

Therefore, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide the cultivation and production of a low-nitrate vegetable that does not use genetic modification or other technologies related to genetic modification in order to achieve the result with a detected nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) concentration equal to or less than 450 ppm [NO3-N (mg / kg) <450 ppm], but the invention uses an advanced water cultivation system and a method for controlled administration and removal of nutrients to grow vegetables with sufficient photosynthesis, and also produces a vegetable with a low nitrate content through natural processes. The vegetables with a low nitrate content produced according to the present invention are vegetables that cannot maintain a low nitrate specification under natural conditions, and the invention is definitely a breakthrough regarding the quantitative control of harmful ingredients for humans. So far, no related technology, report or dissertation has been found.

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As society has evolved from fishing and hunting, pasture and farming to the past two centuries, the industrial revolutions and agricultural revolutions (green revolutions), accompanied by the industrial revolutions, dramatically improved the yield of harvests. The drastic increase in harvest production can overcome the hunger of a large majority of the world's population. Until now, people have been able to accept the assessed result, that the agricultural revolutions (green revolutions) had more advantages than disadvantages, but the land quality of the land that was over-developed and used during the agricultural revolution deteriorated, and the deterioration of the land quality forced the farmers to use huge amounts of chemical fertilizers to improve the deteriorating agricultural conditions. The agricultural activities in such a vicious circle give rise to bad influences such as acidification of agricultural land and faster depletion of fertility. Furthermore, traditional renovations and cultivation require an enormous amount of fresh water to irrigate. Because the sources for fresh water 3 are becoming very scarce nowadays, a water cultivation method with a higher production yield becomes one of the most important cultivation methods for farmers. More specifically, the temperature of the earth has risen rapidly by 0.6 ° C within 100 years in the 20th century, and certain computer models simulate the change in climate on earth and predict that the temperature on earth in this century will be more than 3 , 3 ° C will rise. By that time, the polar region will melt and the sea level will rise, which will cause arable land to decline or disappear. In addition to the Amazon and Congo River, the amount of water from the other five of the seven largest rivers in the world is decreasing and decreasing, and the Yellow River in China has dried up 17 times in the last 50 years. Global warming is more likely to lead to typhoons and torrential rains (statistics show that rainfall in Taiwan has increased by around 300 mm, but that the number of rainy days in 2005 decreased by 28). The drastic change of the climate in a short time will certainly disrupt the regular pattern of rains and rainwater for irrigating traditional agricultural areas and will seriously affect traditional farm management and the harvest and price of agricultural products. Therefore, a water cultivation method with a high production yield becomes an option for improving the production value of the present farm. Although the water cultivation method can improve the previous shortcomings, such as the decrease of arable land, the large consumption of fresh water for irrigation, the deteriorated soil quality caused by the large-scale use of chemical fertilizers, the contamination with waste materials that are removed during water cultivation, and the adverse effect on the eutrophication of rivers and lakes. Furthermore, it has unexpectedly been found that the water cultivation vegetables often have a large amount of residual nitrate nitrogen which can affect the health of the consumer. The present invention addresses the aforementioned shortcomings regarding environmental damage, wastage of fresh water sources, and the production of unsafe vegetables through traditional cultivation, water cultivation or organic cultivation, to provide effective and suitable solutions and improvements.

4

Short description of the images

The object, shape, structure, features and influence of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings showing various embodiments of the invention, wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic view of a system using makes the method for controlling the nitrate-nitrogen concentration of vegetables according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a schematic view of the design of a liquid nutrient delivery and recovery system according to the present invention; Figure 3 is a schematic view of the design of the water cultivation area of the present invention; Figure 4 is an enlarged view of a water culture pipe according to the present invention; and Figure 5 is a schematic view to compare the water consumption for the water cultivation according to the prior art and according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention relates to a series of vegetables with a low nitrate content that is produced by a specific cultivation method, and the detected nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) concentration of the vegetables is below 450 ppm. The present invention controls the nitrate-nitrogen concentration of vegetables using an advanced water cultivation technology and a method for controlled administration and removal of nutrients, which will be elucidated by the following preferred embodiment. With reference to Figure 1, the method according to the invention can control the nitrate-nitrogen concentration of vegetables [NO3-N (mg / kg) <450 ppm], save fresh water for irrigation, facilitate recovery and reuse of nutrients, drain Eliminate waste liquid produced by water cultivation, increase the growth rate of vegetables, and increase the efficiency of growing vegetables per unit area. The present invention has the following characteristics: (1) The nitrate-nitrogen concentration [NO3-N (mg / kg) <450 ppm] which remains in the vegetables can be suitably controlled.

(2) The nutrients can be easily recovered and reused.

(3) The water for irrigation can be saved considerably.

5 (4) The EC value and pH value of the nutrient can be set precisely.

(5) Cultivation in many layers can be used to effectively increase land use efficiency.

(6) The renovation work can be greatly reduced.

(7) Diseases in the soil can be prevented or eliminated completely.

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The method for controlling the nitrate-nitrogen concentration of vegetables according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention uses an advanced water cultivation technology, which mainly uses water pipes to easily distribute, recover and store nutrients, so that the nutrients in the water cultivation pipe can provide the nutrition for the growth of vegetables. If the pH value of the nutrients rises, this method will lower the pH value in time. If the EC value of the nutrient falls, this method will adjust the EC value of the nutrient in a timely manner, so that the ingredients of the nutrient are adjusted to the most suitable condition for absorption by vegetables. The present invention has the characteristics of saving water for irrigation, preventing disposal of waste liquids in water cultivation, eliminating contamination caused by the eggs of parasites in the soil, controlling the nitrate-nitrogen concentration, and thus the invention is definitely a breakthrough in agricultural cultivation technologies.

This embodiment takes advantage of the unique advantage of water pipes to effectively reduce the consumption of nutrients and fresh water and to improve on the traditional water cultivation method, as shown in Figure 5, in order to facilitate the transfer, distribution and recovery of nutrients so that the nutrient can be supplied to the vegetables as required for water cultivation, as shown in Figure 1. Further, the advanced water cultivation technology uses PVC water pipes as the basis for cultivation and exhibits suitable nutrient recovery. Thus, this embodiment can effectively prevent waste liquids from being discharged into rivers or lakes. After the nutrient recovery function of the invention has been introduced, the invention can prevent unsuitable disposal of waste liquids, and can also effectively control the concentration of nitrate nitrogen left in vegetables below 450 ppm. The PVC water pipes used by the advanced water cultivation technology as the basis for cultivation are made from an opaque material, and thus they can prevent direct sunlight from falling on the nutrient, and in the first place prevent the cultivation of photophilic algae or fungi in the nutrients compete with the growth of vegetables during the cultivation method, and the PVC water pipes also prevent any alkaline substance from the algae or fungi from entering the nutrient in order to maintain a stable pH value for the nutrient and to prevent the The pH value of the nutrient rises, which may decrease the efficiency of the roots of the vegetables to absorb the nutrient (The roots of the vegetables have the best absorbent efficiency if the pH value is in the range of 5.5 ~ 6.5).

In view of the above description, the method for controlling the nitrate-nitrogen concentration of vegetables according to this embodiment has the following advantages over traditional water cultivation or cultivation methods: (1) The water for irrigation can be saved up to 70%; (2) No waste liquid from the water cultivation will be discharged; (3) The land will not acidify; (4) The eggs of parasites in the soil can be prevented or eliminated; (5) The nitrate-nitrogen concentration of vegetables can be reduced; and (6) The growth rate of vegetables can be improved. Thus, the present invention is definitely a breakthrough for agricultural cultivation technologies.

The primary feature of this embodiment relies on improving the traditional cultivation and cultivation method that requires a large amount of irrigation water to obtain a better harvest. A careful analysis of the consumption of irrigation water in traditional cultivation and cultivation has found that not all irrigation water is absorbed by the vegetables, and the actual measurements and statistics show that only 100 ml per day is sufficient for the water requirement of each vegetable during a growing cycle, but the amount of irrigation water for traditional cultivation and cultivation is around 200 ml - 500 ml per day (depending on the degree of water infiltration from the soil), and so a lot of scarce resources for fresh water are wasted. In general, 50% ~ 90% of irrigation water for traditional renovation and cultivation is a loss to the soil or evaporated by solar heat. The wastage of irrigation water in traditional renovations and cultivation 5 must cease immediately as there is an increasing shortage of fresh water sources. The vegetable growing method according to the invention can save a large amount of irrigation water, and the water requirement will only be 25 ~ 30% of that for traditional cultivation and cultivation. The irrigation water and the nutrients that are not absorbed by the vegetables can be recovered and reused.

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The secondary feature of this embodiment is based on overcoming the shortcomings of traditional water cultivation and prevents unsuitable disposal of waste nutrients in water cultivation. The nutrients for a general water culture cannot avoid direct sunlight, and thus it is inevitable that bacteria and algae will thrive in the nutrients, and the sunlight and bacteria will accelerate the decomposition (or fermentation) of the nitrates in the nutrients, and thus give rise to a further temperature rise. The rise in nutrient temperature in water cultivation is the main cause of vegetable root rats, and thus the frequent removal and change of waste liquids in water cultivation becomes routine for growing vegetables through water cultivation, and the rise in temperature is also a disaster for the eutrophication of rivers and lakes.

Based on the foregoing reasons, the Taiwanese Agricultural Authority does not encourage farmers to grow vegetables through water cultivation, although no law has yet been regulated for water cultivation of vegetables. The nutrients used in advanced water cultivation can be recovered and reused. The invention can completely solve the problem of disposal of waste nutrients in water cultivation, and recover and reuse the nutrients in order to effectively reduce operating costs.

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The third characteristic of this embodiment is the provision of a cultivation method that can completely avoid the use of chemical fertilizers for the soil or the land, and thus avoid the acidification or deterioration of the soil quality of the arable land. Because the cultivation of the soil cannot control the exact consumption of 8 fertilizers or irrigation water or rainwater leaching, and the fertilizers are lost in the soil for no reason, farmers are concerned that insufficient fertilizers are being used, and generally use excessive amounts of fertilizers . The present invention applies the nutrients to the vegetables with a constant amount at regular times in order to meet the requirements at different stages and also uses the advanced water cultivation method to deliver nutrients to the roots of the vegetables, not only being satisfied the requirements for effectiveness from the point of view of costs, but also an excessive use of chemical fertilizers, is avoided, which will cause acidification and deterioration of the soil quality of arable land. In the present invention, the vegetable is not in contact with soil at all, and thus the invention can prevent contamination of the soil with chemical fertilizers.

The fourth feature of this embodiment is to improve the bad consequences that result from traditional water cultivation in a totally professional manner by preventing the nutrients from submerging the roots of vegetables during water cultivation, so that the roots can be in contact with air or being able to breathe. Consequently, the nitrate-nitrogen concentration of vegetables produced by water cultivation is much higher than that of vegetables produced by soil cultivation, and exceeds an acceptable upper limit of nitrate-nitrogen. In addition, because the roots of vegetables produced by water cultivation cannot breathe in the air or lack oxygen (O2), enzymes in the vegetables are also made possible to perform effective metabolism with the nitrate radical (NO3). Secondly, the concentration of nutrients in water cultivation is usually too high and exceeds the amount that can be handled by the normal photosynthesis mechanism (metabolism) of vegetables produced by water cultivation, so that the stems and leaves of water-grown vegetables grown vegetables accumulate an excessive amount of nitrate radicals (NO3), which cannot be converted into amino acids in time, and finally combined into protein. The nitrate radical (NO3) is one of the elements that cannot be digested by humans, so that if excessive amounts of nitrate radicals (NO3) are absorbed in the human digestive system, the nitrated radicals will be converted to ammonium nitrite (NH4NO2) by chemical reaction of 9 enzymes in the digestive system, and ammonium nitrite (NH4NO2) is considered a carcinogenic factor for a specific cancer in the medical field, and an excessive amount of nitrate radicals is harmful to our health, which has been proven by clinical science. Nitrate radicals are also a dangerous factor for diseases such as blue baby disease, and if a baby gets too many nitrates, the nitrate radical (NO3) will end up in the baby's blood, so that the hemoglobins in the blood lose their ability to combine with oxygen, so that the blood shows a blue-purple color, which can cause breathlessness and even suffocation. The nitrate radicals are also one of the carcinogenic factors for colon and stomach cancer. In particular, ammonium nitrites (NH 4 NO 2) are harmful to hemoglobins in human blood or even accelerate the aging of cell functions. Developed countries have established standards and specifications for nitrate-nitrogen concentration in vegetables (see Appendix 2) to protect consumers. For example, Germany 15 has specified that the spinach products used in baby food should not contain a higher concentration of nitrate radicals (NO3) than 250 ppm [NO3-N (mg / kg) <250 ppm]. The World Health Organization recommends that we take a safe dose of less than 3.6 mg per kilogram of body weight per day. For example, a person weighing 60 kg should not take more than 500 ppm of nitrates per day.

Currently, European countries set a standard below 2000 ppm ~ 3000 ppm as the upper limit for residual nitrate radicals (NO3) for most vegetables, and the Chinese People's Republic has a stricter standard of less than 450 ppm. For 25 vegetables grown in Taiwan during the winter, the amount of nitrate radicals (NO3) left in the vegetables generally exceeds 3000 ppm ~ 4000 ppm, due to prolonged rainy weather and short sunny days and excessive use of fertilizers and the habit of farmers to harvest the vegetables before dawn, but the relevant government departments have not yet laid down any rules or standards for the nitrate radicals (NO3) that remain in vegetables. The present invention uses a control standard accepted by the strictest country (People's Republic of China) which means that NO3-N (mg / kg) <450 ppm. The specification for the nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) remaining in vegetables accepted by the present invention cannot be compared to any other agricultural field in the world, and the invention is a breakthrough in controlling the constant amount of harmful ingredients in vegetables.

It is worth noting that the nitrate radical (NO3) concentration is equal to the nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) concentration * 4.43.

This embodiment of the invention focuses on the foregoing unsafe accumulated amount of nitrate radicals (NO3) in the stems and leaves of vegetables for improvement, in order to avoid excessive nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) remaining in the stems and leaves of vegetables produced through traditional soil cultivation or water cultivation and to prevent its adverse impact on human health. The roots of vegetables produced by general soil cultivation can breathe freely because air flows through cavities and cracks from the pebbles into the soil. After the roots of the vegetables produced by soil cultivation absorb oxygen (O2) in the vegetables, the nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) is consumed faster, and thus excessive accumulation of nitrate radicals (NO3) (about 1500 ppm) ~ 2000 ppm) are avoided. If the vegetables produced by soil cultivation are harvested during the rainy days, then photosynthesis will be insufficient and more nitrate radicals (NO3) will remain in the stems and leaves of the vegetables grown in the soil, and there is a severely excessive amount of (about 2500 ppm ~ 3500 ppm). With the vegetables produced by traditional water cultures, the roots are immersed in the nutrients for a long time and thus the roots cannot breathe in order to obtain oxygen (O2) directly. Unlike the vegetables produced by soil cultivation and harvested before stopping the use of fertilizers, the concentration of nitrates in the nutrient is generally too high, and thus the supply of nutrients in water cultivation cannot be at different stages are controlled. Therefore, the stems and leaves of vegetables produced by water cultivation have accumulated excess nitrate radicals (NO3) (about 3000 ppm ~ 4500 ppm). The amount of nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) that remains in the vegetables is too high, which relates to the concentration of nitrate radicals (NO3) stored in the stems and leaves of the vegetables that exceeds the standard of 4500 11 ppm. In the actual experiments and evaluations of the control method according to this embodiment, the amount of nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) accumulated in a vegetable sample can be controlled, and the amount of nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) left in the vegetable sample vegetable sample (whole piece) 5 assessed. The tested vegetable must go through a drying process that will damage the chlorolyl in the vegetable in order to test the nitrate nitrogen, and the weights of the vegetable sample before drying and after drying are measured and compared and have a ratio of 4.8% and the total direct amount of residual nitrate nitrogen is converted and turns out to be 358 ppm (see Appendix 10 1 for an analysis report conducted by the Institute for Agriculture & Natural

Sources of the National Chung Hsing University) and see also NIEA W415.52B for the inspection method. The concentration is much lower than the maximum allowable standard for nitrates in vegetables as set by the European Union (see details in Appendix 2) and also much lower than the standard for nitrate-nitrogen remaining in the 15 vegetables produced by means of general soil cultivation and organic cultivation.

The fertilizer required for vegetables according to traditional cultivation and cultivation is nitrogen (N2), and its source is urea (CO (NH2) 2), but the evolving mechanism of the roots of a general plant cannot directly produce urea (CO (NH 2) 2), except for a small number of root nodules of plants. The nitrogen (N2) element in the natural cycle must pass through the bacteria or fungi into the soil, and the urea (CO (NH2) 2) in the nitrogen (N2) element can be converted into ammonia (NH3) or nitrate. The ammonia (NH3) or nitrate, however, goes through the fermentation of "nitrite nitro bacteria" and decomposes into nitrite radicals (NO2), and finally the nitro bacteria will decompose for the second time the nitrite radicals (NO2) and the nitrite radicals (NO2) are converted in the nitrate radical (NO3). After the conversion, the nitrogen (N2) element in the urea (CO (NH2) 2) is completely decomposed into nitrate radicals (NO3), which can be absorbed by the roots of a general plant or a vegetable. The nitrate radical (NO3) is converted into amino acid and carbon dioxide (CO2) by photosynthesis, and finally the amino acid is combined into useful proteins for the vegetables, and the carbon dioxide (CO2) is removed. The mechanism of its conversion successively involves the decomposition of urea (CO (NH2) 2) into ammonia (NH3) by bacteria or fungi for the first time 12 (fermentation) and then decomposition by special bacteria in the soil for the second time (fermentation ), and the ammonia (NH3) is converted to nitrate radicals (NO3), and the nitrate radical (NO3) can be absorbed by a vegetable and converted to amino acid, and finally undergoes photosynthesis, in order to merge the amino acid into the useful proteins which are stored in the stems and leaves of the vegetable. In nature, only a few root nodules of plants can live with a group of nitrogen-binding bacteria and directly absorb the ammonia (NH3) element in nature or the nitrogen (N2) element in the air. The ammonia (NH 3) element is converted to chemicals that can be absorbed by plants, and such a process is called nitrification, and its chemical formula is given as follows: (NO 4 +) -> (decomposition by nitrite bacteria) - »(NO 2) —► (decomposition by nitro bacteria) -> (NO3).

The nutrient (or fertilizer) used for vegetables produced by traditional water cultures includes nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur, etc., with the main source for a nitrogen (N2) fertilizer coming from mixing of nitrates such as calcium nitrate (Ca (NC> 3) 2) and potassium nitrate (K (NC> 3)) directly in the nutrient. Because the roots of vegetables produced by water cultivation are immersed for a long time in the nutrient in order to constantly absorb the nitrate radicals (NO3) and a metabolism (or photosynthesis) cannot be effectively carried out, therefore the nitrate-nitrogen concentration that is remaining in the stems and leaves of vegetables produced by water cultivation are very high. In a solution for effectively controlling the nitrate radical (NO3) concentration in the nutrient or setting up the delivery amount for each stage of growth of the vegetables, the amount of sunlight, ambient temperature, and different stages of growth of the vegetable are used for timely adjustment of the delivery amount or concentration of the nutrient. For example, the nitrate radical (NO3) concentration in the nutrient is a little higher under direct sunlight for a long time, in order to speed up the growth of the plants or vegetables. Thanks to good photosynthesis, the vegetables can quickly absorb the nitrate radicals (NO3) and convert them into amino acids and finally the amino acids are polymerized into proteins. On the other hand, the nitrate radical (NO3) concentration in the nutrient is a bit lower during cloudy or rainy days. In order to avoid excessive nitrate radicals 13 (NO3) remaining in the stems and leaves of vegetables produced by water cultivation due to insufficient photosynthesis, the nitrate radical (NO3) that enters a human body and passes through a digestive system are digested are converted into harmful ammonium nitrite (NH 4 NO 2). The present invention overcomes the foregoing shortcomings of vegetables produced by water cultivation by establishing the rules for stopping the supply of nutrients (nitrates) to the vegetables for a period of time (such as a number of days) before harvesting the vegetables , and only fresh water is supplied for the basic needs of the vegetables. The method for controlled administration and removal of nutrients according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention allows the vegetables to maintain its fundamental metabolism function, but it also forces the vegetables to store nitrate radicals (NO3) in the stems and leaves of the vegetables before harvesting the vegetables, and the nitrate radicals are converted into useful amino acids, so that the vegetable can undergo sufficient photosynthesis (the cumulative amount of light is 900,000 LUX or higher), and the amino acids in the vegetables are converted into proteins that are stored in vegetable stems and leaves, hoping to thoroughly improve the vegetables (produced by water cultivation, soil cultivation or organic cultivation), which generally have a high nitrate radical (NO3) concentration (which exceeds 4500 ppm), as shown in Appendix 2. Based on the above reasons, we know a few of them the different vegetables sold on the market include an excessively high concentration of nitrate radicals (NO3), mainly because the vegetables absorb excessively much nitrate radicals (NO3), or that the vegetables exhibit photosynthesis (6 CO2 + 6 H2O -> CöHhOö + 6 O2T ) with insufficient time or strength for a long time, so that the vegetable cannot produce enough ATP enzymes, and the vegetable cannot successfully and effectively convert the absorbed nitrate radicals (NO3) into amino acids or combine them into proteins. In other words, the vegetable cannot consume or convert the accumulated nitrate radicals (NO3) into amino acids or assemble the nitrate radicals (NO3) into proteins before the vegetable is harvested.

The method for growing a vegetable with a low nitrate content ([NO3-N (mg / kg) <450 ppm) as shown in Figure 1, the system for controlling 14 the specific natural composition of a vegetable comprises a delivery and recovery system for nutrients 1 and a water cultivation area 2.

With reference to Figure 2 for the preferred embodiment according to the present invention, the delivery and recovery system for nutrients 1 aims at the delivery and recovery of nutrients in vegetables grown in the water cultivation area 2, and records the EC value and the pH value of nutrients in the vegetables that are grown all the time in the water cultivation area 2 and adjusts the EC value or pH value of the nutrient as necessary, so that the vegetables in the water cultivation area 2 can obtain suitable and sufficient nutrition for a achieve rapid growth of vegetables and improved growth efficiency per unit area. If the vegetable is grown to the ready to harvest stage, the nutrient delivery and recovery system 1 recovers the nutrient in a specific time period (such as 72 hours) before harvesting the vegetables, and only fresh water is supplied in order to maintain the basic biological requirements for the vegetables in the water cultivation area 2, so that the vegetables grown in the water cultivation area 2 can completely consume (or convert) the nitrate nitrogen accumulated in the vegetable by means of the natural process of photosynthesis, in order to successfully grow a health-oriented vegetable with a super low nitrate content.

Furthermore, the nutrient delivery and recovery system 1 comprises a nutrient storage vessel 11, an irrigation water storage vessel 12, a nutrient pressure boosting pump 13, a nutrient recovery pump 14, a nutrient control pump 15, an EC / pH detector / controller value 16, an ultraviolet disinfecting lamp 17 and a precision filter 18. The nutrient liquid level regulator 112 is installed on top of the nutrient storage vessel 11 to control a normal capacity of the nutrient storage vessel 11 and to provide sufficient collection space when needed is to reclaim the nutrients. The nutrient control valve 111 is installed at the outlet on the bottom of the nutrient storage vessel 11 for turning the nutrient supply on and off. The nutrient pressure boosting pump 13 is installed between the nutrient storage vessel 11 and a nutrient supply pipe 21 for raising the nutrient to a higher pressure so that the nutrient penetrates the precision filter 18 to filter foreign materials and then to the porous water culture pipe 22 is sent for growing vegetables. An irrigation water level controller 122 is installed on top of the irrigation water storage tank 12 for controlling the normal capacity of the irrigation water storage tank 12, and an irrigation water control valve 121 is installed at an outlet disposed on the bottom of the irrigation water storage tank 12 for turning the irrigation water supply on or off. If the irrigation water 121 control valve is opened, then the nutrient control valve 111 will be closed. In that case, fresh water is supplied to the area with porous water cultivation pipes 22, so that the vegetable undergoes a natural process of photosynthesis, in order to consume (or convert) the nitrate nitrogen remaining in the vegetable; on the other hand, nutrient 15 is supplied to the area with porous water cultivation pipes 22 to facilitate rapid growth of vegetables. The nutrient recovery pump 14 increases the pressure on the nutrient flowing back from the nutrient recovery pipe 23, so that after the nutrient has passed to an ultraviolet disinfecting lamp 17 and disinfected, the nutrient is sent to the nutrient storage vessel 11 for storage and future use. The EC / pH value 16 detector / controller is installed on an outside of the nutrient storage vessel 11 and an EC / pH value 165 detection circuit is connected to the outlet of the nutrient storage vessel 11 for any time detecting the change of the EC value and pH value of the nutrient, and the transfer via the EC / pH control loop 166 controls the movement of the EC liquid container 161 or pH liquid container 162 in order to determine the EC value or adjust the pH value of the nutrient according to the regulations. If the EC fluid container 161 or pH fluid container 162 receives a signal from the EC / pH value detector 16, then the EC fluid container 161 or pH 30 fluid container 162 will start injecting the EC fluid or pH liquid in the EC liquid 63 injection pipe or pH liquid 164 injection pipe in the nutrient storage vessel 11 to mix with the nutrient so that the EC value and pH value of the nutrient can be maintained within a specific norm. If the EC value or pH value rises, then the 16 nutrient control pump 15 will come into operation to extract fresh water from the irrigation water storage tank 12 to the nutrient storage tank 11 in order to increase the EC value or pH value of reduce the nutrient. If the water level of the irrigation water storage tank 12 is too low, the irrigation water control valve 123 will be opened to fill the irrigation water storage tank 12 with fresh water for future use.

The water cultivation area 2 comprises four main parts: a nutrient supply pipe 21, a porous water culture pipe 22, a nutrient recovery pipe 23 and an improved lighting device for artificial light 24. The nutrient supply pipe 21 and the nutrient balance pipe 211 are provided for quickly replenishing the nutrient supplied from the nutrient pressure boosting pump 13 to a predetermined level of nutrient in the area of porous water culture pipes 22, in order to facilitate the rapid growth of vegetables, or to use the fresh water for irrigation provided by the nutrient pressure boosting pump 13, to replace the originally supplemented nutrient on a certain date before the vegetable is harvested, so that the vegetable can retain its fundamental biological functions and use the natural process of photosynthesis to n quickly consume (or convert) accumulated nitrate nitrogen. The porous water cultivation pipe 22 comprises a series with a large number of circular cultivation holes 221, which are arranged in an orderly, linear and equidistant manner on top of the porous water cultivation pipe 22 such that the roots of vegetables planted thereon through one of the series with a large number of 25 circular cultivation holes 221 can pass and extend into the porous water cultivation pipe 22 for absorbing nutrients for rapid growth, or at a certain point before harvesting, only fresh water for irrigation is absorbed in order to satisfy the basic biological needs of the vegetables so that the vegetable undergoes a natural process of photosynthesis in order to consume (or convert) the nitrate nitrogen accumulated in the vegetables and to produce vegetables with a nitrate nitrogen concentration below 450 ppm. However, if there are consecutive rainy or cloudy days or a severe lack of sunshine during a certain period for stopping the nutrient supply prior to harvesting according to the previous method and the total amount of sunlight that the vegetables receive each day is less than 300,000 LUX (which relates to the total amount of sunlight received in this embodiment), then the improved artificial light lighting device 24 will be turned on, so that light energy is provided to the area of the porous water culture pipe 22, 5 to artificially turn on the light fill up to 300,000 LUX. The light is detected by means of a photoelectric sensor 241, and a signal is sent from an optical signal transmission circuit 242 to the improved artificial light lighting device 24 to calculate statistics for the total cumulative light energy within 12 hours. If the statistics for the total light energy are insufficient, then the 12-hour night illumination (which is 15000 LUX / hour in this embodiment) is used to supplement the required total, then a current will be sent via a power transmission line 243 to a high-performance mercury lamp 244, so that the high-performance mercury lamp 244 is turned on to compensate for the lack of light energy, and the vegetables can undergo a natural process of photosynthesis by means of the energy of artificial light, so that the nitrate accumulated in the vegetables use (or convert) nitrogen. Therefore, vegetables that are healthy for humans can be harvested every day and a vegetable with a low nitrate content of NO3-N (mg / kg) <450 ppm, which cannot be compared with vegetables grown under natural conditions or with traditional cultivation technologies , are not influenced by climate change. The foregoing artificial complementary lighting system can not only be used under special inclement weather conditions, but can also compensate for the lack of sunlight in one day. The present invention can achieve the effect of saving energy instead of starting the artificial complementary lighting system unlimited or unnecessarily wasting scarce energy sources. The nutrient recovery pipe 23 is interconnected with the nutrient recovery pump 14 through the nutrient recovery valve 231 and is usually in the open state to facilitate nutrient flow and replenish the EC or pH fluid value. If the system is put in a non-flowing state, the nutrient recovery valve 231 will be closed while the drain valve 232 is put in the open state for discharging water. The irrigation water used in the area of porous water culture pipes 22 is drained to a water treatment device (not claimed in this invention) and passes through the disinfecting, sterilizing and filtering processes for reuse. The function of controlling the nitrate-nitrogen concentration of vegetables can be performed by the whole and the description of the previous elements and numbers, in order to grow vegetables that are healthy for people and a low nitrate concentration [NO3-N (mg / kg) <450 ppm], which is comparable to vegetables grown under natural conditions or through traditional cultivation technologies.

The method for controlling the nitrate-nitrogen concentration of vegetables according to the present invention is a creation that uses technological ideas according to natural laws and its mechanism uses the idea according to the present invention. The advanced water cultivation system in conjunction with the method for controlled administration and removal of nutrients forces the vegetable to undergo a natural process of photosynthesis during a certain period of time prior to harvest, in order to contain the nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) accumulated in the vegetables consume (or convert). In other words, the vegetable can recover nutrients and irrigate vegetables with fresh water instead of nutrients during a certain period of time before harvest. The method for controlled administration and removal of nutrients in accordance with the present invention forces the vegetables to feed into the vegetables. consume (or convert) accumulated nitrate nitrogen, and its formula is given below: (NO3) -> (photosynthesis conversion) -> (amino acid) -> (photosynthesis composition) - »(protein).

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It is worth noting that the total cumulative amount of light energy during the interruption of nutrient supply to vegetables is equal to or greater than 900,000 LUX. The interruption period is set at 72 hours before harvest, and the nitrate-nitrogen concentration detected in the vegetables produced is equal to 358 ppm. [NO3-N (mg / kg) <358 ppm]. See NIEA W415.52B for the inspection method and the inspection institute is the Institute for Agriculture and Natural Sources of the National Chung Hsing University.

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The foregoing embodiment of the invention is provided for the purpose of clarifying the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of claims of the present invention, and various modifications and similar arrangements and methods, such as the method of lowering the high nitrate-5 nitrogen (NO3-N) concentration of vegetables and the cultivation of a vegetable with a low nitrate content, regardless of whether use is made of the "Intermittent method of supplying nutrients" or "Method of reducing the concentration of nutrients" or even the energy-consuming "Method of artificial lighting" in order to obtain the same effects, and the scope of the appended claims must therefore correspond to the broadest interpretation, to include all such changes and similar arrangements and methods.

To summarize the above description, the present invention hereby improves the performance over the conventional structure and further observes the requirements with respect to the patent application and is thus duly filed for the patent application.

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Appendix 1

Confidential Analysis Result and Report 95P0055, Soil Research and Experimentation Center 5 Institute for Agriculture and Natural Resources of the National Chung Hsing University

Submitter: Canyon Biotechnological Co., Ltd.

Contact person: Chen, Gi-Jin Tel: (039) 610707 # 105

Sample Type: Vegetable Fax: (039) 610579 10 Sample Name: Bindsla B (B1, B2)

Date of receipt: 2006/03/09 Date of Completion: 2006/04/11

Correspondence address: No.430, Kelin 5th Rd., Kelin Village, Dongsang County, Taiwan 15 Analyzed Component Test value Comments

Nitrate nitrogen NO3-N (mg / kg) 7462 Weight Fresh: B1 294.60 g B2 302.08 g Weight Dry: CI 13.38 g B2 15.08 g 20

Inspectors: Dai, Jia-ru, Wu, Cui-ru, and Huang, Yi-xian Notes: 1. The confidential sample will not be returned unless otherwise specified in advance.

2. The data from this report only relates to the confidential sample to be analyzed.

3. This report is provided for reference only and will not be used as a basis for disputes.

30 4. If it is necessary to reconfirm the data, the application must be submitted within one month. No answer will be given after that date.

5. If anything in the content of this report is unclear, contact this center and we will be delighted to clarify this for you.

21 6. This center only provides an official copy of the analysis result and report.

Director Huang, Yu-ming 5 Address: 250, Kuo Kwang Rd. Taichung City Tel. (04) 22840376 22874540

Email: servlce@sstc.nchu.edu.tw http://www.sstc.nchu.edu.tw 22

Appendix 2 ((European Union: New Specification for the Upper Limit of Nitrates in Vegetables)) * Extract from the Food and Medicine Analysis Office, Ministry of Health, Head Yuan, Zhong, Renjian, You, Zhen-yi * Source: http: //bulletin.coa. gov.tw/view.php?catid=7631 (Council for Agriculture, Head of Yuan website)

European Union Publication Amendment - Permissible Upper Limit for Nitrates in 10 Vegetables (Table 2):

Agricultural product Permissible Upper Limit (mg / NCh / kg) 15 Fresh Spinach Harvest: Nov. 1. until March 31, 3000

Harvest: 1 Apr. until Oct. 31 2500

Preservation, spinach frozen at super low temperature or frozen 2000

Fresh Lettuce Harvest: Oct. 1 until 31 March 20 (protected in-house grown lettuce) Lettuce grown under a 4500 shelter

Lettuce grown outdoors 4000

Harvest: 1 Apr. until Sep 31:

Iceberg Lettuce Lettuce grown under a 3500 shelter

Lettuce grown outdoors 2500 25 Lettuce grown under a 2500 shelter

Lettuce grown outdoors 2000

European Union: Laws and Regulations concerning the Upper Limit of Nitrates in 30 Vegetables (Extract)

As more attention is paid to the views on environmental protection and consumer protection in recent years, the European Union has announced the standards for the upper limit of nitrates in some vegetables (including spinach and lettuce) in 2001: 23

The European Commission for Regulations established the standard for maximum residues of specific contaminants in food (EC Regulation Number 194/97) in January 1997, and this regulation sets the standards for the upper limits of 5 nitrates in spinach and lettuce, and these standards vary with different harvesting seasons as shown in Table 1. For example, the upper limit for spinach ranges from 2500 mg / kg to 3000 mg / kg, and the upper limit for lettuce ranges from 2500 mg / kg to 4500 mg / kg. For cooled (or frozen) spinach the norm for the upper limit of nitrates is 2000 mg / kg.

10

The European Union reassessed these standards in 1998, and these requirements for specifying the standard for the upper limit of residues of specific contaminants in food do not show their suitability for any safety assessment. The main reason for setting these standards is that Member States set the standard for the upper limit of residues, in order to ensure a uniform standard for the market, and these Member States include Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Austria, and so on. There are still endless arguments as to whether or not an upper limit has been accepted for nitrates for regulated vegetables including lettuce, spinach, beet and celery, not only from the point of view of public hygiene, but also because of unfair competition arises between Member States as a result of such rules. Therefore, the Standing Committee on Foods of the European Community (EC StCF) decided to postpone the formal announcement (EC Regulation Number 466/2001) until there was sufficient data for the assessment at the end of 25 2001, and the announcement became formal done in 2001. The European Union carried out a reassessment of these standards in 2002 and amended the standard for nitrates in lettuce (EC Regulation Number 563/2002) as shown in Table 2, and formally introduced it on 5 April 2002.

30 In February 1997, England formally implemented the prescriptions regarding "Prescriptions of Contaminants in Food 1997, S.I. (1997) Number 1499) specified by the European Union, but EC Regulation Number 194/97 (amended by EC Regulation Number 864/99) is a special exemption clause that allows each Member State to grow its lettuce and spinach 24 and sell with an exemption for the upper limit in a specific regulated buffer period, provided that the nitrate concentration in this food corresponds to public hygiene. The grower must strictly follow Good Agricultural Practice (GAP), but the lettuce and spinach imported from other Member States and third countries 5 to England must comply with the requirements for the upper limit standard. After the European Union formally announced and introduced the laws and regulations in April 2002, England also included the food regulations in the specification announced by the European Union and issued an extensive mandatory implementation.

10

The developed countries in Europe, America and Asia and member states of the European Union established and implemented the food registration program for nitrates in food many years ago.

15 Such a law was adopted by the European Union and given a mission and great expectations. This law not only intends to reduce or improve nitrates in soil cultivation, but also intends to protect water resources and agricultural products against pollution caused by nitrates. Furthermore, the European Union also requires its member states to adopt mandatory management measures and plans to specify land use and the standard and system for storing and applying fertilizers. In accordance with good agricultural practice, the European Union will consider assessing and lowering the upper limit for nitrates and planning to extend the upper limit policy to other types of vegetables, hoping to make substantial contributions to improving the environment -ecology.

References: 1. WHO 195. Evaluation of certain Food Additives and Contaminants. (Evaluation 30 of certain food additives and contaminants). Joint FAO / WHÓ Expert Committee on Food Additives, pages 29-35 (WHO Technical Report Series Number 859). WHO, Geneva.

2. Sanchez-Echainz, J., Benito-Femóndez, J. and Mintegui-Raso, S. 2001. Methemoglobinemia and consumption of vegetables in infants. (Methemoglobinemia and consumption of vegetables in children). Pediatrics 107: 1024-1028.

5 3. Walker, R. 1990. Nitrates, nitrites and N-nitroso compounds: A review of the occurrence in food and diet and the toxicological implications. (Nitrates, nitrites and N-nitroso compounds: An overview of the occurrence in food and diets and the toxicological implications). Food Additives and Contaminants 7: 717-768.

10 4. Eichholzer, M. and Gutzwiller, F. 1998. Dietary nitrates, nitrites, and N-nitroso compounds and cancer risk: A review of the epidemiologic evidence. (Nitrates, nitrites and N-nitroso compounds and risk of cancer: An overview of the epidemiological evidence). Nutrition Reviews 56: 95-105.

5. Gangolli, SD, van den Brandt, P., Feron, V., Janzowsky, C., Janz-wsky, C., Koeman, J., Speijers, G., Speigelhalder, B., Walker, R. and Winshnok, J. 1994. Assessment of nitrate, nitrite, and N-nitroso compounds. (Assessment of nitrate, nitrite and N-nitroso compounds). European Journal of Pharmacology Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology Section 292: 1-38.

20 6. WHO 1996. Toxicological Evaluation of Certain Food Additives and Contaminants. (Toxicological assessment of certain food additives and contaminants). Prepared by the Forty Fourth Meeting of the Joint FAO / WHO Expertise Committee for Food Additives (JECFA). International Program on Chemical Safety (WHO Food Additives Series 35). WHO. Geneva.

7. European Community 2002. European Commission Regulation (EC) Number 563/2002. Official Journal of the European Communities L 86/5.

30 8. European Community 1997. European Commission Regulation (EC) Number 194/97. Official Journal of the European Communities L 31/48.

European Community 2001. European Commission Regulation (EC) Number 466/2001. Official Journal of the European Communities L 77/6.

Claims (12)

1. Series of vegetables with a low nitrate content, with a detected nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) concentration less than 450 ppm [NO3-N (mg / kg) <450 ppm], characterized in that the vegetables with a low nitrate content are grown by a method to reduce the nitrate-nitrogen concentration of the vegetables, and the range of vegetables is grown using an advanced water cultivation system in conjunction with a method for controlled administration and removal of nutrients. 10 A cultivation system for a vegetable with a low nitrate content, comprising: a supply and recovery system for nutrients and a water cultivation area. A method for growing vegetables with a low nitrate content, comprising: planting a series of vegetables in a water cultivation area; using a method for controlled administration and removal of nutrients, in order to change a nutrient cycle into supplying fresh water only, after the series of vegetables has been grown in a certain period of time before harvest, so that the series of vegetables contains the nitrate can effectively consume nitrogen left in the vegetables by a natural process of photosynthesis to obtain a range of vegetables with a nitrate-nitrogen concentration of less than 450 ppm. A low nitrate vegetable cultivation system according to claim 2, wherein the nutrient delivery and recovery system comprises: a nutrient storage vessel, an irrigation water storage vessel, a nutrient pressure boosting pump, a nutrient recovery pump, a nutrient control pump, a detector / controller for the 30 EC / pH value, an ultraviolet disinfecting lamp and a precision filter. A low nitrate vegetable cultivation system according to claim 2, wherein the water cultivation area comprises a nutrient supply pipe, a porous water culture pipe, a nutrient recovery pipe and an improved artificial light lighting device. Cultivation system for a vegetable with a low nitrate content according to claim 5, wherein the nutrient storage vessel comprises a nutrient control valve and a nutrient liquid level regulator. 7. Cultivation system for a low-nitrate vegetable according to claim 4, wherein the irrigation water storage vessel comprises: an irrigation water control valve and an irrigation water level controller. A low nitrate vegetable cultivation system according to claim 4, wherein the EC / pH value detector / controller comprises: an EC liquid container, a pH liquid container, an EC liquid injection pipe, an pH liquid injection pipe 15 liquid, an EC / pH value detection circuit and an EC / pH control circuit. A cultivation system for a vegetable with a low nitrate content according to claim 5, wherein the nutrient supply pipe comprises a nutrient balance pipe. 20 A low nitrate vegetable cultivation system according to claim 5, wherein the porous water cultivation pipe comprises a series with a large number of circular cultivation holes. A low nitrate vegetable cultivation system according to claim 5, wherein the nutrient recovery pipe comprises a nutrient recovery valve and a trigger valve. A low nitrate vegetable cultivation system according to claim 30, wherein the improved artificial light lighting device comprises a photoelectric sensor, an optical signal transmission circuit, a power transmission line and a high performance mercury lamp.