Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01G—HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING
  • A01G31/00—Soilless cultivation, e.g. hydroponics
  • A01G31/02—Special apparatus therefor
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
  • Y02P60/00—Technologies relating to agriculture, livestock or agroalimentary industries
  • Y02P60/20—Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions in agriculture, e.g. CO2
  • Y02P60/21—Dinitrogen oxide [N2O], e.g. using aquaponics, hydroponics or efficiency measures

Definitions

• a method and a device for growing plants in mineral wool or other inactive growth media are provided.
• the invention concerns a method and a device for growing plants in mineral wool or other inactive growth media.
• the plants' requirements for water and nutrients are satisfied by the periodic supply of a complete nutrient solution, usually by means of so-called drip-feed watering to each plant through a thin tube, connected to a thicker tube with nutrient solution at a specific pressure.
• the mats are often wrapped in a watertight plastic sheet in the top of which holes are cut for the plants and for the drip locations.
• the drainage slits are also important during subsequent cul ⁇ tivation, since more water usually has to be supplied than the plant requires in order to avoid the accumulation of nutrient salts in the mats.
• the optimum water content of the mats is less than that which provides drainage from the drainage slits. The reason for this is that during drainage all the pores at the bottom of the mat are saturated with water and the exchange of air, with the supply of oxygen to the roots and removal of carbon dioxide, is impeded.
• the water content of the mats can be controlled by means of a known principle, whereby the mats are in capillary connection via sand with a level vessel which is provided lower than the mats. The volume of water, which is retained per unit volume of the mat, is determined by the height between the level vessel and the mat. (See also patent application NO 86 1839, fig. 3).
• the object of the invention is to keep a level/constant water content in the mats as close to the optimum as possible.
• a second object is to be able to supply more water than the plants consume without the water content in the mats becoming too great.
• a further object is to be able to perform a rapid watering and drainage of the cultivation mats before use at optimum water/air conditions. This results in a saving of time and a reduction in the water required for watering the mats.
• Yet a further object is to provide a simple installation, which requires only the level vessel to be located below the level of the cultivation mats.
• a still further object is to provide a simple purification/cleaning of the hydraulic connection between the water source and the cultivation mats. It is a still further object to provide a cultivation method which collects superfluous water in a closed system for possible recycling.
• the object of the invention has generally been achieved in that both the water supply and drainage of the cultivation mats are performed by means of hydraulic contact between the cultivation mats and a simple pipe system, and that in the pipe system there are established pressure and underpressure conditions for water supply and drainage.
• hydraulic contact describes a continuous connection between water in liquid form in water- filled pores in the growth medium/mats and water in the pipe system which is used for drainage of the mats, and watering of the plants by capillary watering. Hydraulic contact is also used in connection with the device which makes it possible for hydraulic contact to be maintained.
• Fig. 1 is a principle drawing of a cultivation system.
• Fig. 2 is a schematic principle drawing of the control of the water content by means of a level vessel.
• Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a cultivation system according to the invention.
• Fig. 4 is a section of a drainpipe with a netting cover accord ⁇ ing to the invention which when inserted into a cultivation mat is capable of causing it to maintain hydraulic contact/con ⁇ nection between the water in the pores in the mats and the water in the drainpipes without air at underpressure penetrat ⁇ ing into the water inside the netting.
• Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a drainpipe with a netting cover according to fig. 4.
• Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment according to the invention.
• Fig. 7 is a section of a drip-feed watering pipe according to fig. 6.
• Fig. 8 is a section of a drainpipe according to fig. 6.
• Fig. 9 is a section of a valve according to fig. 6.
• Fig. 1 illustrates a known cultivation principle on which the invention is based with growth blocks 1 and a cultivation mat 2, to which water is supplied by means of drip-feed watering pipes 4 via a supply pipe 5.
• Fig. 2 illustrates a known watering principle in which the mats 2 are in capillary connection via sand 8' with the level vessel 11'.
• the height d determines the volume of water which is retained per volume unit of the mat 2.
• Fig. 3 illustrates the cultivation system according to the invention where the nutrient solution is pumped from a vessel 7 with a pump 8 through a hose or supply pipe 5 and drip-feed watering hoses 4 to the cultivation mats 2.
• the supply to the individual cultiva ⁇ tion system can be controlled by a tap or a magnetic valve 10.
• a manifold 11 which is equipped with a number of drainpipes 12 which are inserted into the cultivation mats 2.
• the drainpipes 12 are connected in an airtight manner to the manifold 11.
• a tap or magnetic valve 9 In the transition between the supply pipe 5 and the manifold 11 there is provided a tap or magnetic valve 9.
• the manifold 11 is led down into a level vessel 13 with an adjustable overflow 14 which leads to a vessel 15.
• the vessel 15 is equipped with taps or magnetic valves 17, 18 which lead to the vessel for used nutrient solution 16 or the vessel 7.
• a device for disinfection of used nutrient solution 19 Before the outlet in the level vessel 13 there is provided on the manifold 11 a tap or magnetic valve 20.
• a tap or magnetic valve 21 Between the vessel 7 and the valve 10 there can be provided on the supply pipe 5 a tap or magnetic valve 21 for filling up the level vessel 13.
• Fig. 4 shows the mat 2 in detail with the drainpipe 12 con ⁇ nected to the manifold 11. At the end of the drainpipe 12, which has been inserted into the mat 2, there is provided a netting cover 24.
• the single drainpipe 12 may be equipped with
• the system is started up by the pump 8 pumping water out into the system with the taps 9, 10, 17 and 20 open.
• the tap 20 is closed.
• the pump 8 is operated with the taps 9 and 10 in an open position until the mats 2 are filled with water. Since the drainpipes 12 have larger openings than the drip pipes 4, the mats 2 are filled rapidly.
• the drainpipes 12 In order to prevent the mats 2 from running over it is advantageous for the drainpipes 12 to be equipped with a tap or other device which permits the supply to the individual mat 2 to be shut off. By adjusting the pressure in the hose 5 the effect can be achieved of supplying water mainly via the drainpipes 12.
• the top of the overflow 14 is aligned with or a little below the top of the mats 2. Shortly before the mats 2 are full valve 9 is closed while valve 20 is opened. The mats 2 are topped up with water by continuing drip-feed watering until all the mats 2 are full.
• the taps 9 and 10 are closed and tap 20 opened.
• the mats 2 will then be drained to a suction height which is determined by the height of the overflow 14.
• the drainage water can be conveyed from vessel 15 directly to vessel 7 with the tap or valve 17 open.
• the cultivation system according to the invention can be supplied with water and possibly nutrients both by the capil ⁇ lary watering and the drip-feed watering method.
• Drip-feed watering with drainage is performed when water is required and in this case with tap 9 closed and tap 20 open.
• the drainage water is conveyed to the collecting vessel 16 for possible disinfection and correction of its composition.
• the drip-feed watering can be controlled by regulating the pump 8 and the valve 10 either by means of a time clock, a solar integrator or a level sensor in the level vessel 13. Each time the watering has to be done in such a way that a certain amount runs over in the overflow 14..When a solar integrator is used the watering must be controlled by a time clock at night, since the plants also consume water in the dark.
• the system may be adjusted for capillary watering operation. This is done by keeping the taps 9 and 10 closed while tap 20 is open.
• the water level in the level vessel 13 is kept constant by filling it up via a tap 21.
• the pump 8 and the tap 21 can then be controlled by a level sensor 23 which is adjusted in such a way that the level in the level vessel 13 is kept just below the overflow 14.
• the number of drainpipes 12 must be adapted to suit the expected maximum water consumption. When the plants absorb water from the mats 2, the mats' 2 water potential will decline and they will suck up water from the vessel 13 via the drainpipes 12.
• valve 27 When the pump 8 is started with valve 10 open, the valve 27 will close and the pressure in the hose 5 will increase, thus causing the valves 26 in the drainpipes to close. Since the valves 26 permit a small amount of liquid to pass through, any air in the drainpipes 12 is expelled. Since the valve 27 also permits some liquid to pass through in the closed position, a substantial part of the liquid which was in the hose 5 when the pump 8 was started will be expelled into the level vessel 13 and the hose 5 filled with unused nutrient solution from the container 7. When the valve 27 is a magnetic valve, the liquid in the hose 5 is renewed by keeping the valve 27 open for a certain period after the pump 8 has started. As long as the pump 8 is operated with the valve 27 closed the system worked as a normal drip-feed watering system.
• valve 27 stays open by means of the flow supplied by drainage from the mats 2.
• the magnetic valve 27 may be opened.
• the pressure in the hose 5 closes the valves 25 in the drip pipes 4 and the valves 26 in the drainpipes are opened. The system then works as the drainage part 11 in the cultivation system according to fig. 3.

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• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Environmental Sciences (AREA)
• Hydroponics (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=19895339

Family Applications (1)

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Cited By (2)

Citations (3)

• 1992
  • 1992-07-29 NO NO922985A patent/NO177622C/no not_active IP Right Cessation
• 1993
  • 1993-07-27 WO PCT/NO1993/000120 patent/WO1994003046A1/en active Application Filing
  • 1993-07-27 AU AU45910/93A patent/AU4591093A/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (3)

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