Germination promoting device and germination promoting method

Abstract

For example, users interested in propagating seaweeds have attempted to collect seaweed seeds and germinate and grow them in tanks or cultivation tanks at seedling facilities. However, the factors crucial for seaweed seed germination and growth have yet to be elucidated, resulting in the challenge of low germination rates. On the other hand, while there have been reports that applying ultrasound or vibration to the seeds of some land-growing plants increases their germination rate, there are no known examples of this being done with seaweeds. [Solution] The ultrasonic transmitter 10 is positioned towards the seaweed seeds A present in the water. The ultrasonic control unit 20 uses the ultrasonic transmitter 10 to irradiate the seaweed seeds A with ultrasound in the range of 10kHz to 100kHz, thereby promoting the germination of the seaweed seeds. This makes it possible to promote the germination of seaweed seeds using an inexpensive ultrasonic transmitter.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a germination promotion apparatus and a germination promotion method.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there are technologies that use ultrasonic waves to promote the germination and growth of plant seeds. For example, Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. Sho 45-008604 (Patent Document 1) discloses an ultrasonic irradiation treatment method for seeds, in which seeds of various plants are immersed in an aqueous solution of a plant growth regulator corresponding thereto, and ultrasonic waves are applied thereto. This is stated to be able to promote seed germination and growth, and increase the harvest yield.

[0003] Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 01-199504 (Patent Document 2) discloses a germination acceleration apparatus comprising a sterilization and cleaning tank, an ozone supply device, a first ultrasonic irradiation device, a seed soaking tank, a heater, a second ultrasonic irradiation device, and a controller. The sterilization and cleaning tank is filled with water capable of immersing a large number of seeds inside, and the ozone supply device filters the water in the sterilization and cleaning tank and supplies ozone into the water. The first ultrasonic irradiation device irradiates ultrasonic waves into the sterilization and cleaning tank, and the seed soaking tank is filled with water capable of immersing a large number of seeds inside. The heater adjusts the water temperature in the seed soaking tank, and the second ultrasonic irradiation device irradiates ultrasonic waves into the seed soaking tank. The controller controls the operations of the ozone supply device, the first ultrasonic irradiation device, the heater, and the second ultrasonic irradiation device. This is stated to be able to shorten the seed soaking time to about 1 / 10 of the conventional time and improve the germination rate without using a germination promoter or the like.

[0004] Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 9-65711 (Patent Document 3) discloses a germination promotion apparatus configured to treat seeds immersed in water at a low temperature, then apply stimulation to the seed coat tissue with ultrasonic waves, and further perform intermittent illumination to promote germination. This is stated to be able to promote the germination of fine and lightweight seeds.

[0005] Furthermore, Japanese Patent Publication No. 9-140220 (Patent Document 4) discloses a method for promoting the germination of gel-coated seeds by ultrasonic treatment. This method is said to enable rapid germination of gel-coated seeds.

[0006] Furthermore, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2015-524250 (Patent Document 5) discloses an ultrasonic treatment and deposition process comprising an immersion step, an acoustic energy introduction step, and an ultrasonic treatment step. The immersion step involves immersing the seeds in water or a solution consisting of water and other nutrients, and the acoustic energy introduction step involves introducing acoustic energy into the liquid at a frequency and energy density sufficient to generate cavitation in the liquid. The ultrasonic treatment step involves treating the seeds with ultrasound for a sufficient time to cause changes in the seeds so that the rate of uptake of substances into the seeds is increased. This allows water or other substances to be taken up by the seeds along with solutes. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 45-008604 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 01-199504 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-65711 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-140220 [Patent Document 5] Special Publication No. 2015-524250 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] In recent years, the importance of seagrasses that can store carbon dioxide has been increasing, and the cultivation and planting of seagrasses such as eelgrass and scavenging seagrasses has been on the rise. For example, users interested in propagating seagrasses are attempting to collect seagrass seeds and germinate and grow them in tanks or aquaculture tanks in seedling facilities.

[0009] However, the factors crucial for the germination and growth of seagrass seeds remain unclear, resulting in the problem of low germination rates for seagrass seeds. On the other hand, while there have been reports that applying ultrasound or vibration to the seeds of some land-growing plants increases their germination rates, there are no such examples for seagrass. In this context, the technologies described in Patent Documents 1-5 promote seed germination by applying external forces, including ultrasound irradiation, to plant seeds, but it is unclear whether these technologies are effective for seagrass.

[0010] Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a germination promoting device and a germination promoting method that can promote the germination of seaweed seeds using an inexpensive ultrasonic transmitter. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The germination promoting device according to the present invention comprises an ultrasonic transmitter and an ultrasonic control unit. The ultrasonic transmitter is positioned toward the seeds of seaweed present in water. The ultrasonic control unit uses the ultrasonic transmitter to irradiate the seeds with ultrasonic waves having a frequency in the range of 10 kHz to 100 kHz, thereby promoting the germination of the seeds.

[0012] The germination promotion method according to the present invention comprises a placement step and an ultrasonic control step. The placement step involves positioning an ultrasonic transmitter toward seaweed seeds present in water. The ultrasonic control step involves using the ultrasonic transmitter to irradiate the seeds with ultrasonic waves having a frequency in the range of 10 kHz to 100 kHz, thereby promoting the germination of the seeds. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to promote the germination of seagrass seeds using an inexpensive ultrasonic transmitter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram showing an example of the germination promoting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a flowchart showing an example of the germination promoting method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing an example of the germination of seagrass seeds during ultrasonic irradiation and after ultrasonic irradiation by the germination promoting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] They are a perspective view and a plan view showing an example of the germination of seagrass seeds during ultrasonic irradiation and after ultrasonic irradiation when the germination promoting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to an onshore aquaculture tank. [Figure 5] It is a front view showing an example of the germination of seagrass seeds during ultrasonic irradiation and after ultrasonic irradiation when the germination promoting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to the sea. [Figure 6] It is a plan view showing an example of the germination of seagrass seeds during ultrasonic irradiation and after ultrasonic irradiation when the germination promoting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to the sea. [Figure 7] It is a graph showing an example of the experimental results in Example 1 and Comparative Example 1. [Figure 8] They are a graph (Figure 8A) showing an example of the experimental results in Examples 2 to 4, and a graph (Figure 8B) showing an example of the experimental results in Examples 5 to 7. [Figure 9] They are a graph (Figure 9A) showing an example of the experimental results in Examples 8 to 9, and a graph (Figure 9B) showing an example of the experimental results in Examples 10 to 11. MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings to provide an understanding of the present invention. The following embodiments are merely specific examples of the present invention and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[0016] As shown in Figure 1, the germination promotion apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an ultrasonic transmitter 10 and an ultrasonic control unit 20. First, the ultrasonic transmitter 10 is arranged to face seeds A of seagrasses present in water. Here, the water fills a water tank 30, and the seagrass seeds A are placed in the water.

[0017] Here, the configuration of the ultrasonic transmitter 10 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include an ultrasonic vibrator using piezoelectric ceramics or the like. In addition, the arrangement form of the ultrasonic transmitter 10 is not particularly limited. For example, as shown in Figure 1, the ultrasonic transmitter 10 may be arranged on the water surface of the water tank 30, or may be arranged in the water inside the water tank 30. It is also preferable that the ultrasonic transmitter 10 has waterproof properties.

[0018] In addition, the type of water in the water tank 30 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include fresh water, seawater, and artificial seawater depending on the type of the seagrass seeds A. Seagrasses are seed plants, and the type of seagrasses is not particularly limited, with examples including eelgrass and pondweed.

[0019] Further, the ultrasonic control unit 20 uses the ultrasonic transmitter 10 to irradiate the seeds A with ultrasonic waves having a frequency in the range of 10 kHz to 100 kHz, thereby promoting the germination of the seeds A.

[0020] Here, the ultrasonic control unit 20 is electrically connected to the ultrasonic transmitter 10 and controls the vibration of the ultrasonic transmitter 10. In addition, the configuration of the ultrasonic control unit 20 is not particularly limited. For example, as shown in Figure 1, a configuration including a setting unit 21, a signal generation unit 22, and an amplifier unit 23 can be adopted.

[0021] Here, the setting unit 21 sets the ultrasonic frequency, irradiation time, sound pressure, irradiation frequency, waveform, etc., according to the user's operation. The signal generation unit 22 generates a signal based on the settings of the setting unit 21. The signal generation unit 22 can use, for example, a pulse width modulation (PWM) circuit or an oscillator circuit. The amplifier unit 23 amplifies the signal generated by the signal generation unit 22 and transmits the amplified signal to the ultrasonic transmitter 10. As a result, the ultrasonic transmitter 10 can irradiate seaweed seeds A with ultrasound based on the signal from the ultrasonic control unit 20. The amplifier unit 23 can be provided as needed.

[0022] Furthermore, the ultrasonic control unit 20 is composed of, for example, a CPU and dedicated circuits, and incorporates a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. (not shown). The CPU, for example, uses the RAM as a working area and executes programs stored in the ROM, etc. Similarly, each control unit, which will be described later, realizes its function by having the CPU execute programs.

[0023] Next, the configuration and execution procedure of an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. First, as shown in Figure 3, the user puts water in the tank 30 that is suitable for the germination of seagrass seeds A (for example, eelgrass) and places the seagrass seeds A on the inner bottom surface of the tank 30 (Figure 2: S101). Here, the user takes out the seagrass seeds A that have been refrigerated beforehand and places them on the inner bottom surface of the tank 30.

[0024] Once the user has finished placing the seaweed seeds A, the user then places the ultrasonic transducer 10 on the surface of the water in the tank 30 (Figure 2: S102). Here, as shown in Figure 3, the user positions the ultrasonic transducer 10 so that the direction of the ultrasonic transducer 10's transmission is directed toward the seeds A on the inner bottom surface of the tank 30. Here, the ultrasonic transducer 10 may be placed on the surface of the water in the tank 30 by, for example, the user placing it on the outer bottom surface of a predetermined floating body and letting the floating body float on the surface of the water in the tank 30, or the ultrasonic transducer 10 may be placed on the surface of the water in the tank 30 by preparing a fixing member in advance and using the fixing member to fix the ultrasonic transducer 10 in contact with the surface of the water in the tank 30.

[0025] Once the user has finished positioning the ultrasonic transmitter 10, the user then inputs the ultrasonic irradiation conditions to the ultrasonic control unit 20, which then accepts the ultrasonic irradiation conditions (Figure 2: S103).

[0026] There are no particular limitations on how the ultrasonic control unit 20 receives information, but for example, if the ultrasonic control unit 20 is equipped with a setting unit 21, when a user inputs ultrasonic irradiation conditions to the ultrasonic control unit 20, the setting unit 21 of the ultrasonic control unit 20 receives the input ultrasonic irradiation conditions and sets them.

[0027] Here, among the conditions for ultrasonic irradiation, the ultrasonic frequency is set within the range of 10kHz to 100kHz, but from the viewpoint of promoting the germination of seaweed seeds A, it is even more preferable that the ultrasonic frequency be within the range of 20kHz to 80kHz. If the ultrasonic frequency exceeds 100kHz, not only will the effect of promoting the germination of seaweed seeds A not be obtained, but there is also a possibility that the germination of seaweed seeds will be suppressed. Furthermore, if the ultrasonic frequency is less than 10kHz, there is a possibility that the effect of promoting the germination of seaweed seeds A will not be obtained.

[0028] Furthermore, while there are no particular limitations on the duration of each ultrasound irradiation session, it is preferable that it be within the range of 10 to 120 minutes, and even more preferable that the duration of each ultrasound irradiation session be within the range of 10 to 60 minutes from the viewpoint of promoting the germination of seaweed seeds A. Here, if the duration of each ultrasound irradiation session exceeds 120 minutes, although the effect of promoting the germination of seaweed seeds A can be obtained, the ultrasound irradiation time becomes long, and the overall efficiency of promoting the germination of seeds A deteriorates, which is undesirable. Also, if the duration of each ultrasound irradiation session is less than 10 minutes, it may not be possible to obtain the effect of promoting the germination of seaweed seeds A.

[0029] Furthermore, while there are no particular limitations on the sound pressure relative to the underwater environment among the ultrasonic irradiation conditions, it is preferable that it be in the range of 120 dB to 160 dB, and from the viewpoint of promoting the germination of seaweed seeds A, it is even more preferable that the sound pressure relative to the underwater environment be in the range of 140 dB to 150 dB. Here, if the sound pressure relative to the underwater environment exceeds 160 dB, not only will the effect of promoting the germination of seaweed seeds A not be obtained, but there is also a possibility that the germination of seaweed seeds A will be suppressed. Also, if the sound pressure relative to the underwater environment is less than 100 dB, there is a possibility that the effect of promoting the germination of seaweed seeds A will not be obtained.

[0030] Furthermore, there are no particular limitations on the frequency of ultrasound irradiation, for example, it may be once a day or multiple times a day, but from the viewpoint of the efficiency of promoting the germination of seed A, once a day is preferable. In addition, there are no particular limitations on the duration of ultrasound irradiation, for example, it may be one day, two days, three days, one week, etc., but from the viewpoint of the efficiency of promoting the germination of seed A, several days, such as one to three days, are preferable. Furthermore, there are no particular limitations on the vibration waveform of the ultrasound irradiation, for example, a sine wave, square wave, triangular wave, etc.

[0031] Once the ultrasonic control unit 20 has finished receiving the ultrasonic irradiation conditions, it generates an ultrasonic signal based on the received ultrasonic irradiation conditions in response to user operation (e.g., input of the start key) (Figure 2: S104).

[0032] There are no particular limitations on the method of generating ultrasonic signals in the ultrasonic control unit 20. For example, if the ultrasonic control unit 20 includes a signal generation unit 22, the signal generation unit 22 of the ultrasonic control unit 20 can generate ultrasonic signals based on user input and set ultrasonic irradiation conditions, for example, using a pulse width modulation (PWM) circuit or an oscillator circuit.

[0033] Now, when the ultrasonic control unit 20 generates an ultrasonic signal, the ultrasonic control unit 20 vibrates the ultrasonic transmitter 10 based on the generated ultrasonic signal to generate ultrasonic waves, and uses the ultrasonic transmitter 10 to irradiate seed A with ultrasonic waves in the range of 10kHz to 100kHz (Figure 2: S105).

[0034] There are no particular limitations on the method of ultrasonic irradiation by the ultrasonic control unit 20. For example, if the ultrasonic control unit 20 is equipped with an amplifier unit 23, the amplifier unit 23 amplifies the generated ultrasonic signal and transmits it to the ultrasonic transmitter 10. The amplifier unit 23 can change the sound pressure of the ultrasonic by adjusting the amplification ratio of the ultrasonic signal based on the set ultrasonic irradiation conditions. The ultrasonic transmitter 10, having received the amplified ultrasonic signal from the amplifier unit 23, then irradiates the ultrasonic waves toward seed A. The amplifier unit 23 can be provided as needed.

[0035] Here, among the ultrasonic irradiation conditions, the ultrasonic frequency is specified to be within the range of 10kHz to 100kHz, but other conditions, such as the irradiation time per session, the sound pressure relative to the underwater environment, the frequency of ultrasonic irradiation, the duration of ultrasonic irradiation, and the ultrasonic vibration waveform, will correspond to the irradiation conditions entered by the user.

[0036] Once the ultrasonic control unit 20 has finished irradiating with ultrasound, the seaweed seeds A in the water that have been irradiated with ultrasound will be stimulated to germinate (Figure 2: S106). In other words, the seaweed seeds A, stimulated by ultrasound, will germinate and begin to grow, as shown in Figure 3.

[0037] As a result, the present invention makes it possible to promote the germination of seaweed seeds A using an inexpensive ultrasonic transmitter 10. In particular, by setting the ultrasonic frequency in the range of 10kHz to 100kHz in the present invention, an inexpensive and commercially available ultrasonic transmitter 10 can be used, and the germination of seaweed seeds A can be effectively promoted.

[0038] Furthermore, in this invention, it is not necessary to continuously irradiate the seaweed seeds A with ultrasound; irradiating the seaweed seeds A with ultrasound only for the initial predetermined period is sufficient to promote germination. Therefore, it can be easily implemented by anyone, and the germination efficiency of seaweed seeds A can be increased.

[0039] Now, in the above-described embodiment, a tank 30 having a predetermined size was assumed, but the present invention is not limited to this, and similar effects can be obtained even if, for example, a relatively large-scale aquaculture tank 40 for land-based aquaculture is assumed.

[0040] For example, a user conducting land-based aquaculture prepares a cultivation tank 40, fills the tank 40 with water corresponding to the seaweed seeds A, and places the seaweed seeds A in the tank 40 as shown in Figure 4. There are no particular limitations on the method of placing the seaweed seeds A in the cultivation tank 40, but for example, if there are multiple predetermined depressions at predetermined intervals on the inner bottom surface of the cultivation tank 40, the user places the seaweed seeds A in each depression. There are no particular limitations on the material of the depressions, but examples include resin, metal, wood, etc. Alternatively, if there is artificial soil of a predetermined thickness, the user places the artificial soil on the inner bottom surface of the cultivation tank 40 and places the seaweed seeds A in depressions that have been pre-made on the surface of the artificial soil. In this way, the user can place the seaweed seeds A.

[0041] Furthermore, since the cultivation tank 40 is in the range of several meters to tens of meters in size, for example, the user can divide the inner bottom surface of the cultivation tank 40 into multiple sections and place seaweed seeds A in each of the multiple sections. There are no particular limitations on the size of the sections, but it is preferable that they be set to a size corresponding to the irradiation range B of one ultrasonic wave, or a size included in the irradiation range B of one ultrasonic wave. For example, in Figure 4, the inner bottom surface of the cultivation tank 40 is divided into 12 sections, and four seaweed seeds A are placed in each section.

[0042] The user then floats the floating body 50 incorporating the germination promotion device 1 according to the present invention on the surface of the water in the aquaculture tank 40, and positions the ultrasonic transducer of the germination promotion device 1 so that it faces the seaweed seeds A on the inner bottom surface of the aquaculture tank 40.

[0043] Here, the floating device 50 refers to a floating device that can move around on the water surface based on user operation or pre-set conditions. For example, this could be a water drone that moves on the water surface by rotating a screw. The floating device 50 may move on the water surface automatically, or, for example, a float 50 incorporating a germination promotion device 1 may be prepared, and the user may operate the float 50 on the water surface of the aquaculture tank 40 by operating the control rod connected to the float 50 on the water surface.

[0044] The user sets a predetermined route P that allows them to sequentially visit all of the multiple sections of the cultivation tank 40, and moves the floating body 50 floating in the cultivation tank 40 along the predetermined route P. When the floating body 50 is located on the upper surface of the first section, the ultrasonic control unit 20 of the germination promotion device 1 incorporated into the floating body 50 uses the ultrasonic transmitter 10 to irradiate ultrasonic waves toward the seaweed seeds A. After the ultrasonic control unit 20 has finished irradiating ultrasonic waves, the floating body 50 then moves to the upper surface of the second section following the first section, and the ultrasonic control unit 20 uses the ultrasonic transmitter 10 to irradiate ultrasonic waves toward the seaweed seeds A. By repeating this movement of the floating body 50 and irradiation of ultrasonic waves in each section along the predetermined route P, the germination promotion device 1 can promote the germination of all the seaweed seeds A installed in the cultivation tank 40.

[0045] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment assumed a farming tank 40, the present invention is not limited to this, and similar effects can be obtained even if the sea (for example, shallow waters to which the irradiated ultrasonic waves can reach or a beach where seaweed exists) is assumed.

[0046] For example, a user places the germination-promoting device 1 according to the present invention on the inside bottom surface of a vessel (small boat, boat, yacht, water drone, etc.) and sets sail into the sea. There are no particular limitations on the method of installing the germination-promoting device, but for example, as shown in Figure 5, multiple germination-promoting devices 1 (ultrasonic transmitters 10) can be arranged in a fan shape perpendicular to the direction of travel of the vessel 60, or multiple germination-promoting devices 1 can be arranged in a straight line on an auxiliary rod extending perpendicular to the direction of travel of the vessel 60. This makes it possible to expand the range over which ultrasonic waves are irradiated at once.

[0047] Then, when the user inputs the ultrasonic irradiation conditions to the germination promotion device 1, the ultrasonic control unit 20 of the germination promotion device 1 uses the ultrasonic transmitter 10 to irradiate the seabed with ultrasonic waves in the range of 10kHz to 100kHz. If seagrass seeds A are present on the seabed, they can be stimulated by the ultrasonic waves. In particular, in this invention, even if the seagrass seeds A are irradiated with ultrasonic waves only once, the germination of the seagrass seeds A can be promoted, making it possible to increase the germination efficiency of seagrass seeds A present on the seabed in an extremely simple manner and to promote the cultivation and propagation of seagrass.

[0048] Here, as shown in Figure 6, for example, a user pre-sets a predetermined route Q in the sea using a map of the ocean, and moves a vessel 60 incorporating the germination promotion device 1 along the predetermined route Q. When the vessel 60 has moved a predetermined distance, the ultrasonic control unit 20 of the germination promotion device 1 incorporated in the vessel 60 uses the ultrasonic transmitter 10 to irradiate ultrasonic waves towards the seagrass seeds A present on the seabed. The predetermined distance is set, for example, based on the irradiation range of a single ultrasonic wave. Then, when the ultrasonic control unit 20 has completed the irradiation of ultrasonic waves, the vessel 60 moves a predetermined distance along the predetermined route Q, and the ultrasonic control unit 20 uses the ultrasonic transmitter 10 to irradiate ultrasonic waves towards the seagrass seeds A present on the seabed. By repeatedly performing this movement of the vessel 60 and irradiation of ultrasonic waves along the seabed on the predetermined route Q, the germination promotion device 1 can promote the germination of all seagrass seeds A present on the seabed. For example, as shown in Figure 6, seaweed seeds A present in area C through which the ship 60 has passed are exposed to ultrasound, which will eventually cause them to germinate and promote the growth of seaweed. [Examples]

[0049] Examples and comparative examples of the present invention will be described below in detail, but the application of the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0050] Next, a confirmation experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of ultrasonic irradiation on promoting the germination of seagrass seeds A. In the confirmation experiment, artificial seawater was placed in a tank (45 cm wide, 30 cm deep, 30 cm high), and 20 eelgrass (seagrass) seeds were placed on the inside bottom of the tank, and the germination of the eelgrass seeds was observed.

[0051] In this verification experiment, Example 1 involved irradiating 20 seeds submerged in water with ultrasound under predetermined irradiation conditions (frequency: 70 kHz, sound pressure: 143 dB based on water standards) for 1 hour, while Comparative Example 1 involved not irradiating the 20 seeds with ultrasound. Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 were then compared.

[0052] As a result, as shown in Figure 7, in Example 1, two seeds germinated 20 days after the ultrasound irradiation, and a total of six seeds germinated by the 28th day. On the other hand, in Comparative Example 1, only one seed germinated 28 days after the start of the experiment. From these results, it was found that irradiating eelgrass seeds with ultrasound under predetermined irradiation conditions can promote the germination of eelgrass seeds.

[0053] Next, in a confirmation experiment, we investigated whether there was a difference in the germination-promoting effect on seaweed seeds depending on the duration (number of days) of ultrasonic irradiation. Here, first, the ultrasonic irradiation conditions were set to an ultrasonic frequency of 70 kHz, a sound pressure based on water standards of 143 dB, an irradiation time of 1 hour, and an irradiation period of 1 day (Example 2), an irradiation period of 2 days (Example 3), and an irradiation period of 3 days (Example 4).

[0054] As a result, as shown in Figure 8A, in all of Examples 2-4, three seeds germinated one day after the day of ultrasonic irradiation, and the number of germinated seeds increased as the number of days increased. Furthermore, in Examples 2-4, no significant difference was observed in the change in the cumulative number of germinated seeds depending on whether the irradiation period was increased or decreased.

[0055] Furthermore, in the confirmation experiment, Example 5-7 was created using the same conditions as Example 2-4, except that the irradiation time per session was changed from 1 hour to 3 hours.

[0056] As a result, as shown in Figure 8B, in all of Examples 5-7, 3 to 4 seeds germinated one day after the day of ultrasonic irradiation, and the number of germinated seeds increased as the number of days increased. Furthermore, in Examples 5-7, no significant difference was observed in the change in the cumulative number of germinated seeds depending on whether the irradiation period was increased or decreased.

[0057] These results indicate that the duration and frequency of ultrasound irradiation do not significantly affect the germination-promoting effect of seaweed seeds. For example, even with an ultrasound irradiation time of 1 hour and an irradiation period of 1 day, the germination-promoting effect of seaweed seeds is sufficient.

[0058] Furthermore, in the confirmation experiment, we investigated whether there was a difference in the germination-promoting effect on seaweed seeds depending on the frequency of the ultrasound. Here, Example 8 was set with an ultrasound frequency of 50 kHz, a sound pressure of 141 dB based on the water standard, an ultrasound irradiation time of 30 minutes, and an ultrasound irradiation period of 1 day. Example 9 was set with an ultrasound frequency of 100 kHz, a sound pressure of 152 dB based on the water standard, an ultrasound irradiation time of 30 minutes, and an ultrasound irradiation period of 1 day.

[0059] Furthermore, Example 10 involved setting the ultrasonic frequency to 50 kHz, the sound pressure based on water to 141 dB, the ultrasonic irradiation time to 1 hour, and the ultrasonic irradiation period to 1 day. Example 11 involved setting the ultrasonic frequency to 70 kHz, the sound pressure based on water to 143 dB, the ultrasonic irradiation time to 1 hour, and the ultrasonic irradiation period to 1 day.

[0060] As a result, as shown in Figure 9A, in Example 8, seed germination was observed from the first day after ultrasonic irradiation. In Example 9, seed germination was observed from the fifth day after ultrasonic irradiation.

[0061] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9B, in Example 10, seed germination was observed from the second day after ultrasonic irradiation. In Example 11, seed germination was observed from the first day after ultrasonic irradiation.

[0062] These results indicate that, for example, if the ultrasonic frequency is within the range of 10kHz to 100kHz, even a short ultrasonic irradiation time and an irradiation period of just one day can be sufficient to promote the germination of seaweed seeds. [Industrial applicability]

[0063] As described above, the germination-promoting device and method according to the present invention are extremely useful not only in the marine field but also in the field of climate change countermeasures and aquaculture, and are effective as a germination-promoting device and method that can promote the germination of seaweed seeds using an inexpensive ultrasonic transducer. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1. Germination promotion device 10 Ultrasonic transmitter 20 Ultrasonic Control Unit 30 aquariums 40 Aquaculture tank 50 Floating objects 60 ships A. Seeds of seaweed

Claims

1. An ultrasonic transmitter positioned towards the seeds of seaweed present in the water, An ultrasonic control unit that uses the aforementioned ultrasonic transmitter to irradiate the seeds with ultrasonic waves in the range of 10 kHz to 100 kHz to promote the germination of the seeds, A germination promoting device equipped with [specific features / features].

2. The ultrasonic control unit irradiates the seeds with ultrasound for an irradiation time of 10 to 120 minutes per session. The germination promoting device according to claim 1.

3. The ultrasonic control unit irradiates the seeds with ultrasonic waves within a range of 120 dB to 160 dB relative to the sound pressure in the water. The germination promoting device according to claim 1.

4. A positioning step involves arranging an ultrasonic transmitter towards the seeds of seaweed present in the water, An ultrasonic control step is performed to promote seed germination by irradiating the seeds with ultrasonic waves in the range of 10 kHz to 80 kHz using the aforementioned ultrasonic transmitter. A method for promoting germination that includes [a specific feature / feature].

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