A method of plant cultivation in a non-natural soil substrate

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of non-natural soil matrix plant cultivation methods.The method of the application comprises the following steps: (1) design and install non-natural soil matrix plant cultivation device, including cultivation device and spraying device;Spraying device includes several layers of spray pipe, each layer is composed of several spray pipes, several spray holes are arranged on each spray pipe, one end of each spray pipe is closed, and the other end is connected with water mist source;Cultivation device includes potting container, potting container is filled with growth substrate layer inside, a layer of spray pipe is laid at the bottom, and the spray hole is arranged towards the top of potting container;A layer of spray pipe is laid on the surface of growth substrate layer, and the spray hole is arranged towards the bottom of potting container;Multiple layers of spray pipe are laid in the vertical direction in the middle growth substrate layer, and the spray hole is randomly arranged;(2) set the time and duration of spraying;Spray pipe can control water supply amount independently.The application can control water supply of each layer, and the water supply is uniform and controllable.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of ecological restoration and relates to a method for cultivating plants in non-natural soil substrates. Background Technology

[0002] Ecological restoration is an important way to achieve harmony between humans and nature, and a deeper understanding of the interaction between plants and microorganisms can help accelerate the ecological restoration process. Therefore, researchers are studying the interaction mechanism between plants and microorganisms by conducting indoor pot experiments to eliminate the influence of the external natural environment and indigenous microorganisms. However, the nutrient composition of soil is complex, and indoor soil substrate pot experiments still cannot meet the cultivation conditions required for some mechanism studies. Some studies have used relatively pure materials such as vermiculite, quartz sand, glass beads, and perlite to cultivate plants as non-natural soil substrates. However, non-natural soil growth substrates have significant differences in physical properties from soil substrates, especially in terms of water retention and aeration. Simply mixing vermiculite, quartz sand, glass beads, and perlite, if the material particle size is large, although it is beneficial to increase the proportion of gas phase in the growth substrate, it will cause water to quickly leak down to the bottom of the device after surface watering, which is not conducive to water retention in the top growth substrate and root respiration in the bottom growth substrate. If the material particle size is small, although water will not leak down to the bottom of the growth substrate quickly after surface watering, it will reduce the proportion of gas phase in the growth substrate, which is not conducive to root respiration. Because the particle size of the growing substrate and the watering requirements cannot meet the needs of normal plant growth, the scientific rigor and objectivity of experiments are compromised. Currently, a soilless cultivation technique exists in agriculture where crops are suspended in a sealed cultivation device (trough, box, or bed), with the roots exposed inside. A sprayer atomizes nutrient solution into small droplets, directly spraying them onto the plant roots to provide the necessary water and nutrients. However, this method also has significant drawbacks. It cannot be used for solid-phase substrate plant cultivation, and because the roots of plants cultivated this way lack soil support, their morphology differs from that of plants in soil substrates due to gravity, making it unsuitable for studying plant morphology-related mechanisms. Therefore, specialized methods are needed for cultivating plants in non-natural soil substrates to achieve scientific plant cultivation and to study the mechanisms of plant-microbe interactions. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a method for cultivating plants in non-natural soil substrates.

[0004] This invention provides a method for cultivating plants in a non-natural soil substrate, comprising the following steps:

[0005] (1) Design and install a plant cultivation device using non-natural soil substrate;

[0006] The non-natural soil substrate plant cultivation device includes a cultivation device and a spraying device;

[0007] The spraying device includes several layers of spray pipes, each layer consisting of several spray pipes. Each spray pipe is provided with several spray holes. One end of each spray pipe is closed, and the other end is connected to a water mist source.

[0008] The cultivation device includes a potted container, the interior of which is filled with a growth substrate layer; a layer of spray pipes is laid at the bottom of the potted container, with spray holes arranged towards the top of the potted container; a layer of spray pipes is laid on the surface layer of the growth substrate layer in the potted container, with spray holes arranged towards the bottom of the potted container; multiple layers of spray pipes are laid vertically in the middle growth substrate layer of the potted container, with spray holes arranged randomly.

[0009] (2) Set the spray time and spray duration.

[0010] After the plants are cultivated in the growth substrate layer of the potted container, the amount of water replenished by each spray pipe can be controlled individually.

[0011] The spraying duration of the spray pipes laid on the surface of the potted plant container is 2 to 5 times the average spraying duration of the spray pipes laid vertically along the bottom of the potted plant container and the middle growth substrate layer.

[0012] In this invention, the non-natural soil substrate plant cultivation device is used to cultivate higher plants, which are not special and are mostly used for herbaceous plants, such as alfalfa; the microorganisms are dark septate endophytes (DSE).

[0013] In the above method, the spraying duration is the same when the spray pipe is laid vertically at the bottom of the potted container and in the middle growth substrate layer.

[0014] The spray rate of the bottom spray tube is 5-10 mL / min;

[0015] The total daily water replenishment of the growing substrate in the potted plant container is as follows: 10-20 mL / kg growing substrate during growth days 0-20; 20-30 mL / kg growing substrate during growth days 21-30; 30-40 mL / kg growing substrate during growth days 31-40; and 40-50 mL / kg growing substrate during growth days 41-60.

[0016] In the above method, the raw materials of the growth substrate include perlite and / or glass beads and gas phase spheres.

[0017] In the above method, the growth substrate is made of perlite and glass beads in a mass ratio of 3:1, and gas phase balls are assembled; a layer of gas phase balls is placed around the wall of the potted container between the bottom two spray pipes, 1-3 cm away from the wall of the potted container, and the distance between adjacent gas phase balls in the same layer is 3-5 cm.

[0018] In the above method, the gas phase sphere consists of three parts: a spherical shell, a central axis, and a rotator; the electromagnetic device is attached to the outer wall of the potted plant container.

[0019] The spherical shell is made of plastic, with a diameter of 5-8 mm and a wall thickness of 0.5-0.8 mm. It is hollow, and the spherical wall has 6-12 micropores evenly distributed on it, with a diameter of 0.5 mm.

[0020] The rotator is made of magnetic stainless steel, fan-shaped, with an included angle of 60-120°, and has a hole at the center of the fan. The central axis is placed inside the spherical shell, and the rotator is placed on the central axis through the hole. In its natural state, the fan in the rotator points in the direction of gravity. When a nearby electromagnetic device is energized to generate a magnetic field, the rotator will be attracted to the direction of the electromagnetic device under the action of magnetic force. The fan shape of the rotator will drive the air flow inside the gas phase sphere, and in turn drive the gas phase flow inside the growth matrix.

[0021] The electromagnetic device includes a coil, wires, a switch, and a power supply; the coil can be attached to the outer wall of the potted plant container, and the magnetic field generated by the coil is perpendicular to the central axis of the gas phase sphere and passes through the center of the gas phase sphere.

[0022] The electromagnetic device and the gas phase sphere correspond one-to-one. The coil of the electromagnetic device can be powered and controlled individually, or it can be grouped or powered and controlled uniformly. The power supply is set to intermittently generate magnetic force. When magnetic force is generated, the rotor is attracted laterally. When there is no magnetic force, the rotor remains in a drooping state.

[0023] The power switch time is 1 to 3 times the spraying time of the bottom spray pipe.

[0024] The power-on time is synchronized with the spray nozzle opening time.

[0025] In the above method, the spray pipe is covered with a layer of nylon mesh to prevent roots from entering the spray hole and to prevent root growth from clogging the spray hole and affecting the spraying effect;

[0026] The mesh size of the nylon mesh is 25–30 μm.

[0027] In the above method, several spray pipes in each layer are arranged in parallel;

[0028] The growth substrate layer of the potted plant container is vertically laid with multiple layers of spray pipes. The top and bottom spray pipes have a series of spray holes facing the same direction, and the middle layer spray pipes have four rows of spray holes in mutually perpendicular directions. The above describes the orientation of the spray holes on the spray pipes as the number and direction of the number of rows of holes.

[0029] In this invention, a layer of spray pipes is laid at the bottom of the potted plant container, with spray holes arranged towards the top of the potted plant container; a layer of spray pipes is laid on the surface of the growing substrate layer of the potted plant container, with spray holes arranged towards the bottom of the potted plant container; multiple layers of spray pipes are laid vertically in the middle growing substrate layer of the potted plant container, with spray holes arranged randomly; the direction of the spray holes of the above-mentioned spray pipes is the direction in which the spray holes are placed when the spray pipes are installed.

[0030] In the above method, the inner diameter of the spray tube is 1.5 to 2.5 mm, specifically 2 mm.

[0031] In the above method, the spray holes are opened on the spray pipe at intervals of 0.5 to 1.0 cm;

[0032] The diameter of the spray hole is 0.75 to 1.25 mm, specifically 1 mm, for water mist to pass through.

[0033] In the above method, the distance between two adjacent spray pipes is 4.5 to 6.5 cm, specifically 5 cm.

[0034] In the above method, the potted plant container is divided into multiple chambers along its longitudinal direction, using nylon mesh for division, and the mesh diameter of the nylon mesh is 25-30 μm.

[0035] The present invention has the following advantages:

[0036] (1) This invention can solve the problems of difficulty in watering non-natural soil substrates and uneven watering, which affect the normal growth and development of plants; (2) This invention can control the watering amount of each layer of the spray pipe separately according to the different influences of the external environment on the soil moisture of different layers; (3) This invention can control the watering amount of each layer of the spray pipe separately according to the different utilization of soil moisture by plants at different layers; (4) In the compartment cultivation device of this invention, the watering amount of each compartment can be quantitatively controlled; (5) The presence of the gas phase ball group in this invention increases the proportion of gas phase in the growth substrate. The gas phase ball group can promote the gas phase flow in the growth substrate without human interference, accelerate the diffusion of water mist in the spray pipe in the growth substrate, and is beneficial to the deep root respiration of plants; (6) The device designed by the method of this invention is simple, low in cost, has little impact on plant growth, and has high universality; The method of this invention has direct application value for indoor non-soil substrate plant cultivation and related mechanism research. Attached Figure Description

[0037] Figure 1 This is a roadmap of the method of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the spray pipe of the present invention; wherein, Figure 2 (a) is the top or bottom spray pipe, (a1) is the top view, (a2) is the front view, and (a3) ​​is the side view; (b) is the middle layer spray pipe, (b1) is the top view, (b2) is the front view, and (b3) is the side view.

[0039] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the plant compartment cultivation device of the present invention; wherein, Figure 3 (a) is the front view, (b) is the top view, (c) is the left view of the cross-section of the mycorrhizal chamber, and (d) is the left view of the cross-section of the hyphae chamber.

[0040] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the gas phase sphere assembly of the present invention; wherein, Figure 4 (a) is an electromagnetic device, (b) is a gas phase sphere, (b1) is a front view, (b2) is a top view, (b3) is a left view, and (b4) is a front cross-sectional view.

[0041] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the combined structure of the plant compartment cultivation device and the gas phase bulb assembly of the present invention; wherein, Figure 5 (a) is the front view, (b) is the left view of the cross-section of the mycorrhizal chamber, and (c) is the left view of the cross-section of the hyphal chamber.

[0042] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a single-chamber plant cultivation device; in which, Figure 6 (a) is the front view, (b) is the left view, and (c) is the top view;

[0043] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the combined structure of a single-chamber plant culture device and a gas-phase bulb assembly; among which... Figure 7 (a) is the front view, and (b) is the left view.

[0044] The markings in the diagram are as follows:

[0045] 1. Top or bottom spray pipe; 11. Spray pipe water mist inlet; 2. Middle layer spray pipe; 3, 4. Spray holes; 5, 6. 30μm nylon mesh; 7. Cultivation device; 71, 73. Mycorrhizal chamber; 72. Mycelial chamber; 74, 75. 30μm nylon mesh; 76. Growth substrate; 77. Growth substrate-air interface; 8. Electromagnetic device; 81. Switch; 82. Power supply; 83. Wire; 84. Coil; 9. Gas phase sphere; 91. Sphere shell; 92. Micropores; 93. Central axis; 94. Rotor. Detailed Implementation

[0046] Unless otherwise specified, the experimental methods used in the following examples are conventional methods.

[0047] Unless otherwise specified, all materials and reagents used in the following examples are commercially available.

[0048] To verify the effect of the method of the present invention on the growth of plants in non-natural soil substrates, comparative experiments were conducted, and each of the following experiments was repeated three times.

[0049] Example 1: Screening Experiment of Growth Substrate and Water Supply Method

[0050] 1. Determine the shape of the potted plant container

[0051] In this example, the potted plant container is a cuboid shape, with a length × width × height of 30cm × 10cm × 12cm.

[0052] 2. Determine the experimental treatment

[0053] The experimental treatment mainly determined the raw materials and proportions of the growth substrate, as well as the water supply method.

[0054] (1) The experimental treatment is as follows:

[0055] Group 1: Sandy soil, watered on top.

[0056] Second group: glass beads, water poured on top.

[0057] Group 3: Perlite, water supply method is the same as Group 2.

[0058] Group 4: Perlite: Glass beads 1:1, water supply method is the same as Group 2.

[0059] Group 5: Perlite: Glass beads 3:1, water supply method is the same as Group 2.

[0060] Group 6: Glass beads, middle layer spray pipe, spray holes are arranged facing up, down, left and right respectively.

[0061] Group 7: Perlite, water supply method is the same as Group 6.

[0062] Group 8: Perlite: Glass beads 1:1, water supply method is the same as Group 6.

[0063] Group 9: Perlite: Glass beads 3:1, water supply method is the same as Group 6.

[0064] Group 10: Glass beads, intermediate spray pipe, spray hole layout rotated 45° compared to Group 6.

[0065] Group 11: Perlite, water supply method is the same as Group 10.

[0066] Group 12: Perlite: Glass beads 1:1, water supply method is the same as Group 10.

[0067] Group 13: Perlite: Glass beads 3:1, water supply method is the same as Group 10.

[0068] Group 14: Glass beads, bottom layer + top layer spray pipes, the bottom layer spray pipe spray holes are arranged facing the top, and the top layer spray pipe spray holes are arranged facing the bottom.

[0069] Group 15: Perlite, water supply method is the same as Group 14.

[0070] Group 16: Perlite: Glass beads 1:1, water supply method is the same as Group 14.

[0071] Group 17: Perlite: Glass beads 3:1, water supply method is the same as Group 14.

[0072] Group 18: Glass beads, bottom layer + middle layer + top layer spray pipes. The spray holes of the middle layer are arranged facing up, down, left and right respectively. The spray holes of the bottom layer spray pipe are arranged facing the top. The spray holes of the top layer spray pipe are arranged facing the bottom.

[0073] Group 19: Perlite, water supply method is the same as Group 18.

[0074] Group 20: Perlite: Glass beads 1:1, water supply method is the same as Group 18.

[0075] Group 21: Perlite: Glass beads 3:1, water supply method is the same as Group 18.

[0076] Group 22: Glass beads, gas phase spheres, bottom layer + middle layer + top layer spray pipes, the spray holes of the middle layer are arranged facing up, down, left and right respectively, the spray holes of the bottom layer spray pipe are arranged facing the top, and the spray holes of the top layer spray pipe are arranged facing the bottom.

[0077] Group 23: Perlite, vapor phase sphere group, water supply method is the same as Group 22.

[0078] Group 24: Perlite: Glass beads 1:1, gas phase sphere group, water supply method is the same as Group 22.

[0079] Group 25: Perlite: Glass beads 3:1, gas phase sphere group, water supply method is the same as Group 22.

[0080] All the growing substrates, including sand, perlite, glass beads, vapor bulbs, and potting containers used in the above treatments, were sterilized or disinfected. The vapor bulbs were used to increase the proportion of gas in the growing substrate, which is beneficial for root respiration.

[0081] 3. Design and install the spraying device and fill the growth substrate.

[0082] The spray nozzle is designed to supply moisture to the growth substrate by spraying water mist.

[0083] Groups 6 through 13: Setting up and filling the intermediate layer spray pipe 2 with growth substrate 76: First, lay a 5cm thick layer of growth substrate 76 in the potted container, then add a layer of spray pipe in the middle, followed by another 5cm thick layer of growth substrate 76. The intermediate layer spray pipe 2 is a soft plastic tube (spray pipe) with an inner diameter of 2mm. The intermediate layer spray pipe 2 has only small holes with a diameter of 1mm at intervals of 0.5cm inside the growth device for water mist to pass through. The intermediate layer spray pipe 2 has four rows of spray holes 4 arranged in mutually perpendicular directions (see...). Figure 2 In section (b), the horizontal distance between two adjacent spray pipes is 1 cm, and the spray holes 4 of the middle layer spray pipe 2 are randomly oriented during installation. Root growth is hydrotropic. To prevent root growth from clogging the spray holes 4, a 30 μm nylon mesh 6 is wrapped around the spray pipe to prevent roots from entering the spray holes 4, affecting the spraying effect, and thus affecting the water supply to the soil.

[0084] Groups 14 to 17: The bottom and top spray devices and growth substrate filling 76: Spray pipes (i.e., top or bottom spray pipes 1) are installed at the bottom and top of the growth substrate. Soft plastic pipes with an inner diameter of 2 mm (spray pipes) are used. The spray pipes have small holes of 1 mm diameter at 0.5 cm intervals inside the growth device for water mist passage. The horizontal distance between adjacent spray pipes is 1 cm. The spray holes 3 of the bottom or top spray pipe 1 are arranged in only one row in one direction (see...). Figure 2 (a) When laying the spray pipes, the spray holes 3 of the bottom spray pipes face upwards, and the spray holes 3 of the top spray pipes face downwards. Root growth exhibits hydrotropism. To prevent root growth from clogging the spray holes, a 30μm nylon mesh 5 is wrapped around the spray pipe to prevent roots from entering the spray holes, affecting the spraying effect, and consequently affecting the water supply to the soil.

[0085] Groups 18 to 25 involve the treatment of the bottom, middle, and top layers of the spraying system and the filling of the growth substrate: For growth chambers with continuous growth substrate, a spraying system is installed. The spraying system is generally arranged in a single-layer parallel arrangement or multiple layers vertically, and is installed on cultivation device 7. Figure 6 The single layer uses a soft plastic tube (spray tube) with an inner diameter of 2mm. The spray tube has small holes (1mm in diameter) spaced 0.5cm apart within the growth device for water mist passage. The horizontal distance between adjacent spray tubes is 1cm. For vertical multi-layer applications, a new spray tube is added every 5cm. A new spray tube is added to the bottom layer, a new spray tube to the surface layer, and a new spray tube to the middle layer. The spray holes in the bottom and top spray tubes are arranged in only one row in one direction (see...). Figure 2 In the middle (a) section, four rows of spray holes are arranged in a direction perpendicular to each other (see...). Figure 2(b) When laying the spray pipes, the bottom layer spray pipes have their spray holes facing upwards, the top layer spray pipes have their spray holes facing downwards, and the middle layer spray pipes have their spray holes facing randomly, allowing water mist to pass through. Roots exhibit hydrotropism, so to prevent root growth from clogging the spray holes, a 30μm nylon mesh is wrapped around the spray pipe to prevent roots from entering the spray holes, affecting the spraying effect, and consequently affecting soil water supply.

[0086] After installing the bottom layer of spray pipes, fill in a 5cm layer of growing substrate, then lay a middle layer of spray pipes, then fill in another 5cm layer of growing substrate, and finally lay a layer of spray pipes at the soil-air interface.

[0087] Gas phase sphere design:

[0088] Groups 21 to 25 handle the installation of gas phase spheres (see...) Figure 4 During the filling of the growth substrate, a layer of vapor chambers 9 is placed around the wall of the potting container (i.e., cultivation device 7) at a height of 2.5 cm from the bottom of the soil, 2 cm away from the wall of the potting container, and the distance between adjacent vapor chambers in the same layer is 4 cm (e.g., ...). Figure 5 (As shown).

[0089] The gas phase sphere assembly includes a gas phase sphere 9 and an electromagnetic device 8. The gas phase sphere 9 consists of three parts: a shell 91, a central shaft 93, and a rotor 94. The electromagnetic device 8 is attached to the outer wall of the potted plant container.

[0090] The spherical shell 91 is made of plastic, with a diameter of 6mm and a wall thickness of 0.5mm. It is hollow, and there are 12 micropores 92 evenly distributed on the spherical wall. The diameter of each micropore 92 is 0.5mm.

[0091] The rotator 94 is made of magnetic stainless steel and resembles a fan shape with an included angle of 60–120°. It has a hole at the center of the fan. The central axis 93 is housed within the spherical shell, and the rotator 94 is mounted on the central axis 93 through the hole. In its natural state, the fan shape of the rotator 94 points in the direction of gravity. When the nearby electromagnetic device 8 is energized, it generates a magnetic field, attracting the rotator 94 towards the electromagnetic device 8. The fan shape of the rotator 94 drives the airflow within the gas phase sphere 9, thereby driving the gas phase flow within the growth substrate.

[0092] The electromagnetic device 8 includes a coil 84, a wire 83, a switch 81, and a power supply 82. The coil 84 can be attached to the outer wall of the potted container. The magnetic field generated by the coil 84 is perpendicular to the central axis of the gas sphere 9 and passes through the center of the gas sphere 9. The electromagnetic device 8 and the gas sphere 9 correspond one-to-one. The coil 84 of the electromagnetic device 8 can be individually powered and control the switch, or they can be grouped or uniformly powered and controlled. A schematic diagram of the combined structure of the cultivation device 7 and the gas sphere group is shown below. Figure 7Power supply 82 is designed for intermittent power supply, intermittently generating magnetic force. When magnetic force is generated, it laterally attracts the rotor; when there is no magnetic force, the rotor 94 remains in a drooping state. The power switch 81 operates for twice the duration of the spray from the bottom spray pipe 1, and its activation time is synchronized with the activation time of the spray pipe.

[0093] Sowing and basal fertilizer treatment:

[0094] Disinfect alfalfa seeds, sow 30 seeds per treatment, and thin out seedlings to 20 plants per seedling after emergence.

[0095] Because the growth substrates for the treatments other than the first group were non-natural soil substrates, they were relatively deficient in N, P, and K nutrients. Therefore, these treatment groups were supplemented with nutrients by adding 0.588 g of 1 / 2 MS medium and 0.112 g of potassium dihydrogen phosphate per kilogram of growth substrate, which is equivalent to adding 100, 30, and 150 mg of N, P, and K nutrients per kilogram of growth substrate. Each 2.47g 1 / 2MS medium contains the following: potassium nitrate 950mg, ammonium nitrate 825mg, potassium dihydrogen phosphate 85mg, magnesium sulfate 185mg, calcium chloride 220mg, potassium iodide 0.83mg, boric acid 6.2mg, manganese sulfate 22.3mg, zinc sulfate 8.6mg, sodium molybdate 0.25mg, copper sulfate 0.025mg, cobalt chloride 0.025mg, ferrous sulfate 27.8mg, inositol 100mg, glycine 2mg, thiamine hydrochloride 0.1mg, pyridoxine hydrochloride 0.5mg, hydrochloric acid 0.5mg, and disodium EDTA 37.3mg.

[0096] 4. Set the spray time and spray duration.

[0097] The top-watering treatment group manually watered the soil from the top.

[0098] Based on the actual situation, the surface substrate moisture evaporates easily, while the middle and bottom soil moisture does not evaporate easily. For the treatment with three layers of spray pipes (bottom layer + middle layer + top layer), the spray duration of the middle and bottom soil moisture should be kept synchronized, and the spray duration of the surface substrate should be set to be 3 times the average spray duration of the middle and bottom layers.

[0099] The spray rate of the bottom spray tube is 6 mL / min.

[0100] With only the middle layer of spray pipes, the spray duration is 5 times longer than that of the bottom layer spray pipe in a three-layer spray pipe system.

[0101] With only a bottom layer and a top layer spray pipe, the spray duration of the bottom layer and the top layer spray pipe is 1.25 times that of the bottom layer and the top layer spray pipe in the three-layer spray pipe treatment.

[0102] In all treatments, the soil was watered from the top before sowing, with the water volume being 60% of the maximum water holding capacity of the growing substrate. The total daily water replenishment for the soil was 10 mL / kg of growing substrate during growth days 0–20; 20 mL / kg of growing substrate during growth days 21–30; 30 mL / kg of growing substrate during growth days 31–40; and 40 mL / kg of growing substrate during growth days 41–60. The daily water replenishment was kept consistent across all treatments.

[0103] 5. Growth status

[0104] After 60 days of growth, the plants were harvested, and the root biomass, aboveground biomass, and total biomass were measured, as shown in Table 1.

[0105] The results show that the first group had the highest root biomass, aboveground biomass, and total biomass. This is because the sandy substrate contains certain basic nutrients that are absorbed and utilized by the plants. Overall, comparing the second to the twenty-fifth groups, regardless of whether air-phase bulbs were placed, under the same watering conditions, the differences in root biomass, aboveground biomass, and total biomass were small for perlite, glass beads, perlite:glass beads (1:1), and perlite:glass beads (3:1). Furthermore, the perlite:glass beads (1:1) and perlite:glass beads (3:1) groups showed a trend of higher root biomass, aboveground biomass, and total biomass than perlite and glass beads alone, while perlite:glass beads (3:1) showed a trend of higher than perlite:glass beads (1:1). Comparing the eighteenth to the twenty-fifth groups, the root biomass, aboveground biomass, and total biomass of plants grown on glass beads or perlite:glass beads (3:1) growing substrates were lower than those of plants grown on substrates containing air-phase bulbs. This indicates that the presence of vaporized beads in the growth substrate has a positive effect on promoting plant growth. It also indicates that all four substrate treatments—perlite, glass beads, perlite:glass beads (1:1), and perlite:glass beads (3:1)—can be used to cultivate alfalfa, with the perlite:glass beads ratio being optimal at 3:1. Furthermore, the effect is even better when vaporized beads are present.

[0106] The comparison of groups six through seventeen reveals that, under the same growing substrate conditions, the root biomass, aboveground biomass, and total biomass of plants grown using a double-layer (bottom layer + top layer) spray pipe setup were higher than those grown using a single-layer (middle layer) spray pipe setup. Furthermore, the root biomass, aboveground biomass, and total biomass of plants grown using a triple-layer (bottom layer + middle layer + bottom layer) spray pipe setup were higher than those grown using both single-layer and double-layer spray pipe setups. This indicates that the triple-layer spray pipe water supply method is more conducive to plant growth.

[0107] A comparison of groups six through thirteen reveals that, under the same growth substrate conditions, spray pipes were only installed in the middle layer. The different directions of the spray pipe nozzles had minimal impact on root biomass, aboveground biomass, and total biomass. This indicates that the changes in water supply caused by the direction of the spray pipe nozzles did not significantly affect plant growth.

[0108] Overall, among the plants grown in non-natural soil substrates, the plants in treatment group 25 showed better growth, and this treatment is a good program for plant cultivation.

[0109] Table 1

[0110]

[0111]

[0112] Example 2: Experiment on the effect of DSE on alfalfa growth

[0113] 1. Determine the shape of the potted plant container

[0114] In this example, the potted container is a cuboid, measuring 30cm x 10cm x 12cm (length x width x height). The container is divided into three parts: the two ends are plant growing chambers (mycorrhizal chambers), and the middle is the mycelial chamber (see...). Figure 3 ).

[0115] 2. Preparation of DSE bacterial culture

[0116] The information regarding the DSE strain used in this example is as follows (for details, please refer to Xie et al. Combined inoculation with dark septate endophytes and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: synergistic or competitive growth effects on maize? BMC Plant Biol. 2021; 21:498):

[0117] Strain name: Alternaria

[0118] Latin name: Alternaria sp.

[0119] Strain number: 001

[0120] Preservation Institution: China General Microbiological Culture Collection Center, China Microbiological Culture Collection Committee

[0121] Collection institution abbreviation: CGMCC

[0122] Address: No. 3, Courtyard 1, Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing

[0123] Date of preservation: April 8, 2019

[0124] CGMCC Registration Number: CGMCC No. 17463

[0125] Finally, the prepared DSE bacterial culture had a specification of 2×10⁻⁶. 5 CFU mL -1 .

[0126] 3. Determine the experimental treatment

[0127] The experimental treatment mainly determined the raw materials and ratio of the growth substrate, the water supply method, and whether to inoculate bacteria.

[0128] (1) The experimental treatment is as follows:

[0129] The raw materials and proportions of the growth substrate, as well as the water supply method, followed the treatment group 25 in Example 1. The experiment was set up with two treatment groups: a control treatment (no DSE inoculation) and a DSE treatment (DSE inoculation).

[0130] (2) Design and install the spraying device and fill the growth substrate.

[0131] Same as Example 1, Group 25.

[0132] (3) Gas-phase sphere design

[0133] Same as Example 1, Group 25.

[0134] (4) Inoculation treatment and base fertilizer treatment

[0135] Inoculation was performed using a soaking method. In the control treatment, sterilized alfalfa seeds were soaked in a prepared sterilized DSE inoculum solution (121℃, 2h) for 12h, then removed and sown in the mycorrhizal chambers of the control treatment. In the DSE treatment group, sterilized alfalfa seeds were soaked in the prepared DSE inoculum solution for 12h, then removed and sown in the DSE-treated mycorrhizal chambers. 30 seeds were sown in each mycorrhizal chamber for each treatment, and after emergence, seedlings were thinned to 20 plants per chamber.

[0136] The basal fertilizer treatment was the same as in Example 1, Group 25.

[0137] 4. Water supply settings (set spray time and spray duration)

[0138] The water supply setup is the same as in Example 1, Group 25.

[0139] 5. Growth status

[0140] After 60 days of growth, plant height, root biomass, aboveground biomass, total biomass, root infection rate in the mycorrhizal chamber, and mycelial density in the mycorrhizal chamber were measured, as shown in Table 2. Plant height, root biomass, aboveground biomass, total biomass, and root infection rate are all average values ​​for plants in both mycorrhizal chambers. Table 2 shows that DSE formed a good symbiotic relationship with the plant roots in the DSE treatment, and the mycelial density in the mycorrhizal chamber was measured to be 1.0 m / g. The plant height, root biomass, aboveground biomass, and total biomass of the DSE-inoculated plants were significantly higher than those of the control treatment. Therefore, the 25th treatment in Example 1 and the DSE-inoculated treatment can better cultivate plants and can be used to study the physiological regulatory mechanism of DSE on alfalfa growth.

[0141] Table 2

[0142]

[0143] summary

[0144] The method of this invention is innovative in consideration of the actual situation of the difficulty in watering plants in non-natural soil substrates. The method of this invention solves the following problems: (1) Watering in non-natural soil substrates is difficult and uneven, affecting the normal growth and development of plants; (2) Soil moisture in different layers is affected differently by the external environment, and the amount of water replenishment needs to be controlled separately; (3) Soil moisture in different layers is utilized differently by plants, and the amount of water replenishment needs to be controlled separately; (4) The presence of gaseous bulbs in the growth substrate is beneficial to improving the permeability of deep substrate soil, which is beneficial to plant root respiration and plant growth; (5) The method of this invention can be used to study the effect of DSE on the growth status of alfalfa. The method of this invention also has the following advantages: the device is simple, the device cost is low, and the method has high universality; the device has little impact on plant growth, and root growth will not block the spray holes, thus not affecting the spraying effect and water supply. The method of this invention has direct application value for indoor non-soil substrate plant cultivation and related mechanism research.

Claims

1. A method for cultivating plants in a non-natural soil substrate, comprising the following steps: (1) Design and install a non-natural soil substrate plant cultivation device, wherein the non-natural soil substrate plant cultivation device includes a spraying device; The spraying device includes several layers of spray pipes, each layer consisting of several spray pipes. Each spray pipe is provided with several spray holes. One end of each spray pipe is closed, and the other end is connected to a water mist source. The cultivation device also includes a potted container, the inside of which is filled with a growth substrate layer; a layer of spray pipes is laid at the bottom of the potted container, with spray holes arranged towards the top of the potted container; a layer of spray pipes is laid on the surface of the growth substrate layer in the potted container, with spray holes arranged towards the bottom of the potted container; multiple layers of spray pipes are laid vertically in the middle growth substrate layer of the potted container, with spray holes arranged randomly. (2) Setting the spraying time and spraying duration: After the plants are cultivated in the growth substrate layer of the potted container, the water replenishment of each layer of the spray pipe can be controlled individually; The growth substrate is made of perlite and glass beads in a mass ratio of 3:1, and gas phase balls are assembled. A layer of gas phase balls is placed around the wall of the potted container between the bottom two spray pipes, 1-3 cm away from the wall of the potted container, and the distance between adjacent gas phase balls in the same layer is 3-5 cm. The gas phase sphere assembly includes a gas phase sphere and an electromagnetic device; The gas phase sphere consists of three parts: a spherical shell, a central axis, and a rotator; the electromagnetic device is attached to the outer wall of the potted plant container. The spherical shell is made of plastic, with a diameter of 5-8 mm and a wall thickness of 0.5-0.8 mm. It is hollow, and the spherical wall has 6-12 micropores evenly distributed on it, with a diameter of 0.5 mm. The rotator is made of magnetic stainless steel, fan-shaped, with an included angle of 60~120°, and has a hole at the center of the fan. The central axis is placed inside the spherical shell, and the rotator is placed on the central axis through the hole. In its natural state, the fan in the rotator points in the direction of gravity. When a nearby electromagnetic device is energized to generate a magnetic field, the rotator will be attracted to the direction of the electromagnetic device under the action of magnetic force. The fan shape of the rotator will drive the air flow inside the gas phase sphere, and in turn drive the gas phase flow inside the growth matrix. The electromagnetic device includes a coil, wires, a switch, and a power supply; the coil is attached to the outer wall of the potted plant container, and the magnetic field generated by the coil is perpendicular to the central axis of the gas sphere and passes through the center of the gas sphere. The electromagnetic device and the gas phase sphere correspond one-to-one; the power supply is set to intermittently supply power, which intermittently generates magnetic force. When magnetic force is generated, the rotor is attracted laterally. When there is no magnetic force, the rotor remains in a drooping state. The power switch time is 1 to 3 times the spray duration of the bottom spray tube. The power-on time is synchronized with the spray nozzle opening time.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spray duration of the spray pipes laid vertically along the bottom of the potted plant container and the middle growth substrate layer is the same; the spray duration of the spray pipes laid on the surface of the potted plant container is 2 to 5 times the average spray duration of the spray pipes laid vertically along the bottom of the potted plant container and the middle growth substrate layer. The spray rate of the bottom spray tube is 5~10mL / min; The total daily water replenishment of the growing substrate in the potted plant container is as follows: 10-20 mL / kg growing substrate during growth days 0-20; 20-30 mL / kg growing substrate during growth days 21-30; 30-40 mL / kg growing substrate during growth days 31-40; and 40-50 mL / kg growing substrate during growth days 41-60.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The spray pipe is covered with a layer of nylon mesh; The mesh size of the nylon mesh is 25~30μm.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Several spray pipes are arranged in parallel within each layer of the spray pipes; Multiple spray pipes are laid vertically within the growth substrate layer of the potted plant container. The top and bottom spray pipes have a row of spray holes facing the same direction, while the middle layer spray pipes have four rows of spray holes in mutually perpendicular directions.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The inner diameter of the spray pipe is 1.5~2.5mm.

6. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The spray pipe has spray holes spaced at intervals of 0.5 to 1.0 cm. The diameter of the spray hole is 0.75~1.25mm.

7. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The spacing between two adjacent spray pipes is 4.5~6.5cm.

8. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The potted plant container is divided into multiple chambers along its longitudinal direction, using nylon mesh for partitioning. The mesh diameter of the nylon mesh is 25~30μm.

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