A directional culture device capable of guiding the growth direction of root system

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of directional culture devices that can guide root system growth direction, it is related to plant cultivation technical field.The utility model includes culture container, root system guiding assembly and substrate fixing structure;Culture container inside is equipped with vertical partition, and the container inner cavity is divided into multiple parallel culture chambers;The root system guiding assembly includes multiple guide plates, each guide plate is sequentially spaced in corresponding culture chamber along vertical direction, and the gap formed between adjacent guide plates constitutes the slit space for root system to pass through;The substrate fixing structure includes the clamping groove on the side wall of culture chamber and the porous support net that can be inserted into clamping groove, and the porous support net is horizontally arranged, and its edge is embedded into clamping groove.The utility model utilizes multiple independent culture chambers formed by vertical partition, while realizing the physical isolation between different processing groups, the moderate interaction of upper microenvironment is retained, cross interference is avoided, and overall ecological coordination is maintained.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of plant cultivation technology, and in particular relates to a directional cultivation device that can guide the direction of root growth. Background Technology

[0002] In plant biology, agricultural and forestry science, and ecological restoration research, roots, as key organs for plants to absorb water and nutrients, sense environmental signals, and interact with soil microorganisms, have always been a focus of scientific research. Their growth configuration, spatial distribution, and dynamic response mechanisms have been a primary concern. However, traditional root cultivation methods, such as soil culture, hydroponics, or ordinary container cultivation, generally suffer from problems such as uncontrollable root growth direction, difficulty in observation, and easy entanglement, making it difficult to achieve precise intervention and real-time recording of the root morphogenesis process. Especially when conducting research on root tropism (such as hydrotropism, nutrient tropism, and obstacle avoidance) or screening varieties with specific root configurations, there is a lack of experimental devices that can effectively constrain and guide the root system to extend directionally along a predetermined path. Although some transparent root boxes, compartment culture boxes, or multi-layer filter paper systems are available for root observation, these devices are often simple in structure and cannot actively control the direction of the root system in three-dimensional space. Some devices have physical barriers, but the dense materials or unreasonable pore size can hinder the normal penetration of the root system and even cause mechanical damage. In addition, most devices do not integrate substrate fixation, drainage collection, and horizontal adjustment functions, which can easily lead to problems such as substrate collapse, water accumulation and root rot, or deviation of the observation angle in long-term experiments, seriously affecting the accuracy and reproducibility of experimental data.

[0003] To address this issue, we provide a directional culture device that can guide the direction of root growth. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a directional culture device that can guide the direction of root growth. By setting a slit guide structure composed of multi-layer guide plates in the culture container, combined with a substrate fixing component and a modular drainage system, the device effectively constrains and guides the roots to grow in an orderly manner along a preset path. This solves the problems of disordered root spread, difficulty in directional control, inconvenient observation, easy substrate collapse, and inefficient collection of leachate in existing culture devices, thereby achieving precise control of the root growth direction and non-destructive real-time observation.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this utility model is achieved through the following technical solution: This invention relates to a directional cultivation device for guiding root growth, comprising a cultivation container, a root guiding component, and a substrate fixing structure. The cultivation container is a hollow cuboid structure with vertical partitions inside, dividing the container cavity into multiple parallel cultivation chambers. Each cultivation chamber has a drainage hole at its bottom. The root guiding component includes multiple guide plates, which are arranged vertically at intervals within their respective cultivation chambers. The gaps between adjacent guide plates form narrow slits for root passage. The substrate fixing structure includes slots on the side walls of the cultivation chambers and a porous support mesh that can be inserted into the slots. The porous support mesh is horizontally positioned, with its edges embedded in the slots, supporting the cultivation substrate and restricting its vertical displacement.

[0006] The present invention is further configured such that the guide plate is made of polylactic acid porous membrane or ceramic microporous plate, and the guide plates are arranged at equal intervals in the vertical direction.

[0007] The present invention is further configured such that the bottom of the culture container is provided with an adjustable support foot, the support foot including a screw threadedly installed on the bottom of the culture container and a pad fixed to the bottom of the screw.

[0008] The present invention is further configured such that the side wall of the culture container is provided with a transparent observation window, the position of which corresponds to the height of the guide plate.

[0009] The present invention is further configured such that a guide pipe is connected below the drain hole, and a detachable liquid collection box is provided at the end of the guide pipe.

[0010] The present invention is further configured such that the height of the vertical partition is lower than the total height of the inner cavity of the culture container, and a communication gap is left at its top.

[0011] This utility model has the following beneficial effects: 1. This utility model utilizes vertical partitions to form multiple independent culture chambers. Combined with the design of the top connecting gap, it achieves physical isolation between different treatment groups while preserving appropriate interaction of the upper microenvironment. This avoids cross-interference and maintains overall ecological harmony, making it suitable for comparative experiments or parallel research under multiple conditions.

[0012] 2. The guide plate of this utility model forms a narrow slit space in the vertical direction, which can effectively guide the root system to grow along the preset path, overcoming the problem of disordered root spread and entanglement in traditional cultivation methods, and greatly improving the accuracy of root morphological observation and quantitative analysis.

[0013] 3. The substrate fixing structure formed by the porous support mesh and the side wall groove of this utility model can firmly support the cultivation substrate and prevent it from settling or shifting during watering or root elongation, ensuring the long-term stability of the relative position between the guiding system and the substrate and improving the repeatability of the experiment.

[0014] Of course, any product implementing this utility model does not necessarily need to achieve all of the advantages described above at the same time. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a directional culture device that can guide the direction of root growth.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a top view of the culture container shell of a directional culture device that can guide the direction of root growth.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a directional culture device that can guide the direction of root growth.

[0019] The attached diagram lists the components represented by each number as follows: 1. Culture container; 11. Vertical partition; 12. Drainage hole; 13. Observation window; 14. Guide tube; 15. Liquid collection box; 2. Root guiding component; 21. Guide plate; 3. Substrate fixing structure; 31. Porous support mesh; 4. Support foot; 41. Screw; 42. Pad block. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0021] Example Please see Figure 1-3 This utility model is a directional culture device that can guide the direction of root growth, including a culture container 1, a root guiding component 2, and a substrate fixing structure 3. The culture container 1 is a hollow cuboid structure with a vertical partition 11 inside, which divides the inner cavity of the container into multiple parallel culture chambers. Each culture chamber has a drainage hole 12 at the bottom. The root guiding component 2 includes multiple guide plates 21, which are arranged vertically and spaced apart in the corresponding culture chambers. The gaps formed between adjacent guide plates 21 constitute a narrow space for the roots to pass through. The substrate fixing structure 3 includes a slot on the side wall of the culture chamber and a porous support net 31 that can be inserted into the slot. The porous support net 31 is horizontally arranged, and its edge is embedded in the slot to support the cultivation substrate and restrict its displacement in the vertical direction.

[0022] Specifically, the height of the vertical partition 11 is lower than the total height of the inner cavity of the culture container 1, and a communication gap is left at its top; a guide pipe 14 is connected below the drain hole 12, and a detachable collection box 15 is provided at the end of the guide pipe 14.

[0023] Furthermore, the bottom of the culture container 1 is provided with an adjustable support foot 4, the support foot 4 including a screw 41 threadedly fitted to the bottom of the culture container 1, and a pad 42 fixed to the bottom of the screw 41; the side wall of the culture container 1 is provided with a transparent observation window 13, the position of the observation window 13 corresponding to the height of the guide plate 21; the guide plate 21 is made of polylactic acid porous membrane or ceramic microporous plate, and the guide plate 21 is arranged at equal intervals in the vertical direction.

[0024] The directional culture device for guiding root growth provided in this embodiment guides roots to extend along a preset path through the orderly construction of physical space. Specifically, the entire device uses a cuboid culture container 1 as its basic frame. Inside, vertical partitions 11, lower than the total height of the container, form multiple independent but interconnected culture chambers. This ensures the relative independence of the substrate environment in each chamber while allowing moderate exchange of water and nutrients in the upper region, avoiding ecological imbalance caused by complete isolation. Within each chamber, multiple layers of guide plates 21 arranged vertically constitute the key guiding unit. Narrow gaps are left between these guide plates 21. Utilizing the biological characteristics of roots—their attraction to water and oxygen and their tendency to avoid obstacles—roots are forced to travel only downwards or laterally along these gaps, thus achieving spatial constraint and path planning for root orientation. The guide plates 21 are made of biocompatible and highly permeable materials such as polylactic acid porous membranes or ceramic microporous plates, maintaining local microenvironmental humidity and gas exchange without hindering root tip penetration growth. Meanwhile, the horizontally arranged porous support mesh 31 is fixed by being embedded in the side wall slots, which not only effectively supports the cultivation substrate to prevent collapse, but also restricts the vertical displacement of the substrate, ensuring the relative stability of the guide structure and the substrate. The bottom drainage system, together with the guide pipe 14 and the detachable collection box 15, facilitates precise control of water discharge and collection of leachate for subsequent analysis. In addition, the threaded adjustable support feet 4 at the bottom of the container provide a flexible leveling device to adapt to different experimental surfaces; while the transparent observation window 13, corresponding to the height of the guide plate 21, provides convenience for non-destructive real-time observation of root dynamics. The overall structure takes into account functionality, operability, and scientific research practicality, significantly improving the controllability and research efficiency of root-directed culture.

[0025] The operation process of this embodiment is as follows: First, place the culture container 1 on the experimental table and adjust the adjustable support feet 4 at the bottom to keep the container horizontal and stable; then, install the porous support mesh 31 in each culture chamber, aligning its edges with the side wall slots and embedding it horizontally to ensure that it firmly supports the cultivation substrate to be filled later; next, evenly fill each chamber with a suitable cultivation substrate for plant growth, the substrate height should be slightly lower than the top of the vertical partition 11 to maintain the unobstructed upper connection between the chambers; then, sow or transplant seedlings in the corresponding chambers according to experimental needs, so that the seeds or roots are located in the center above the porous support mesh 31; after planting, water an appropriate amount of nutrient solution or water from the top of the container, and excess water will seep through the substrate to the bottom of the chamber and flow into the drain through the drainage hole 12. The flow tube 14 ultimately collects the liquid into a detachable collection box 15 for unified collection and monitoring. During plant growth, the roots are physically constrained by the narrow space between the guide plates 21, extending along the pre-set slit direction instead of spreading randomly. Researchers can observe the root movement between guide plates 21 at different heights in real time through the transparent observation window 13 on the side wall without damaging the device structure. If the cultivation conditions need to be adjusted, guide plates 21 with different spacing or materials can be replaced, or their layers can be increased or decreased to adapt to the growth characteristics of different plant roots. After the experiment, the porous support net 31 can be easily disassembled, the substrate emptied, and the exudate in the collection box 15 analyzed, thus enabling a systematic study of root growth behavior, water use efficiency, and nutrient absorption. The entire operation process is simple, highly modular, and has good reusability and experimental controllability.

[0026] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "an embodiment," "example," "specific example," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

Claims

1. A directional culture device for guiding root growth, comprising a culture container (1), a root guiding component (2), and a substrate fixing structure (3); characterized in that: The culture container (1) is a hollow cuboid structure with a vertical partition (11) inside, which divides the inner cavity of the container into multiple parallel culture chambers; each culture chamber has a drainage hole (12) at the bottom. The root guiding component (2) includes multiple guide plates (21), each guide plate (21) is arranged in a vertical direction at intervals in the corresponding culture chamber, and the gap formed between adjacent guide plates (21) constitutes a narrow space for the root system to pass through; The substrate fixing structure (3) includes a slot on the side wall of the culture chamber and a porous support mesh (31) that can be inserted into the slot. The porous support mesh (31) is horizontally arranged, and its edge is embedded in the slot to support the cultivation substrate and restrict its displacement in the vertical direction.

2. The directional cultivation device for guiding root growth according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide plate (21) is made of polylactic acid porous membrane or ceramic microporous plate, and the guide plates (21) are arranged at equal intervals in the vertical direction.

3. The directional cultivation device for guiding root growth according to claim 1, characterized in that, The culture container (1) is provided with an adjustable support foot (4) at the bottom. The support foot (4) includes a screw (41) threadedly fitted to the bottom of the culture container (1) and a pad (42) fixed to the bottom of the screw (41).

4. The directional culture device for guiding root growth according to claim 1, characterized in that, The culture container (1) has a transparent observation window (13) on its side wall, and the position of the observation window (13) corresponds to the height of the guide plate (21).

5. The directional culture device for guiding root growth according to claim 1, characterized in that, A guide pipe (14) is connected below the drain hole (12), and a detachable collection box (15) is provided at the end of the guide pipe (14).

6. The directional cultivation device for guiding root growth according to claim 1, characterized in that, The height of the vertical partition (11) is lower than the total height of the inner cavity of the culture container (1), and a communication gap is left at its top.

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