Plant clip

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a plant clamp for grafting two different plants with a clamping device having at least one recess, which is intended to receive the end stems of the two plants to be joined in the recess and to bring them into contact with one another there, preferably at the end, wherein this contact can be permanently ensured by the clamping action of the clamping device and at least one spring element for generating the clamping action of the clamping device.

[0002] Such a plant clip is known from WO 2021 / 131356 A1. In commercial fruit and vegetable cultivation, young vegetable plants are cultivated by grafting noble fruit varieties onto a vigorous and disease-resistant rootstock (= plant with root system). In this type of grafting, the so-called top cuttings (= shoots with fruit) of particularly high-yielding fruit varieties are grafted onto robust stems of the same or different varieties (= rootstock). In horticultural terms, this creates a young plant that can be further processed, potted, or planted.

[0003] Today, the cultivation of young plants is usually carried out in greenhouses by specialized nurseries / young plant breeding companies. Using the young plant breeding method described above, the gardener has the opportunity to optimize the variety and yield by systematically combining the rootstock with a wide variety of high-yielding fruit varieties.

[0004] Many young fruit vegetable plants such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers and many more are grown in greenhouses using the "head grafting" described above.

[0005] In the top grafting of fruit vegetables described above, so-called plant clips serve as a connecting element between the rootstock and the fruit variety, while also ensuring the necessary stability of the connection. Plant clips are the standard tool for this type of grafting and can be used for all fruit vegetable species that require grafting. Plant clips have proven their worth in this context, but so far their sole function is to ensure a stable, permanent connection between the two plants to be grafted. The plant clips known in the state of the art do not promote the fusion of the two plants beyond this.

[0006] Against this background, the invention is based on the object of specifying a plant clamp with the features described above, which, in addition to its connecting and stabilizing function, promotes the growth together of the two plants connected by the plant clamp.

[0007] This object is achieved by a clamping device according to claim 1. According to the invention, the clamping device is provided with a magnetizable material at least in some areas to promote the growth of the grafted plants.

[0008] In addition to the correct plant clip, the success of grafting depends on various factors such as temperature, humidity, climatic conditions, planting method (e.g., greenhouse, open field), light incidence, sterile pruning tools, and the plant species. Furthermore, it is generally known that magnetic radiation (in the low milli-Tesla range) has a positive effect on the germination of plant seeds (such as beans), as well as on general water and nutrient uptake and overall plant growth. The invention has now recognized that the plant clip can be used in addition to generating magnetic radiation to improve the grafting result. The invention is based on the idea that germination and grafting can be considered similar, since the pruning of the rootstock and the fruiting shoot each represents a "damage" that is subsequently repaired.To achieve this, increased cell division and, with it, increased water and nutrient requirements are necessary. The same requirement also applies to germination.

[0009] According to the invention, it was recognized that, provided the magnetizable material of the clamping device is in a magnetized state, the magnetic radiation generated by the plant clamp enables improved water and nutrient uptake, especially in the "critical" connection area. This also results in a reduced period of time during which harmful fungi, bacteria, or the like can multiply at the transition point. Overall, the teaching of the invention enables faster growth and thus earlier fruit growth or an earlier harvest, and thus a higher yield.

[0010] The clamping device is preferably based on a polymeric, particularly elastomeric, material. Within the scope of the invention, the clamping device is based on silicone. Silicone possesses excellent long-lasting elasticity and is also highly resistant to the formation of fungi, bacteria, etc. Another fundamental advantage of silicone is its guaranteed transparency, which generally allows the progress of the grafting process to be easily observed.

[0011] The magnetizable material is preferably in the form of an inorganic oxide magnetic material, e.g., a ferrite, for example magnetite (iron(II,III) oxide) and / or strontium hexaferrite and / or barium hexaferrite and / or alkaline earth ferrite and / or a rare earth material. Generally speaking, the magnetizable material can be made from metallic alloys of iron and / or nickel and / or cobalt, optionally with additions of aluminum and / or manganese and / or silicon and / or copper. The use of samarium-cobalt and / or neodymium-iron-boron is also within the scope of the invention. The magnetizable material can also be made from a combination of two or more of the aforementioned materials. The magnetizable material can be in the form of a powder, e.g., with an average grain size of no more than 1 mm, in particular no more than 0.5 mm. The magnetizable material is advantageously distributed in particle form within the material matrix of the clamping device.However, it is also fundamentally within the scope of the invention that the magnetizable material is arranged as a block of material (in particular in magnetized form as a "magnet") on the clamping device, for example by means of adhesive.

[0012] The spring element can be integrally formed with the clamping device. In this case, the spring element preferably adjoins the clamping device as a ring segment. The recess can be formed by an annular design of the clamping device, and the width of the recess can be variable by a slotted ring shape of the clamping device. This makes it possible, in particular, to elastically expand the recess when receiving the two plants to be grafted together in order to facilitate the grafting process within the plant clamp. This expansion can expediently be achieved by (e.g., manual) actuation, in particular by compressing, the spring element.

[0013] It is particularly within the scope of the invention that the clamping device is designed as an extruded profile. This allows for very cost-effective production. The magnetizable material can advantageously be added to the polymer material to be extruded, for example in particle form, and is then distributed in the material matrix of the extruded plant clamp as a result of the extrusion. The extrudate obtained is expediently cut to length in order to provide suitable sizes of the plant clamp, for example in lengths of 5 to 50 mm, e.g. 10 to 20 mm. This cutting to length can in particular also be carried out at the customer's premises, i.e. the customer receives a corresponding bundled / continuous product and cuts it to length according to their own requirements. The magnetization of the magnetizable material can take place online with the extrusion.However, it is also within the scope of the invention to carry out the magnetization only after completion of the manufacturing process, in particular the extrusion process, preferably after the clamping device, produced in particular by extrusion, has undergone a cooling process, for example, down to room temperature. Furthermore, it is fundamentally within the scope of the invention for the clamping device to be designed as a molded part, in particular as an injection-molded part.

[0014] The invention also relates to the use of a plant clamp as described above for grafting at least two different plants. In particular, the plant clamp can be used to carry out a method for grafting at least two different plants using the procedure described above.

[0015] The invention is explained in detail below with reference to a drawing that represents only one exemplary embodiment. The drawings schematically show: Fig. 1a: a plant clamp according to the invention in a cross-sectional view in unloaded, closed state, Fig. 1b: the Fig. 1a shown plant clamp in the open state, Fig. 1c: view A of the Fig. 1a shown plant clamp with plant stems accommodated therein and Fig. 2: an alternative embodiment of the invention in one of the Fig. 1a corresponding representation.

[0016] Fig. 1a - c show a plant clamp 1 for grafting two different plants with a clamping device 3 having a recess 2. The clamping device 3 is intended to receive the end stems SA, SB of the two plants to be joined in the recess 2 and to bring them into contact with each other at the end face, whereby this contact can be permanently ensured by the clamping effect of the clamping device 3. In this context, Fig. 1c which shows the plant clamp with the plant stems SA , SB held in it. It can be seen that the clamping effect of the plant clamp 1 holds the two vertically aligned plant stems SA , SB (see direction of the gravitational force g in Fig. 1c ) are brought into permanent contact with each other at the end face, allowing them to grow together. The plant clamp 1 and thus also the clamping device 3 are made of a polymeric material in the form of an elastomer. In the exemplary embodiment, the plant clamp 1 is based on silicone material and is manufactured using an extrusion process.

[0017] The plant clamp 1 further comprises a spring element 4 for generating the clamping effect of the clamping device 3. The functioning of the spring element 4 is described in Fig. 1b explained. By, for example, manually compressing the spring element 4 (indicated by forces shown with arrows P), the recess 2 is elastically widened so that the two plant stems SA, SB can be easily received therein and brought into contact with each other at the end. If the spring element 4 is relieved again, the opening width W of the recess 2 decreases again and this creates a clamping effect of the clamping device 3, which ensures permanent contact between the two plant stems SA, SB and is essential for the two plants to grow together. The spring element 4 is formed in one piece with the clamping device 3 and adjoins the clamping device 3 as a ring segment. The recess 2 is formed by an annular design of the clamping device 3 and the width W of the recess 2 can be varied due to the design of the clamping device 3 as a slotted ring (see Fig. 1b ). This makes it possible, in particular, to elastically widen the recess 2 when receiving the two plants to be grafted together, in order to facilitate the grafting process within the plant clamp 1.

[0018] Like the Figuren 1a und 1b As can be seen, the clamping device 3 is provided with a magnetizable material 5 to promote the growth of the grafted plants, which material 5 is particle-shaped in the exemplary embodiments and is homogeneously distributed in the material matrix of the clamping device 5 over the cross-section of the plant clamps 1. It is also fundamentally within the scope of the invention that the concentration of the magnetizable material 5 in the clamping device 3, and there in particular in the vicinity of the recess 2, is higher than in the remaining cross-section of the plant clamp 1 (see Fig. 2 ). As a result, the magnetizable material 5 is located particularly close to the grafting point of the two plant stems SA, SB, so that the magnetic effect can be particularly well utilized to promote plant growth. To achieve this, a 2K extrusion may be advantageous, in which the material component for producing the clamping device 3 contains the magnetizable material 5 and the other component (which is used, for example, to produce the spring element) is free of magnetizable material 5. The magnetizable material 5 is designed in the exemplary embodiment as an inorganic-oxide magnetic material, e.g., as magnetite. The magnetizable particulate material 5 is designed as a powder with an average grain size of maximum 1 mm, whereby larger particle sizes are not excluded. While the exemplary embodiment according to Fig. 1a - c is particularly suitable for the manual grafting of plants, the plant clamp 1 is used according to Fig. 2 preferably with automatic assembly by robots (not shown).

[0019] During the production of the plant clips 1, the magnetizable material 5 is added in particle form to the polymer material to be extruded and is then distributed in the material matrix of the extruded plant clip 1 by the extrusion. After extrusion, the extrudate obtained is then cut to length in order to provide suitable sizes of the plant clips 1, for example in lengths L of 5 to 50 mm, e.g. 10 to 20 mm (see. Fig. 1c In the exemplary embodiment, the magnetization of the magnetizable material 5 only occurs after the extrusion process has been completed, and only when the extrudate has cooled to room temperature. The extrudate is then cut into the individual plant clips 1 as described.

[0020] The plant clamps 1 fall off the young plant resulting from the grafting after some time, as soon as the young plant stem thickens due to its growth to such an extent that it widens the receptacle of the clamping device 3 accordingly and the clamping effect is no longer sufficient to hold the plant clamp 1 on the young plant.

Claims

1. Grafting clip (1) for grafting two different plants, having - a clamping device (3) with at least one cavity (2), intended to receive in the cavity (2) the terminal stems (SA, SB) of the two plants to be combined and to contact them there with each other, preferably at their end faces, wherein the clamping effect of the clamping device (3) can permanently ensure this contact, and - at least one spring element (4) for producing the clamping effect of the clamping device (3), characterised in that the clamping device (3), in order to promote the intergrowth of the grafted plants, is at least in regions provided with a magnetizable material (5).

2. Grafting clip (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the clamping device (3) is based on a polymer, in particular elastomer material.

3. Grafting clip (1) according to claim 2, characterised in that the clamping device (3) is based on silicone material.

4. Grafting clip (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the magnetisable material (5) is configured as inorganic-oxidic magnet material.

5. Grafting clip (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the magnetisable material (5) is distributed in particle form in the material matrix of the clamping device (3).

6. Grafting clip (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the spring element (5) is integrally moulded in one piece on the clamping device (3).

7. Grafting clip (1) according to claim 6, characterised in that the spring element (5) adjoins the clamping device (3) as a ring segment.

8. Grafting clip (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the cavity (2) is formed by an annular shaping of the clamping device (3) and the width (W) of the cavity (2) is variable by a slotted ring shape of the clamping device (3).

9. Grafting clip (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the clamping device (3) is configured as an extrusion profile.

10. Use of a grafting clip (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9 for grafting at least two different plants.