Seedling pots, plant seedlings, methods for producing plant seedlings and greening methods

Abstract

To provide seedling pots that allow for a shorter seedling period, plant seedlings grown in the seedling pots and methods for producing seedlings using the seedling pots and greening methods using the seedling pots.SOLUTION: There are provided a seedling pot containing one or more plant derived fibers selected from peat moss, coconut peat, sphagnum moss, bark and bran and subjected to boiling treatment, a plant seedling grown in the seedling pot, and a seedling producing method comprising the steps of: boiling a seedling pot containing one or more plant fibers selected from peat moss, coconut peat, sphagnum moss, bark and bran; placing a plant seed in the boiling treated seedling pot; and raising the seedling after transplanting the seedling grown in the seedling pot for a predetermined period together with the pot to a culture soil supplemented with a mycorrhizal fungus. Also there is provided a greening method planting the seedlings obtained by the above production method.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a seedling pot, a plant seedling grown in the seedling pot, a method for producing a plant seedling using the seedling pot, and a greening method. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, from the viewpoint of biodiversity conservation, attempts have been made to collect seeds and seedlings of native plants from the surrounding areas of large-scale construction and civil engineering works such as urban redevelopment, tunnels, and dams, and to use them for greening so as not to disturb the genetic diversity of plants living in the surrounding areas. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a greening method in which topsoil from the surrounding areas of a construction site is collected, this topsoil is used as planting soil to prepare a vegetation base material, and this vegetation base material is rolled out onto the construction surface. Patent Document 2 also proposes a greening method in which a community ring is constructed for the entire area in an artificial green space, taking into account the plant species living in the surrounding areas of the construction site. However, compared to bred horticultural plants, native plants often take longer to germinate and grow more slowly after germination, so there have been only a limited number of cases where local seeds and seedlings are used in actual greening situations.

[0003] When growing seedlings from tree seeds, seeds are generally harvested in the fall and vernalized for about a month at a low temperature of around 5°C, then sown in a nursery set up in a greenhouse or in an outdoor nursery. The seedlings that germinate the following spring are thinned out and grown until they reach about 10-20cm in height by autumn, and then in the spring of the second year, before they begin to sprout, they are transplanted to a new nursery with space between the plants, and grown until they reach a size of about 1.5-2m that can be shipped. Therefore, it takes about two years from the time the seeds are harvested until the seedlings reach a size that can be shipped. Patent Document 3 proposes a method for growing seedlings using a seedling growing facility that is capable of adjusting at least one of the following: temperature, humidity, air flow, carbon dioxide concentration, temperature of liquid supplied to the seedlings, amount of liquid supplied, light intensity of artificial light, spectrum of artificial light, and day length. The method described in Patent Document 3 can shorten the growth period of seedlings, but is costly because seedlings are grown in an artificial environment. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-115166 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2018-042527 A [Patent Document 3] Patent Publication No. 2021-78394 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] To provide a seedling pot capable of shortening a seedling raising period, a plant seedling grown in the seedling pot, and a method for producing a plant seedling and a greening method using the seedling pot. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The means for solving the problems of the present invention are as follows. [1]: A seedling pot comprising one or more plant-derived fibers selected from peat moss, coconut peat, water moss, bark, and bran, and characterized by being boiled. [2]: A plant seedling, characterized by being grown in the seedling pot described in [1]. [3]: The plant seedling described in [2], characterized in that it is infected with mycorrhizal fungi. [4]: The plant seedling according to [2] or [3], characterized in that it is a seedling. [5]: A boiling process for boiling a seedling pot containing one or more plant-derived fibers selected from peat moss, coconut peat, water moss, bark, and bran; A step of placing seeds in boiled seedling pots; A cultivation step of transplanting the seedlings cultivated in the seedling pots for a predetermined period of time into a seedling cultivation soil containing mycorrhizal fungi, together with the seedling pots, and cultivating the seedlings; A method for producing a plant seedling, comprising the steps of: [6]: A greening method comprising a planting step of planting a plant seedling obtained by the method according to [5]. [7]: The greening method according to [6], characterized in that the seeds are seeds of native plants in the vicinity of the construction site. Effect of the Invention

[0007] The seedling pot of the present invention has had its nutrients removed by boiling, so that the roots of the seedlings grown in the seedling pot will grow faster in search of nutrients. Also, because the seedling pot is sterilized by boiling, the seedlings grown in the seedling pot are less susceptible to disease. Furthermore, the seedling pot has improved hydrophilicity by boiling, so that the pot retains moisture more easily, and the plants are less likely to wither. The method for producing plant seedlings of the present invention can efficiently infect mycorrhizal fungi, thereby promoting the growth of plant seedlings. In particular, in the case of seedlings, the seedling raising period, which requires about two years, can be shortened to about two-thirds. Furthermore, the greening method of the present invention using this plant seedling has a high survival rate after planting. The method for producing plant seedlings of the present invention can grow seedlings of native plants in a short period of time, and these seedlings also have a high survival rate after planting, making it possible to green the area without disturbing the local ecosystem. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a graph showing the height of Euonymus persica individuals in Experiment 2, illustrating that individuals with tall tree heights were obtained according to the present invention. [Diagram 2]1 is a graph showing the leaf color of Euonymus persica individuals in Experiment 2, illustrating that individuals with dark leaf color were obtained according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Seedling pot The seedling pot of the present invention contains one or more plant-derived fibers selected from peat moss, coconut peat, water moss, bark, and wheat bran, and has been subjected to a boiling treatment. The seedling pot of the present invention only needs to contain the above-mentioned plant-derived fiber, and may contain other culture soil such as Akadama soil, Kanuma soil, vermiculite, perlite, etc. However, the seedling pot of the present invention is one in which nutrients are removed by boiling treatment as described below, and no NPK fertilizer, whose main components are nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), is added after the boiling treatment.

[0010] In the seedling pot of the present invention, the proportion of plant-derived fibers in the entire pot is preferably 50% by weight or more, more preferably 70% by weight or more, and even more preferably 90% by weight or more. The seedling pot of the present invention can be manufactured by wrapping the soil containing plant-derived fibers with a biodegradable nonwoven fabric, paper, etc., or by hardening it with a solidifying material. However, since the seedling pot of the present invention is boiled as described below, it is preferable to use a water-insoluble solidifying material when using a solidifying material. As such a seedling pot, a commercially available product can be used, for example, Jiffy Seven (manufactured by Sakata Seed Corporation).

[0011] The boiling treatment may be either boiling treatment at normal pressure or boiling treatment at high pressure (autoclave treatment). Conditions for the boiling treatment include, for example, atmospheric pressure to 2 atm, 100 to 140° C., and 5 to 30 minutes. The boiling process sterilizes the seedling pot, removes water-soluble nutrients, and improves hydrophilicity. Since the seedling pot of the present invention contains natural plant fibers, the concentration and content ratio of nutrients are not constant and vary widely. Therefore, it is impossible or impractical to specify the concentration of nutrients in the seedling pot after boiling process.

[0012] ·Plant seedlings The plant seedling of the present invention is grown in the above-mentioned seedling pot of the present invention. Note that the plant seedling of the present invention has not been removed from the seedling pot. Since the seedling pot of the present invention has had nutrients removed by boiling, the roots of the plant seedlings grown in the seedling pot grow in search of nutrients and quickly penetrate into the soil where they are transplanted. Since the seedling pot of the present invention is sterilized by boiling, the plant seedlings are less likely to get sick. Furthermore, the seedling pot of the present invention has improved hydrophilicity by boiling, making it easier for the plant seedlings to retain water, so the plant seedlings are less likely to wither.

[0013] -Production method of plant seedlings and greening method The method for producing a plant seedling of the present invention comprises: A boiling step of boiling a seedling pot containing one or more plant-derived fibers selected from peat moss, coconut peat, water moss, bark, and bran; A step of placing seeds in boiled seedling pots; A cultivation step of transplanting the seedlings cultivated in the seedling pots for a predetermined period of time into a seedling cultivation soil containing mycorrhizal fungi, together with the seedling pots, and cultivating the seedlings; has. The greening method of the present invention also includes a planting step of planting the plant seedling obtained by the above-mentioned production method.

[0014] The method for producing a plant seedling and the method for greening according to the present invention will be described below in the order of steps. ·Seed preparation process First, seeds are subjected to a germination induction treatment. The seeds are not particularly limited, and may be horticultural varieties or seeds collected from plants growing around the greening site. In addition, the seeds may be of either woody plants or herbaceous plants, but woody plants are preferred. In the case of trees (woody plants), many species that flower from spring to summer and bear fruit in autumn can be induced to germinate by exposing the seeds to a low temperature of 5°C or less for about a month, a process known as vernalization. The seeds are soaked in water and the floating seeds are removed as seeds, then air-dried, divided into appropriate amounts, wrapped in cellophane paper, and stored in a low-temperature storage unit set at about 5°C for about a month. Note that the conditions for inducing germination and the optimal time for germination vary depending on the species of tree, so after air-drying, the seeds can also be stored indoors under dry conditions while still wrapped in cellophane paper.

[0015] ·Boiling process A seedling pot containing one or more plant-derived fibers selected from peat moss, coconut peat, water moss, bark, and bran is subjected to a boiling treatment. The seedling pots can be those described above, and the boiling treatment can be carried out by the method described above. The seedling pots are sterilized by the boiling treatment, water-soluble nutrients are removed, and the hydrophilicity is improved.

[0016] ·Floating process The seeds that have been induced to germinate are placed in a boiled nursery pot. For tree species in which germination can be promoted by covering the seeds with soil, it is preferable to cover them with sterilized sand. The seedling pot used in the present invention contains a plant-derived resin and has excellent water retention and drainage properties, so that the roots branch and grow easily. In addition, the seedling pot used in the present invention has had nutrients removed by the boiling process, so that the plants will actively grow their roots in search of nutrients, and a large number of fine roots that are easily infected by mycorrhizal fungi can be obtained. Furthermore, the seedling pot used in the present invention is sterilized by the boiling process, so that the plants are less susceptible to disease, and the boiling treatment improves hydrophilicity, so that the plants are less likely to wither.

[0017] ·Development process The seedlings that have been cultivated in the seedling pots for a predetermined period are transplanted together with the seedling pot into seedling soil containing mycorrhizal fungi for cultivation. Cultivation conditions after implantation can be set according to the plant species, for example, the plant can be cultivated in a facility set at about 25° C. and with artificial light and a day length of about 12 hours. In addition, the spectrum of the irradiated light, carbon dioxide concentration, humidity, air current strength, etc. can also be controlled. It is preferable to cultivate the seedlings until many white roots, which are easily infected by mycorrhizal fungi, grow from the sides and bottom of the seedling pot before transplantation. After cultivating the seedlings until the white roots grow outside the seedling pot, the seedling pot is transplanted into a seedling culture medium containing mycorrhizal fungi, whereby the roots grow into the seedling culture medium containing mycorrhizal fungi and come into contact with the mycorrhizal fungi, resulting in a plant seedling infected with mycorrhizal fungi.

[0018] Seedlings transplanted into seedling soil do not have fully developed root systems, so if the soil becomes too wet, the roots are prone to rot, and if the soil dries out, drought damage occurs. For this reason, seedling soil with good water retention and drainage properties is used. Akadama soil, volcanic gravel, and Kanuma soil are hard and do not crumble easily, do not become fine-grained and do not deteriorate in drainage, and are porous, so they have excellent water retention, making them suitable soil materials for raising seedlings. By combining several of these soil materials while taking into consideration the three-phase distribution of the soil (the proportion of solid, gas, and liquid phases in the soil), seedling soil suitable for raising plants is prepared. The three-phase distribution of soil suitable for plant growth varies depending on the plant species, but generally the solid phase ratio:liquid phase ratio:gas phase ratio is about 30-50 vol%:20-30 vol%:20-30 vol%, and can be prepared, for example, by mixing 60 vol% volcanic gravel adjusted to 0-10 mm, 25 vol% fine Akadama soil (1-2 mm), and 15 vol% peat moss. Mycorrhizal fungal materials are available in both liquid and solid (powder or granular) forms, and in the case of solids, they are preferably mixed at about 10 vol%, taking into account the three-phase distribution.

[0019] The mycorrhizal fungus material is preferably added after at least a portion of the culture soil other than the mycorrhizal fungus material has been sterilized, and more preferably added after all of the culture soil other than the mycorrhizal fungus material has been sterilized. By adding the mycorrhizal fungus material to a sterilized soil material, it is possible to produce a culture soil for raising seedlings in which no harmful bacteria other than mycorrhizal fungi live, thereby increasing the probability of infection by mycorrhizal fungi and preventing the occurrence of diseases caused by harmful bacteria. There are no particular limitations on the method of sterilizing the soil material, but examples include boiling at normal pressure and boiling at high pressure (autoclave treatment).

[0020] It is preferable that the seedling culture soil to which mycorrhizal fungi have been added is packed into a rooting pot and then transplanted into the rooting pot. The rooting pot into which the seedling culture soil to which mycorrhizal fungi have been added is preferably shaped so that the packed seedling culture soil can be exposed to the outside air, for example, a shape with slits on the side (commercially available products include slit seedling containers manufactured by Tohoku Tachibana Co., Ltd.). By exposing the seedling culture soil to the outside air, the roots of the plant are less likely to loop in the rooting pot, and the contact opportunities between the roots and the mycorrhizal fungi increase. In addition, as the roots develop, they begin to embrace the seedling culture soil in the rooting pot, so that the plant seedlings can be pulled out of the rooting pot together with the seedling culture soil, and can be transplanted together with the seedling culture soil to which mycorrhizal fungi have been added for further growth or greening.

[0021] ·Late growth process After the above-mentioned growing process, the plants can be transplanted to an outdoor nursery to grow larger, if necessary. When transplanting to an outdoor nursery, the root ball is pulled out together with the seedling culture medium containing the mycorrhizal fungi and transplanted to the nursery. The soil of the nursery may be general soil such as volcanic ash soil or black soil that has been used in the past for growing plant seedlings. The soil may be sterilized in advance by fumigation or the like, but the plant seedlings to be transplanted in the present invention are infected with mycorrhizal fungi and therefore have strong resistance and are less susceptible to disease, so sterilization is not necessary. According to the manufacturing method of the present invention, it is possible to grow plant seedlings infected with mycorrhizal fungi. Plant seedlings infected with mycorrhizal fungi can efficiently take in nutrients and grow quickly, so the seedling raising period can be shortened. In particular, when the plant seedlings are seedlings (tree seedlings), the seedling raising period, which is required about two years, can be shortened to about two-thirds.

[0022] ·Planting process The greening method of the present invention includes a planting step of planting the plant seedling obtained by the above-mentioned production method. The plant seedlings are planted after the growing step or after an optional later growing step. In the greening method of the present invention, the plant seedlings infected with mycorrhizal fungi are transplanted, so that the plant seedlings are less likely to wither after planting and can maintain a high survival rate. In addition, by planting the plant seedlings grown from the seeds of plants that grow around the greening site, greening can be achieved without disturbing the local ecosystem. EXAMPLES

[0023] "Experiment 1" Seeds were collected from Deutzia japonica growing wild in Kanagawa Prefecture. The seeds were collected in the fall of 2017, cleaned, and stored in a refrigerator set at 3°C. Seedling pots containing peat moss (Jiffy Seven, manufactured by Sakata Seed Co., Ltd.) were placed on a stainless steel tray filled with distilled water and left to swell sufficiently to absorb water. The trays containing distilled water were then placed in a high-pressure sterilizer and boiled (autoclaved) at 120°C for 20 minutes. After cooling, the trays were removed, the scum that had seeped out of the seedling pots was discarded, and the pots were washed with distilled water until no more scum was produced.

[0024] Three seedling pots were prepared each: boiled and three were treated with distilled water absorption as a control. Deutzia seeds germinated on moist filter paper were placed in each. The seeds were placed in a 9 cm petri dish with moist filter paper, and about 100 Deutzia seeds were sown on top of the paper. The seeds were then placed in an incubation device set at 25°C and a 24-hour day length to germinate. From these, seeds with large cotyledons that could be visually inspected were selected. After cultivating the plants for one month in a device set at 25°C and a 12-hour day length while providing water appropriately, the number of roots that had grown from each pot was counted. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0025] [Table 1]

[0026] ·result In the control area, the seedling pots dried out easily, and two of the three seedlings died. This was because the seedling pots (Jiffy Nine) that had not been boiled had low hydrophilicity and dried out easily. The remaining seedling had 36 roots. All three plants in the boiled area grew well. The average number of roots was 49, which was more than the control. From this, it was confirmed that by using the seedling raising pot of the present invention which contains plant-derived fibers and has been boiled, seedlings with elongated white roots that are susceptible to infection by mycorrhizal fungi can be obtained.

[0027] "Experiment 2" In August 2021, Deutzia seeds were placed in boiled seedling pots in the same manner as in the boiled treatment area of ​​Experiment 1 above. The incubation device was set at 25°C and a 24-hour day length, and water was added appropriately. Approximately one month after seedlings were grown in the incubation device, white roots were confirmed to have grown from the sides and bottom of the seedling pots to the outside of the pots.

[0028] Example 1 For each liter of soil, 600 ml of volcanic gravel (from Akagi), 200 ml of fine Akadama soil, and 100 ml of peat moss were mixed to create soil material, to which 100 ml of granular mycorrhizal fungus material (Matsumoto Microorganism Laboratory Co., Ltd., Ecobiotics Neken for broadleaf trees) was added to create soil for raising seedlings. Five rooting pots (slit seedling containers manufactured by Tohoku Tachibana Co., Ltd.) were filled with seedling soil, and the Deutzia japonica seedlings whose roots had grown outside the seedling pots were then transplanted into the seedling pots, and the seedling pots were then covered with sterilized volcanic gravel. A plastic tray was placed in a glass greenhouse where the minimum temperature was set to not fall below 12°C, and the rooting pot was placed on this tray. The seedlings were grown while being watered as necessary to prevent the culture soil from drying out too much.

[0029] Example 2 Seedlings were raised in the same manner as in Example 1, except that a seedling raising soil prepared by adding mycorrhizal fungal materials to a soil material that had been sterilized (120° C. for 20 minutes) was used. Comparative Example 1 Except for using the soil material as it is as the seedling raising soil, the seedlings were raised in the same manner as in Example 1. This Comparative Example 1 did not contain a mycorrhizal fungus material and was not sterilized.

[0030] After raising the seedlings in a glass greenhouse for about half a year until April 2022, the height of the individual Deutzia plants was measured and the leaf color was evaluated. Leaf color was visually scored on a five-point scale (0: dead, 1: yellow to 5: dark green). The measurement results of four plants, excluding the one with the poorest growth condition out of the five plants transplanted in each test plot, were averaged. The results are shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0031] ·result In Examples 1 and 2, where the trees were transplanted into the mycorrhizal fungus-containing seedling soil, the tree height nearly doubled from the time of transplantation. The tree height was higher than in Comparative Example 1, where the trees were transplanted into the mycorrhizal fungus-free seedling soil, and it was confirmed that the seedling raising period can be shortened by the method of the present invention. In Example 2, which was transplanted into sterilized seedling soil, the leaves were darker in color than in Example 1, which was transplanted into non-sterilized seedling soil. Darker leaves indicate more chlorophyll and a sufficient amount of trace elements such as nitrogen and magnesium that compose chlorophyll. This suggests that sterilization allows mycorrhizal fungi to infect more efficiently and allows more nutrients such as trace elements to be absorbed.

Claims

1. The fiber contains one or more plant-derived fibers selected from peat moss, coconut peat, water moss, bark, and bran; A seedling pot that has been subjected to a boiling treatment.

2. A plant seedling grown in the seedling pot according to claim 1.

3. 3. The plant seedling according to claim 2, characterized in that it is infected with a mycorrhizal fungus.

4. 4. The plant seedling according to claim 2 or 3, which is a seedling.

5. A boiling step of boiling a seedling pot containing one or more plant-derived fibers selected from peat moss, coconut peat, water moss, bark, and bran; A step of placing seeds in boiled seedling pots; A cultivation step of transplanting the seedlings cultivated in the seedling pots for a predetermined period of time into a seedling cultivation soil containing mycorrhizal fungi, together with the seedling pots, and cultivating the seedlings; A method for producing a plant seedling, comprising the steps of:

6. A greening method comprising a planting step of planting the plant seedling obtained by the method according to claim 5.

7. 7. The method for greening according to claim 6, wherein the seeds are seeds of native plants in the vicinity of the construction site.

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