Indoor cultivation system for japanese horseradish, and indoor cultivation method for japanese horseradish using the system

Abstract

To provide an indoor cultivation system for Japanese horseradish that can reduce the effort required to replace a culture medium used in Japanese horseradish cultivation when cultivating Japanese horseradish indoors continuously, and to provide an indoor cultivation method for Japanese horseradish using the system.SOLUTION: An indoor cultivation system 10 for Japanese horseradish includes: a culture medium 20 for Japanese horseradish cultivation which is provided indoors and in which Japanese horseradish seedlings 11 are planted; and a water circulation device 30 which supplies cultivation water 31 to the culture medium 20 and circulates the cultivation water discharged from the culture medium. The indoor cultivation system further comprises: a plurality of cultivation containers 14 which are cylindrical bodies with drainage holes 14a on a bottom part and / or a lower side face and an open top and in which the culture medium 20 is subdivided and housed therein; and a cultivation container housing casing 12 which houses the plurality of cultivation containers 14 and stores the cultivation water 31 supplied to and discharged from the plurality of cultivation containers 14 in a state that can be circulated by the water circulation device 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an indoor cultivation system for wasabi and an indoor cultivation method for wasabi using the system, and in particular to an indoor cultivation system for wasabi in which cultivation water is supplied and circulated to wasabi seedlings planted in a culture medium installed indoors to cultivate wasabi, and an indoor cultivation method for wasabi using the system. [Background technology]

[0002] Wasabi, native to Japan, grows naturally in the shallow waters of clear streams in mountainous areas. It usually takes about two years for wasabi to grow, during which time it needs running water at a certain temperature range, with moderate temperatures throughout the summer and winter. For this reason, the traditional method of cultivating wasabi was to create well-drained "wasabi fields" in mountainous areas with abundant spring water and little temperature difference throughout the year, where there are clear streams, and then plant and grow seedlings in these fields.

[0003] In recent years, the demand for wasabi has been increasing overseas, mainly from Japanese restaurants, but it is difficult to increase production to meet demand because the cultivation sites in mountainous areas are limited and the cultivation is dependent on the weather. Therefore, cultivation systems that can mass-produce wasabi without being affected by the environment or climate are being developed.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a wasabi cultivation system that includes a large culture medium storage box installed indoors for introducing the culture medium for wasabi cultivation, and a circulation device that circulates water stored in a tank by passing it through the culture medium storage box and returning it to the tank.

[0005] In this cultivation system, a large amount of medium made of crushed stone, gravel, and river sand is contained in the medium storage box, and wasabi seedlings are planted in this medium. The medium storage box is formed in a rectangular box shape with an open top, and has many drainage holes formed in the bottom wall. The circulation device pumps up water in the tank with a pump, supplies water to the wasabi seedlings in the medium storage box from a water supply unit located on the upper side of the medium storage box, and collects water discharged from each drainage hole in the medium storage box with a gutter and returns it to the tank. The tank is provided with a thermoregulator that adjusts the temperature of the water, and this thermoregulator adjusts the temperature of the water supplied to the wasabi seedlings.

[0006] In this way, the wasabi cultivation system described in Patent Document 1 uses a circulation device to circulate a constant amount of water while regulating the water temperature, thereby constantly supplying water to the wasabi seedlings, making it possible to mass-produce wasabi even indoors. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] JP 2001-275504 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, when growing wasabi indoors continuously, it is known that continuous use of the cultivation medium can cause problems with the growth of wasabi, and therefore after cultivating wasabi once or twice using the medium brought indoors, it is necessary to replace the medium with a new one.

[0009] Mass production of wasabi requires a large amount of medium, but because heavy machinery cannot be brought inside, workers had to use a shovel to load the medium from the medium storage box onto a handcart, carry it outside, and then bring it back inside to replace it with new medium, a task that required a great deal of effort.

[0010] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and has an object to provide an indoor wasabi cultivation system that can reduce the effort required to replace the culture medium used for wasabi cultivation when cultivating wasabi indoors continuously, and an indoor wasabi cultivation method using said system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In order to achieve the above object, the indoor cultivation system for wasabi according to claim 1 is as follows: An indoor cultivation system for wasabi, comprising: a culture medium for wasabi cultivation in which wasabi seedlings are planted, the culture medium being provided indoors; and a water circulation device for supplying cultivation water to the culture medium and circulating the cultivation water discharged from the culture medium. A plurality of cultivation containers each having a drainage hole at the bottom and / or the lower side and an open top, each containing the medium in small portions; a cultivation container accommodating casing that accommodates the plurality of cultivation containers and stores the cultivation water supplied to and discharged from the plurality of cultivation containers in a state in which the cultivation water can be circulated by the water circulation device; The present invention is characterized by comprising:

[0012] According to this configuration, the culture medium for growing wasabi seedlings is divided and stored in a plurality of cultivation containers in a cultivation container storage casing installed indoors. This makes it possible to use cultivation containers of a portable size, and facilitates the replacement of the culture medium, which is necessary for continuous cultivation of wasabi indoors. In other words, the cultivation containers containing the culture medium divided and stored can be carried outside and replaced with new culture medium, and these can be easily carried indoors, so that the large-scale work of moving the culture medium and replacing it with new culture medium can be avoided, and as a result, the culture medium can be replaced with only manual labor. In addition, when placing the medium in the cultivation container outdoors, the wasabi seedlings can be planted at the same time and the cultivation container with the planted wasabi seedlings can be brought indoors, thereby streamlining the planting work and simplifying the work of transporting and planting the wasabi seedlings. Furthermore, since the drainage water from the drainage holes of each cultivation container flows into the cultivation container casing, it is easy to collect and return this water.

[0013] The invention described in claim 2 is the indoor cultivation system for wasabi described in claim 1, The water circulation device includes: a water supply unit that supplies the cultivation water to each of the cultivation containers in the cultivation container accommodating casing; The present invention is characterized by comprising a water circulation section which circulates the cultivation water discharged from the drainage holes of each cultivation container into the cultivation container casing.

[0014] With this configuration, the water supply section of the water circulation device can supply cultivation water to each cultivation container, and drainage from the drainage holes of each cultivation container can be collected inside the cultivation container casing and circulated by the water circulation section.

[0015] The invention described in claim 3 is the indoor cultivation system for wasabi described in claim 1 or 2, 3. The indoor cultivation system for wasabi according to claim 2, wherein the bottom of each of the cultivation containers is spaced a predetermined height from the inner bottom surface of the cultivation container casing.

[0016] With this configuration, drainage water from the drainage holes of each cultivation container is collected in the space between the inner bottom surface of the cultivation container accommodating casing and the bottom of the cultivation container, so that the drainage water from each cultivation container can be returned more smoothly by the water return section.

[0017] The invention described in claim 4 is the indoor cultivation system for wasabi described in claim 1 or 2, A washing water supplying section supplies washing water for washing the culture medium after the cultivation of the wasabi is completed from the lower side of the cultivation container housing casing into the cultivation container housing casing; a washing water discharge section that collects the washing water supplied from the washing water supply section and flows out from the upper part of each of the cultivation containers and sends it to the outside of the cultivation container casing; The present invention is characterized in that it is equipped with a culture medium washing device having a

[0018] According to this configuration, when the cleaning water is supplied from the lower side of the cultivation container housing casing by the cleaning water supply unit, the level of the cleaning water rises, and the cleaning water also enters the cultivation container through the drainage hole, causing the water level inside the container to rise. In addition, when the water level rises above the top surface of the culture medium inside the cultivation container, the cleaning water can be discharged from the top of the cultivation container by the cleaning water discharge unit. In this way, the washing water enters the cultivation container through the drainage holes, permeates the culture medium, and is discharged from the top, effectively washing the culture medium with the washing water and regenerating it so that the wasabi can grow again. This means that the culture medium in the cultivation container can be reused without having to be replaced, and the effort of changing the culture medium can be eliminated.

[0019] The invention described in claim 5 is the indoor cultivation system for wasabi described in claim 1 or 2, Each of the cultivation containers is set to a size required for cultivating one wasabi seedling in each container.

[0020] This configuration not only makes it easier to transport individual cultivation containers, but also allows each wasabi seedling to be grown independently, making it possible to collect data to improve the accuracy of cultivation and prevent adverse effects from other seedlings.

[0021] The invention described in claim 6 is the indoor cultivation system for wasabi described in claim 1 or 2, The cultivation container accommodating casing in which the plurality of cultivation containers are accommodated is characterized in that it is arranged in a plurality of stages in the vertical direction.

[0022] With this configuration, the culture medium can be installed in vertical tiers by the simple task of lining up multiple cultivation containers containing culture medium inside the cultivation container housing casing, which is arranged in multiple tiers in the vertical direction, making it possible to effectively utilize indoor space and mass-produce wasabi.

[0023] The invention described in claim 7 is a method for cultivating wasabi indoors using the indoor cultivation system for wasabi described in claim 2, which includes a culture medium for wasabi cultivation installed indoors and a water circulation device that supplies cultivation water to the culture medium and circulates the discharged cultivation water, A medium containing step of dividing the medium into the plurality of cultivation containers and containing the medium in small portions; A seedling planting step of planting a predetermined number of wasabi seedlings in each of the cultivation containers containing the medium; a cultivation container installation step of installing the plurality of cultivation containers in which the wasabi seedlings are planted, in the cultivation container accommodating casing; a cultivation water supplying step of supplying the cultivation water to each of the cultivation containers in the cultivation container accommodating casing by a water supply unit of the water circulation device; A water circulation process in which the cultivation water discharged from the drainage holes of each cultivation container into the cultivation container casing is circulated by the water circulation unit; The present invention is characterized by comprising:

[0024] According to this configuration, multiple cultivation containers containing small portions of medium for growing wasabi seedlings are installed inside a cultivation container housing casing installed indoors, so the medium replacement required for continuous indoor cultivation of wasabi can be easily performed using a portable cultivation container. This makes it possible to avoid the need for large-scale work of moving the medium or replacing it with new medium, and as a result, medium replacement can be performed by hand alone. In addition, when placing the medium in the cultivation container outdoors, the wasabi seedlings can be planted at the same time and the cultivation container with the planted wasabi seedlings can be brought indoors, thereby streamlining the planting work and simplifying the work of transporting and planting the wasabi seedlings. In addition, since the drainage water from the drainage holes of each cultivation container flows into the cultivation container casing, it is easy to collect and return this water.

[0025] The invention described in claim 8 is the indoor cultivation method for wasabi described in claim 7, In the cultivation container installation step, each of the cultivation containers is installed with its bottom spaced a predetermined height from the inner bottom surface of the cultivation container accommodating casing, A cleaning water supplying process for supplying cleaning water for cleaning the medium after the cultivation of the wasabi is completed from the space between the cultivation container and the inner bottom surface of the cultivation container housing casing in the cultivation container housing casing; a washing water discharge step of collecting the washing water supplied from the washing water supply unit and flowing out from the upper part of each of the cultivation containers and sending it to the outside of the cultivation container accommodating casing; The present invention is characterized by having the following.

[0026] According to this configuration, after harvesting the wasabi grown in each cultivation container, washing water is supplied from the bottom of the cultivation container housing casing (the side of the space between the cultivation container and the inner bottom surface of the cultivation container housing casing) and the washing water is discharged from the top of the cultivation container, thereby enabling accurate washing of the culture medium. That is, the washing water enters the cultivation container from the drainage hole of the cultivation vessel, penetrates the culture medium, and is discharged from the top, whereby the culture medium is effectively washed with the washing water and regenerated so that the wasabi can grow again. This allows the culture medium in the cultivation container to be reused for continuous cultivation of wasabi without replacing it, thereby eliminating the trouble of changing the culture medium.

[0027] The invention described in claim 9 is the indoor cultivation method for wasabi described in claim 8, The method includes a step of, after washing the culture medium with the washing water, supplying nutrient water containing nutrients for growing wasabi to the culture medium in the cultivation container using a flow path of either the water circulation device or the culture medium washing device.

[0028] According to this configuration, nutrient water can be supplied to the washed culture medium using the water circulation device used for wasabi cultivation or the culture medium washing device used for culture medium washing, so that the growth of wasabi in the next cultivation period can be improved without having to replace the culture medium in each cultivation container with new culture medium. Effect of the Invention

[0029] According to the indoor wasabi cultivation system and indoor wasabi cultivation method of the present invention, the culture medium for growing wasabi seedlings is contained in a cultivation container of a portable size. Therefore, when an operator needs to replace the culture medium, the operator can carry the culture container together with the culture medium outdoors or carry new culture medium together with the cultivation container indoors, thereby reducing the labor involved in moving and replacing the culture medium. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0030] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram of an indoor cultivation system for wasabi according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the indoor wasabi cultivation system shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal state of a cultivation container containing a culture medium. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing a medium cleaning device for an indoor wasabi cultivation system. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of another embodiment of an indoor cultivation system for wasabi. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0031] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an indoor wasabi cultivation system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of the wasabi cultivation system shown in FIG. 1, and is a schematic diagram illustrating the installation state of a cultivation container 14. The indoor wasabi cultivation system 10 (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "cultivation system 10") is a system for cultivating wasabi using a culture medium 20 for wasabi cultivation installed indoors, and is a system that supplies cultivation water to the culture medium 20 and circulates and uses the cultivation water discharged from the culture medium 20 by a water circulation device 30. The cultivation system 10 of this embodiment includes a cultivation container storage casing 12 installed indoors, a plurality of cultivation containers 14 in which the culture medium 20 is stored, the water circulation device 30, and a culture medium cleaning device 40 shown in FIG. 4. Note that the culture medium cleaning device 40 is omitted in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the water circulation device 30 is omitted in FIG. 4.

[0032] The cultivation container storage casing 12 (hereinafter also simply referred to as "storage casing 12") is a box body with an open top, and in this embodiment, is formed into a rectangular box shape. The material of the storage casing 12 is not limited, but it is preferable that it is formed from a material with high thermal insulation properties, such as a resin material. The length of one side of the storage casing 12 can be, for example, 1 to 2 m.

[0033] The cultivation container 14 is a bottomed cylindrical body having a drainage hole 14a on the bottom and / or the lower side and an open top. As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, the drainage hole 14a is formed only on the bottom of the cultivation container 14. The cultivation container 14 contains a medium 20 in which the wasabi seedlings 11 are planted. As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of cultivation containers 14 are installed in the storage casing 12 with the medium 20 divided into small portions. As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the cultivation container 14 is formed in a cylindrical shape, but the cross-sectional shape of the cultivation container 14 is not limited to a circle, and may be a rectangle or other polygonal shape. Each cultivation container 14 is preferably set to a size that allows one to five wasabi seedlings 11, more preferably three or less wasabi seedlings 11 to be cultivated. As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, each cultivation container 14 is set to a size necessary for cultivating one wasabi seedling 11 in each container, and each cultivation container 14 is configured to plant and cultivate one wasabi seedling 11. The cultivation container 14 may have holes formed in the upper part of the side (above the culture medium 20 contained therein) for draining the washing water 41 described below to the outside. The size of the cultivation container 14 may be, for example, a cylindrical shape with a diameter of 10 to 15 cm and a height of 40 to 50 cm. The cultivation container 14 may have a structure in which the bottom of a cylindrical body with both ends open is covered with a mesh body, and in such a case, the mesh becomes the drainage hole 14a of the cultivation container 14.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 3, the culture medium 20 in the cultivation container 14 has, in order from the top to the bottom, a sand layer 22, a gravel layer 24, and a fiber layer 26, and the wasabi seedlings are planted in the sand layer 22. The gravel layer 24 is preferably formed so that the size of the gravel increases from the top to the bottom. A stone layer made of stones larger than the gravel may be provided between the gravel layer 24 and the fiber layer 26, or instead of the fiber layer 26. The fiber layer 26 is formed of fibers, such as palm fiber, that can support the sand layer 22 and the gravel layer 24 and have high water permeability when layered. In this way, the culture medium 20 is formed in layers so that the porosity increases from the top to the bottom and the drainage is improved, and thus the cultivation water supplied from above the cultivation container 14 can be efficiently discharged from the drainage hole 14a formed on the bottom surface of the cultivation container 14.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of cultivation containers 14 containing culture medium 20 are accommodated in a storage casing 12. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of cultivation containers 14 are arranged two-dimensionally in the storage casing 12. The storage casing 12 stores the cultivation water 31 discharged from the plurality of cultivation containers 14 in a state in which it can be circulated by a water circulation device 30. As shown in FIG. 1, each cultivation container 14 is installed in the storage casing 12 such that the bottom of each cultivation container 14 is spaced apart from the inner bottom surface 12a of the storage casing 12 by a predetermined height so that a space portion 13 is formed between each cultivation container 14 and the inner bottom surface 12a of the storage casing 12. In this embodiment, a plurality of spacer members 18 for forming the space portion 13 are arranged at intervals on the inner bottom surface 12a of the storage casing 12, and each cultivation container 14 is placed on the spacer members 18. In this embodiment, as an option, a partition member 17 is provided in the storage casing 12 to separate the storage casing 12 into upper and lower portions, as shown in Fig. 2. The partition member 17 is provided at a position above the drainage hole 14a when the cultivation container 14 is installed. In this embodiment, the partition member 17 is plate-shaped and has a through hole through which the cultivation container 14 is inserted, and when the cultivation container 14 is inserted into the through hole and installed in the storage casing 12, the storage casing 12 can be divided in a watertight manner.

[0036] As shown by the dashed lines in FIG. 1, the casing 12 can be covered with a covering material 19 made of a material having heat insulating properties or heat retention properties (e.g., polystyrene foam, etc.) to enhance the heat insulating performance. The covering material 19 can be, for example, polystyrene foam. Furthermore, in FIG. 1, an example in which an opening covering material 19a is installed at the upper opening of the casing 12 is shown by dashed lines. The opening covering material 19a has holes 19b formed at positions corresponding to the upper openings of the cultivation containers 14 in the casing 12, the holes 19b having a diameter smaller than that of the upper openings of the cultivation containers 14 and a size that does not hinder the growth of the wasabi seedlings 11. In this embodiment, the opening covering material 19a has a plurality of circular holes 19b formed in accordance with the shape of the upper openings of the cultivation containers 14. In FIG. 2, FIG. 4, and FIG. 5, the covering material 19 and the opening covering material 19a are omitted. Although not shown, the opening covering material 19a may have a configuration having a plurality of gap filling parts protruding from the lower surface of the opening insulating material 19a so as to fill the gaps between the adjacent cultivation containers 14 in the storage casing 12. The gap filling parts can be formed integrally with the opening covering material 19a using the same material.

[0037] In addition, the cultivation container 14 may have a stopper protruding radially outward from its outer peripheral surface, and this stopper may come into contact with the upper surface of the partition member 17, thereby allowing the cultivation container 14 to be installed at a distance from the bottom surface of the storage casing 12. Alternatively, each cultivation container 14 may be directly installed on the inner bottom surface 12a of the storage casing 12 (i.e., a structure without the space 13). In this case, each cultivation container 14 preferably has a drainage hole 14a on the lower side of the side surface that becomes the peripheral wall.

[0038] The water circulation device 30 includes a water supply unit 30A that supplies the cultivation water 31 to each cultivation container 14 in the storage casing 12, and a water return unit 30B that returns the cultivation water discharged from the drainage hole 14a of each cultivation container 14 into the storage casing 12. As shown in FIG. 1, the water supply unit 30A includes a tank 32 in which the cultivation water 31 is stored, and a water supply pipe 34 that extends from the tank 32 to the storage casing 12 to form a water supply flow path. A pump 35 for pumping up the cultivation water 31 is provided in the water supply flow path. The water supply pipe 34 extends to the top of the storage casing 12, and a plurality of sprinkling holes 34a for sprinkling the cultivation water 31 are formed at positions corresponding to each cultivation container 14 arranged in the storage casing 12.

[0039] The water circulation section 30B includes a water circulation pipe 36 that extends from the casing 12 to the tank 32 to form a water circulation flow path, and a valve 37 that is provided on the water circulation pipe 36 and can open and close the water circulation flow path. One end of the water circulation pipe 36 is connected to the bottom of the casing 12 so as to communicate with the space 13 of the casing 12. The water circulation device 30 preferably includes a temperature regulator 38 that regulates the temperature of the cultivation water 31 in the water supply section 30A or the water circulation section 30B. In this embodiment, the temperature regulator 38 is provided in the water supply flow path 34. The temperature regulator 38 can be configured, for example, by a heat pump or the like.

[0040] The medium washing device 40 is a device for washing the medium 20 after the completion of the cultivation of wasabi. As shown in Fig. 4, the medium washing device 40 includes a washing water supplying section 40A that supplies washing water 41 for washing the medium 20 to the medium 20 of each cultivation container 14, and a washing water discharging section 40B that collects the washing water 41 that is supplied from the washing water supplying section 40A and flows out from the upper part of each cultivation container 14, and sends it to the outside of the accommodation casing 12.

[0041] The cleaning water supply unit 40A supplies cleaning water 41 into the storage casing 12 from the lower side of the storage casing 12. In this embodiment, the cleaning water 41 is supplied from the space between each cultivation container 14 in the storage casing 12 and the inner bottom surface 12a of the storage casing 12. The cleaning water supply unit 40A includes a cleaning water tank 42 in which the cleaning water 41 is stored, and a cleaning water supply pipe 44 that extends from the cleaning water tank 42 to the storage casing 12 to form a cleaning water supply flow path. One end of the cleaning water supply pipe 44 is connected to the bottom of the storage casing 12, and the cleaning water 41 in the cleaning water tank 42 is supplied to the space 13 via the cleaning water supply pipe 44.

[0042] The washing water discharge section 40B includes a washing water discharge pipe 46 that collects the washing water 41 discharged from the upper part of each cultivation container 14. The washing water discharge pipe 46 forms a washing water discharge flow path and extends to the outside of the accommodating casing 12. Although not shown, a pump 45 for pumping the washing water 42 can be provided in the washing water supply flow path and / or the washing water discharge flow path.

[0043] The cleaning water 41 may be, for example, tap water, and a bactericide may be added to the water as necessary. The cleaning of the culture medium 20 with cleaning water may be configured so that the cleaning water is supplied from the upper opening of the cultivation container 14 and discharged from the drainage hole 14a. In this case, the cleaning water can be supplied to the culture medium 20 using the water supply unit 30A of the water circulation device 30, and the cleaning water discharged from the drainage hole 14a can be configured to be discharged outside the storage casing 12 without being circulated (i.e., without being returned to the tank 32).

[0044] Next, a method for indoor cultivation of wasabi using the above-mentioned indoor wasabi cultivation system 10 will be described. First, the culture medium 20 is divided and housed in each of the multiple cultivation containers 14 (culture medium housing step). Next, a predetermined number of wasabi seedlings 11 are planted in each cultivation container 14 into which the culture medium 20 has been divided and housed (seedling planting step). In this embodiment, one wasabi seedling 11 is planted in one cultivation container 14.

[0045] Next, a plurality of cultivation containers 14 in which wasabi seedlings 11 are planted are placed in the storage casing 12 (cultivation container placing step). Each cultivation container 14 is placed in a state in which the bottom of the cultivation container 14 is spaced a predetermined height from the inner bottom surface 12a of the storage casing 12 so that a space 13 is formed in the bottom of the storage casing 12. Note that in the method for cultivating wasabi indoors, after the cultivation containers 14 in which the culture medium 20 is placed are placed in the storage casing 12 (cultivation container placing step), wasabi seedlings 11 may be planted in the culture medium 20 of each cultivation container 14 (seedling planting step).

[0046] Next, the water supply unit 30A of the water circulation device 30 supplies the cultivation water 31 to each cultivation container 14 in the storage casing 12 (cultivation water supply step), and the valve 37 is opened to cause the water return unit 30B to return the cultivation water 31 discharged from the drainage hole 14a of each cultivation container 14 into the storage casing 12 (water return step). Specifically, the cultivation water 31 in the tank 32 is pumped up by the pump 35 and sprayed into each cultivation container 14 through the water supply pipe 34. As shown in FIG. 1, the cultivation water 31 is sprayed from the spray hole 34a of the water supply pipe 34 disposed above the cultivation container 14. The cultivation water 31 supplied from the upper opening of each cultivation container 14 is discharged outside the cultivation container 14 from the drainage hole 14a, collected in the space 13 in the storage casing 12, and then returned to the tank 32 again through the water return pipe 36. The temperature of the cultivation water 31 circulated by the water circulation device 30 is kept within an appropriate temperature range (for example, around 15°C) by a temperature regulator 38. In this embodiment, the casing 12 is further covered with a covering material 19 having a heat retention function to suppress an increase in temperature of the cultivation water 31. The cultivation water supply process and the water reflux process are performed continuously during the growth of the wasabi.

[0047] The circulated cultivation water 31 can be replaced periodically, for example, once a month, to prevent unwanted substances mixed in the cultivation water 31 from being circulated.

[0048] Wasabi can be harvested about two years after planting. In this embodiment, after the wasabi grown in each cultivation container 14 is harvested, the culture medium 20 installed in the casing 12 is washed. Specifically, after the cultivation of the wasabi is completed (i.e., after the wasabi is harvested), the culture medium washing device 40 is operated with the valve 37 closed, and washing water 41 for washing the culture medium 20 is supplied from the space between the cultivation container 14 in the casing 12 and the inner bottom surface of the casing 12 (washing water supplying step). In addition, the washing water 41 supplied from the washing water supply unit 40A and flowing out from the top of each cultivation container 14 is collected and sent to the outside of the casing 12 (washing water discharging step).

[0049] In the washing water supplying step, the washing water 41 stored in the washing water tank 42 is supplied to the space 13 of the casing 12 through the washing water supply pipe 44. The water level of the washing water 41 stored in the space 13 rises, and the washing water 41 also enters the cultivation container 14 through the drainage hole 14a, and the water level in the cultivation container 14 also rises. Even if each cultivation container 14 is directly installed on the inner bottom surface 12a of the casing 12, the washing water 41 can be supplied from the lower side of the casing 12 to enter the cultivation container 14 through the drainage hole 14a of each cultivation container 14. In the washing water supplying step, in order to prevent the washing water 41 supplied into the casing 12 from entering the gap between the adjacent cultivation containers 14 and suppressing the infiltration into the cultivation container 14, it is preferable to install a plate material that seals the gap between the adjacent cultivation containers 14. In this embodiment, the gap is sealed by a plate-shaped partition member 17 (see FIG. 2). In the washing water discharge step, when the water level of the washing water 41 rises above the upper surface of the culture medium 20 in the cultivation container 14, the washing water 41 can be made to flow out from the upper part of the cultivation container 14 and discharged by the washing water discharge part 40B. Specifically, the washing water 41 flowing out from the opening at the top of each cultivation container 14 is stored on the partition member 17 that divides the space in the storage casing 12 into upper and lower parts in a watertight state, and the stored washing water 41 is collected by the washing water discharge pipe 46 and discharged to the outside of the storage casing 12. This makes it possible to remove residues such as wasabi roots remaining in the culture medium 20. The washing water supply step and the washing water discharge step are continued until the washing of the culture medium 20 is completed.

[0050] The washing water 41 can be stored in the casing 12, and the medium 20 in each cultivation container 14 is soaked in the washing water 41 for a predetermined time (e.g., 30 minutes or more), and then washed and discharged by the washing water discharge unit 40B. By soaking the medium 20 in the washing water 41, the hot components of the wasabi adhering to the medium 20 are discharged into the washing water 41, and washing can be performed efficiently. As in this embodiment, the washing water 41 is supplied from the drainage hole 14a of the cultivation container 14 and discharged from above the cultivation container 14, so that the flow rate of the water from being supplied into the medium 20 to being discharged can be slower than that during cultivation. In addition, dead leaves, microorganisms, etc. in the cultivation container 14 can be made to float from the medium 20 and discharged outside the cultivation container 14.

[0051] Although not shown, the cleaning water 41 flowing through the cleaning water discharge pipe 46 may be configured to have residues and the like removed by a filter or the like before being returned to the cleaning water tank 42. In such a case, the cleaning water discharge pipe 46 may be extended from the housing casing 12 to the cleaning water tank 42, and a filter equipped with a filtration filter may be installed midway along the cleaning water discharge pipe 46.

[0052] Furthermore, in this embodiment, after the culture medium 20 is washed with the washing water 41, nutrient water containing nutrients for growing wasabi is supplied to the culture medium 20 in the cultivation container 14 using a flow path of either the water circulation device 30 or the culture medium washing device 40 (nutrient water supplying step). When the water circulation device 30 is used, the nutrient water can be stored in the tank 32 and circulated by operating the pump 35. When the water circulation device 30 is used, the nutrient water discharged from the cultivation container 14 may be discharged outside the storage casing 12 without being circulated. When the culture medium washing device 40 is used, the nutrient water can be supplied from the drainage hole 14a side of the cultivation container 14 by storing the nutrient water in the washing water tank 42 and supplying the nutrient water to the storage casing using a pump.

[0053] The nutrient water may be water to which one or more nutrients, such as magnesium, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, boron, manganese, etc., have been added. It is preferable that the nutrient water is stored in the storage casing 12, for example, by using the culture medium cleaning device 40 or by closing the valve 37 of the water circulation device 30, and the culture medium 20 in each cultivation container 14 is immersed in the nutrient water for a predetermined time (e.g., 30 minutes or more), and then the nutrient water is discharged from the storage casing 12.

[0054] In the above-mentioned indoor wasabi cultivation system 10, the medium 20 for growing the wasabi seedlings 11 is divided and stored in a plurality of cultivation containers 14 in a storage casing 12 installed indoors, so that the medium 20 can be brought indoors using a cultivation container 14 of a portable size by an operator. This makes it easy to replace the medium 20, which is necessary for continuous cultivation of wasabi indoors. In other words, the cultivation containers 14 in which the medium 20 is divided and stored can be carried outdoors and replaced with new medium 20, and these can be easily carried indoors, so that the large-scale work of moving the medium and replacing it with new medium can be avoided, and as a result, the medium can be replaced only by manual labor.

[0055] In addition, when placing the medium in the cultivation container 14 outdoors, the wasabi seedlings 11 can be planted at the same time, and the cultivation container 14 with the planted wasabi seedlings 11 can be brought indoors, thereby streamlining the planting work. The work of carrying in and planting the wasabi seedlings 11 can also be simplified. Furthermore, the drainage water from the drainage holes 14a of each cultivation container 14 is collected inside the housing casing 12, so it can be easily collected and returned.

[0056] After harvesting the wasabi, the culture medium 20 can be washed by operating the culture medium washing device 40 to supply washing water 41 from the lower side of the casing 12 (the space 13 of the casing 12) and discharging the washing water 41 from the upper part of the cultivation container 14. The culture medium 20 is effectively washed with the washing water 41, and is regenerated so that the wasabi can grow again. This allows the culture medium 20 in the cultivation container 14 to be reused for continuous cultivation of wasabi without replacing it, thereby eliminating the need to replace the culture medium.

[0057] Furthermore, in the cultivation method of this embodiment, nutrient water is supplied to the washed medium using the water circulation device 30 used for cultivating wasabi or the medium washing device 40 used for washing the medium, so the growth of wasabi can be improved in the next cultivation period without replacing the medium 20. Also, in this embodiment, the cultivation container 14 allows each wasabi seedling 11 to be grown independently, which makes it possible to collect data to improve the accuracy of cultivation and prevent adverse effects from other seedlings.

[0058] Next, another embodiment of the indoor cultivation system 10 for wasabi will be described with reference to FIG. 5. In this embodiment, the cultivation container casings 12 in which the cultivation containers 20 are housed are arranged in a plurality of tiers in the vertical direction. Note that in FIG. 5, the illustration of the wasabi seedlings 11 and the illustration of the stand on which the casings 12 are placed are omitted. One end of a pipe 39 is connected to the bottom of the upper casing 12-1, and this pipe 39 extends to above the casing 12-2 arranged in the lower tier. The pipe 39 has a plurality of sprinkling holes 39a for sprinkling the cultivation water 31 at positions corresponding to each cultivation container 14 arranged in the lower casing 12, and the cultivation water 31 is supplied to each cultivation container 14 from the sprinkling holes. In this way, the piping 39 constitutes a water supply piping that collects the cultivation water 31 accumulated in the upper storage casing 12-1 and supplies the cultivation water 31 to the wasabi seedlings 11 in each cultivation container 14 installed in the lower storage casing 12-2.

[0059] In the cultivation system 10 of this embodiment, the cultivation containers 14 containing the culture medium 20 can be arranged vertically in tiers by simply arranging multiple cultivation containers 14 containing the culture medium 20 in each of the multiple storage casings 12 arranged vertically. This allows for effective use of indoor space to mass-produce wasabi. In addition, the cultivation water 31 stored in the upper storage casing 12-1 can be supplied to each cultivation container 14 stored in the lower storage casing 12-2.

[0060] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 5, the cleaning water supply section 40A of the culture medium cleaning device 40 may be configured to have a plurality of cleaning water supply pipes 44 installed so as to supply cleaning water 41 from the cleaning tank 42 to the bottoms of the respective storage casings 12-1 and 12-2. In the example shown in Fig. 5, the cultivation container storage casings 12 are arranged in two stages in the vertical direction, but three or more stages may be arranged. In addition, the water circulation device 30 may be configured to pump up the cultivation water 31 in the tank 32 and supply it to the storage casings 12 in each stage.

[0061] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and modifications, and various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 10 Wasabi indoor cultivation system 11 Wasabi seedlings 12 Cultivation container housing casing 13 Space section 14 Cultivation container 14a Drain hole 20 Culture medium 30 Water circulation device 30A water supply section 30B Water return section 31 Cultivation water 32 Tank 34 Water supply piping 35 Pump 36 Water return piping 38 Temperature controller 40 Culture medium washing device 40A Cleaning water supply unit 40B Washing water discharge section 41 Washing water 42 Washing water tank 44 Cleaning water supply piping 46 Cleaning water discharge pipe

Claims

1. An indoor cultivation system for wasabi, comprising: a culture medium for wasabi cultivation in which wasabi seedlings are planted, the culture medium being provided indoors; and a water circulation device for supplying cultivation water to the culture medium and circulating the cultivation water discharged from the culture medium. A plurality of cultivation containers each having a drainage hole at the bottom and / or the lower side and an open top, each containing the medium in small portions therein; a cultivation container accommodating casing that accommodates the plurality of cultivation containers and stores the cultivation water supplied to and discharged from the plurality of cultivation containers in a state in which the cultivation water can be circulated by the water circulation device; An indoor cultivation system for wasabi, comprising:

2. The water circulating device is a water supply unit that supplies the cultivation water to each of the cultivation containers in the cultivation container accommodating casing; The indoor wasabi cultivation system according to claim 1, further comprising a water circulation section for circulating the cultivation water discharged from the drainage holes of each cultivation container into the cultivation container housing casing.

3. 3. The indoor cultivation system for wasabi according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the bottom of each of the cultivation containers is spaced a predetermined height from the inner bottom surface of the cultivation container casing.

4. A washing water supplying section supplies washing water for washing the medium after the cultivation of the wasabi is completed from the lower side of the cultivation container housing casing into the cultivation container housing casing; a washing water discharge section that collects the washing water supplied from the washing water supply section and flows out from the upper part of each of the cultivation containers and sends it to the outside of the cultivation container casing; The indoor cultivation system for wasabi according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a medium cleaning device having the above-mentioned structure.

5. 3. The indoor cultivation system for wasabi according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the cultivation containers is set to a size required for cultivating one wasabi seedling in each container.

6. 3. The indoor cultivation system for wasabi according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cultivation container housing casing housing the plurality of cultivation containers is arranged in a plurality of tiers in the vertical direction.

7. A method for cultivating wasabi indoors using the wasabi indoor cultivation system according to claim 2, comprising: a culture medium for cultivating wasabi installed indoors; and a water circulation device for supplying cultivation water to the culture medium and circulating the discharged cultivation water. A medium containing step of dividing the medium into the plurality of cultivation containers and containing the medium in small portions; A seedling planting step of planting a predetermined number of wasabi seedlings in each of the cultivation containers containing the medium; a cultivation container installation step of installing the plurality of cultivation containers in which the wasabi seedlings are planted, in the cultivation container accommodating casing; a cultivation water supplying step of supplying the cultivation water to each of the cultivation containers in the cultivation container accommodating casing by a water supply unit of the water circulation device; A water circulation process in which the cultivation water discharged from the drainage holes of each cultivation container into the cultivation container casing is circulated by the water circulation unit; A method for indoor cultivation of wasabi, comprising:

8. In the cultivation container installation step, each of the cultivation containers is installed with its bottom spaced a predetermined height from the inner bottom surface of the cultivation container accommodating casing, A cleaning water supplying process for supplying cleaning water for cleaning the medium after the cultivation of the wasabi is completed from the space between the cultivation container and the inner bottom surface of the cultivation container housing casing in the cultivation container housing casing; a washing water discharge step of collecting the washing water supplied from the washing water supply unit and flowing out from the upper part of each of the cultivation containers and sending it to the outside of the cultivation container accommodating casing; The method for indoor cultivation of wasabi according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

9. The method for indoor cultivation of wasabi according to claim 8, further comprising a step of supplying nutrient water containing nutrients for growing wasabi to the culture medium in the cultivation container using a flow path of either the water circulation device or the culture medium cleaning device after the culture medium is washed with the washing water.

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