Cultivation cup and plant production method

Abstract

To provide a cultivation cup which improves the quality and productivity of a plant produced by hydroponics and is excellent in handleability, and to provide a method for producing the plant.SOLUTION: The cultivation cup 1 is used for hydroponics of a plant such as lettuce, and has a support part 2 for supporting the plant and a medium attaching part 3 to which a sponge medium 20 is attached. The support portion 2 has a first internal space 7 that is surrounded by the first peripheral wall 5 and is open at the top and bottom. One or a plurality of openings 8 are provided in the first peripheral wall 5, and the inside and outside of the support portion 2 communicate with each other through the openings 8. The culture medium-mounting part 3 has a second inner space 15 surrounded by a second peripheral wall 12 and opened at the top and bottom. The lower side of the support part 2 and the upper side of the medium-mounting part 3 are connected, and the first internal space 7 and the second internal space 15 communicate with each other SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a cultivation cup and a method for producing a plant. The present invention is useful for hydroponics of plants using a culture medium. [Background technology]

[0002] Hydroponic cultivation of plants is practiced in plant factories. For example, solid medium cultivation, which uses a solid medium instead of soil, and hydroponic cultivation, which does not use a medium, are practiced in plant factories. It is also common to use panels with multiple holes and plant strains in the holes to hydroponic a large number of plants. Leafy vegetables such as lettuce are an example of plants produced in plant factories.

[0003] A cultivation cup equipped with a culture medium such as a sponge is an auxiliary tool used in hydroponic cultivation of plants. The cultivation cup supports plants and is used by inserting it into, for example, multiple holes provided on the panel. Patent Document 1 discloses a cultivation pot (cultivation cup) equipped with a sponge culture medium insertion hole and a tubular portion having the sponge culture medium insertion hole at its lower end and a diameter that increases toward the top (claim 1, Figure 3, etc.). Patent Document 2 discloses a seedling raising cap (cultivation cup) that is a stepped tubular portion with open upper and lower ends and equipped with a water absorbent such as a sponge (paragraph

[0046] , Figure 4, Figure 6(b), etc.). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3214856 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-34402 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Generally, when producing plants in a plant factory, it is necessary to avoid damage to the plant stocks as much as possible. This improves the quality of the plants produced and also increases productivity. Furthermore, there is also a demand for improved handling of plant seedlings. However, it cannot be said that sufficient development of cultivation cups that address these issues has been carried out.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a cultivation cup that improves the quality and productivity of plants produced by hydroponic cultivation and is easy to handle, and a method for producing plants. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is a cultivation cup in which a plant is placed and which is used for hydroponics of the plant, the cultivation cup having a support portion that supports the plant and a culture medium mounting portion in which a culture medium made of a water absorbent is mounted, the support portion having a first internal space surrounded by a first peripheral wall and open at the top and bottom, the plant is placed in the first internal space, the first peripheral wall has one or more openings through which the inside and outside of the support portion are connected, the culture medium mounting portion has a second internal space surrounded by a second peripheral wall and open at the top and bottom, the culture medium is mounted in the second internal space, the lower side of the support portion is connected to the upper side of the culture medium mounting portion, and the first internal space is connected to the second internal space.

[0008] The cultivation cup of this embodiment is used for hydroponics of plants. In this embodiment, the cultivation cup has one or more openings in the peripheral wall of the support part that supports the plant, and the inside and outside of the support part are in communication through the openings. This provides good ventilation, reduces damage to the plant, and improves the quality and productivity of the plant. For example, if the plant to be cultivated is a leafy vegetable such as lettuce, damage to the lower leaves is reduced even if they are crowded together, improving the quality and productivity of the leafy vegetable.

[0009] The term "culture medium" used here refers to solid culture media other than soil. A culture medium made of a water-absorbent material is, for example, a sponge culture medium.

[0010] Preferably, the support portion is cylindrical or bowl-shaped.

[0011] Preferably, the culture medium mounting portion is cylindrical.

[0012] Preferably, the ratio of the total area of ​​the openings in the first peripheral wall is 20% or more.

[0013] This configuration allows for higher breathability.

[0014] Preferably, a protrusion that protrudes toward the second internal space is provided on the lower peripheral edge of the second peripheral wall.

[0015] With this configuration, the culture medium made of the water absorbent material is stably fixed to the culture medium mounting portion.

[0016] Preferably, the second internal space is combined with the culture medium, and the culture medium is installed in the second internal space.

[0017] Preferably, the culture medium is detachably attached to the second internal space.

[0018] Preferably, the plant is a leafy vegetable.

[0019] Preferably, the leafy vegetable is lettuce.

[0020] Preferably, the support portion is cylindrical or bowl-shaped, the culture medium mounting portion is cylindrical, the total area of ​​the openings in the first peripheral wall is 20% or more, and a protrusion protruding toward the second internal space is provided on the lower peripheral edge of the second peripheral wall.

[0021] One aspect of the present invention is a method for producing a plant, comprising the step of hydroponically cultivating the plant using the above-described cultivation cup.

[0022] The method for producing plants according to this embodiment involves hydroponically cultivating plants using the above-described cultivation cups. According to this embodiment, high-quality plants can be produced with high productivity. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] According to the present invention, the quality and productivity of plants produced by hydroponic cultivation are improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are perspective views of a cultivation cup according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a view from above and (b) is a view from below. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the cultivation cup shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the cultivation cup shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sponge medium. [Figure 5] 5(a) is a plan view of the sponge medium of FIG. 4, and FIG. 5(b) is a bottom view of the sponge medium of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a state in which a sponge culture medium is attached to a cultivation cup. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the state of lettuce grown on a cultivation cup. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. To facilitate understanding of the invention, the size and thickness of each part and member in each drawing are partially exaggerated and may not necessarily correspond to the actual size, proportions, etc. In the following description, the directions of up and down, left and right, and front and back (front and back) are based on the position shown in Figure 2. In the following description, the explanation will be given assuming that leafy vegetables, especially lettuce, are grown in a nutrient solution, but the plants to be grown are not particularly limited.

[0026] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, a cultivation cup 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention has an overall shape like a wide-mouthed funnel, is thin-walled, and has a structure that is open at the top and bottom. The cultivation cup 1 is largely composed of a support part 2 that supports a plant and a culture medium attachment part 3 to which a culture medium made of a water-absorbent body is attached. The cultivation cup 1 is formed such that the support part 2 and the culture medium attachment part 3 are integrally formed without being separated. When viewed from the front, the height of the entire cultivation cup 1 is about 30 to 40 mm. The cultivation cup 1 is a molded product made of resin such as polypropylene or polyethylene.

[0027] The support portion 2 forms the upper portion of the cultivation cup 1. The support portion 2 has an overall cylindrical or bowl-shaped shape, is surrounded by a first peripheral wall 5, and is open at the top and bottom. The inner diameter of the support portion 2 increases from bottom to top. When viewed from the front, the height of the support portion 2 is approximately 15 to 20 mm. When viewed from above, the support portion 2 has a ring-shaped peripheral portion 6 at its upper end. The diameter of the peripheral portion 6 is approximately 50 to 60 mm. The corners of the peripheral portion 6 are rounded to prevent damage to the plant it supports.

[0028] The support part 2 has a first internal space 7 surrounded by a first peripheral wall 5. Plants are placed in the first internal space 7. A plurality of openings 8 are provided in the first peripheral wall 5. The openings 8 connect the inside and outside of the first peripheral wall 5. In this embodiment, eight openings 8 of the same shape are provided, and these openings 8 are arranged at equal intervals around the circumference of the first peripheral wall 5. The shape of the openings 8 is a trapezoid with a short lower base and a long upper base. The length of the lower base of the trapezoid is about 5 mm, and the length of the upper base is about 10 mm. The height of the trapezoid is about 15 mm. The lower base of the openings 8 is adjacent to the culture medium mounting part 3. The upper base of the openings 8 is adjacent to the peripheral part 6.

[0029] When unfolded, the portion of the first peripheral wall 5 other than the openings 8 (remaining peripheral wall portion 10) has a horizontal ladder-like shape. The portion of remaining peripheral wall portion 10 sandwiched between adjacent openings 8 (corresponding to the rungs of the ladder) is strip-shaped or rectangular. The width (length of the short side) of this strip-shaped or rectangular portion is about 5 mm, and the length of the long side is basically the same as the height of the trapezoidal openings 8, about 15 mm.

[0030] From the viewpoint of breathability, the larger the proportion of the total area of ​​the openings 8 in the first circumferential wall 5 (openings 8 + remaining circumferential wall portion 10), the better, for example, 20% or more. The proportion may be 30% or more, 40% or more, or 50% or more. The upper limit of the proportion is not particularly limited as long as the strength of the support portion 2 is maintained, but is, for example, 90%. The upper limit of the proportion may be 80%, 70%, 60%, etc. In other words, the proportion is the proportion (%) of the total area of ​​the openings 8 to the total area of ​​the inner surface of the first circumferential wall 5.

[0031] The culture medium mounting part 3 constitutes the lower part of the cultivation cup 1. The culture medium mounting part 3 is tubular, specifically cylindrical, surrounded by a second peripheral wall 12, and is open at the top and bottom. The culture medium mounting portion 3 has a second internal space 15 surrounded by a second peripheral wall 12. The culture medium is mounted in the second internal space 15. The upper side of the culture medium mounting part 3 is connected to the lower side of the support part 2. This allows communication between the first internal space 7 of the support part 2 and the second internal space 15 of the culture medium mounting part 3. When viewed from the front, the height of the culture medium mounting part 3 is approximately 8 to 12 mm.

[0032] When the culture medium mounting section 3 is viewed from the bottom, there is an annular peripheral edge 16 at the lower end of the second peripheral wall 12. An annular protrusion 17 is provided on the peripheral edge 16, protruding toward the second internal space 15. Because the protrusion 17 protrudes inward, when a sponge culture medium 20 (described below) is mounted, the sponge culture medium 20 is stably fixed. Instead of the annular protrusion 17, a claw protruding toward the second internal space 15 may be provided on part or the entire peripheral edge 16.

[0033] Since the culture medium mounting part 3 is cylindrical, when the culture cup 1 is viewed from above or from the bottom, the diameter of the lower end of the support part 2 (first peripheral wall 5), the diameter of the upper end of the culture medium mounting part 3 (second peripheral wall 12), and the diameter of the peripheral part 16 (hereinafter, these may be referred to as diameter D1) are the same. The diameter D1 is about 20 to 30 mm. The protruding length of the protruding part 17 is about 3 to 5 mm. The shape of the culture medium mounting part 3 may be a tubular shape other than cylindrical, for example, the top and bottom surfaces may be oval, or may be polygonal such as triangular or rectangular.

[0034] A culture medium made of a water-absorbent material is attached to the culture medium attachment section 3, typically a sponge culture medium 20. As shown in Figure 4, the sponge culture medium 20 has an overall rectangular parallelepiped shape. As shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b), the top and bottom surfaces of the sponge culture medium 20 are square. When viewed from the front, the height of the sponge culture medium 20 is approximately 30 mm. The length of one side of the flat or bottom surface (square) of the sponge culture medium 20 is approximately 20 to 25 mm, and the length L of the diagonal is approximately 33 to 38 mm.

[0035] As shown in Figure 5(a), bottomed holes 21 are provided on the top surface of the sponge culture medium 20. Plant seeds can be placed into the holes 21, with the top surface serving as the sowing surface. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 5(b), cross-shaped incisions 22 are formed on the bottom surface of the sponge culture medium 20. The depth of the incisions 22 reaches the bottom of the holes 21, and the holes 21 and the incisions 22 are connected. Plant roots grow through the incisions 22. The diameter of the holes 21 is about 10 mm, and the depth is about 10 to 15 mm. The length of each cross of the incisions 22 is about 10 mm, and the depth is about 10 to 15 mm.

[0036] The sponge material is preferably one that has excellent water absorption properties and is suitable for plant root growth, such as urethane sponge.

[0037] The diagonal length L of the top and bottom surfaces of the sponge medium 20 is slightly larger than the diameter D1 of the peripheral portion 16. Therefore, when the sponge medium 20 is attached to the culture medium attachment portion 3, the sponge medium 20 is slightly compressed and press-fit into the culture medium attachment portion 3. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6 , when the sponge medium 20 is attached to the culture medium attachment portion 3, the lower side of the sponge medium 20 protrudes from the second internal space 15 of the culture medium attachment portion 3 and is exposed. At this time, the upper side of the sponge medium 20 is press-fit into the second internal space 15, while the exposed lower portion expands radially in a plan view or bottom view. Furthermore, the protrusions 17 of the culture medium attachment portion 3 press and bite into the sponge medium 20. In this embodiment, the sponge medium 20 is press-fit into the second internal space 15 of the culture medium attachment portion 3, and the protrusions 17 press against the sponge medium 20. This ensures that the sponge medium 20 is stably fixed to the culture medium attachment portion 3 and does not easily fall off. On the other hand, the sponge culture medium 20 is flexible and therefore can be attached to and detached from the culture medium attachment part 3 .

[0038] FIG. 7 shows the state of a plant grown on a cultivation cup 1. In this example, lettuce is grown as the plant. In the cultivation cup 1, the lettuce grows in contact with the sponge medium 20 and the first peripheral wall 5. As the lettuce grows, the lower leaves of the lettuce come into contact with the first peripheral wall 5 and become densely packed. In this case, cultivation cups with conventional structures have poor ventilation in the densely packed areas, making the lower leaves susceptible to damage. However, in this embodiment, openings 8 are provided in the first peripheral wall 5, which provides high ventilation to the densely packed areas of the lower leaves. As a result, damage to the lower leaves is reduced. Furthermore, the presence of the openings 8 reduces the contact area between the lower leaves and the cultivation cup 1 (particularly the first peripheral wall 5), which also reduces damage to the lower leaves.

[0039] The cultivation cup 1 of this embodiment is used by inserting it into a panel with through holes. For example, a panel is prepared with a plurality of through holes at regular intervals into which the cultivation cups 1 can be inserted and held. Then, the cultivation cups 1 are inserted into each through hole, and hydroponics is carried out on the panel. As the plants grow, the cultivation cups 1 are transferred to another panel with wider intervals between the through holes, and hydroponics is continued. Finally, the plants can be removed from the panel with the cultivation cups 1, and the grown plants can be collected.

[0040] The size of the cultivation cup 1 described above is suitable for growing lettuce, for example. The size of the cultivation cup 1 can be changed as appropriate depending on the type of plant to be cultivated. Furthermore, leafy vegetables are typical of plants to be cultivated, but are not limited to this. Leafy vegetables may be either head-forming (lettuce, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, etc.) or non-heading (spinach, Japanese mustard spinach, etc.).

[0041] In this embodiment, the openings 8 provided in the first peripheral wall 5 of the support part 2 are trapezoidal in shape and there are eight of them, but the shape and number of the openings 8 are arbitrary. When there are multiple openings 8, they may all have the same shape, or some of them may have different shapes.

[0042] In this embodiment, the material of the cultivation cup 1 is a resin such as polypropylene, but it may be other materials. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1 growing cup 2 Support part 3 Culture medium attachment part 5 First surrounding wall 7 First interior space 8 aperture 12 Second peripheral wall 15 Second internal space 16 Periphery 17 Protrusion 20 Sponge medium (medium made of absorbent material)

Claims

1. A cultivation cup in which a plant is placed and used for hydroponics of the plant, The plant support includes a support part for supporting the plant, and a culture medium mounting part for mounting a culture medium made of a water absorbent body, The support portion has a first internal space surrounded by a first peripheral wall and open at the top and bottom, and the plant is placed in the first internal space, One or more openings are provided in the first peripheral wall, and the inside and outside of the support portion communicate with each other through the openings. the culture medium mounting portion has a second internal space surrounded by a second peripheral wall and open at the top and bottom, and the culture medium is mounted in the second internal space; A cultivation cup in which the lower side of the support portion is connected to the upper side of the culture medium mounting portion, and the first internal space is connected to the second internal space.

2. The cultivation cup according to claim 1 , wherein the support portion is cylindrical or bowl-shaped.

3. The cultivation cup according to claim 1 , wherein the culture medium mounting portion is cylindrical.

4. The cultivation cup according to claim 1, wherein the total proportion of the openings in the first peripheral wall is 20% or more.

5. The cultivation cup according to claim 1, wherein a protrusion protruding toward the second internal space is provided on the lower peripheral edge of the second peripheral wall.

6. The cultivation cup according to claim 1 , which is combined with the culture medium and has the culture medium mounted in the second internal space.

7. The cultivation cup according to claim 6, wherein the culture medium is removably attached to the second internal space.

8. 2. The grow cup of claim 1, wherein the plant is a leafy vegetable.

9. 9. The grow cup of claim 8, wherein the leafy vegetable is lettuce.

10. The support portion is cylindrical or bowl-shaped, The culture medium mounting portion is cylindrical, The ratio of the total of the openings to the first peripheral wall is 20% or more, The cultivation cup according to claim 1, wherein a protrusion protruding toward the second internal space is provided on the lower peripheral edge of the second peripheral wall.

11. A method for producing a plant, comprising a step of hydroponically cultivating the plant using the cultivation cup according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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