pollination device

Abstract

This invention provides a pollination device that enables simple and highly successful artificial pollination of plants with a small beak-like structure on the stigma of the pistil, such as orchids. [Solution] A pollination device 1 for a plant having a pistil 28 with a malus 30 at its stigma, comprising: a drive unit 3 that generates air density to displace the position of the malus 30 that separates the stamen 27 and the pistil 28; and a pollination work unit 2 connected to the drive unit 3, which houses at least the stamen 27, pistil 28 and malus 30 inside the tube of the tube and propagates the air of density to diffuse the pollen 33 of the stamen 27 and pollinate the pistil 28.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a pollination device for artificially pollinating plants having a rostellum on the stigma of a pistil.

Background Art

[0002] For example, plants of the orchid family such as vanilla have evolved to prevent self-pollination in order to maintain genetic diversity, and thus have a structure with a rostellum at the stigma part of the pistil. Due to this structure, during artificial pollination, for each individual flower, it is necessary to remove or lift the rostellum so that the stigma of the pistil is easily exposed, which is very laborious. Specifically, artificial pollination is performed by lifting the rostellum with an elongated rod such as a toothpick or a cotton swab and pressing the pollen of the stamen against the stigma part of the pistil in that state.

[0003] As a technique for efficiently performing artificial pollination, for example, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 is disclosed. The technique shown in Patent Document 1 includes a pollen storage tank that stores a mixture of liquid (water) and pollen, a suction tube that sucks in the mixture, a cluster generation unit that applies vibration to the sucked pollen mixture to generate clusters of the pollen mixture, an electrode that applies a voltage to the pollen mixture, an ejection port that sprays the clusters of the pollen mixture to the outside for pollinating the pistil, and a control unit that controls the voltage applied to the electrode. The control unit performs appropriate voltage control according to the flowering state of the flower to be pollinated.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 had a problem in that, for plants with a malus at the stigma of the pistil, artificial pollination was difficult because the sprayed pollen mixture and the pollen contained therein were blocked by the malus.

[0006] The present invention was made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide a pollination device that effectively performs artificial pollination by dispersing pollen while displacing the position of the beak-like structure on the stigma of the pistil, even in plants that have a beak-like structure on the stigma. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The pollination device according to the present invention is a pollination device for plants having a beak-like structure at the stigma of the pistil, and comprises: a drive unit that generates air density to displace the position of the beak-like structure that separates the stamens and the pistil; and a pollination work unit which consists of a cylindrical body connected to the drive unit, and which houses at least the stamens, pistil and beak-like structure inside the cylindrical body, and propagates the air density to diffuse the pollen from the stamens and pollinate the pistil.

[0008] Thus, the pollination device according to the present invention is a pollination device for plants having a beak-like structure on the stigma of the pistil, wherein the drive unit generates air density that displaces the position of the beak-like structure that separates the stamens and the pistil, and the pollination work unit consists of a cylindrical body connected to the drive unit, and while at least the stamens, pistil and beak-like structure are housed inside the cylinder of the cylindrical body, the pollen of the stamens is dispersed to pollinate the pistil by propagating the air of density, so that the beak-like structure is displaced to separate from the pistil, and pollen is dispersed into the space separated, thereby enabling highly efficient artificial pollination even for plants having a beak-like structure. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a vanilla flower. [Figure 2]This figure shows the structure of a pollination device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This figure shows the state of the tip of the cylindrical body of the pollination work section in the pollination device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the state inside the pollination work section of a pollination device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram showing the travel distance of the piston in a pollination device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] (First embodiment of the present invention) The pollination device according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. The pollination device according to this embodiment efficiently performs artificial pollination on plants that have a rostellum. The rostellum, also called the column or beak-like projection, is a membranous structure in the flower structure of orchid plants (especially the vanilla genus) that plays a role in preventing self-pollination. As mentioned above, conventional artificial pollination involved lifting this membranous rostellum and then pressing pollen onto it. In this embodiment, the position of the rostellum is displaced by utilizing the density of air, and pollen is diffused into the space created between the rostellum and the pistil, thereby efficiently performing artificial pollination. In the following embodiments, the target of artificial pollination will be described as a vanilla flower.

[0011] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a vanilla flower used in this embodiment. Figure 1(A) is an overall view of the vanilla flower, and Figure 1(B) is a diagram showing the internal structure of the labellum. The vanilla flower 20 has six petals: an upper sepal 21 located on the upper side, a right sepal 22 located on the right side, a left sepal 23 located on the left side, a right lower sepal 24 located on the lower right, a left lower sepal 25 located on the lower left, and a labellum 26 (lip) located in the center. The labellum 26 has a special color and shape different from the other petals in order to attract insects and other pollinators.

[0012] Inside the labellum 26, a column 29 is formed, which is an organ containing the stamens 27 and the pistil 28. Within this column 29, a small beak 30 is formed to prevent the stamens 27 and the pistil 28 from coming into direct physical contact. As described above, in conventional manual artificial pollination, it is necessary to lift the small beak 30 with a toothpick or cotton swab and press the pollen from the stamens 27 onto the pistil 28. This is a very delicate task, making it difficult for the elderly, and since it must be done for each individual flower, the amount of work involved becomes enormous.

[0013] Note that the schematic diagram and name of the vanilla flower 20 shown in Figure 1 are defined in this embodiment and may differ from the general name.

[0014] Figure 2 shows the structure of the pollination device according to this embodiment. The pollination device 1 comprises a cylindrical pollination work section 2 that houses at least a column 29 at its tip (it may also house a lip valve 26), a drive unit 3 connected to the pollination work section 2 that generates air density and transmits this air density state into the cylinder of the pollination work section 2, a control unit 4 that controls the operation of the drive unit 3, a gripping section 5 for the user to grasp the pollination device 1, and a pollination switch 6 near the gripping section 5 for starting the pollination operation.

[0015] The user holds the gripping part 5 with the pollination switch 6 of the pollination device 1 in the OFF position and brings the tip of the cylindrical body of the pollination work unit 2 close to the vanilla flower 20 to be pollinated. Furthermore, the user operates the pollination device 1 until at least the column 29 of the vanilla flower 20 is housed in the tip of the cylindrical body of the pollination work unit 2. Figure 3 shows the state of the tip of the cylindrical body of the pollination work unit 2 at this time. As shown in Figure 3, due to the structure of the vanilla flower 20, it is desirable that the column 29 is housed in the cylinder of the pollination work unit 2 together with the labellum 26, but it is sufficient if at least the column 29 is housed. In this state, the user turns the pollination switch 6 ON.

[0016] When the pollination switch 6 is operated to ON, the control unit 4 receives the signal and controls the drive unit 3 to operate. The drive unit 3 has a solenoid 34 and a piston 31 connected to the solenoid 34 that reciprocates in accordance with the driving operation of the solenoid 34, and this piston 31 is covered by a cylindrical drive unit casing 32. The entire outer circumference of the piston 31 in the direction perpendicular to the direction of vibration is formed to vibrate in close contact with the entire inner circumference of the drive unit casing 32. The control unit 4 vibrates the piston 31 by controlling the energization / de-energization of the solenoid, thereby generating air compression and rarefaction within the drive unit casing 32. The generated air compression and rarefaction state is transmitted into the cylinder of the pollination work unit 2 connected to the drive unit casing 32.

[0017] In the pollination work section 2, where the air density is transmitted, the displacement of the beak 30 and the diffusion of pollen occur due to the air density. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the state inside the pollination work section of the pollination device according to this embodiment. Note that Figure 4 is merely an illustrative diagram, and in reality, a state exactly matching that shown in Figure 4 will not be formed.

[0018] Figure 4(A) shows the state just before the pollination switch 6 is turned ON, where the pollen 33 attached to the tip of the stamen 27 is isolated from the stigma of the pistil 28 by the beak 30. In other words, the pollen 33 will not pollinate the pistil 28. When the pollination switch 6 is operated to ON in this state, the aforementioned drive unit 3 creates a state of air density and is transmitted to the pollination work unit 2.

[0019] In FIG. 4(B), for example, at the timing when the air becomes in a sparse state, pollen 33 separates from the stamen 27. At the same time, due to the vibration of the air, the small nozzle body 30 is pulled and lifted away from the pistil 28. That is, the pollen 33 floats in the space inside the cylinder of the pollination working part 2, and a space is formed between the small nozzle body 30 and the pistil 28.

[0020] And at the next moment, as shown in FIG. 4(C), at the timing when the air becomes in a dense state, the pollen 33 floating in the space diffuses to cover the entire style column 29, and a part of it enters the space formed between the small nozzle body 30 and the pistil 28 to pollinate the pistil 28. While the pollination switch 6 is ON, by repeatedly switching the states as shown in FIG. 4(B) and FIG. 4(C) above, reliable pollination can be achieved.

[0021] Note that as described above, the figure shown in FIG. 4 is just an image. Actually, since the piston 31 in the driving part 3 vibrates several times to about 1000 times per second (the details of the vibration frequency will be described later), the sparse and dense states of the air change continuously at high speed. In addition to the timings shown in FIG. 4(B) and FIG. 4(C), the displacement of the small nozzle body 30 and the diffusion of the pollen 33 also occur at various timings.

[0022] Next, the period (frequency) of the sparse and dense states of the air will be described in detail. As described above, the sparse and dense state of the air is generated by one reciprocating vibration of the piston 31 in the driving part 3. That is, one reciprocation of the piston 31 is defined as one cycle of the sparse and dense state of the air. In the experiment actually conducted by the inventor, it was found that artificial pollination of the vanilla flower 20 is possible if the vibration frequency of the piston 31 is between 1 Hz and 1 kHz. Among them, especially when it is between 16 Hz and 250 Hz, the success rate of artificial pollination increases.

[0023] In other words, there is a second frequency band that includes a second frequency suitable for displacing the position of the beak 30, and a first frequency band that includes a first frequency suitable for the pollen 33 to disperse in a state that facilitates pollination of the pistil 28 within the tube of the pollination work unit 2, and it is thought that these frequency bands are located between 16 Hz and 250 Hz.

[0024] Therefore, in the pollination device according to this embodiment, the control unit 4 controls the frequency at which the piston 31 is driven to vary between 16Hz and 250Hz. Specifically, for example, it starts at 16Hz and increases the frequency by 10Hz every 10ms, and when it reaches 250Hz it returns to 16Hz. By periodically repeating this, it is possible to generate a state of air density containing components between 16Hz and 250Hz. In other words, by generating a state of air density in a frequency band that includes a frequency suitable for displacing the position of the beak 30 and a frequency suitable for effectively diffusing pollen 33, it becomes possible to displace the beak 30 to efficiently create space between it and the pistil 28, and then diffuse the pollen 33 into that space to efficiently and reliably pollinate the flower.

[0025] The first frequency band mentioned above is intended to efficiently diffuse pollen 33, and therefore falls within the low-frequency range (relatively low frequencies between 16Hz and 250Hz) even within the range of 16Hz to 250Hz. In other words, if air compression and rarefaction occur in the high-frequency range (relatively high frequencies between 16Hz and 250Hz) where the piston 31 is close to 250Hz, the movement of the pollen 33 cannot keep up with the changes, making it difficult to effectively diffuse the pollen 33.

[0026] On the other hand, the second frequency band is included in the high-frequency region that contains resonant frequencies capable of causing resonance, since the purpose is to displace the minima 30. In other words, in order to displace the minima 30, by causing a resonance phenomenon, especially in the initial stage of displacement initiation from a stationary state, the displacement of the minima 30 can be initiated by high-frequency vibration without applying excessive pressure or force to the vanilla flower 20 (especially the tissues such as the column 29 housed in the pollination work section 2). After a certain degree of displacement initiation has occurred due to this resonance, it becomes possible to displace the minima 30 further by vibrations due to the compression and rarefaction of air, air pressure, and / or wind force, including various frequency bands. While the minima 30 is displaced significantly, pollen 33 is dispersed around the pistil 28, thus ensuring successful pollination.

[0027] The above-mentioned resonant frequency may also be determined based on the natural frequency of the beak 30 using the following method. The beak 30 exists such that one end is fixed to the pistil 28, but the fixing part may be connected linearly or connected at a single point. Equation (1) below is the formula for determining the natural frequency of the beak 30 when it is connected linearly, and equation (2) is the formula for determining the natural frequency of the beak 30 when it is connected at a single point.

[0028]

number

[0029]

number

[0030] In equations (1) and (2), L is the length of the object (the total length of the beak 30, from the base to the tip of the beak 30), W is the width of the object (the width from left to right when the beak 30 is viewed from the front side (stamen 27 side)), h is the thickness of the object (the thickness of the beak 30), E is the Young's modulus (elastic modulus) of the object, ρ is the density of the beak 30, ν is the Poisson's ratio of the object, and m and n are the mode numbers (number of terms: integers).

[0031] As shown in equation (1) or equation (2) above, the natural frequency of the minima 30 may be calculated according to the characteristics of the joint portion of the minima 30, and the resonant frequency, i.e., the second frequency, or the second frequency band including the second frequency, may be set from the calculated natural frequency.

[0032] Furthermore, in the pollination device 1 according to this embodiment, it is desirable that the distance traveled when the piston 31 reciprocates, that is, the distance the piston 31 operates, is greater than or equal to the maximum distance between the stigma of the pistil 28 and the tip of the stamen 27. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the travel distance of the piston in the pollination device according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 5, if L2 is the maximum distance between the stigma of the pistil 28 and the tip of the stamen (the part where pollen 33 is produced), and L1 is the length of the drive unit casing 32 on which the piston 31 reciprocates, it is desirable that L1 be set such that L1 > L2. For example, since L2 is often less than 5 mm, it is desirable to set L1 to 10 mm or more.

[0033] As described above, the pollination device 1 according to this embodiment is a plant pollination device 1 for plants having a beak 30 on the stigma of the pistil 28, and comprises a drive unit 3 that generates air density to displace the position of the beak 30 that separates the stamen 27 and the pistil 28, and a pollination work unit 2 which consists of a cylindrical body connected to the drive unit 3, and which houses at least the stamen 27, pistil 28 and beak 30 inside the cylindrical body, and propagates air of density to diffuse the pollen 33 from the stamen 27 and pollinate the pistil 28. As such, the beak 30 is displaced so as to be separated from the pistil 28, and the pollen 33 is diffused into the separated space to pollinate, so artificial pollination can be performed very efficiently even for plants that have a beak 30.

[0034] Furthermore, the drive unit 3 can vary the period of air compression and rarefaction as needed to generate such air compression and rarefaction at multiple frequencies, thereby efficiently carrying out the diffusion of pollen 33 and the displacement of the beak 30, and improving the efficiency of artificial pollination.

[0035] Furthermore, if necessary, multiple frequencies include a first frequency range that attracts and disperses pollen 33 and a second frequency range that displaces the miniature body 30. This allows for efficient dispersal of pollen 33 while ensuring space for pollen 33 to enter by displacing the miniature body 30, thereby simplifying the artificial pollination process and increasing its success rate.

[0036] Furthermore, if necessary, multiple frequencies are included in the frequency range from 1 Hz to 1 kHz, with the first frequency domain being in the low frequency band of the frequency range and the second frequency domain being in the high frequency band of the frequency range. This ensures that pollen 33 is reliably attracted and dispersed from the stamens 27 in the low frequency band, while the vibration and displacement of the beak 30 are reliably performed in the high frequency band.

[0037] Furthermore, since the second frequency range includes a resonant frequency that resonates with the minima 30 as needed, the minima 30 can be vibrated by the resonance phenomenon, especially in the initial stages when the displacement of the stationary minima 30 begins, allowing for efficient displacement of the minima 30 without damaging the flower tissue.

[0038] Furthermore, if necessary, the second frequency range including the resonant frequency is set according to the characteristics of the joint portion of the beak 30, so that air density can be generated at an optimal frequency according to the characteristics of the beak 30, thereby improving the success rate of artificial pollination.

[0039] Furthermore, if necessary, the drive unit 3 may have a piston 31, and the distance over which the piston 31 reciprocates is greater than or equal to the maximum distance between the stigma of the pistil 28 and the tip of the stamen 27. As a result, the displacement of the beak 30 increases with air vibration and fluctuation caused by the piston 31, and the diffusion range of the pollen 33 widens, thereby improving the success rate of pollination. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1 Pollination device 20 Vanilla Flowers 21 Upper petals 22 Right petal 23 Left petal 24 Lower right petal 25 Lower left petal 26 Labellum 27 stamens 28 pistil 29 Pyramid 30 Beak body 31 pistons 32 Drive unit exterior 33 Pollen

Claims

1. A pollination apparatus for plants having a small beak (Rostellum) at the stigma of the pistil, A drive unit that generates air density to displace the position of the beak-like body that separates the stamen and the pistil, A pollination unit comprising a cylindrical body connected to the drive unit, which houses at least the stamens, pistils, and beaks within the cylindrical body, and which propagates the dense and sparse air to disperse the pollen from the stamens and pollinate the pistil, A pollination device characterized by being equipped with the following features.

2. In the pollination device according to claim 1, The pollination device is characterized in that the drive unit varies the period of the air's compression and rarefaction to generate the air's compression and rarefaction at multiple frequencies.

3. In the pollination device according to claim 2, A pollination device characterized in that the plurality of frequencies include a first frequency region for attracting and dispersing the pollen and a second frequency region for displacing the beak.

4. In the pollination device according to claim 3, The aforementioned multiple frequencies are included in the frequency range from 1 Hz to 1 kHz. A pollination device characterized in that a first frequency region is included in the low frequency band of the frequency range, and a second frequency region is included in the high frequency band of the frequency range.

5. In the pollination device according to claim 3, A pollination device characterized in that the second frequency range includes a resonant frequency that resonates with the beak.

6. In the pollination device according to claim 5, A pollination device characterized in that the second frequency region, which includes the aforementioned resonant frequency, is set according to the characteristics of the joint portion of the beak.

7. In the pollination device according to claim 1 or 2, The drive unit has a piston, A pollination device characterized in that the distance over which the piston reciprocates is at least equal to or greater than the maximum distance between the stigma of the pistil and the tip of the stamen.

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