Evaluation system, program

Abstract

It is preferable to be able to accurately calculate the amount of greenhouse gases fixed by plants. [Solution] An evaluation system is provided comprising a closed evaluation environment for storing the plants to be evaluated, an injection unit for injecting greenhouse gases into each environment of a closed reference environment that does not contain the plants to be evaluated, either in parallel or sequentially, and a calculation unit for calculating the amount of greenhouse gas fixed by the plants to be evaluated by comparing the injection amounts of the greenhouse gases injected into the evaluation environment and the reference environment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an evaluation system and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a method for calculating the amount of carbon dioxide fixed has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-279073

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] It is preferable that the amount of greenhouse gas fixed by a plant can be accurately calculated.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] In order to solve the above problems, in a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an evaluation system including an enclosure unit for enclosing greenhouse gas in parallel or in sequence for each of a closed evaluation environment storing an evaluation target plant and a closed reference environment not including the evaluation target plant. The evaluation system may include a calculation unit for calculating the amount of greenhouse gas fixed by the evaluation target plant by comparing the amounts of greenhouse gas enclosed in the evaluation environment and the reference environment.

[0005] Any of the above evaluation systems may include an evaluation tank in which the evaluation environment is provided. Any of the above evaluation systems may include a reference tank in which the reference environment is provided.

[0006] Any of the above evaluation systems may include an evaluation reference tank in which the evaluation environment and the reference environment are provided. In any of the above evaluation systems, the evaluation reference tank may have a first partition wall separating the evaluation environment and the reference environment.

[0007] Any of the above evaluation systems may include an evaluation reference tank in which the evaluation environment and the reference environment are provided in sequence.

[0008] In any of the above evaluation systems, the evaluation environment and the reference environment may each have soil. In any of the above evaluation systems, at least a portion of the plant being evaluated may be submerged in the soil of the evaluation environment.

[0009] In any of the above evaluation systems, the sealing unit may seal the greenhouse gas into a standard environment that does not include the plants to be evaluated and the soil, in parallel with or sequentially with the evaluation environment and the reference environment. In any of the above evaluation systems, the calculation unit may calculate the amount of greenhouse gas fixed by the soil by comparing the amount of greenhouse gas sealed into the reference environment and the standard environment.

[0010] In any of the evaluation systems described above, the evaluation environment may have a second partition that separates the soil from the space where the greenhouse gas is present.

[0011] In any of the evaluation systems described above, the evaluation environment and the reference environment may each have hydroponic water. In any of the evaluation systems described above, at least a portion of the plant being evaluated may be submerged in the hydroponic water of the evaluation environment.

[0012] In any of the above evaluation systems, the sealing unit may seal the greenhouse gas into a standard environment that does not include the plants to be evaluated and the hydroponic water, either in parallel with or sequentially with the evaluation environment and the reference environment. In any of the above evaluation systems, the calculation unit may calculate the amount of greenhouse gas fixed by the hydroponic water by comparing the amount of greenhouse gas sealed into the reference environment and the standard environment.

[0013] In any of the evaluation systems described above, the greenhouse gas may be carbon dioxide.

[0014] Any of the above evaluation systems may further include a light control unit that controls the amount of light irradiated onto the evaluation environment based on the carbon dioxide fixation rate fixed by the plant being evaluated.

[0015] In any of the evaluation systems described above, the light control unit may calculate the critical light quantity at which the fixed speed value saturates, regardless of the light quantity of the light irradiated onto the evaluation environment, based on the change in the fixed speed when the light quantity is sequentially changed.

[0016] In any of the evaluation systems described above, the calculation unit may calculate the amount of carbon dioxide generated by the respiration of the plant being evaluated by comparing the amount of carbon dioxide sealed in the evaluation environment (which is not exposed to light) with the amount of carbon dioxide sealed in the reference environment (which is not exposed to light).

[0017] In any of the above evaluation systems, the sealing unit may control the flow rate of the greenhouse gas sealed into the evaluation environment so that the concentration of the greenhouse gas contained in the space of the evaluation environment is maintained at a first set value. In any of the above evaluation systems, the sealing unit may control the flow rate of the greenhouse gas sealed into the reference environment so that the concentration of the greenhouse gas contained in the space of the reference environment is maintained at a second set value.

[0018] In any of the evaluation systems described above, the first setting value and the second setting value may be the same value.

[0019] In any of the evaluation systems described above, the calculation unit may calculate the fixed amount at each stage of the life cycle of the plant being evaluated from the calculation result of the fixed amount.

[0020] In order to solve the above problems, in a second aspect of the present invention, when executed by a computer, the computer is caused to perform a procedure for controlling the amount of greenhouse gas enclosed in a closed evaluation environment for storing an evaluation target plant and a closed reference environment not including the evaluation target plant, and a procedure for calculating the amount of greenhouse gas fixed by the evaluation target plant by comparing the enclosed amounts. A program is provided that causes the computer to execute these procedures.

[0021] In order to solve the above problems, in a third aspect of the present invention, an evaluation system is provided that includes a first gas sensor for measuring the concentration of greenhouse gas in a closed evaluation environment for storing an evaluation target plant. The evaluation system may include a second gas sensor for measuring the concentration of the greenhouse gas in a closed reference environment not including the evaluation target plant. Any of the above evaluation systems may include a calculation unit that calculates the amount of greenhouse gas fixed by the evaluation target plant by comparing the concentrations of the greenhouse gas in the evaluation environment and the reference environment.

[0022] In order to solve the above problems, in a fourth aspect of the present invention, when executed by a computer, the computer is caused to perform a procedure for calculating the amount of greenhouse gas fixed by the evaluation target plant by comparing the concentration of greenhouse gas in a closed evaluation environment for storing the evaluation target plant with the concentration of greenhouse gas in a closed reference environment not including the evaluation target plant. A program is provided that causes the computer to execute this procedure.

[0023] The above summary of the invention does not enumerate all the features of the present invention. Also, sub-combinations of these feature groups can also be inventions.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing an example of an evaluation system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing a modified example of the evaluation system 100. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing another modified example of the evaluation system 100. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing another modification example of the evaluation system 100. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing another modification example of the evaluation system 100. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing another modification example of the evaluation system 100. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing a modification example of the evaluation system 100 shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing another modification example of the evaluation system 100. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing the relationship between the amount of light irradiated to the evaluation environment and the fixing speed. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing the change in the carbon dioxide concentration in the evaluation environment 12. [Figure 11] An example of a computer 1200 in which multiple aspects of the present invention may be embodied in whole or in part is shown.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0025] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described through embodiments of the invention. However, the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Also, not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential for the solution of the invention. In this specification and the drawings, elements having substantially the same function and configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals to omit redundant description, and elements not directly related to the present invention are omitted from the illustration. Also, in one drawing, elements having the same function and configuration may be represented by reference numerals and other elements may be omitted from the reference numerals.

[0026] When referred to as "identical" or "equal" in this specification, it may include cases having errors due to manufacturing variations or the like. Such errors are, for example, within 10%. Also, in this specification, when referred to as "above" or "below", it may refer to the up and down in the direction of gravity.

[0027] Figure 1 shows an example of an evaluation system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The evaluation system 100 calculates the amount of greenhouse gases fixed by plants. Greenhouse gas fixation refers to preventing greenhouse gases from being released into the air by some means. For example, plants can fix greenhouse gases by converting them into other substances through photosynthesis. They can also fix greenhouse gases by adsorbing or fixing them to other substances. The evaluation system 100 calculates the amount of fixation by plants by comparing an evaluation environment 12 containing plants with a reference environment 32 that does not contain plants.

[0028] The evaluation system 100 in this example comprises an evaluation tank 10, a reference tank 30, a sealing unit 50, and a calculation unit 60. Figure 1 shows cross-sections of the evaluation tank 10 and the reference tank 30. The greenhouse gas may be carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4), or other greenhouse gases. In this example, the greenhouse gas will be described as carbon dioxide.

[0029] The evaluation tank 10 includes soil 14, a gas sensor 16, a plant to be evaluated 18, a water supply pipe 20, and a drainage pipe 22. In Figure 1, the soil 14 is provided from the bottom to near the middle of the evaluation tank 10. The soil 14 may contain gravel in addition to soil. In Figure 1, the gravel contained in the soil 14 is represented by circles or ellipses.

[0030] The plants being evaluated 18 have roots in the soil 14 and stems and leaves growing above the soil 14. In other words, at least a portion of the plants being evaluated 18 are submerged in the soil 14, and at least a portion of the plants being evaluated 18 are located within the soil 14. The plants being evaluated 18 fix carbon dioxide in their bodies by performing photosynthesis. For example, the plants being evaluated 18 fix carbon dioxide in their bodies in the form of cellulose. The plants being evaluated 18 include various plants such as vegetables, ornamental plants, and trees. In the hydroponic cultivation described later, the plants being evaluated 18 may include seaweed. In this example, the plants being evaluated 18 perform photosynthesis and respiration and grow inside the evaluation tank 10. That is, so-called soil cultivation is performed in the evaluation tank 10 in this example.

[0031] The gas sensor 16 measures the gas concentration in the evaluation tank 10, which is above the soil 14 (above the ground). In this example, the gas sensor 16 measures the concentration of carbon dioxide. The gas sensor 16 outputs the measured carbon dioxide concentration to the calculation unit 60.

[0032] The water supply pipe 20 is located below the evaluation tank 10 and supplies water and nutrient solution (hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as water supply) from the outside. The drain pipe 22 discharges excess water and other liquids (hereinafter sometimes referred to as drainage) from inside the evaluation tank 10. A liquid sensor 24 for measuring the carbon dioxide concentration in the liquid may be attached to the drain pipe 22. The evaluation tank 10 may also be provided with a light source 26 capable of controlling the wavelength and intensity of light.

[0033] The reference tank 30 includes soil 34, a gas sensor 36, a water supply pipe 40, and a drain pipe 42. The reference tank 30 does not contain the plants to be evaluated 18. In other respects, it is the same as the evaluation tank 10. That is, the components and weight of soil 34 may be the same as the components and weight of soil 14 in evaluation tank 10. However, the weight of each component of soil 34 does not have to be exactly the same as the weight of each component of soil 14. For example, these weights may have an error of ±10% or less. The well-mixed soil may be divided into two parts to form soil 14 and soil 34. The gas sensor 36 may measure the same gas concentration as the gas sensor 16 in evaluation tank 10. It is preferable that the position where the gas sensor 36 is placed in the reference tank 30 is the same as the position where the gas sensor 16 is placed in evaluation tank 10. The amount of water supplied from the water supply pipe 40 may be the same as the amount of water supplied from the water supply pipe 20 in evaluation tank 10. Furthermore, the reference tank 30 may also be provided with a light source 46 similar to the light source 26 of the evaluation tank 10.

[0034] In this specification, the environment in which the plants to be evaluated 18 are stored is referred to as the evaluation environment 12, and the environment in which the plants to be evaluated 18 are not stored is referred to as the reference environment 32. The evaluation environment 12 and the reference environment 32 may be identical except for the presence or absence of the plants to be evaluated 18. In this example, the evaluation environment 12 is inside the evaluation tank 10. That is, the evaluation environment 12 in this example is provided in the evaluation tank 10. In this example, the reference environment 32 is inside the reference tank 30. That is, the reference environment 32 in this example is provided in the reference tank 30. In other words, the tank that forms the evaluation environment 12 is the evaluation tank 10, and the tank that forms the reference environment 32 is the reference tank 30. The evaluation environment 12 may store a single type of plants to be evaluated 18, or a single individual plant to be evaluated 18. The type of plant may be a type in any rank of biological taxonomy. An individual plant may refer, for example, to a range that shares a common stem.

[0035] Both evaluation environment 12 and reference environment 32 may be closed systems. A closed system is one in which there is no exchange of substances other than greenhouse gases between the system and the outside, and in which there is no exchange of substances other than greenhouse gases and water supply / discharge between the system and the outside. Because the system is closed, the environmental conditions can be precisely controlled, and therefore fixed quantities can be calculated accurately.

[0036] The sealing unit 50 seals greenhouse gases in parallel with the evaluation environment 12 and the reference environment 32. The sealing unit 50 includes a gas cylinder 52, a sealing flow rate control unit 54, and a sealing flow rate control unit 56. The gas cylinder 52 contains greenhouse gases. The sealing flow rate control unit 54 and the sealing flow rate control unit 56 are connected to the gas cylinder 52. The sealing flow rate control unit 54 controls the flow rate of greenhouse gases sealed from the gas cylinder 52 to the evaluation tank 10. Unless otherwise specified, the gas flow rate in this specification refers to the volume of gas flowing per unit time. The sealing flow rate control unit 56 controls the flow rate of greenhouse gases sealed from the gas cylinder 52 to the reference tank 30. The sealing flow rate control unit 54 and the sealing flow rate control unit 56 are, for example, mass flow controllers equipped with solenoid valves. The flow rates of the sealing flow rate control unit 54 and the sealing flow rate control unit 56 may be controlled by a calculation unit 60.

[0037] The calculation unit 60 has a computer 1200. The calculation unit 60 calculates the amount of greenhouse gas fixed by the target plant 18 by comparing the amount of greenhouse gas sealed in the evaluation environment 12 and the reference environment 32. The fixed amount is the amount of gas fixed within the plant's body. The fixed amount may be the amount of gas absorbed by the plant through photosynthesis (true photosynthesis), or it may be the amount obtained by subtracting the amount exhaled by respiration from the amount of gas absorbed by the plant through photosynthesis (apparent photosynthesis). Generally, the amount of fixed gas by photosynthesis is about 10 to 20 times greater than the amount of respiration, so the amount of respiration can be ignored. Also, soil bacteria exist in soil 14 and soil 34, and these soil bacteria also absorb greenhouse gases, but the above fixed amount does not need to include the absorption of greenhouse gases by these soil bacteria. On the other hand, bacteria that coexist with the target plant 18 develop in the soil 14 of the evaluation tank 10 as the target plant 18 grows. These bacteria may also fix greenhouse gases. The above fixation amount may include the amount of greenhouse gases fixed by the bacteria in question.

[0038] The sum of the amount of greenhouse gas enclosed in the evaluation environment 12 and the amount exhaled by the evaluation target plants 18 through respiration corresponds to the total amount of greenhouse gas present in the evaluation environment 12. The total amount of greenhouse gas present in the evaluation environment 12 is the sum of the amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere of the evaluation environment 12, the amount of greenhouse gas absorbed by the soil 14, and the amount of greenhouse gas fixed by photosynthesis (true photosynthesis).

[0039] Since the reference environment 32 does not contain the target plants 18, the amount of greenhouse gas enclosed in the reference environment 32 represents the total amount of greenhouse gas present in the reference environment 32. The total amount of greenhouse gas present in the reference environment 32 corresponds to the sum of the amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere of the reference environment 32 and the amount of greenhouse gas absorbed by the soil 34.

[0040] The calculation unit 60 may estimate the amount of greenhouse gas to be sealed into the evaluation environment 12 necessary to achieve the amount of greenhouse gas present in the atmosphere of the evaluation environment 12, based on the relationship between the amount sealed in the reference environment 32 and the amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere of the reference environment 32. The calculation unit 60 may calculate the amount of greenhouse gas fixed by photosynthesis by subtracting the above-mentioned necessary sealing amount from the amount sealed in the evaluation environment 12.

[0041] For example, if the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere of reference environment 32 is the same as the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere of evaluation environment 12, then the amount of greenhouse gases enclosed in reference environment 32 corresponds to the amount of greenhouse gases enclosed in order to achieve the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere of evaluation environment 12. Therefore, the amount of greenhouse gases enclosed in reference environment 32 minus the amount of greenhouse gases enclosed in evaluation environment 12 corresponds to the amount of greenhouse gases fixed by the plants being evaluated 18. In this example, the amount of greenhouse gases absorbed by soil 34 is ignored, assuming that it fluctuates in proportion to the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

[0042] In other examples, the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere of the reference environment 32 may differ from the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere of the evaluation environment 12. The calculation unit 60 may estimate the amount of greenhouse gases needed to achieve the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere of the evaluation environment 12 by multiplying the amount of greenhouse gases sealed in the reference environment 32 by the ratio of the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere of the evaluation environment 12 to the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere of the reference environment 32. The volumes of the evaluation tank 10 and the reference tank 30, the measurement results of the gas sensors 16 and 36, and the flow rates of the sealing flow rate control unit 54 and 56 may be used to calculate the fixed amount. The amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere of each environment can be calculated by multiplying the volume of each tank by the amount of greenhouse gases per unit volume measured by each gas sensor.

[0043] The following is an example of calculating a fixed amount. In this example, the sealing flow control unit 54 and the sealing flow control unit 56 dynamically adjust the flow rate of greenhouse gas so that the concentration of greenhouse gas detected by the gas sensor 16 (amount of gas per unit volume) matches the concentration of greenhouse gas detected by the gas sensor 36.

[0044] The total amount of greenhouse gases in evaluation environment 12 is expressed as follows: CO2 injection amount + respiration rate of 18 plants under evaluation = Evaluation Environment 12: Amount of CO2 in the atmosphere + Amount of CO2 absorbed by soil 14 + Amount of CO2 fixed by photosynthesis The first line of the above equation distributes the total amount according to the source of greenhouse gases. The amount of greenhouse gases enclosed in the evaluation environment 12 and the amount of greenhouse gases produced by the evaluation target plants 18 through respiration represent the total amount of greenhouse gases in the evaluation environment 12. The second line distributes the total amount according to the location where greenhouse gases are present. The sum of the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere of the evaluation environment 12, the amount of greenhouse gases absorbed by the soil 14, and the amount of greenhouse gases fixed by photosynthesis represents the total amount. Here, the amount of CO2 injected into evaluation environment 12 is expressed by the following formula. Σ[V S (L / s) × t(s) V S θ is the flow rate of greenhouse gases into the evaluation environment 12 controlled by the sealing flow control unit 54, and t is the measurement period. Σ means that the total for the predetermined cultivation period is added up. However, if the measurement period t is short, the respiration rate of the target plant 18 is negligible, so the respiration rate of the target plant 18 may be ignored.

[0045] Similarly, the total amount of greenhouse gases in reference environment 32 is expressed as follows: CO2 injection amount + respiration rate of 18 plants under evaluation = Reference Environment 32: Amount of CO2 in the atmosphere + Amount of CO2 absorbed by soil 34 Since the target plant 18 is not present in reference environment 32, the respiration production of the target plant 18 can be treated as 0. Here, the amount of CO2 sealed in reference environment 32 is expressed by the following formula. Σ[V R (L / s) × t(s) V R is the flow rate of greenhouse gases to the reference environment 32, controlled by the sealing flow control unit 56. t and Σ are the same as in the evaluation environment 12.

[0046] Here, if the carbon dioxide concentration in evaluation environment 12 and the carbon dioxide concentration in reference environment 32 are controlled to a common constant value during the cultivation period, then the "amount of CO2 in the atmosphere of evaluation environment 12" and the "amount of CO2 in the atmosphere of reference environment 32" in the above equation will be equal. Also, if the conditions such as the composition and weight of soil 14 and soil 34 are the same, and the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere in each environment is the same, then the "amount of CO2 absorbed by soil 14" and the "amount of CO2 absorbed by soil 34" in the above equation can be considered equal. Then, taking the difference between the two sides of the above equation and rearranging, we get the following. CO2 injection amount (evaluation environment 12) - CO2 injection amount (reference environment 32) =Amount of CO2 fixed by photosynthesis - Respiration rate of the 18 plants being evaluated In other words, the amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere and soil are canceled out, and the difference in the amount of CO2 enclosed becomes the amount fixed by photosynthesis. The enclosed amount calculation unit 60 may calculate the amount of greenhouse gas fixed by the plant being evaluated 18 based on the above formula. Strictly speaking, the difference in the enclosed amount is the apparent amount of photosynthesis. The calculation unit 60 may correct the above formula using respiration data and calculate the "amount of CO2 fixed by photosynthesis" (true amount of photosynthesis). The measurement of respiration will be described later. However, as mentioned above, the calculation unit 60 may ignore respiration.

[0047] As another example, the calculation unit 60 may calculate the amount of greenhouse gas fixed by the plant under evaluation 18 by comparing the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the evaluation environment 12 and the reference environment 32. The gas sensor 16 measures the concentration of greenhouse gases in the evaluation environment 12. The gas sensor 36 measures the concentration of greenhouse gases in the reference environment 32. In this specification, the gas sensor 16 may be referred to as the first gas sensor and the gas sensor 36 as the second gas sensor.

[0048] As an example, with the CO2 concentration in the evaluation environment 12 and the CO2 concentration in the reference environment 32 equal, the sealing flow rate control unit 54 and the sealing flow rate control unit 56 are closed. In the evaluation environment 12, the CO2 concentration decreases due to CO2 fixation by photosynthesis and CO2 absorption by the soil 14. In the reference environment 32, the CO2 concentration decreases due to absorption by the soil 34. Here, as described above, if we assume that the absorption amounts of soil 14 and soil 34 are equal, the change over time in the difference between the CO2 concentration in the evaluation environment 12 and the CO2 concentration in the reference environment 32 represents the change over time in the amount of CO2 fixed by photosynthesis. Strictly speaking, the above fixed amount is the apparent amount of photosynthesis. The calculation unit 60 may or may not correct using the respiration rate, as described above.

[0049] Traditionally, the amount of CO2 fixed by plants has not been accurately measured. By creating a closed environment, the amount of CO2 fixed can be calculated under controlled conditions. Furthermore, even using only the evaluation environment 12, the amount of CO2 absorbed by the soil 14 and the amount of CO2 fixed by photosynthesis cannot be detected by the gas sensor 16. As in this example, by comparing the evaluation environment 12 with the reference environment 32, the accurate amount of CO2 fixed, after subtracting soil absorption, can be calculated. Accurate CO2 fixed amounts can be used to estimate the achievement of greenhouse gas reduction targets and for greenhouse gas emissions trading.

[0050] The calculation unit 60 may calculate the amount of greenhouse gas fixation from germination to death of the plant 18 under evaluation. Alternatively, the calculation unit 60 may calculate the amount of fixation during the growing period when the plant 18 under evaluation conditions is grown. When evaluating the amount of fixation of the plant 18 under evaluation during the growing period, the calculation unit 60 may calculate the amount of fixation per unit volume by dividing the amount of fixation by the total volume of the plant 18 under evaluation, or the amount of fixation per unit area by dividing the amount of fixation by the total area of ​​the plant 18 under evaluation, or the amount of fixation per unit area of ​​leaves by dividing the amount of fixation by the total area of ​​the leaves of the plant 18 under evaluation. The calculation unit 60 may also calculate the amount of fixation per unit value of a predetermined parameter by dividing the amount of fixation by the value of other parameters of the plant 18 under evaluation.

[0051] The sealing unit 50 may control the flow rate of greenhouse gas sealed into the evaluation environment 12 so that the concentration of greenhouse gas contained in the space of the evaluation environment 12 is maintained at a first set value. The sealing unit 50 may also control the flow rate of greenhouse gas sealed into the reference environment 32 so that the concentration of greenhouse gas contained in the space of the reference environment 32 is maintained at a second set value. The space of the evaluation environment 12 may be a space in which at least a portion of plants are placed, and may not include physical parts such as soil, water, or plants. This ensures that the difference in the amount sealed becomes a fixed amount.

[0052] As explained in the above formula, the first and second setpoints may be the same value. This ensures that the soil absorption is equal. The first and second setpoints may be equal to the actual atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration. This allows us to calculate the amount of carbon fixed in the actual environment.

[0053] However, it is possible that greenhouse gases may dissolve in the water supply. Therefore, the calculation unit 60 may take into account the concentration of greenhouse gases in the wastewater measured by the liquid sensor 24 and the liquid sensor 44. For example, the calculation unit 60 may subtract the total amount of greenhouse gases dissolved in the wastewater and discharged from the amount supplied from the gas cylinder 52.

[0054] The evaluation tank 10 and the reference tank 30 may have controllable light and atmospheric environments. The light environment may be the wavelength and intensity of light irradiated onto the environment. The atmospheric environment may be the temperature, humidity, gas concentration (including greenhouse gases), wind direction, wind speed, or pressure of the environment. By controlling the light and atmospheric environments, the environment in which the target plant 18 is actually cultivated can be simulated. Alternatively, changes in fixed quantities may be investigated by varying predetermined conditions. For example, by changing the wavelengths of light sources 26 and 46, fixed quantities can be calculated for each wavelength.

[0055] The oxygen concentration in the space of evaluation environment 12 and the oxygen concentration in the space of reference environment 32 may be equal. Since oxygen concentration affects the activity of soil bacteria, equalizing the oxygen concentrations allows for accurate cancellation of soil fixation.

[0056] The structure of the reference tank 30 is the same as that of the evaluation tank 10. For example, the volume and shape of the space in the reference tank 30 where the reference environment 32 is provided may be the same as the volume and shape of the space in the evaluation tank 10 where the evaluation environment 12 is provided. The volume of the space in the evaluation environment 12 other than the soil 14 may be equal to the volume of the space in the reference environment 32 other than the soil 34.

[0057] Figure 2 shows a modified version of the evaluation system 100. In this example, the evaluation system 100 includes an evaluation reference tank 70 instead of the evaluation tank 10 and the reference tank 30. In other respects, it is the same as the evaluation system 100 shown in Figure 1.

[0058] The evaluation reference tank 70 is provided with an evaluation environment 12 and a reference environment 32. In this example, the evaluation reference tank 70 has a first partition wall 71 that separates the evaluation environment 12 and the reference environment 32. In other words, the evaluation environment 12 and the reference environment 32 are formed by dividing the inside of a single evaluation reference tank 70 with the first partition wall 71. The first partition wall 71 may be designed to prevent the exchange of substances between the evaluation environment 12 and the reference environment 32. Even with this configuration, the accurate amount of fixation can be calculated, as in the case of Figure 1.

[0059] The gas sensor 16, water supply pipe 20, drain pipe 22, and light source 26 may be provided in the evaluation environment 12. The gas sensor 36, water supply pipe 40, drain pipe 42, and light source 46 may be provided in the reference environment 32. This makes it possible to set the evaluation environment 12 and the reference environment 32 under the same conditions. In this example as well, the calculation unit 60 may calculate the amount of greenhouse gas fixed by the target plant 18 by comparing the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the evaluation environment 12 and the reference environment 32.

[0060] Figure 3 shows another variation of the evaluation system 100. In this example, the evaluation system 100 includes an evaluation reference tank 80 instead of the evaluation tank 10 and the reference tank 30. Otherwise, it is the same as the evaluation system 100 shown in Figure 1.

[0061] The evaluation reference tank 80 is sequentially equipped with the evaluation environment 12 and the reference environment 32. In other words, the evaluation environment 12 and the reference environment 32 are equipped in the same evaluation reference tank 80 at different times. Even with this configuration, the accurate amount of fixation can be calculated as in the case of Figure 1. The order in which the evaluation environment 12 and the reference environment 32 are equipped does not matter. In this example as well, the calculation unit 60 may calculate the amount of greenhouse gas fixed by the target plant 18 by comparing the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the evaluation environment 12 and the reference environment 32. The concentration measurements of the evaluation environment 12 and the reference environment 32 may be performed sequentially.

[0062] Figure 4 shows another modified version of the evaluation system 100. In this example, the evaluation system 100 includes a standard tank 150 in addition to the evaluation tank 10 and the reference tank 30. Otherwise, it is the same as the evaluation system 100 shown in Figure 1. However, in Figure 4, the gas cylinder 52 of the sealing section 50 is omitted.

[0063] The standard tank 150 includes a gas sensor 156, a water supply pipe 160, a drain pipe 162, and a light source 166. These configurations may be the same as those of the evaluation tank 10 and the reference tank 30. A liquid sensor 164 may be provided in the drain pipe 162.

[0064] A standard environment 152 is formed in the standard tank 150. The standard environment 152 is an environment that does not include the plants to be evaluated 18 and soil 14 (soil 34). In this example, the sealing unit 50 seals greenhouse gases into the standard environment 152 in parallel with the evaluation environment 12 and the reference environment 32. The sealing unit 50 in this example has a sealing flow rate control unit 58 that controls the flow rate of greenhouse gases sealed into the standard environment 152. The calculation unit 60 may calculate the amount of greenhouse gases fixed by the soil by comparing the amount of greenhouse gases sealed into the reference environment 32 and the standard environment 152. If the greenhouse gas concentrations in the standard environment 152 and the reference environment 32 are controlled to a common constant value during the cultivation period, the amount of greenhouse gases fixed by the soil will be the difference between the amount sealed in the standard environment 152 and the amount sealed in the reference environment 32.

[0065] In this example, the sealing unit 50 seals greenhouse gases in parallel with the evaluation environment 12, the reference environment 32, and the standard environment 152. However, the sealing unit 50 may seal greenhouse gases in each environment sequentially. For example, as shown in Figure 3, the evaluation system 100 may include an evaluation reference tank 80 in which the evaluation environment 12, the reference environment 32, and the standard environment 152 are sequentially provided. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 2, any two of the environments may be provided by the evaluation reference tank 70 and the first partition wall 71. The three environments described above may also be provided by the evaluation reference tank 70 and two first partition walls 71.

[0066] In this example as well, the calculation unit 60 may calculate the amount of greenhouse gas fixed by the soil by comparing the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the reference environment 32 and the standard environment 152. The gas sensor 156 may measure the concentration of greenhouse gases in the standard environment 152. The change over time in the difference between the CO2 concentration in the reference environment 32 and the CO2 concentration in the standard environment 152 represents the change over time in the amount of CO2 fixed by the soil. In this specification, the gas sensor 156 may be referred to as the third gas sensor.

[0067] Figure 5 shows a modified version of the evaluation system 100. In this example, the evaluation system 100 is provided with a second partition wall 72 in the evaluation tank 10. In other respects, it is the same as the evaluation system 100 shown in Figure 1.

[0068] In this example, the evaluation tank 10 has a second partition wall 72. In other words, the evaluation environment 12 has a second partition wall. The second partition wall 72 isolates the soil 14 of the evaluation environment 12 from the space where greenhouse gases are present. In this example, the second partition wall 72 is provided along the surface (ground) of the soil 14. The second partition wall 72 may be provided to isolate the soil 14 of the evaluation environment 12 from the space where greenhouse gases are present so that no exchange of substances occurs between them. As a result, the soil 14 does not fix greenhouse gases, and the amount fixed by the soil can be excluded from the amount of gas to be sealed. The second partition wall 72 may be provided in any of the evaluation tanks 10 shown in Figures 2 to 4. In addition, the calculation unit 60 may calculate the amount of greenhouse gases fixed by the plants 18 under evaluation based on the concentration of greenhouse gases in the evaluation environment 12. In this example, since the soil 14 does not fix greenhouse gases, the exact amount of fixation can be calculated from the concentration of greenhouse gases in the evaluation environment 12.

[0069] Figure 6 shows a modified version of the evaluation system 100. In this example of the evaluation system 100, the evaluation tank 10 contains hydroponic water 15 instead of soil 14. Also, the reference tank 30 contains hydroponic water 35 instead of soil 34. In other words, the evaluation environment 12 and the reference environment 32 in this example contain either hydroponic water 15 or hydroponic water 35, respectively. That is, hydroponics is performed in this example of the evaluation system 100. Other aspects are the same as the evaluation system 100 shown in Figure 1. Note that the circles or ellipses in the hydroponic water 15 and hydroponic water 35 in Figure 6 represent bubbles.

[0070] In this example, the plant being evaluated, 18, extends its roots into the hydroponic water 15, and its stem and leaves grow above the hydroponic water 15. In other words, at least a portion of the plant being evaluated, 18, is submerged in the hydroponic water 15, and at least a portion of the plant being evaluated is located within the hydroponic water 15.

[0071] Hydroponic water also absorbs greenhouse gases. In this example, just as the absorption by soil was canceled out in the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the absorption by hydroponic water can be canceled out, and the amount of fixation can be calculated accurately. However, phytoplankton or symbiotic bacteria that occur in the hydroponic water 15 may also absorb greenhouse gases. The above fixation amount may include greenhouse gases absorbed by phytoplankton, etc.

[0072] The volumes of hydroponic water 15 and hydroponic water 35 may be equal, and their components may be equal. Also, in hydroponics, as shown in Figure 2, the evaluation environment 12 and the reference environment 32 may be formed by the evaluation reference tank 70 and the first partition wall 71. Also, as shown in Figure 3, the evaluation environment 12 and the reference environment 32 may be formed sequentially in the evaluation reference tank 80. Also, as shown in Figure 5, a second partition wall 72 may be provided in the evaluation environment 12. In this example as well, the calculation unit 60 may calculate the amount of greenhouse gas fixed by the plant under evaluation 18 by comparing the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the evaluation environment 12 and the reference environment 32.

[0073] Figure 7 shows a modified version of the evaluation system 100 shown in Figure 6. This example of the evaluation system 100 includes a standard tank 150 in addition to the evaluation system 100 shown in Figure 6. In other words, hydroponics is performed in the evaluation system 100 shown in Figure 4. Explanations of configurations similar to those in Figure 4 will be omitted as appropriate.

[0074] A standard environment 152 is formed in the standard tank 150. The standard environment 152 is an environment that does not include the plants to be evaluated 18 and hydroponic water 15 (hydroponic water 35). In this example, the sealing unit 50 seals greenhouse gases into the standard environment 152 in parallel with the evaluation environment 12 and the reference environment 32. The sealing unit 50 in this example has a sealing flow rate control unit 58 that controls the flow rate of greenhouse gases sealed into the standard environment 152. The calculation unit 60 may calculate the amount of greenhouse gases fixed by the hydroponic water by comparing the amount of greenhouse gases sealed into the reference environment 32 and the standard environment 152. If the greenhouse gas concentrations in the standard environment 152 and the reference environment 32 are controlled to a common constant value during the cultivation period, the amount of greenhouse gases fixed by the hydroponic water will be the difference between the amount sealed in the standard environment 152 and the amount sealed in the reference environment 32.

[0075] In this example, the sealing unit 50 seals greenhouse gases in parallel to the evaluation environment 12, the reference environment 32, and the standard environment 152. However, the sealing unit 50 may seal greenhouse gases in each environment sequentially. For example, as shown in Figure 3, the evaluation system 100 may include an evaluation reference tank 80 in which the evaluation environment 12, the reference environment 32, and the standard environment 152 are sequentially provided. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 2, any two of the environments may be provided by the evaluation reference tank 70 and the first partition wall 71. The three environments described above may also be provided by the evaluation reference tank 70 and two first partition walls 71. Furthermore, in this example as well, the calculation unit 60 may calculate the amount of greenhouse gas fixed by the soil by comparing the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the reference environment 32 and the standard environment 152.

[0076] Figure 8 shows a modified version of the evaluation system 100. In this example, the evaluation system 100 includes an optical control unit 28. In other respects, it is the same as the evaluation system 100 shown in Figure 1.

[0077] The optical control unit 28 controls the amount of light irradiated onto the evaluation environment 12. The optical control unit 28 may control the amount of light from the light source 26. For example, if the light source 26 is an LED light source, the optical control unit 28 controls the amount of light by adjusting the forward current of the LED light source. The optical control unit 28 may also control the wavelength of the light irradiated onto the evaluation environment 12. The optical control unit 28 is communicated with the calculation unit 60. The optical control unit 28 may be provided in any of the modified configurations shown in Figures 2 to 7. The evaluation system 100 may also include an optical control unit (not shown) that controls the amount of light or wavelength of the light source 46.

[0078] Figure 9 shows the relationship between the amount of light irradiated into the evaluation environment and the fixation rate. The fixation rate is the photosynthetic rate, which is the amount fixed per unit time. The calculation unit 60 may calculate the fixation rate of greenhouse gases fixed by the evaluation target plant 18. For example, in Figure 1, if the greenhouse gas concentration in the evaluation environment 12 and the greenhouse gas concentration in the reference environment 32 are controlled to a common constant value during the cultivation period, the fixation rate will be the difference between the flow rate (L / s) of greenhouse gases sealed by the sealing flow rate control unit 54 and the flow rate of greenhouse gases sealed by the sealing flow rate control unit 56. Alternatively, in Figure 1, the fixation rate may be determined from the change in the amount fixed over time, calculated by comparing the greenhouse gas concentrations in the evaluation environment 12 and the reference environment 32. The fixation rate shown in Figure 9 is the fixation rate of carbon dioxide fixed by the evaluation target plant 18.

[0079] In the range of relatively low light intensity shown in Figure 9, increasing the light intensity also increases the fixation rate. An increase in fixation rate with increasing light intensity indicates that photosynthesis has been activated. Therefore, it is expected that further increasing the light intensity will lead to a further increase in the fixation rate. In fact, the fixation rate increases in line with the increase in light intensity until a certain value is reached.

[0080] When the light intensity is increased and reaches a certain value, the fixation rate saturates regardless of the light intensity. This light intensity is called the critical light intensity (light saturation point), and the fixation rate at the critical light intensity is called the saturated fixation rate. The values ​​of the critical light intensity and saturated fixation rate differ depending on the plant species. However, if the light intensity is increased beyond the critical light intensity, the fixation rate may increase gradually. The light intensity at which the rate of carbon dioxide fixation by photosynthesis equals the rate of carbon dioxide release by respiration is called the light compensation point. The critical light intensity may be the light intensity at which the derivative of the fixation rate is one-tenth of the derivative of the fixation rate at the light compensation point. The above ratio may be one-twentieth, one-fiftieth, or one-hundredth.

[0081] The light control unit 28 may control the amount of light irradiated onto the evaluation environment 12 based on the carbon dioxide fixation rate fixed by the plant under evaluation 18. The light control unit 28 may control the light intensity so that the fixation rate is less than or equal to the saturation fixation rate. In other words, the light control unit 28 may control the light intensity within a range in which the fixation rate also increases when the light intensity is increased. If the increase in the fixation rate when the light intensity is increased is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the light control unit 28 may further increase the light intensity, and if the increase in the fixation rate when the light intensity is increased is less than the predetermined value, the light intensity does not need to be increased any further.

[0082] The light control unit 28 may calculate the critical light intensity based on the change in the fixed speed when the light intensity is sequentially changed. For example, the critical light intensity may be defined as the light intensity at which the increase in the fixed speed when the light intensity is increased falls below a predetermined value. By calculating the critical light intensity for each type of plant, it is possible to select and plant plant species whose critical light intensity is close to that of the actual cultivation environment.

[0083] The light control unit 28 may control the amount of light irradiated onto the evaluation environment 12 so that it is below the critical light intensity. If light is irradiated at an intensity above the critical light intensity, the energy may not be used up in photosynthesis, and the plants being evaluated 18 may burn. However, by keeping the light intensity below the critical light intensity, the plants being evaluated 18 can be protected.

[0084] The optical control unit 28 may control the amount of light irradiated onto the evaluation environment 12 so that it is below the critical light amount and 80% or more of the critical light amount, or it may control it so that it is below the critical light amount and 90% or more of the critical light amount. This allows the fixed speed to be increased.

[0085] Figure 10 shows the change in carbon dioxide concentration in the evaluation environment 12. In this example, the carbon dioxide concentration in the evaluation environment 12 is not controlled to be constant, and the carbon dioxide concentration fluctuates due to photosynthesis and respiration of the target plant 18. The target plant 18 in this example is edamame.

[0086] Figure 10 shows the carbon dioxide concentration measured in the evaluation environment 12 over eight days. The carbon dioxide concentration was measured three times each day (around 1:10, 2:15, and 3:20). For example, day 5-1 on the horizontal axis in the figure represents the measurement taken around 10:00 on the fifth day. Nighttime periods are indicated by hatching.

[0087] Since there is no light at night, photosynthesis does not occur, and an increase in carbon dioxide concentration due to respiration is observed. The calculation unit 60 may calculate the amount of carbon dioxide generated by the respiration of the target plant 18 by comparing the amount of carbon dioxide enclosed in the evaluation environment 12 (which is not exposed to light) and the reference environment 32 (which is not exposed to light). However, in this case, the carbon dioxide concentration in the evaluation environment 12 will increase, so the above enclosed amount may include a negative enclosed amount (outflow). The calculation unit 60 may also use the carbon dioxide concentration in the evaluation environment 12 to calculate the amount of carbon dioxide generated by the respiration of the target plant 18. If the carbon dioxide concentrations in the evaluation environment 12 and the reference environment 32 are controlled to a common constant value during the measurement period, the amount of carbon dioxide generated by the respiration of the target plant 18 will be the difference between the enclosed amount in the evaluation environment 12 and the enclosed amount in the reference environment 32. The calculation unit 60 may calculate the amount of carbon dioxide generated by the respiration of the plant under evaluation 18 by comparing the carbon dioxide concentrations in the evaluation environment 12 (which is not exposed to light) and the reference environment 32 (which is not exposed to light).

[0088] In Figure 10, the 18 plants evaluated were in the edamame stage from day 1 to day 5, but from day 6 onwards, they underwent yellowing and progressed from edamame to soybeans (ripening period). A significant difference was observed between the carbon dioxide concentration from day 1 to day 5 and the carbon dioxide concentration from day 6 onwards. This indicates that the amount of carbon dioxide fixed in plants may differ at each stage of their life cycle.

[0089] The calculation unit 60 may calculate the amount of carbon dioxide fixed at each stage of the life cycle of the plant under evaluation 18 from the calculation results of the fixed amount. The calculation unit 60 may calculate the amount of carbon dioxide fixed at each stage of the life cycle of the plant under evaluation 18 from the calculation results of the fixed amount at multiple timings. For example, the calculation unit 60 may use the amount of carbon dioxide fixed by the plant under evaluation 18 during the edamame stage as the fixed amount of edamame. Examples of life cycle stages include germination, growth, flowering, fruiting, bulb formation, and death. Alternatively, a distinction may be made between vegetative growth, in which the roots, stems, and leaves of the plant grow, and reproductive growth, in which reproductive organs such as flowers and seeds are formed. By calculating the amount of carbon dioxide fixed at each stage of the life cycle, the amount of carbon dioxide fixed by the plant under evaluation 18 can be understood in more detail.

[0090] Various embodiments of the present invention may be described with reference to flowcharts and block diagrams, where a block may represent (1) a stage in a process in which an operation is performed or (2) a section of a device having the role of performing the operation. Specific stages and sections may be implemented by dedicated circuits, programmable circuits supplied with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium, and / or processors supplied with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium. Dedicated circuits may include digital and / or analog hardware circuits, and may include integrated circuits (ICs) and / or discrete circuits. Programmable circuits may include reconfigurable hardware circuits, including logical AND, logical OR, logical XOR, logical NAND, logical NOR, and other logic operations, flip-flops, registers, memory elements such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic arrays (PLAs), etc.

[0091] Computer-readable media may include any tangible device capable of storing instructions to be executed by a suitable device, and as a result, computer-readable media having instructions stored therein will comprise a product containing instructions that can be executed to create means for performing operations specified in a flowchart or block diagram. Examples of computer-readable media may include electronic storage media, magnetic storage media, optical storage media, electromagnetic storage media, semiconductor storage media, etc. More specific examples of computer-readable media may include floppy disks, diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), static random access memory (SRAM), compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital multipurpose disc (DVD), Blu-ray® disc, memory stick, integrated circuit card, etc.

[0092] Computer-readable instructions may include assembler instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, or source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Smalltalk®, Java®, C++, and traditional procedural programming languages ​​such as the C programming language or similar programming languages.

[0093] Computer-readable instructions are provided locally or via a wide area network (WAN) such as a local area network (LAN) or the internet to the processor or programmable circuit of a programmable data processing device such as a computer, and may be executed to create means for performing operations specified in a flowchart or block diagram. Here, the computer may be a PC (personal computer), tablet computer, smartphone, workstation, server computer, general-purpose computer, or special-purpose computer, and may also be a computer system in which multiple computers are connected. Such a computer system in which multiple computers are connected is also called a distributed computing system and is a computer in a broad sense. In a distributed computing system, multiple computers execute a program by having each computer execute a part of the program and by passing data during program execution between computers as needed.

[0094] Examples of processors include computer processors, central processing units (CPUs), processing units, microprocessors, digital signal processors, controllers, and microcontrollers. A computer may have one or more processors. In a multiprocessor system with multiple processors, each processor executes a portion of the program, and the processors collectively execute the program by passing program execution data between them as needed. For example, in the execution of multitasking, each of the multiple processors may execute a portion of each task in small chunks by switching tasks at each time slice. In this case, which part of a program each processor executes changes dynamically. Which part of a program each of the multiple processors executes may also be statically determined by multiprocessor-aware programming.

[0095] Figure 11 shows an example of a computer 1200 in which multiple aspects of the present invention may be embodied in whole or in part. A program installed on the computer 1200 can cause the computer 1200 to function as an operation or one or more sections of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, or to execute such operation or one or more sections, and / or to cause the computer 1200 to execute a process or a stage of such process according to an embodiment of the present invention. Such a program may be executed by the CPU 1212 to cause the computer 1200 to perform a particular operation associated with some or all of the blocks in the flowcharts and block diagrams described herein.

[0096] The computer 1200 according to this embodiment includes a CPU 1212, RAM 1214, a graphics controller 1216, and a display device 1218, which are interconnected by a host controller 1210. The computer 1200 also includes input / output units such as a communication interface 1222, a storage device 1224 such as a hard disk drive, a DVD-ROM drive 1226, and an IC card drive, which are connected to the host controller 1210 via an input / output controller 1220. The computer also includes legacy input / output units such as a ROM 1230 and a keyboard 1242, which are connected to the input / output controller 1220 via an input / output chip 1240.

[0097] The CPU 1212 operates according to programs stored in the ROM 1230 and RAM 1214, thereby controlling each unit. The graphics controller 1216 acquires image data generated by the CPU 1212 from a frame buffer provided in RAM 1214 or from itself, and displays the image data on the display device 1218.

[0098] The communication interface 1222 communicates with other electronic devices via a network. The storage device 1224 stores programs and data used by the CPU 1212 in the computer 1200. The DVD-ROM drive 1226 reads programs or data from the DVD-ROM 1227 and provides them to the storage device 1224 via the RAM 1214. The IC card drive reads programs and data from the IC card and / or writes programs and data to the IC card.

[0099] The ROM 1230 stores boot programs and / or programs that depend on the computer 1200's hardware, which are executed by the computer 1200 when activated. The input / output chip 1240 may also connect various input / output units to the input / output controller 1220 via a parallel port, serial port, keyboard port, mouse port, etc.

[0100] The program is provided on a computer-readable medium such as a DVD-ROM 1227 or an IC card. The program is read from the computer-readable medium and installed on a storage device 1224, RAM 1214, or ROM 1230, which are also examples of computer-readable medium, and executed by the CPU 1212. The information processing described within these programs is read by the computer 1200, resulting in coordination between the program and the various types of hardware resources described above. The apparatus or method may be configured to realize the manipulation or processing of information in accordance with the use of the computer 1200.

[0101] For example, when communication is performed between a computer 1200 and an external device, the CPU 1212 may execute a communication program loaded into RAM 1214 and, based on the processing described in the communication program, instruct the communication interface 1222 to perform communication processing. Under the control of the CPU 1212, the communication interface 1222 reads transmission data stored in a transmission buffer processing area provided in a recording medium such as RAM 1214, storage device 1224, DVD-ROM 1227, or IC card, transmits the read transmission data to the network, or writes received data received from the network to a receive buffer processing area provided on the recording medium.

[0102] Furthermore, the CPU 1212 may read all or necessary parts of a file or database stored on an external storage medium such as the memory device 1224, DVD-ROM drive 1226 (DVD-ROM 1227), or IC card into the RAM 1214, and perform various types of processing on the data in the RAM 1214. The CPU 1212 then writes the processed data back to the external storage medium.

[0103] Various types of information, such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases, may be stored on the recording medium and subjected to information processing. The CPU 1212 may perform various types of processing on the data read from RAM 1214, including various types of operations, information processing, conditional judgments, conditional branching, unconditional branching, information retrieval / replacement, etc., as described throughout this disclosure and specified by the program instruction sequence, and write the results back to RAM 1214. The CPU 1212 may also retrieve information in files, databases, etc., within the recording medium. For example, if multiple entries are stored in the recording medium, each having an attribute value of a first attribute associated with an attribute value of a second attribute, the CPU 1212 may search among the multiple entries for an entry that matches the condition for which the attribute value of the first attribute is specified, read the attribute value of the second attribute stored in that entry, and thereby obtain the attribute value of the second attribute associated with the first attribute that satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0104] The programs or software modules described above may be stored on or near computer 1200 on a computer-readable medium. Alternatively, recording media such as hard disks or RAM provided within a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the Internet can be used as computer-readable media, thereby providing programs to computer 1200 via the network.

[0105] Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It will be clear from the claims that such modified or improved forms may also be included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0106] 10...Evaluation tank, 12...Evaluation environment, 14...Soil, 15...Hydroponic water, 16...Gas sensor, 18...Plant to be evaluated, 20...Water supply pipe, 22...Drainage pipe, 24...Submerged sensor, 26...Light source, 28...Light control unit, 30...Reference tank, 32...Reference environment, 34...Soil, 35...Hydroponic water, 36...Ga Sensor, 40...Water supply pipe, 42...Drain pipe, 44...Submerged sensor, 46...Light source, 50...Sealing section, 52...Gas cylinder, 54...Sealing flow control section, 56...Sealing flow control section, 58...Sealing flow control section, 60...Calculation section, 70...Evaluation reference tank, 71...First partition, 72...Second partition, 80...Evaluation reference Illumination tank, 150...Standard tank, 152...Standard environment, 156...Gas sensor, 160...Water supply pipe, 162...Drain pipe, 164...Liquid sensor, 166...Light source, 100...Evaluation system, 1200...Computer, 1210...Host controller, 1212...CPU, 1214...RAM, 1216...Graphics controller, 1218...Display device, 1220...Input / output controller, 1222...Communication interface, 1224...Storage device, 1226...DVD-ROM drive, 1227...DVD-ROM, 1230...ROM, 1240...Input / output chip, 1242...Keyboard

Claims

1. A closed evaluation environment for storing the plants to be evaluated, and a sealing unit for sealing greenhouse gases into each environment of a closed reference environment that does not contain the plants to be evaluated, either in parallel or sequentially. A calculation unit calculates the amount of greenhouse gas fixed by the target plant by comparing the amount of greenhouse gas sealed in the evaluation environment and the reference environment. An evaluation system equipped with the following features.

2. An evaluation chamber in which the aforementioned evaluation environment is provided, A reference chamber provided with the aforementioned reference environment and The evaluation system according to claim 1, comprising:

3. The evaluation reference chamber is provided with the aforementioned evaluation environment and the aforementioned reference environment, The evaluation reference tank has a first partition wall separating the evaluation environment from the reference environment. The evaluation system according to claim 1.

4. The evaluation reference chamber is provided with the evaluation environment and the reference environment in sequence. The evaluation system according to claim 1.

5. The aforementioned evaluation environment and the aforementioned reference environment each have soil, In the soil of the evaluation environment, at least a portion of the plant being evaluated is submerged. The evaluation system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The sealing section seals the greenhouse gas into a standard environment that does not include the plants to be evaluated and the soil, in parallel with or sequentially with the evaluation environment and the reference environment. The calculation unit calculates the amount of greenhouse gas fixed by the soil by comparing the amount of greenhouse gas sealed in the reference environment and the standard environment. The evaluation system according to claim 5.

7. The evaluation environment has a second partition that separates the soil from the space where the greenhouse gas is present. The evaluation system according to claim 5.

8. The evaluation environment and the reference environment each have hydroponically grown water. At least a portion of the plant being evaluated is submerged in the hydroponic water of the evaluation environment. The evaluation system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

9. The sealing unit seals the greenhouse gas into the standard environment, which does not include the plants to be evaluated and the hydroponic water, in parallel with or sequentially with the evaluation environment and the reference environment. The calculation unit calculates the amount of greenhouse gas fixed by the hydroponic water by comparing the amount of greenhouse gas sealed in the reference environment and the standard environment. The evaluation system according to claim 8.

10. The aforementioned greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide. The evaluation system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

11. The system further comprises a light control unit that controls the amount of light irradiated to the evaluation environment based on the carbon dioxide fixation rate of the plant being evaluated. The evaluation system according to claim 10.

12. The light control unit calculates the critical light quantity at which the fixed speed saturates, regardless of the light quantity irradiated onto the evaluation environment, based on the change in the fixed speed when the light quantity is sequentially changed. The evaluation system according to claim 11.

13. The calculation unit described above, By comparing the amount of carbon dioxide sealed in the evaluation environment (which is not exposed to light) and the reference environment (which is not exposed to light), the amount of carbon dioxide generated by the respiration of the plant being evaluated is calculated. The evaluation system according to claim 10.

14. The aforementioned sealing portion is The flow rate of the greenhouse gas sealed into the evaluation environment is controlled so that the concentration of the greenhouse gas contained in the space of the evaluation environment is maintained at a first set value. The flow rate of the greenhouse gas sealed into the reference environment is controlled so that the concentration of the greenhouse gas contained in the space of the reference environment is maintained at a second setpoint. The evaluation system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

15. The first setting value and the second setting value are the same value. The evaluation system according to claim 14.

16. The calculation unit calculates the amount of fixation at each stage of the life cycle of the plant being evaluated from the calculation result of the amount of fixation. The evaluation system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

17. A program that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the following steps: a procedure to control the amount of greenhouse gas to be sealed in a closed evaluation environment containing the plants to be evaluated and in a closed reference environment that does not contain the plants to be evaluated; and a procedure to calculate the amount of greenhouse gas fixed by the plants to be evaluated by comparing the sealed amounts.

18. A first gas sensor measures the concentration of greenhouse gases in a closed evaluation environment containing the plants under evaluation, A second gas sensor measures the concentration of greenhouse gases in a closed reference environment that does not contain the plants to be evaluated, A calculation unit calculates the amount of greenhouse gas fixed by the target plant by comparing the concentrations of the greenhouse gas in the evaluation environment and the reference environment. An evaluation system equipped with the following features.

19. A program that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform a procedure to calculate the amount of greenhouse gas fixed by the plant under evaluation by comparing the concentration of greenhouse gas in a closed evaluation environment containing the plant under evaluation with the concentration of greenhouse gas in a closed reference environment that does not contain the plant under evaluation.

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