Plant seedling cultivation system, seedling cultivation method, seedling cultivation program, computer-readable recording medium, and recording device.

Abstract

This invention provides a plant seedling cultivation system that makes it easier to identify healthy seedlings and supports efficient agricultural production. [Solution] The method for raising plant seedlings includes the steps of: preparing multiple pots 2 in which seedlings 1 are planted at the same time in small pots; growing seedlings 1 in the multiple pots 2; acquiring images of the multiple pots 2 in which seedlings 1 have been grown; performing image processing on the images to extract the leaf veins of the seedlings 1, measuring their thickness, comparing the measured thickness with a predetermined value, and outputting the growth degree of the seedlings 1; planting seedlings 1 from the pots 2 containing seedlings 1 that have been determined to be ready for planting in the growth degree output step; and growing the planted seedlings 1. By determining the thickness of the leaf veins through image processing and planting pots 2 that have reached a certain thickness or higher, it becomes possible to plant healthy seedlings at the appropriate time, which is expected to lead to efficient agricultural production.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a seedling raising system for plant seedlings, a seedling raising method, a seedling raising program, a computer-readable recording medium, and a recording device.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, the aging of agricultural workers has become a problem. Currently, 56.7% of agricultural workers are 70 years old or older, and those under 50 years old are 21%. Also, the decrease in the number of agricultural workers is remarkable, and the number of agricultural workers has decreased by about 60% from 2010 to 2022. In the "Food, Agriculture, and Rural Areas White Paper" for fiscal year 2022, it is also pointed out that there is a risk of a significant decrease in agricultural workers in 10 to 20 years.

[0003] Specific problems faced by agricultural workers include, for example, in the case of greenhouse farms using vinyl greenhouses, etc., elderly farmers with multiple greenhouse farms find it difficult to manage the farms every day, and the growth of weak seedlings may be delayed or they may not be harvested. Also, in the management of greenhouse farms, since each greenhouse farm is large, it is impossible to check the growth status of all leafy vegetables.

[0004] In contrast, it is conceivable to save labor in cultivation by purchasing and growing healthy seedlings that can be harvested without detailed management, that is, strong seedlings. However, the introduction of strong seedlings requires expensive and large-scale equipment investment, and it is not easy for small and medium-sized micro farmers with insufficient capital power to introduce them.

[0005] In this context, the inventors of the present invention, while seeking relatively easy-to-implement methods to support agricultural workers, focused on determining the timing of seedling transplanting. Conventionally, in plant cultivation, it is common to grow seedlings from seeds sown in pots and then transplant them. Seedlings include plug seedlings (also called "cell-molded seedlings") obtained by primary cultivation by germinating seeds sown in a seedbed in a pot, and so-called large seedlings which are plug seedlings grown to a size suitable for transplanting through secondary cultivation. While it is possible to transplant plug seedlings directly, large seedlings obtained through secondary cultivation are generally preferred in greenhouse cultivation. When transplanting such plug seedlings or large seedlings, seedlings that are not sufficiently grown at the pot stage will not mature sufficiently after transplanting, and will have low commercial value as agricultural products even if harvested. Therefore, when transplanting, whether plug seedlings or large seedlings, selecting pots in which seedlings have grown sufficiently, i.e., pots of healthy seedlings, reduces the amount of wasted seedlings and allows for efficient harvesting.

[0006] Furthermore, transplanting seedlings from pots at an immature stage will not yield a good harvest, and similarly, transplanting over-mature seedlings will also result in a poor harvest. Thus, insufficiently grown seedlings include both immature and over-mature seedlings. Traditionally, farmers relied on experience to visually and tactilely determine the maturity of seedlings in pots based on factors such as stem thickness, leaf color, size, and elasticity. However, this method requires considerable skill, making it difficult for all farmers to utilize. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 09-224481 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] One objective of this disclosure is to provide an easy-to-implement plant seedling cultivation system, cultivation method, cultivation program, computer-readable recording medium, and recording device. Another objective is to provide a plant seedling cultivation system, cultivation method, cultivation program, computer-readable recording medium, and recording device that facilitates the identification of healthy seedlings and supports efficient agricultural production. The description of these objectives and objectives in this disclosure does not preclude the existence of other objectives and objectives. Furthermore, one aspect of this disclosure does not need to solve all of these objectives. It is also possible to extract other objectives from the description, drawings, and claims of this disclosure. Means for solving the objectives and effects of the invention.

[0009] A method for raising plant seedlings according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure includes the steps of: preparing multiple pots in which seedlings are planted simultaneously in small pots; growing seedlings in the multiple pots; acquiring images of the multiple pots in which the seedlings have been grown; performing image processing on the images to extract the leaf veins of the seedlings, measuring their thickness, comparing the measured thickness with a predetermined value, and outputting the growth degree of the seedlings; planting seedlings from the pots containing seedlings that have been determined to be ready for planting in the growth degree output step; and growing the planted seedlings. By determining the thickness of the leaf veins through image processing and planting pots in which the leaf veins have reached a certain thickness or higher, it becomes possible to plant healthy seedlings at the appropriate time, which is expected to lead to efficient agricultural production.

[0010] Furthermore, the method for cultivating plant seedlings according to Form 2 involves, in any of the above forms, moving an imaging unit positioned above the multiple pots to capture images of multiple pots at different positions during the process of acquiring images of multiple pots in which the seedlings have been grown. This makes it possible to capture images with a wider field of view while reducing the number of imaging units.

[0011] Furthermore, in the method for raising plant seedlings according to Form 3, the process of outputting the growth stage of the seedlings in any of the above forms is performed by a trained AI. As a result, the task of determining the timing of transplanting, which previously required judgment by skilled workers, can be entrusted to the AI, enabling it to be achieved with a certain level of reliability regardless of the skill of the worker.

[0012] Furthermore, the method for raising plant seedlings according to Form 4 involves, in any of the above forms, acquiring images of multiple pots in which the seedlings are grown, acquiring an image including a tray containing the multiple pots, and in the growth stage output step, performing the operation based on the thickness of leaf veins extracted from the leaves of some of the seedlings among the multiple pots included in the acquired image. This makes it possible to determine healthy seedlings from the thickness of leaf veins using some of the leaves of seedlings planted at the same time, without imaging the leaves of all seedlings, and to grasp the timing for transplanting.

[0013] Furthermore, the method for raising plant seedlings according to form 5 is, in any of the above forms, the seedling being bok choy.

[0014] Furthermore, the seedling cultivation system for plants according to form 6 comprises a tray in which multiple pots in which seedlings are planted at the same time are arranged, an imaging unit positioned above the tray for capturing images of the multiple pots arranged in the tray, a calculation unit that performs image processing on the images of the multiple pots captured by the imaging unit to extract the leaf veins of the seedlings, measures their thickness, compares the measured thickness with a predetermined value to output the growth stage of the seedlings, and an output unit that notifies the seedlings that have been determined to be ready for transplanting based on the growth stage output by the calculation unit. With the above configuration, by determining the thickness of the leaf veins by image processing and transplanting pots that have reached a certain thickness or higher, it becomes possible to transplant healthy seedlings at the appropriate time, and efficient agricultural production is expected.

[0015] Furthermore, in any of the above embodiments, the plant seedling cultivation system according to Embodiment 7 is configured such that the imaging unit is movable above the tray and capable of capturing images of multiple pots at different positions. This configuration makes it possible to capture images with a wider field of view while reducing the number of imaging units.

[0016] Furthermore, in the plant seedling cultivation system according to form 8, the output unit is a display that shows the images of the multiple pots color-coded according to the thickness of the leaf veins measured by the calculation unit. With this configuration, by displaying the images color-coded on the display, it becomes easier to visually determine whether the seedlings are healthy or not.

[0017] Furthermore, in any of the above configurations, the plant seedling nursery system according to form 9 is configured such that the output unit determines that the plants are ready for transplanting when the number of leaves in the images of the multiple pots in which the thickness of the leaf veins measured by the calculation unit is determined to be greater than a predetermined value is greater than a predetermined value. With this configuration, it is possible to determine the appropriate timing for transplanting by automatically determining that the plants are ready for transplanting when the number of leaves with sufficiently thick leaf veins exceeds a certain number.

[0018] Furthermore, the seedling cultivation system for plants according to form 10, in any of the above forms, is further equipped with a communication unit capable of communicating with the outside, and the control unit is capable of transmitting images captured by the imaging unit and information on the growth stage of seedlings calculated by the calculation unit to the server side via the communication unit. With the above configuration, it is possible to connect to an external network via the communication unit, collect information for each field where the seedling cultivation system is installed, accumulate learning data, and determine healthy seedlings with higher accuracy.

[0019] Furthermore, the plant seedling cultivation program according to form 11 includes the following functions for a computer: acquiring images of multiple pots containing grown seedlings from multiple pots in which seedlings were planted simultaneously in small pots; performing image processing on the images to extract leaf veins of the seedlings, measuring their thickness, comparing the measured thickness to a predetermined value to determine the growth stage of the seedlings; and in the growth stage determination step, notifying the computer of the timing to transplant seedlings from pots containing seedlings that have been determined to be ready for transplanting. As a result, by determining the thickness of the leaf veins through image processing and transplanting pots where the thickness exceeds a certain level, it becomes possible to transplant healthy seedlings at the appropriate time, which is expected to lead to more efficient agricultural production.

[0020] Furthermore, the computer-readable recording medium or storage device relating to form 12 stores a program relating to any of the above forms. The recording medium includes magnetic disks such as CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, flexible disk, magnetic tape, MO, DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM, DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, Blu-ray, UHD, HD DVD (AOD) (all registered trademarks or product names), optical disks, magneto-optical disks, semiconductor memory, and other media capable of storing programs. In addition to programs stored and distributed on the above recording medium, programs also include those distributed by download via network lines such as the Internet. Furthermore, the storage device includes general-purpose or dedicated devices on which the above program is implemented in a state in which it can be executed in the form of software or firmware. Furthermore, each process and function included in the program may be executed by program software that can be executed on a computer, or each part of the processing may be implemented in a form in which program software and partial hardware modules that realize some elements of hardware are mixed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0021] [Figure 1]It is a conceptual diagram showing a seedling raising system for plant seedlings according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] It is an image diagram showing an example of an image of a tray. [Figure 3] It is an image diagram showing an image in which seedlings are extracted and shown with frames for the image in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIGS. 4A and 4B are each an image diagram showing an example of an image of a tray. [Figure 5] FIGS. 5A and 5B are each an image diagram showing an image obtained by performing image processing and coloring on the images in FIGS. 4A and 4B. [Figure 6] It is an image diagram showing an example of an image in which seedlings that should not be planted are emphasized by image processing. [Figure 7] It is an image diagram showing a state in which the thickness of leaf veins is detected by image processing. [Figure 8] It is a conceptual diagram showing a seedling raising system for plant seedlings according to Embodiment 2.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described based on the drawings. However, the embodiments shown below are examples for embodying the technical idea of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited to the following. Also, this specification does not in any way identify the members shown in the claims with the members in the embodiments. In particular, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the components described in the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure only to those, but are merely illustrative examples. Note that the sizes and positional relationships of the members shown in each drawing may be exaggerated for clarity of explanation. Furthermore, in the following description, the same names and reference numerals indicate the same or similar members, and detailed descriptions will be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, each element constituting the present disclosure may be configured such that a plurality of elements are formed of the same member and one member serves as a plurality of elements, or conversely, the function of one member may be shared by a plurality of members and realized. [Embodiment 1]

[0023] Figure 1 shows a seedling cultivation device 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure. The plant seedling cultivation system shown in this figure comprises a field FD for cultivating plant seedlings and a seedling cultivation device 100 installed within the field FD. (Field FD)

[0024] Field FD refers to areas where plants are grown, such as greenhouses. In the example in Figure 1, a greenhouse is shown as a field FD, but it is not limited to this and can also be an open field such as a farm. Field FDs are equipped with irrigation equipment for watering and temperature control equipment to maintain a constant temperature environment, as needed. (plant)

[0025] Furthermore, the plants grown in field FD are preferably leafy vegetables with visible leaf veins, such as bok choy, komatsuna, and spinach. (Pot 2)

[0026] These plant seedlings 1 are planted in pots 2. Pots 2 are small resin bowls, shaped like containers with an open top. In addition to planting one seedling per pot 2, multiple seedlings may be planted in each pot 2. (Tray 3)

[0027] Multiple pots 2 are set in a tray 3. The tray 3, also called a cell tray, has multiple openings cut out to match the shape of the pots 2 so that it can hold and transport multiple pots 2. This tray 3 is preferably made of resin. Numerous trays 3, each with multiple pots 2 on it, are laid out in the field FD. Each tray 3 holds pots 2 in which seedlings 1 were planted at the same time. That is, all the seedlings 1 in the pots 2 placed in a single tray 3 were planted at the same time, and the planting time of the seedlings 1 can be determined on a tray 3 basis. The pots 2 and trays 3 may be made as a single unit.

[0028] In the example shown in Figure 1, tray 3 is set on a shelf at a high position to facilitate work for the worker. In this example, there is only one shelf, but multiple shelves may be used. In this case, the image capture described later will focus on the upper shelf. The growth rate of seedlings 1 planted at the same time will be judged based on the upper shelf as a representative example. (Seedling raising device 100)

[0029] The seedling cultivation device 100 comprises an imaging unit 10, a calculation unit 20, and an output unit 30. (Imaging unit 10)

[0030] The imaging unit 10 is positioned above the tray 3 and is a component for capturing images of the multiple pots 2 placed on the tray 3. The imaging unit 10 can preferably utilize an image sensor or camera composed of an image sensor such as a CCD or CMOS. Here, the imaging unit 10 is preferably positioned at a certain distance from the leaves of the seedlings 1 planted in the pots 2 and has a resolution sufficient to capture the leaf veins. For example, a 5568x4872 pixel image sensor can be used. This imaging unit 10 can capture images of eight trays (1600 seedlings) in a single image. Furthermore, the imaging unit 10 is preferably waterproof to withstand watering in a field FD.

[0031] The imaging unit 10 is connected to the processing unit 20 by wire or wireless connection, and can transfer images captured by the imaging unit 10 to the control unit. The imaging unit 10 captures images in tray units. The focal length is adjusted so that one or more trays 3 are included in a single image. For this reason, the imaging unit 10 is installed above the trays 3 at a certain distance.

[0032] Multiple imaging units 10 may be installed above the trays 3. This allows for the capture of images from multiple trays 3 by switching between multiple imaging units 10, even in a large field field FD. In addition to being fixed, the imaging units 10 may also be movable above the trays 3. In the example in Figure 1, the movable imaging unit 10 is made movable horizontally along the guide rail 12 above the trays 3. This allows for the acquisition of images of trays 3 placed at different positions within the field FD, even with a small number of imaging units 10. Furthermore, the movable imaging unit 10 may also be tiltable. Note that tilting makes focusing difficult, so multiple images with different focal lengths may be captured, or a composite image may be created by combining only the in-focus areas from multiple images with different focal lengths. (Computation unit 20)

[0033] The calculation unit 20 is a component that performs image processing on images of multiple pots 2 captured by the imaging unit 10, extracts the leaf veins of seedlings 1, measures their thickness, compares the measured thickness to a predetermined value, and outputs the growth stage of the seedlings 1. Specifically, the calculation unit 20 acquires an image including a tray containing multiple pots 2 in which seedlings 1 have been grown. From this image, it first extracts images of the leaves. For example, known methods such as excluding the background image based on color differences or identifying the leaf contours by edge detection can be used as appropriate. For example, from an image of a tray 3 as shown in Figure 2, the seedlings 1 are extracted to obtain an image like the one shown in Figure 3, indicated by a frame.

[0034] Furthermore, the leaf veins are extracted from the leaf image. Color differences and contour extraction can also be used for vein extraction. The thickness of the extracted veins is then measured. For example, the average thickness in the length direction of the vein is used. When determining the thickness of the vein, the size is determined by the size indicated by the training data used when the AI ​​learns (data used to learn the size of the vein to be detected in advance) (for example, the relative ratio to the size of the leaf, or the absolute value of the average thickness of the vein). When these reach predetermined values, the output unit 30 outputs that it is a suitable time for planting.

[0035] Furthermore, it is not always necessary to process images of all seedling leaves; only a portion can be extracted and used for identification. For example, the determination could be based on the thickness of the leaf veins extracted from some of the leaves of seedlings in multiple pots included in the acquired image. In this way, even without imaging the leaves of all seedlings, it becomes possible to determine healthy seedlings based on the thickness of the leaf veins from some of the leaves of seedlings planted at the same time, and to understand the timing of transplanting.

[0036] Furthermore, the timing of planting can be determined using a dataset trained by AI. This allows the AI ​​to handle the task of determining the planting timing, which previously required the judgment of skilled workers, making it more reliable and dependable regardless of the worker's skill level. Another advantage is that the accuracy can be further improved by increasing the amount of training data collected from images. In this embodiment, TRANSFORMER is used as the AI ​​model.

[0037] In addition, the calculation unit 20 described above determines whether a seedling is healthy based on the thickness of the stem veins, but the size and color of the leaves may also be added as parameters to determine whether a seedling is healthy. Furthermore, in the above description, the timing at which a seedling is determined to be healthy based on the thickness of the leaf veins is considered the appropriate timing for transplanting, but determining whether a seedling is healthy is not mandatory, and the timing for transplanting may simply be determined based on the thickness of the leaf veins.

[0038] Furthermore, in this disclosure, transplanting includes not only the process of removing seedlings from pots and transplanting them into a growing medium, but also the process of transferring seedlings from small pots to larger pots in order to cultivate larger seedlings. The timing of such transplanting work can be appropriately determined in the plant seedling cultivation method described in this disclosure. (Output section 30)

[0039] The output unit 30 is a component for notifying the system of seedlings 1 that have been determined to be ready for transplanting based on the growth stage output by the calculation unit 20. The output unit 30 can be configured as, for example, a display. Alternatively, the calculation unit 20 and the output unit 30 may be configured as a desktop computer or tablet with a monitor.

[0040] Here, the output unit 30 is configured to determine that the plants are ready for transplanting when the number of leaves whose leaf vein thickness, as measured by the calculation unit 20, is greater than a predetermined value, based on images of multiple pots 2, is greater than a predetermined value. This allows for the automatic determination of whether the plants are ready for transplanting when the number of leaves with sufficiently thick leaf veins exceeds a certain number, making it possible to determine the appropriate timing for transplanting.

[0041] Furthermore, the display output unit 30 can display images of multiple pots 2, color-coded according to the thickness of the leaf veins measured by the calculation unit 20. This makes it easier to visually determine whether the seedlings are healthy or not by displaying the images in different colors on the display. For example, in the images of trays 3 as shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the leaves can be color-coded according to the thickness of the leaf veins, as shown in Figures 5A and 5B, making it easier to visually grasp the overall growth stage. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 6, seedlings that should not be transplanted can be displayed by surrounding them with a frame.

[0042] This configuration allows for the determination of leaf vein thickness through image processing, and by planting pot 2 when the vein thickness exceeds a certain level, it becomes possible to plant healthy seedlings at the appropriate time, leading to more efficient agricultural production. Conventionally, stem thickness was used as an indicator to determine the planting timing, relying primarily on manual labor. Without sufficient experience, it was difficult to determine the correct timing, sometimes resulting in the planting of immature or over-mature seedlings and failing to achieve the expected harvest yield. In contrast, this disclosure focuses on leaf vein thickness and uses mechanical determination, enabling accurate determination regardless of the agricultural worker's skill level, thus improving production efficiency. As an example, Figure 7 shows how leaf vein thickness is detected using image processing, indicated by arrows. In the figure, the part corresponding to the leaf vein thickness is indicated by arrows for illustrative purposes. In reality, any shape, such as line segments, can be used, not just arrows. Furthermore, if it is not necessary to inform the user, it is not always necessary to show the leaf vein thickness in the image.

[0043] On the other hand, even if we try to determine the growth status from the thickness of the stem by taking an image of the seedling and processing the image, it is difficult to check the thickness of the stem in an image taken from above of the seedling in the pot because it is hidden by the leaves. Also, taking an image from the side is troublesome in terms of camera setup and there is a concern that it will be similarly hidden by the leaves. In contrast, with this embodiment, instead of the stem itself, the leaf veins that are connected to the stem and appear on the leaves can be used, making it easy to check by taking an image from above of the tray 3, thereby improving the accuracy and reliability of determining healthy seedlings.

[0044] Furthermore, the seedling cultivation device 100 may be configured using so-called edge computing, where a computer or the like is installed at each field, or it may be configured using so-called cloud computing, where it is connected to a network and calculations are performed on the cloud side. In this case, the seedling cultivation device 100 may be equipped with a communication unit for communicating with the outside. An example of this is shown in Figure 8 as a plant seedling cultivation system 2000 according to Embodiment 2. In this figure, the same reference numerals are used for components as in Embodiment 1 described above, and detailed explanations are omitted as appropriate. [Embodiment 2]

[0045] The plant seedling cultivation system 2000 according to Embodiment 2 shown in Figure 8 consists of a server SV and a plurality of local plant seedling cultivation systems 1000, each of which is network-connected to the server SV. Each local seedling cultivation system consists of a field FD and a seedling cultivation device 100 installed within the field FD. The seedling cultivation device 200 includes an imaging unit 10, a calculation unit 20, an output unit 30, and a communication unit 40. (Communications Department 40)

[0046] The communication unit 40 is a component capable of data communication with external devices, and can utilize standardized or dedicated network interfaces such as Ethernet (registered trademark), wireless LAN, WiFi, Bluetooth, 4G LTE, or 5G (all are product names or trademarks). Each local seedling system's communication unit 40 is connected to the server SV via a public network, enabling data communication.

[0047] Each local seedling nursery system has a control unit that can transmit images captured by the imaging unit 10 and information on the growth stage of seedlings 1 calculated by the calculation unit 20 to the server via the communication unit 40 over an external network. As a result, the server SV connects to each local seedling nursery system via each communication unit 40, collects information for each field FD where each seedling nursery system is installed, accumulates learning data, and enables more accurate determination of healthy seedlings. [Methods for raising plant seedlings]

[0048] The following describes the procedure for raising plant seedlings. First, prepare several pots 2, each containing seedling 1 planted at the same time. Next, cultivate seedling 1 in each of the multiple pots 2.

[0049] Furthermore, images of multiple pots 2 in which seedlings 1 are grown are acquired. Image processing is then performed on the images to extract the leaf veins of seedlings 1, measure their thickness, and compare the measured thickness with a predetermined value to output the growth rate of seedlings 1. This image acquisition and output of the growth rate are performed periodically. For example, it may be done once a day, once every half day, or once every two days. Alternatively, the plant seedling cultivation device 100 can be operated at a desired time, for example, when an agricultural worker wants to check the growth rate, and the information can be displayed on the screen. As shown in Figure 8, the plant seedling cultivation device 100 can also be configured to be accessed remotely from an information terminal SP such as a smartphone or tablet, allowing the growth rate to be checked.

[0050] Then, seedling 1 is transplanted from pot 2 containing seedling 1 that has been determined to be ready for transplanting based on its growth stage output. Finally, the transplanted seedling 1 is grown. By determining the thickness of the leaf veins using image processing and transplanting pot 2 that has reached a certain thickness or higher, it becomes possible to transplant healthy seedlings at the appropriate time, which is expected to lead to more efficient agricultural production.

[0051] Furthermore, the plant seedling management program may also be configured to determine the timing of transplanting. Such a plant seedling cultivation program would implement the following functions on a computer: acquiring images of multiple pots 2 containing grown seedlings 1 from multiple pots 2 in which seedlings 1 are planted at the same time; performing image processing on the images to extract the leaf veins of seedlings 1, measuring their thickness, comparing the measured thickness to a predetermined value to determine the growth stage of seedlings 1; and in the growth stage determination process, notifying the timing of transplanting seedlings 1 from the pots 2 containing seedlings 1 that have been determined to be ready for transplanting. This would enable the plant seedlings to be transplanted at the appropriate time by determining the thickness of the leaf veins through image processing and transplanting pots 2 that have reached a certain thickness or higher, thus leading to more efficient agricultural production. In particular, by running the plant seedling cultivation program on an information terminal SP such as a smartphone or tablet owned by an agricultural worker, it becomes possible to access the plant seedling cultivation device 100 and check the growth stage from any desired location at any desired time, thereby increasing convenience. [Industrial applicability]

[0052] The plant seedling cultivation system, cultivation method, cultivation program, computer-readable recording medium, and recording device related to this disclosure can be suitably used for field cultivation of plants such as bok choy, komatsuna, and spinach. Furthermore, it can reduce the labor involved in conventional manual work and promote the digital transformation (DX) of agriculture. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0053] 1000, 2000... Plant seedling cultivation system 100, 200... Plant seedling cultivation equipment 1...seedling 2...pot 3...Tray 10…Imaging Department 12… Guide rail 20...Arithmetic section 30…Output section 40... Communications Department FD…field SV... Server SP... Information terminal

Claims

1. A method for raising plant seedlings, The process involves preparing multiple pots in which seedlings were planted at the same time in small pots, The process involves growing seedlings in the aforementioned multiple pots, The process of obtaining images of multiple pots in which the seedlings have been grown, The process involves performing image processing on the aforementioned image to extract the leaf veins of the seedlings, measuring their thickness, comparing the measured thickness with a predetermined value, and outputting the degree of seedling growth. In the growth stage output process, a step is made to transplant seedlings from pots containing seedlings that have been determined to be ready for transplanting, The process of cultivating the seedlings that have been planted, A method for raising seedlings of plants that include [specific plant name].

2. A method for raising plant seedlings according to claim 1, A method for cultivating plant seedlings, comprising the step of acquiring images of multiple pots in which the seedlings have been grown, wherein an imaging unit positioned above the multiple pots is moved to acquire images of multiple pots at different positions.

3. A method for raising plant seedlings according to claim 1, A method for raising plant seedlings, wherein the step of outputting the growth stage of the seedlings is performed by a trained AI.

4. A method for raising plant seedlings according to claim 1, In the process of acquiring images of multiple pots in which the seedlings have been grown, an image including a tray containing the multiple pots is acquired. A method for raising plant seedlings, wherein the growth stage output step is performed based on the thickness of leaf veins extracted from the leaves of some seedlings among a plurality of pots included in the acquired image.

5. A method for raising seedlings of plants according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A method for raising seedlings of a plant, specifically bok choy.

6. A plant seedling nursery system, A tray with multiple pots containing seedlings planted at the same time, An imaging unit positioned above the tray for capturing images of multiple pots arranged on the tray, A calculation unit performs image processing on multiple images of pots captured by the imaging unit, extracts leaf veins of seedlings, measures their thickness, compares the measured thickness with a predetermined value, and outputs the degree of seedling growth. An output unit that notifies of seedlings that have been determined to be ready for transplanting based on the growth stage output by the calculation unit, A plant seedling nursery system equipped with [a specific feature / equipment].

7. A plant seedling nursery system according to claim 6, A plant seedling cultivation system comprising an imaging unit that is movable above the tray and configured to capture images of multiple pots at different positions.

8. A plant seedling nursery system according to claim 6, A plant seedling nursery system in which the output unit is a display that shows images of the multiple pots color-coded according to the thickness of the leaf veins measured by the calculation unit.

9. A plant seedling nursery system according to claim 6, A plant seedling nursery system comprising the output unit configured to determine if a plant is ready for transplanting when the number of leaves in the images of the plurality of pots in which the thickness of the leaf veins measured by the calculation unit is determined to be greater than a predetermined value is greater than a predetermined value.

10. A plant seedling nursery management program, A function to acquire images of multiple pots containing grown seedlings, for example, when seedlings are planted in small pots at the same time. The function involves performing image processing on the aforementioned image to extract the leaf veins of the seedlings, measuring their thickness, and comparing the measured thickness with a predetermined value to determine the growth stage of the seedlings. In the aforementioned growth stage determination process, a function is provided to notify the timing for transplanting seedlings from pots containing seedlings that have been determined to be ready for transplanting, A program for raising plant seedlings using a computer.

11. A recording medium or device that has recorded the program described in claim 10 and is readable by a computer.

Images