A method of growing vegetables in which the leaves are harvested and used as food

Abstract

To provide a cultivation method for improving working properties of cultivation of baby leaves of perilla, leaf garlic and the like, and for shortening a cultivation cycle in a farm field for achieving improvement of a cultivation turnover and production amount throughout the year, and for achieving efficient year round production based on a production plan.SOLUTION: There is provided a cultivation method configured so that, on the basis of an integrated temperature which is an integrated value of an effective integrated air temperature obtained by subtracting, a growth limit temperature from a daily average air temperature, a production plan of cultivated vegetable is created. Then, a cell tray or the like is used for performing inoculation at an outside of a farm field, then, germinated seedlings after raised are transferred to a water culture device in a farm field and the germinated seedlings are implanted, then environment management including culture fluid management and temperature management, is executed for performing cultivation based on the production plan.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a hydroponic cultivation method for vegetables such as baby-leaf perilla and garlic leaves, the leaves of which are harvested during growth and used for food. [Background technology]

[0002] Baby shiso leaves are perilla leaves harvested at the young leaf stage and used as food (for example, as a garnish for cooking), also known as bud shiso, and have been used since ancient times mainly as a garnish for cooking. Leaf garlic is young garlic leaves harvested during the growing process, especially the leaf sheath and leaf blade when the flower buds are soft, and is used for food. It has been cultivated for a long time in Kochi Prefecture and Okinawa Prefecture. In Kochi Prefecture, leaf garlic is used in a wide variety of dishes, such as the specialty dish "Nuta" and the Chinese dish Twice-cooked pork, but it has not yet become widespread nationwide. These baby perilla leaves and leaf garlic are generally cultivated in soil.

[0003] Baby shiso leaves can be harvested about 10 times a year when grown in soil. Since the size of the plant body is small, the spacing between the rows is 1cm x 1cm (100cm). 2 It is common to grow shiso (perilla) in a fixed-plant arrangement (10,000 plants per plant). Although hydroponic cultivation is also popular for shiso (perilla) and other plants for growing shiso leaves, hydroponic cultivation of baby shiso leaves is not common.

[0004] In addition, the harvesting period for leaf garlic is limited when it is cultivated in soil. It is planted in October and harvested from early February to early April (usually late March), so it is often harvested only once a year and cannot be harvested all year round. Leaf garlic is grown on a 4cm x 4cm (100cm) grid with a row spacing of 4cm x 4cm between plants. 2 It is common to cultivate them by transplanting them in groups of 625 plants each.

[0005] Thus, while soil cultivation is currently the norm for the cultivation of baby shiso leaves and leaf garlic, hydroponic cultivation of baby leaves has also been known for some time (see, for example, Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3), and hydroponic cultivation of leaf garlic has also been known for some time (see, for example, Patent Documents 4 and 5). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-48456 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2020-80789 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2008-131873 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2006-174744 A [Patent Document 5] Utility Model Registration No. 3140832 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Currently, baby shiso leaves are generally grown in soil, but soil cultivation involves many labor-intensive processes, such as making ridges with a tractor, sowing seeds, frequent manual watering about five times a day, long hours of harvesting while crouching, weeding, and soil replacement, making it difficult to improve workability.In addition, because ridge making and soil replacement are required, there are limitations on the number of annual cultivation rotations (maximum of about 10 rotations per year) and production volume, making it difficult to improve the number of cultivation rotations and increase production volume.

[0008] Currently, leaf garlic is generally grown in soil, but in soil cultivation, it is difficult to improve workability, just like baby perilla leaves, and it is difficult to increase the number of cultivation rotations and production volume. In addition, the cultivation period for leaf garlic is limited to October to late March of the following year, and year-round production is not possible.

[0009] Also, Baby Leaf Hydroponic cultivation of perilla leaves and hydroponic cultivation of leaf garlic have been known for some time, and it is known that by utilizing hydroponic cultivation, it is possible to improve workability compared to soil cultivation, and that it is possible to increase the annual cultivation turnover and production volume through appropriate fertilization management and environmental control. However, in the case of both baby perilla leaves and leaf garlic, with conventional hydroponic cultivation methods it is difficult to shorten the cultivation period in the field from sowing to harvest, and it is difficult to carry out efficient year-round production based on a production plan.

[0010] The present invention aims to improve the workability of growing vegetables such as baby leaf perilla and leaf garlic, whose leaves are harvested for consumption as they grow, while also enabling the shortening of the cultivation period in farm fields, thereby improving the annual cultivation turnover and production volume, and enabling efficient year-round production based on a production plan. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The present invention relates to a hydroponic cultivation method for vegetables such as baby perilla leaves and garlic leaves, which are edible by cutting the leaves during the growing process. The method comprises: predicting the number of days required until harvesting for each cultivation period by dividing the accumulated effective accumulated temperature, which is the accumulated value of the temperature obtained by subtracting the growth limit temperature of the vegetable being cultivated from the daily average air temperature, by the effective accumulated temperature predicted for each cultivation period, and making a production plan for the vegetable; and preparing cell trays, hydroponic panels, other multi-hole containers, and culture media capable of supporting plants before placing them in hydroponic cultivation devices such as NFT hydroponic cultivation installed in a solar-powered vegetable cultivation building such as a vinyl greenhouse or glass greenhouse. The present invention provides a cultivation method characterized by sowing seeds in seedling containers for hydroponic cultivation such as fillable containers, placing the seedlings that have germinated after seedling cultivation has been completed in a hydroponic cultivation device together with the seedling container and planting them, constantly or intermittently supplying culture solution while checking the growth status of the plants, fertilizing with an appropriate fertilizer concentration and pH control according to the growth, and promoting transpiration by utilizing a heater, a blower fan, a ventilator, a device that opens and closes the openings on the side or ceiling of the greenhouse to circulate the air around the plants and ensure airflow, thereby creating conditions that promote photosynthesis and appropriate humidity conditions, thereby controlling the environment including culture solution control and temperature, thereby cultivating the plants based on a production plan.

[0012] Unlike soil cultivation, this cultivation method does not involve sowing seeds directly into the field, so it eliminates the need for workers to make ridges with a tractor, sow seeds, water frequently by hand, spend long periods of time harvesting in a low, squatting position, weeding, and replacing the soil.

[0013] In this cultivation method, seeds are sown in cell trays or the like, and the germinated seedlings are transferred together with their seedling containers to a hydroponic cultivation device for planting. This means that part or all of the period from sowing to raising the seedlings can be carried out outside the field, making it possible to shorten the cultivation period in the field. Furthermore, because only cultivation after germination is carried out in the hydroponic cultivation device, the cycle until harvest is short, and with appropriate fertilization management and environmental control, it is possible to increase the annual cultivation turnover and production volume through hydroponic cultivation. It also makes it easy to create a production plan based on the accumulated temperature until the vegetables are ready for harvest, allowing for efficient year-round production. Effect of the Invention

[0014] As is clear from the above explanation, according to the present invention, it is possible to improve the workability of cultivating vegetables such as baby leaf shiso leaves and leaf garlic, which are edible by cutting the leaves during the growing process, and it is also possible to shorten the cultivation period in the field, thereby improving the annual cultivation turnover and production volume, and enabling efficient year-round production based on a production plan. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present invention applied to the cultivation of baby perilla leaves and garlic leaves will be described. Note that the present invention can also be applied to the cultivation of other vegetables whose leaves are harvested and used for food.

[0016] (Production planning based on accumulated temperature) In order to keep the size of the plant body suitable for shipping consistent throughout the year, a cultivation plan based on accumulated temperature is used. In this case, the effective accumulated temperature is used for the accumulation, and the accumulated temperature, which is the accumulated value of the effective accumulated temperature, which is the accumulated value of the temperature obtained by subtracting the growth limit temperature of the vegetable being cultivated from the daily average temperature, until the vegetable is ready to be harvested, is divided by the expected effective accumulated temperature for each cultivation period to predict the number of days until harvest for each cultivation period and a production plan for the vegetable is created.

[0017] For example, if the total accumulated temperature until harvest is possible is 100°C, the limit temperature for growth is 5°C, and the average temperature during the planned cultivation period is 15°C, then 100°C ÷ (15°C - 5°C) = 10 days, and it can be predicted that it will take 10 days to harvest.

[0018] In the case of baby shiso leaves, the optimum temperature for growth is 20 to 25°C, and the growth limit temperature is approximately 10°C. The accumulated temperature required to harvest baby shiso leaves is approximately 300°C. The breakdown of this accumulated temperature is approximately 80°C until germination, and approximately 220°C from germination to harvest.

[0019] For garlic leaves, the optimum temperature for growth is 15-20°C, and the limit temperature for growth is about 5°C. The accumulated temperature required to harvest garlic leaves is about 300°C. The breakdown of this accumulated temperature is about 50°C until germination, and about 250°C from germination to harvesting.

[0020] (seeding) When sowing baby large leaf seeds, the cell tray is filled with culture medium. Due to the nature of hydroponic cultivation, it is not recommended to use a medium containing organic matter, as this may cause contamination of the culture solution. For the medium, fine or medium-grain rock wool, vermiculite, perlite, or urethane medium is preferable. In addition, in the case of scaly seeds such as garlic leaves, it is not necessary to fill the medium. In the following, the cell tray is used as a representative example, but other seedling containers that can be used for hydroponic cultivation, such as hydroponic panels, other containers with multiple holes, and containers that can be filled with culture medium that can support plants, can also be used.

[0021] When sowing baby perilla leaves (we will explain using microgranular rockwool cotton as the medium as an example), fill a cell tray with microgranular rockwool cotton, water the microgranular cotton, and sow the seeds after preparing them so that they can absorb the moisture necessary for germination. In this case, the soil hardness of the medium should be around 10 to 15 mm (measured with a penetration soil hardness meter), which is an appropriate guideline for maintaining the solid, liquid, and air layers in the medium and maintaining root tension. The medium should be hard enough that you can insert your finger into the medium and apply light pressure so that your finger can reach the bottom.

[0022] In addition, the optimum temperature for germination of baby shiso leaves is 25 to 30 degrees Celsius, so in winter, etc., a temperature close to the optimum temperature should be maintained in an insulated cabinet or similar to ensure smooth germination.

[0023] In addition, it is possible to harvest multiple times in succession in the same cell tray. To do this, instead of sowing seeds once in one cell tray, sow the second time a few days later. By shifting the sowing date in this way, it is possible to adjust the timing of germination and shift the timing of harvest, and the second harvest can be done again after the first harvest, and multiple harvests can be done in the same cell tray by filling the medium only once. It is desirable to shift the timing of sowing when the accumulated temperature is about 50 to 70 degrees Celsius from the first sowing. By sowing seeds twice in the cell tray with shifted timing in this way, it is possible to effectively reduce the cost of the medium used by half or less. The medium is discarded after the final harvest and replaced after the cell tray is washed. This prevents continuous crop failure and a decrease in production due to a decrease in soil fertility.

[0024] In the case of leaf garlic, there is no need to fill the medium when sowing. In this case, sow the seeds by directly inserting the scales into the holes in the cell tray (or a container other than a cell tray is also acceptable). After sowing, place a container that can hold water under the cell tray, and add water to the container so that 1 / 4 of the scales are submerged, in order to promote rooting and germination through water absorption.

[0025] (planting) The germinated seedlings are planted in the cultivation beds of the hydroponic cultivation device in the vinyl greenhouse, with the cell trays in each. The planting method is the same for baby perilla leaves and leaf garlic. At this time, the height of the hydroponic cultivation bed used is set to about 900 mm above the ground, which improves the working posture significantly compared to soil cultivation. Note that, although a vinyl greenhouse is used as a representative example in the explanation of this embodiment, hydroponic cultivation can also be performed in a glass greenhouse or other buildings for vegetable cultivation that utilize sunlight other than vinyl greenhouses.

[0026] (Culture solution management) Regarding the management of the culture solution after planting, it is desirable to manage it within the range of EC 0.6-3.0 ds / m for both baby perilla leaves and leaf garlic, preferably 1.5 ds / m in summer and 2.0 ds / m in winter. In addition, pH management is performed within the range of 5.5-6.5 to avoid physiological disorders such as deficiency of trace elements. And, the culture solution is replaced every 1-2 months in summer and every 3-4 months in winter to avoid poor growth due to variation in the culture solution components.

[0027] (Indoor environment management) Regarding environmental management of the space in which the plants are grown, it is desirable to use a ventilation fan, an exhaust fan, or an opening and closing device on the side or ceiling of the vinyl greenhouse to generate air flow (air flow speed of 0.1 m / sec or more, preferably 0.2 to 1.0 m / sec) to replace the air around the plants, particularly on the leaf surfaces, thereby maintaining uniform conditions for temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide concentration on the leaf surfaces, and to generate an appropriate air flow to promote transpiration and enable more efficient absorption of water and fertilizer.

[0028] In addition, baby shiso leaves prefer high temperatures, with an optimum temperature of 20-25°C, and in winter, growth is significantly hindered if the night temperature is below 10°C, so efforts are made to maintain an optimum temperature for growth by heating the greenhouse and maintaining an air temperature above 10°C, and in summer by ventilating and blocking out light. The same goes for water temperature; in winter, heat exchange with well water or heating with a boiler is used to maintain a water temperature above 10°C, preferably above 15°C, and in summer, the water temperature is controlled so that it does not exceed 27°C.

[0029] The optimum temperature for garlic leaves is 15-20℃, and growth is inhibited at temperatures above 25℃ or at night below 5℃, so in winter, heat the greenhouse as necessary to keep the temperature above 5℃, preferably above 10℃, and in summer, ventilate the greenhouse and block out light to prevent the temperature from rising. Water temperature should be managed in the same way as for baby perilla leaves.

[0030] (harvest) In the case of baby shiso leaves, it is desirable to harvest when the first leaf is 10-25 mm long and 10-20 mm wide. When harvesting, use thinning scissors or a knife to cut the leaves into lengths of 20-50 mm.

[0031] For leaf garlic, it is desirable to harvest when the stem diameter is 7 mm or more and the plant height is 250 mm or more. When harvesting, thinning scissors or a knife are used to cut the cloves into lengths of 250 to 350 mm.

[0032] The cultivation method of the embodiment described above makes it possible to reduce work labor and improve work efficiency compared to soil cultivation, and part or all of the period from sowing to raising seedlings can be carried out outside the field, shortening the cultivation period in the field, improving the annual cultivation rotation rate and production volume, and making it easy to make a production plan based on the accumulated temperature and carry out efficient year-round production. EXAMPLES

[0033] (Example of growing baby shiso leaves) Outside the field, a 200-hole cell tray measuring 300mm x 590mm was filled with fine rock wool granules, and another 200-hole cell tray measuring 300mm x 590mm was filled with medium rock wool granules, both of which were watered, and 10 Perilla seeds were sown per hole, which were then germinated indoors at a room temperature of 25°C. It took 4 days for the seeds to germinate, and the accumulated temperature during that time was (25°C - 10°C) x 4 days = 60°C.

[0034] The seedlings that germinated in this way were grown in a room with a room temperature of 25°C and natural lighting for 16 hours a day in the morning. The medium was irrigated with liquid fertilizer with an EC of 1.2 ds / m to prevent it from drying out. It took 7 days for the seedlings to grow, and the accumulated temperature during that time was (25°C - 10°C) x 7 days = 105°C.

[0035] The seedlings that had completed the cultivation were then planted in a greenhouse in the field, with the cell trays placed in the cultivation beds of a NFT (thin film) hydroponic cultivation device, and cultivated at EC 2.4 ds / m. It took 10 days for the seedlings to grow to harvest size, during which the average daily temperature in the greenhouse was 25.6°C, and the accumulated temperature was (25.6°C - 10°C) x 10 days = 156°C.

[0036] The total accumulated temperature from sowing to harvesting was 321°C. The yield was 100g per cell tray (300mm x 590mm) fine cotton The weight was 108g for the one using cotton, and 128g for the one using medium-grain cotton.

[0037] By transferring the baby shiso leaves to a hydroponic cultivation device after germination, the 11 days from sowing to raising the seedlings can be done outside the field, and the cultivation period in the field can be completed in 10 days. If this were done in soil, the sowing work would be done directly in the field, so a total cultivation period of 21 days would be required. By cultivating the seeds hydroponically after raising the seedlings, the cultivation period in the field could be shortened by about half. EXAMPLES

[0038] (Example of leaf garlic cultivation) Outside the field, in a room, garlic cloves (variety: Jiading Baigaru No. 1) were directly sown in a 128-hole cell tray (300mm x 590mm) without using a medium this time, one per hole, and then a seedling tray was placed under the cell tray, water was added to the tray, and the germination process was carried out indoors at a room temperature of 20°C. It took 3 days for the seeds to germinate, and the accumulated temperature during that time was (20°C - 5°C) x 3 days = 45°C.

[0039] The seedlings thus germinated were grown in a room with a room temperature of 20°C and exposed to natural lighting for 16 hours in the morning and evening. It took three days for the seedlings to grow, and the accumulated temperature during this time was (20°C - 5°C) x 3 days = 45°C.

[0040] The seedlings that had completed the cultivation were then planted in a greenhouse in the field, with the cell trays placed in the cultivation beds of a NFT hydroponic cultivation device, and cultivated at EC 2.4 ds / m. It took 11 days for the seedlings to grow to harvest size, during which the average daily temperature in the greenhouse was 22.8°C, and the accumulated temperature was (22.8°C - 5°C) x 11 days = 195.8°C.

[0041] The total accumulated temperature from sowing to harvesting was 285.8°C, and the yield was 355g per cell tray (300mm x 590mm).

Claims

[Claim 1] A method for cultivating vegetables in which leaves are harvested and used as food, comprising the steps of: The effective accumulated temperature is the accumulated value of the temperature obtained by subtracting the growth limit temperature of the vegetable to be cultivated from the daily average temperature, and the accumulated temperature is the accumulated value until the vegetable can be harvested. The accumulated temperature is the accumulated value of the effective accumulated temperature, which is the accumulated value until the vegetable can be harvested, divided by the effective accumulated temperature expected for each cultivation period, and the number of days required until harvest for each cultivation period is predicted, and a production plan for the vegetable is made; The process from sowing to raising seedlings is carried out using seedling containers before being placed in a hydroponic cultivation device installed in a solar-powered vegetable cultivation building. The seedlings that have germinated after seedling cultivation are placed in the hydroponic cultivation device together with the seedling cultivation containers, and then cultivated based on a production plan under environmental control including culture solution control and temperature control.