Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide an information processing device, an information processing method and a program which facilitate plant cultivation in a culture medium.SOLUTION: An information processing device 10 is applied when supplying a nutrient solution to a culture medium to grow plants and includes: a first input unit 12a which inputs a growth target for a plant; a second input unit 12b which inputs time information relating to the timing at which the plant was planted; a third input unit 12c which inputs time information relating to a specified timing after the plant was planted; a first calculation unit 14 which calculates an accumulation period from the timing input by the second input unit 12b to the specified timing input by the third input unit 12c; a second calculation unit 14b which, on the basis of information relating to the accumulation period, estimates the growth stage at the specified timing input by the third input unit 12c; and a third calculation unit 14c which, on the basis of the growth stage estimated by the second calculation unit 14b and the plant growth target input by the first input unit 12a, determines the concentration and amount of the nutrient solution to be supplied and the supply timing for the nutrient solution.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program for supporting plant cultivation. [Background technology]

[0002] A technique has been proposed for cultivating plants by supplying a nutrient solution to a medium (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-033151 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program that facilitate plant cultivation in a medium. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] 1. Information processing equipment (1) First information processing device The first information processing device of the present invention comprises: An information processing device that is applied when growing a plant by supplying a nutrient solution containing water and fertilizer to a culture medium, A first input unit for inputting a growth target of a plant; a second input unit for inputting time information relating to when the plant was planted; a third input unit for inputting time information relating to a predetermined time after planting a plant; a first calculation unit that calculates an integration target period from a time period inputted by the second input unit to a predetermined time period inputted by the third input unit; A second calculation unit that estimates a growth stage at a predetermined time inputted by the third input unit based on at least one of information regarding the integration period and a predetermined integration value during the integration period; and a third calculation unit that determines the concentration and amount of the nutrient solution to be supplied, as well as the timing of supplying the nutrient solution, based on the growth stage estimated by the second calculation unit and the plant growth target input by the first input unit.

[0006] According to the present invention, a grower can easily estimate the growth stage of a plant without directly observing the condition of the plant, and can easily manage the nutrient solution according to the growth stage.

[0007] (2) Second information processing device The second information processing device of the present invention comprises: An information processing device that is applied when growing a plant by supplying a nutrient solution containing water and fertilizer to a culture medium, A first input unit for inputting a growth target of a plant; a second calculation unit that estimates a growth stage at a predetermined time based on at least one of information on an integration target period from a planting time to a predetermined time and a predetermined integration value during the integration target period; The system includes a nutrient solution calculation unit that determines the concentration and amount of nutrient solution to be supplied, as well as the timing of supplying the nutrient solution, based on the growth stage estimated by the second calculation unit and the plant growth target input by the first input unit.

[0008] According to the present invention, a grower can easily estimate the growth stage of a plant without directly observing the condition of the plant, and can easily manage the nutrient solution according to the growth stage.

[0009] The first and second information processing devices of the present invention can have the following features.

[0010] In the present invention, a fourth input unit for inputting the environmental temperature of the plant; a fourth calculation unit that calculates an integrated value of the environmental temperature during the integration period; The second calculation unit can estimate the growth stage in consideration of the integrated value of the environmental temperature calculated by the fourth calculation unit.

[0011] In the present invention, A fifth input unit for inputting the consumption amount of the supplied nutrient solution; A fifth calculation unit that calculates an integrated value of the consumption amount of the nutrient solution during the integration period; The second calculation unit can estimate the growth stage by taking into consideration the integrated value of the amount of nutrient solution consumed calculated by the fifth calculation unit.

[0012] In the present invention, A sixth input unit for inputting the amount of solar radiation; A sixth calculation unit that calculates an integrated value of the amount of solar radiation during the integration period; The second calculation unit can estimate the growth stage by taking into consideration the integrated value of the amount of solar radiation calculated by the sixth calculation unit.

[0013] The present invention may include an input information change unit for changing a growth target of the plant.

[0014] 2. Information processing method The information processing method of the present invention comprises the steps of: An information processing method applied when growing a plant by supplying a nutrient solution containing water and fertilizer to a culture medium, A step of inputting a growth target of a plant using a first input unit; a growth stage estimation unit estimating a growth stage at a predetermined time based on at least one of information related to the integration target period from the planting time of the plant to the predetermined time and a predetermined integration value during the integration target period; The method includes a step in which the nutrient solution calculation unit determines the concentration and amount of the nutrient solution to be supplied, as well as the timing of supplying the nutrient solution, based on the growth stage estimated by the growth stage estimation unit and the plant growth target input by the first input unit.

[0015] According to the present invention, a grower can easily estimate the growth stage of a plant without directly observing the condition of the plant, and can easily manage the nutrient solution according to the growth stage.

[0016] 3. Program The program of the present invention comprises: A program for causing a computer to execute an information processing method applied when growing a plant by supplying a nutrient solution containing water and fertilizer to a culture medium, A step of inputting a growth target of a plant using a first input unit; a growth stage estimation unit estimating a growth stage at a predetermined time based on at least one of information related to the integration target period from the planting time of the plant to the predetermined time and a predetermined integration value during the integration target period; The method includes a step in which the nutrient solution calculation unit determines the concentration and amount of the nutrient solution to be supplied, as well as the timing of supplying the nutrient solution, based on the growth stage estimated by the growth stage estimation unit and the plant growth target input by the first input unit.

[0017] According to the present invention, a grower can easily estimate the growth stage of a plant without directly observing the condition of the plant, and can easily manage the nutrient solution according to the growth stage. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a relationship between an information processing device and a user terminal according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a configuration of an information processing device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a configuration of an information processing device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a processing flow of the information processing device according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of information processing in the information processing device according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail.

[0020] 1. Information processing equipment As an example of the information processing device 10, an information processing device 10 communicably connected to a user terminal 20 via an information communication network 30 such as the Internet as shown in FIG. 1 will be described.

[0021] The information processing device 10 is applied when a nutrient solution containing water and fertilizer is supplied to a culture medium to grow a plant. As shown in FIG. 2, the information processing device 10 includes an input unit 12, a calculation unit 14, and an output unit 16. The culture medium can be, for example, an inorganic culture medium, and can be a solid culture medium or a non-solid culture medium (for example, liquid). The culture medium is made of a porous material, so that the interval between irrigation can be extended. The nutrient solution is a liquid containing water and fertilizer. Any known nutrient solution can be applied.

[0022] The inorganic medium may contain coral gravel or shells (e.g., oyster shells), and a medium made of coral gravel is preferable. By using a medium made of coral gravel, the antibacterial effect reduces the disease of the root system, and the antibacterial effect makes it possible to eliminate or simplify sterilization equipment for the culture solution, and further minimizes replacement and disposal. The particle size of the coral gravel may be, for example, 1 to 10 mm, preferably 3 to 5 mm.

[0023] The input section 12 includes a first input section 12a, a second input section 12b, a third input section 12c, a fourth input section 12d, a fifth input section 12e, a sixth input section 12f, and a seventh input section 12g.

[0024] The first input unit 12a is for inputting plant growth information. Growth objectives include, for example, the quality and quantity of the plant, the cultivation plan, and the yield. Harvest The contents of the plant include, for example, the size and sugar content of a tomato plant.

[0025] The second input section 12b is used to input time information relating to when the plant was planted. Examples of time information include the time of input and the date of input.

[0026] The third input section 12c is for inputting time information about a predetermined time after planting a plant, such as the current time or a future time. Examples of time information include the time of input and the date of input.

[0027] The fourth input unit 12d is for inputting the environmental temperature of the plant. The environmental temperature of the plant may be the temperature of the place where the plant is growing, the temperature of the entire region, or the average temperature.

[0028] The fifth input unit 12e is for inputting the consumption amount of the supplied nutrient solution. The consumption amount of the supplied nutrient solution may be, for example, the amount of nutrient solution absorbed by the cultivated plant or the amount expected to be absorbed in the future. When actually measuring the absorption amount of the nutrient solution, if the nutrient solution containing fertilizer is stored in the tank, the amount of the absorbed nutrient solution may be estimated from the amount of the stored fertilizer that has been reduced.

[0029] The sixth input section 12f is for inputting the amount of solar radiation. The amount of solar radiation may be the amount of solar radiation in the area where the plants are being grown, or the amount of solar radiation published or estimated for the area.

[0030] The seventh input section 12g is for changing the growth target of the plant.

[0031] The calculation unit 14 includes a first calculation unit 14a, a second calculation unit (growth stage estimation unit) 14b, a third calculation unit 14c, a fourth calculation unit 14d, a fifth calculation unit 14e, and a sixth calculation unit 14f.

[0032] The first calculation section 14a calculates an integration period from a time inputted through the second input section 12b to a predetermined time inputted through the third input section 12c.

[0033] The second calculation unit (growth stage estimation unit) 14b estimates the growth stage at the specified time inputted by the third input unit 12c based on at least one of information (length of time, number of days, etc.) about the integration target period from the planting time of the plant to the specified time and a specified integration value during the integration target period. The growth stage is a concept including each divided stage in the entire growth process, and in the case of tomatoes, for example, the inflorescence stage can be mentioned.

[0034] The third calculation unit 14c determines the concentration and amount of the nutrient solution to be supplied, as well as the timing of supplying the nutrient solution, based on the growth stage estimated by the second calculation unit 14b and the plant growth target input by the first input unit 12a.

[0035] The fourth calculation unit 14d calculates the integrated value of the environmental temperature during the integration period.

[0036] The fifth calculation unit 14e calculates the integrated value of the consumption amount of the nutrient solution during the integration period.

[0037] The sixth calculation unit 14f calculates the integrated value of the amount of solar radiation in the integration period.

[0038] The input information changing section 14g changes the input information, for example, to change the growth target of the input plant.

[0039] The instruction unit 14h instructs the supplying device to supply the predetermined nutrient solution calculated by the third calculation unit 14c when the supply of the nutrient solution to the culture medium is performed by the supplying device.

[0040] The information processing device 10 includes a first input unit 12a for inputting a growth target for the plant, a calculation unit 14a for estimating the growth stage at a specified time based on an accumulated target period from the planting time of the plant to the specified time, and a third calculation unit for determining the concentration and amount of the nutrient solution to be supplied, as well as the timing of supplying the nutrient solution, based on the growth stage estimated by the calculation unit 14a and the growth target for the plant inputted by the first input unit 12a.

[0041] The transmitting section 16a transmits data based on information processing to the user terminal 20 via the information communication network 30.

[0042] The storage unit 18 can store data inputted through the first to seventh input units 12a to 12g, and can store information processing results of various functional units of the calculation unit 14 (information on the integration target period, information on the integration target period, integrated temperature, integrated nutrient solution consumption, integrated solar radiation, etc.). The storage unit 18 can be realized by a known storage device such as a ROM or a hard disk. The storage unit 18 can store carbon dioxide concentration, humidity, future, current or past weather, wind speed and temperature, information on planting time, and correspondence data between growth targets, growth periods, and amounts and concentrations of nutrient solution, etc.

[0043] The calculation unit 12 can be realized by an arithmetic device such as a CPU.

[0044] The program that causes the information processing device 10 to execute information processing can be stored in a storage device (e.g., ROM, hard disk) included in the information processing device 10. Various information processing can be executed by an arithmetic unit such as a CPU. The database 12 can be stored in a storage device such as a hard disk.

[0045] The user terminal 20 can be, for example, a computer with input / output capabilities or a portable terminal such as a mobile phone.

[0046] The information processing device 10 may be an automatic calculator such as a communication-enabled computer or a portable terminal such as a mobile phone.

[0047] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the information processing device 10 is connected to an information communication network 30 such as the Internet and transmits and receives information to and from a user terminal 20. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as shown in Fig. 3, the information processing device 10 itself may be provided with a display unit 16b such as a display, and information processing may be completed by the information processing device 10 alone. In this case, the information processing device 10 may be provided with a display means to display various information.

[0048] The information processing device 10 can be realized by a known electronic calculator such as a computer.

[0049] 2. Information processing flow Hereinafter, a processing flow of the information processing device 10 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0050] The time when the plant was planted is inputted via the first input unit 12a (S1).

[0051] Next, the second input unit 12b inputs the desired growth target of the plant (S2). The input growth target may be, for example, the desired quality (sugar content, etc.), quantity, size, yield, etc. of the plant. Harvest At least one of the periods.

[0052] Next, the third input unit 12c inputs time information related to a predetermined time period (S3). Next, the second calculation unit 14b calculates an integration target period from the time period inputted by the second input unit 12b to the predetermined time period inputted by the third input unit 12c (S4).

[0053] Next, the fourth input unit 12d inputs the growth rate of the plant in the predetermined period from the information on the integration period. Education Guess the stage (S5).

[0054] Specifically, there are four ways to make inference:

[0055] As a first method, the second calculation unit 14b calculates the plant growth rate from the length of the integration period. Education More preferably, the plant's life cycle is estimated based on the calendar. Education Guess the steps.

[0056] As a second method, the second calculation unit 14b calculates the accumulated temperature in the accumulation target period and calculates the growth rate of the plant. Education The temperature stage is estimated. The calculation of the integrated temperature is based on temperature information during the period. If the temperature information is stored in a database stored in the storage unit, the temperature information may be obtained from the database. However, the present invention is not limited to this. If the information is stored in an external terminal such as a server connected via a communication network, the temperature information may be obtained from the external terminal.

[0057] As a third method, the second calculation unit 14b calculates an integrated value of the amount of solar radiation in the integration period, and calculates the growth rate of the plant. Education The accumulated solar radiation is calculated based on solar radiation information for the period. If the solar radiation information is stored in a database stored in the storage unit, the solar radiation information may be obtained from the database. However, the present invention is not limited to this. If the information is stored in an external terminal such as a server connected via a communication network, the solar radiation information may be obtained from the external terminal.

[0058] As a fourth method, the second calculation unit 14b calculates an integrated value of the nutrient solution consumption during the integration period, and estimates the growth of the plant. Education When information on the amount of nutrient solution consumption is stored in a database stored in the storage unit, the information on the amount of nutrient solution consumption may be obtained from the database, but is not limited to this, and when the information is stored in an external terminal such as a server connected via a communication network, the information may be obtained from the external terminal.

[0059] In addition to predicting the growth stage of a plant using any of the first to fourth methods, at least two of the first to fourth methods may be combined to predict the growth stage of a plant. Education You can guess the stages.

[0060] Next, the third calculation unit 14c calculates the estimated plant life. Education Based on the stage and the input growth target, the amount, concentration and supply time of the nutrient solution are calculated (S6). Education Based on the stage, the amount, concentration and supply time of the nutrient solution are calculated taking into account the growth target. step The corresponding data of the amount, concentration, etc. of the nutrient solution and the growth of the plant are stored in the memory unit 18. step The amount of nutrient solution according to 、 concentration and the timing of supplying nutrient solution More specifically, the growth rate of a plant at a given time can be calculated. Education Stages and plant quality, size and yield Harvest Based on the desired growth objectives, such as the time of year, the amount, concentration and timing of supply of the nutrient solution are determined.

[0061] If the inputted specified time is the current time information, the current plant growth rate is Education This makes it possible to calculate the amount and concentration of nutrient solution that should be supplied at the current time.

[0062] In addition, if the inputted predetermined time is time information for a future time, the growth rate of the plant at that future time can be calculated. Education In addition, at least one of the data of the predicted temperature, the predicted amount of sunlight, and the predicted amount of nutrient solution consumption can be used to estimate the stage of the future. growth When the data is used to estimate the stage, the data may be stored in a storage unit, or may be stored in an external terminal connected via a communication terminal.

[0063] If necessary, the amount, concentration and supply time of the nutrient solution may be determined taking into consideration the condition of the farm field, the cultivation area, etc. The growth target may be input between step S5 and step S6.

[0064] 3. Example of nutrient solution An example of a nutrient solution applied to information processing by the information processing device according to the present embodiment will be described. The nutrient solution may contain water, at least one of nitrate nitrogen and ammonia nitrogen, phosphoric acid, potassium oxide, and calcium oxide. A specific example of nitrate nitrogen may be, for example, nitrate ions. A specific example of ammonia nitrogen may be, for example, ammonium ions.

[0065] The content of phosphoric acid can be 48 to 70 parts by weight when the total amount of nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen is 100 parts by weight.

[0066] The content of potassium oxide can be 160 to 180 parts by weight when the total of nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen is taken as 100 parts by weight.

[0067] The content of calcium oxide is 30 to 85 parts by weight, preferably 50 to 85 parts by weight, and more preferably 60 to 85 parts by weight, when the total of nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen is taken as 100 parts by weight.

[0068] The ratio of the calcium oxide content to the phosphoric acid content (calcium oxide content / phosphoric acid content) is preferably 1.2 to 1.6.

[0069] The total concentration of nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen in the nutrient solution is, for example, 80 to 550 mg / L, preferably 200 to 440 mg / L, and more preferably 250 to 380 ml / L.

[0070] The ratio of nitrate nitrogen to the content of ammonia nitrogen (nitrate nitrogen content / ammonia nitrogen content) is preferably 5 to 10, and more preferably 7 to 10. When the ratio of nitrate nitrogen to the content of ammonia nitrogen is within this range, the plant can more appropriately absorb other trace components of the nutrient solution, particularly when the medium is an alkaline medium.

[0071] The ratio of the potassium oxide content to the calcium oxide content (potassium oxide content / calcium oxide content) is preferably 2.0 to 2.6.

[0072] The nutrient solution is preferably free of sulfur oxides. The nutrient solution contains MgO, MnO, B 2 O 3 It may contain at least one selected from the group consisting of Fe, Cu, Zn and Mo.

[0073] 4. Effects According to this embodiment, for example, the following advantageous effects can be obtained.

[0074] The system estimates the plant's condition without the grower having to check it, and can manage the nutrient solution according to the plant's condition. The system determines the concentration, amount, and supply time of the nutrient solution according to the growth goal, so it is possible to provide support to achieve nutrient solution management that matches the growth goal.

[0075] Future plans for nutrient solution management can be easily made. Plant cultivation can be made uniform and even, and the medium environment in the field can be leveled and stabilized. The quality of cultivated plants can be made uniform, and the yield can be improved. Harvest It is possible to control the timing, shipping timing, etc.

[0076] When a grower manages the nutrient solution according to the condition of the plants, how to grasp the overall condition of the plants is left to the grower's knowledge and skill, and when cultivating a large number of plants, it is difficult to determine which plants to target and judge their condition among a group of plants with some variation in growth. However, according to this embodiment, the condition of the plants can be easily estimated.

[0077] By combining nutrient solution management with temperature management, plant growth can also be controlled.

[0078] 5. Variations In FIG. 5, the process of nutrient solution management based on the information processing of the above embodiment is shown, but this process may be one cycle and may be repeated multiple times. After inputting the planting time (I1), a predetermined integrated value for the integration target period is calculated (C1) based on input information (I2) of a predetermined time or measured information, and the growth stage is estimated from the predetermined integrated value (C2). From the estimated growth stage and the input growth target (I3), the nutrient solution concentration, the amount of nutrient solution, and the nutrient solution supply time are calculated (C3). After the nutrient solution is supplied, each input information and measurement information are input, and the predetermined integrated value for the integration target period is calculated (C2). The cycle of inputting the predetermined time or measured information (I2), calculating the integrated value (C1), estimating the growth stage (C2), calculating information about the nutrient solution (C3), and supplying the nutrient solution may be performed multiple times.

[0079] Examples of plants to which the present invention can be applied include vegetables such as tomatoes, as well as fruits such as strawberries.

[0080] 6. Experimental Example Tomatoes were planted in a medium made of coral gravel, and the tomatoes were cultivated using the nutrient solution (the nutrient solution of the embodiment) shown in Table 1. Water was added to the nutrient solution shown in Table 1, and the nutrient solution with the adjusted concentration was supplied to the medium. Cultivation was carried out under LED artificial lighting. [Table 1]

[0081] In the cultivation of tomatoes in this experimental example, tomatoes with an average sugar content of 7.5 (Brix% sugar content) or more were harvested in each fruit cluster. Harvest The average sugar content of each fruit cluster, the number of harvests, and the yield were all shown in Table 2. [Table 2]

[0082] [Comparative cultivation test] A comparative cultivation test was carried out using the nutrient solution according to the embodiment and the nutrient solution according to the comparative example. The composition of the nutrient solution according to the comparative example is shown in Table 3. [Table 3]

[0083] This comparative cultivation test was conducted until the third inflorescence was harvested. The EC concentration was changed as shown in Table 4 for both the cultivation area using the nutrient solution of the embodiment and the cultivation area using the nutrient solution of the comparative example. [Table 4]

[0084] The number of test plants was 10 in both the cultivation area using the nutrient solution of the Example and the cultivation area using the nutrient solution of the Comparative Example. The test crop was cherry tomato in both the cultivation area using the nutrient solution of the Example and the cultivation area using the nutrient solution of the Comparative Example.

[0085] The comparative cultivation test confirmed the following results: In the cultivation area using the nutrient solution of the embodiment, no physiological disorders were observed until the end of the test cultivation, and cultivation and harvesting were stable.

[0086] On the other hand, in the cultivation area using the nutrient solution of the comparative example, iron deficiency and manganese deficiency were confirmed in all 10 plants. In addition, growth stopped in three plants due to the whitening of new leaves caused by the progression of iron deficiency symptoms. In addition, the yield in the cultivation area using the nutrient solution of the comparative example fell to one-third of the yield in the cultivation area using the nutrient solution of the example. This embodiment can be modified in various ways within the scope of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0087] The present invention is applicable to a plant growth support system and support method. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 10. Information processing device 12 Input section 12a First input section 12b Second input section 12c Third Input Section 12d Fourth input section 12e Fifth input section 12f 6th input section 12g 7th input section 14 Calculation section 14a First calculation section 14b Second calculation section 14c Third calculation section 14d Fourth calculation section 14e 5th Calculation Section 14f 6th calculation section 14g correction section 14h instruction section 16 Output section 16a Transmitter 16b Display section 18 Memory section 20 User terminal 30 Information and Communication Network

Claims

1. An information processing device that is applied when growing tomatoes by supplying a nutrient solution containing water and fertilizer to a culture medium, A first input unit for inputting a growth target of tomatoes; A second input unit for inputting time information regarding when the tomatoes were planted; a third input unit for inputting time information relating to a predetermined time after the tomato is planted; A fourth input unit for inputting the environmental temperature of the tomatoes; a first calculation unit that calculates an integration target period from a time period inputted by the second input unit to a predetermined time period inputted by the third input unit; a fourth calculation unit that calculates an integrated value of the environmental temperature during the integration period; A second calculation unit that estimates a stage of tomato inflorescence at a predetermined time inputted by the third input unit based on the integrated value of the environmental temperature calculated by the fourth calculation unit; A memory unit that stores data on the correspondence between growth targets, tomato inflorescence stages, and the amount, concentration, and supply time of nutrient solution; and a third calculation unit that determines a concentration and amount of the nutrient solution to be supplied and a timing for supplying the nutrient solution based on the corresponding data using the tomato inflorescence stage estimated by the second calculation unit and a growth target for the tomato input by the first input unit.

2. An information processing method applied when growing tomatoes by supplying a nutrient solution containing water and fertilizer to a medium, A step of inputting a growth target of tomatoes using a first input unit; A step in which a second input unit inputs time information regarding when the tomatoes were planted; A step in which a third input unit inputs time information regarding a predetermined time after planting the tomato; A fourth input unit inputs an environmental temperature of the tomatoes; A step in which a first calculation unit calculates an integration target period from a time period inputted by the second input unit to a predetermined time period inputted by the third input unit; A fourth calculation unit calculates an integrated value of the environmental temperature during the integration period; A step in which a second calculation unit estimates a stage of tomato inflorescence at a predetermined time inputted by the third input unit based on the integrated value of the environmental temperature calculated by the fourth calculation unit; and a third calculation unit determines the concentration and amount of the nutrient solution to be supplied and the supply timing of the nutrient solution based on the growth target, the tomato inflorescence stage, and the amount, concentration, and supply timing of the nutrient solution stored in a memory unit, using the tomato inflorescence stage estimated by the second calculation unit and the tomato growth target input by the first input unit.

3. A program for causing a computer to execute an information processing method applied when growing tomatoes by supplying a nutrient solution containing water and fertilizer to a culture medium, The information processing method includes: A step of inputting a growth target of tomatoes using a first input unit; A step in which a second input unit inputs time information regarding when the tomatoes were planted; A step in which a third input unit inputs time information regarding a predetermined time after planting the tomato; A fourth input unit inputs an environmental temperature of the tomatoes; A step in which a first calculation unit calculates an integration target period from a time inputted by the second input unit to a predetermined time inputted by the third input unit; A fourth calculation unit calculates an integrated value of the environmental temperature during the integration period; A step in which a second calculation unit estimates a stage of tomato inflorescence at a predetermined time inputted by the third input unit based on the integrated value of the environmental temperature calculated by the fourth calculation unit; a third calculation unit determining the concentration and amount of the nutrient solution to be supplied and the supply timing of the nutrient solution based on the growth target, the tomato inflorescence stage, and the amount, concentration, and supply timing of the nutrient solution stored in a memory unit, using the tomato inflorescence stage estimated by the second calculation unit and the tomato growth target input by the first input unit.

Images