Sweet potato cultivation device

Abstract

To provide a cultivator for yam, capable of securing a gap for growing yam even when cultivator bodies are stacked one above the other, and improving the production efficiency of yam. [Solution] A cultivator 1 for Japanese yam, which comprises a cultivator body 2 in which a plurality of grooves 3 capable of accommodating wild yam J are formed in a line in the width direction α, and the cultivator bodies 2 can be stacked and arranged in multiple tiers, and tilted, and can accommodate and cultivate wild yam in the grooves 3 of the cultivator bodies 2 located in the upper and lower tiers, and between the grooves 3 adjacent to each other in the width direction α of the cultivator body 2, thick sections 4 that are thicker than other parts of the cultivator body 2 are formed, and when the cultivator bodies 2 are arranged stacked one on top of the other, the thick sections 4 overlap, forming a gap S for the wild yam J to grow between the grooves 3 of the cultivator body 2 in the upper tier and the grooves 3 of the cultivator body 2 in the lower tier.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cultivation device for cultivating yams such as wild yams. [Background technology]

[0002] The wild yam, a type of yam, is a climbing perennial herb native to Japan that is highly nutritious and is expected to have a nutritious and strengthening effect. To cultivate such wild yam in a field, it is preferable to grow it by carefully adjusting the soil quality, moisture content, etc., and conventionally, it has been cultivated using a yam cultivator that can accommodate and cultivate individual yams. Such a conventional yam cultivator, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, consists of a half-pipe filled with soil, and new yams (wild yams) grown from seed yams grow longitudinally within the pipe. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-292632 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, although the above-mentioned conventional yam cultivators can successfully cultivate yam in fields, because one yam is housed in one half pipe for cultivation, production efficiency is low, and there has been a growing need among producers to improve the production efficiency of yam (yamaimo).In addition, because one half pipe is buried in the soil at an angle to cultivate the yam, the area of ​​the field required to cultivate one yam becomes large, further worsening production efficiency.

[0005] Therefore, the present applicant has conducted extensive research into cultivators for yam to improve the production efficiency of wild yam. The inventors have come up with the idea of ​​forming multiple grooves across the width of the cultivator body, storing yams in each groove, and stacking multiple cultivator bodies in upper and lower tiers. However, this approach results in the problem that the grooves of the upper cultivator body and the lower cultivator body overlap without any gaps, making it difficult to ensure sufficient space for the yams to grow. This problem is not limited to wild yam, a type of yam, but also occurs in cultivators for cultivating other yams, such as nagaimo.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a cultivator for yam that can secure a gap for growing yam even when the cultivator bodies are stacked one on top of the other, thereby improving the production efficiency of yam. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The invention according to claim 1 is Made from wild yam This cultivator for yam includes a cultivator body in which a plurality of grooves capable of accommodating yam are formed in a line in the width direction, and the cultivator bodies can be arranged in an inclined manner while being stacked in a plurality of vertical tiers, and yam can be accommodated in the grooves of the cultivator bodies located in the upper and lower tiers for cultivation. Between the grooves adjacent in the width direction of the cultivator body, spacer parts are formed to make the thickness dimension larger than other parts of the cultivator body, and when the cultivator bodies are arranged in a stacked manner, the spacer parts overlap, forming a gap for growing yam between the groove part of the cultivator body in the upper tier and the groove part of the cultivator body in the lower tier. The spacer portion is configured to have a thick portion having a thickness larger than that of the other portion of the cultivator body, or a closing portion formed with a cavity therein. It is characterized by:

[0008] The invention of claim 2 is characterized in that, in the yam cultivation device described in claim 1, the cultivation device body has a wave-shaped configuration curved in the width direction, and the wave-shaped recesses are the groove portions.

[0009] The invention of claim 3 is characterized in that, in the yam cultivation device described in claim 1, it has a guide rod that can be engaged at a predetermined position in the spacer part, and by abutting the end face of the upper cultivation device body against the guide rod engaged in the spacer part of the lower cultivation device body, the lower cultivation device body and the upper cultivation device body can be installed sequentially with a predetermined offset in the longitudinal direction.

[0010] The invention of claim 4 is characterized in that, in the yam cultivation device described in claim 3, the guide rod positions the cultivation device body of the lower level and the cultivation device body of the upper level while offsetting them in the longitudinal direction, and also serves as a placement position marker indicating the position where the seed yam should be placed.

[0011] The invention described in claim 5 is characterized in that, in the yam cultivation device described in claim 4, the guide rod is formed with a height position mark that indicates the height position of the soil to be placed on top of the cultivation device body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the invention described in claim 1, spacer portions are formed between adjacent groove portions in the width direction of the cultivator body to make the thickness dimension larger than other parts of the cultivator body, and when the cultivator bodies are stacked one on top of the other, the spacer portions overlap, forming a gap for the yam to grow between the groove portion of the upper cultivator body and the groove portion of the lower cultivator body.Therefore, even when the cultivator bodies are stacked one on top of the other, a gap for the yam to grow can be secured, thereby improving the production efficiency of the yam. Furthermore, since the spacer portion is made of a thick portion that is thicker than other portions of the cultivator body, the strength can be improved when the spacer portions overlap when the cultivator bodies are stacked one on top of the other. Furthermore, since the spacer portion consists of a closing portion formed with a hollow space inside, the entire cultivator body, including the closing portion, can be set to a uniform thickness, making it particularly easy to manufacture the cultivator body by resin molding. Furthermore, since the yam cultivated in the cultivation vessel body is made from wild yam, even if the cultivation vessel bodies are stacked one on top of the other, a gap for the wild yam to grow can be secured, thereby improving the production efficiency of the wild yam.

[0017] According to the invention described in claim 2, the cultivator body is formed in a wavy shape curved in the width direction, and the recesses of the wavy shape are made into grooves, thereby improving the rigidity of the cultivator body and allowing the cultivator body to be constructed using wavy general-purpose parts.

[0018] According to the invention described in claim 3, by abutting the end face of the upper cultivator body against the guide rod engaged with the spacer portion of the lower cultivator body, the lower cultivator body and the upper cultivator body can be installed sequentially with a predetermined offset in the longitudinal direction, so that the offset of the cultivator body in the longitudinal direction can easily be set to a predetermined amount.

[0019] According to the invention described in claim 4, the guide rod positions the lower cultivator body and the upper cultivator body while offsetting them in the longitudinal direction, and also serves as a placement position marker indicating the position where the seed potatoes are placed, so that the guide rod can serve both the function of positioning the cultivator body and the function of marker for the seed potatoes.

[0020] According to the invention described in claim 5, the guide rod is formed with a height position mark that indicates the height position of the soil to be placed above the cultivation vessel body, so that in addition to the function of positioning the cultivation vessel body and the function of marking the seed potatoes, the guide rod can also serve as a mark for the height of the soil to be placed above. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a yam cultivator according to a first embodiment of the present invention is installed in a field. [Figure 2] A side view showing the same yam cultivation device. [Figure 3] Cross section of line III-III in Figure 2 [Figure 4] Cross section of line IV-IV in Figure 2 [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the main body of the cultivator for yam. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a front view showing the main body of the cultivator for yam. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the guide rod of the yam cultivation device. [Figure 8] A schematic diagram showing how wild yam is grown in the same yam cultivation device. [Figure 9] A side view showing the state of cultivating wild yam in the same cultivator for yam [Figure 10] A front view showing the state of cultivating wild yam in the same cultivator for yam [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a cultivator body of a cultivator for yam according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a front view showing the main body of the cultivator for yam. [Figure 13] 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the cultivator bodies of the yam cultivator are stacked one on top of the other (a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 3 showing the first embodiment). [Figure 14] 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the cultivator bodies of the yam cultivator are stacked one on top of the other (a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 4 showing the first embodiment). [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the main body of the cultivator for yam according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the main body of the cultivator for yam according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The yam cultivation device 1 of the first embodiment is for cultivating wild yam in a field, and as shown in Figures 1 to 7, has a cultivation device main body 2 with a groove portion 3 formed therein, a thick portion 4 as a spacer portion, and a guide rod 5, and can be installed by stacking the cultivation device main body 2 in multiple layers vertically and tilting it at a predetermined angle γ (see Figure 2) while buried in the soil of the field (in the ridge D in Figure 8).

[0027] The cultivator body 2 is made of a member formed by molding resin into a predetermined shape, and has multiple (two in this embodiment) grooves 3 arranged side by side in the width direction α, each capable of accommodating Japanese yam (Japanese yam J in this embodiment). The cultivator body 2 in this embodiment has a wave-like shape curved in the width direction α, and two adjacent recesses in this wave-like shape form the grooves 3. The grooves 3 are made of a section formed into an arc-shaped cross section, and extend in the longitudinal direction β of the cultivator body 2, as shown in Figure 5.

[0028] 3 and 4, a thick portion 4 having a larger thickness than the other portions of the cultivator body 2 is formed between adjacent groove portions 3 in the width direction α of the cultivator body 2 (at the joint between the left and right groove portions 3). This thick portion 4 constitutes the spacer portion of the present invention and is intended to make the cultivator body 2 larger in thickness than the other portions. As shown in FIG. 6, the thick portion 4 of the cultivator body 2 according to this embodiment is composed of a portion having a larger thickness (thickness dimension L) than the other portions, and when the cultivator bodies 2 are stacked one on top of the other, the upper and lower thick portions (4a, 4b) overlap each other. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, a gap S for growing wild yam J (Japanese yam) is formed (the gap S is maintained) between the groove portion 3a of the upper cultivator body 2a and the groove portion 3b of the lower cultivator body 2b.

[0029] Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, the thick portion 4 in this embodiment has a protruding surface t1 consisting of a curved surface that protrudes upward, and a bottom surface t2 consisting of a curved surface that is recessed in a groove-like shape.When the cultivator bodies 2 are stacked one on top of the other with soil piled in the groove portion 3, the bottom surface t2 of the thick portion 4a of the upper cultivator body 2a matches and overlaps with the protruding surface t1 of the thick portion 4b of the lower cultivator body 2b, causing the thick portion 4b to function as a spacer, and a gap S is formed between the groove portion 3a of the upper cultivator body 2a and the groove portion 3b of the lower cultivator body 2b.

[0030] In Figure 3, in order to distinguish between the upper and lower cultivator bodies 2, the upper cultivator body 2 is illustrated as cultivator body 2a and the lower cultivator body 2 as cultivator body 2b, and it is shown that a groove portion 3a and a thick portion 4a are formed in the upper cultivator body 2a, and a groove portion 3b and a thick portion 4b are formed in the lower cultivator body 2b.

[0031] Furthermore, when the cultivator body 2 is manufactured by resin molding (extrusion molding), it is preferable that the dimensions of the thick portion 4 and the dimensions of other parts (thickness dimensions of the groove portion 3) are formed at a ratio of, for example, about 6:1. Furthermore, the arc shape (cross-sectional shape) of the groove portion 3 may have a larger or smaller curvature than the shape shown in Figure 6 (the shape shown in Figure 12 in the second embodiment).

[0032] When cultivator bodies 2 are stacked vertically in multiple tiers in this way, a gap S is formed between each of the upper and lower cultivator bodies 2, as shown in Figure 4, ensuring a gap S large enough to accommodate and grow the wild yam J. In other words, if the thick sections 4 were not present, when cultivator bodies 2 were stacked one on top of the other, the weight of the soil would make the gap between the groove section 3 of the upper tier and the groove section 3 of the lower tier extremely small, leaving no space to grow the wild yam J. However, by forming the thick sections 4 to function as spacers, the gap S for growing the wild yam J can be reliably formed.

[0033] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 to 4, the yam cultivator 1 according to this embodiment is capable of attaching a guide rod 5. The guide rod 5 is made of a rod-shaped member that is inserted into a locking hole h formed at a predetermined position in the thick-walled portion 4 and can be locked while extending in the vertical direction, and as shown in Figure 7, it has a large-diameter spherical abutment portion 5a, a first height position mark 5b that protrudes laterally, and a second height position mark 5c that protrudes laterally. The abutment portion 5a, the first height position mark 5b, and the second height position mark 5c can be spherical, triangular in side view, or any other shape.

[0034] The locking hole h is a recessed, bottomed hole formed in the thick portion 4 at a position spaced a predetermined distance d from the end face F of the cultivator body 2. When the guide rod 5 is inserted into the locking hole h formed at a predetermined position in the thick portion 4 of the cultivator body 2, the abutment portion 5a abuts against the opening edge of the locking hole h, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, and the guide rod 5 is held in a state of being extended in the vertical direction. When the cultivator bodies 2 are stacked one above the other in multiple tiers, the guide rod 5 thus locked to the cultivator body 2 can be positioned by offsetting the lower cultivator body 2 from the upper cultivator body 2 in the longitudinal direction β (by shifting their positions in the longitudinal direction β).

[0035] In other words, in each of the multiple overlapping cultivator bodies 2, a guide rod 5 is engaged in a locking hole h at a predetermined position (a position spaced a predetermined distance d from the end face F of the cultivator body 2), so that by abutting the end face F of the upper cultivator body 2 against the guide rod 5 engaged in the thick portion 4 of the lower cultivator body 2, the lower cultivator body 2 and the upper cultivator body 2 can be positioned by offsetting them by a predetermined distance (dimension d) in the longitudinal direction β, and they can be installed sequentially in predetermined locations in the field.

[0036] Furthermore, as described above, the guide rods 5 according to this embodiment position the lower cultivator body 2 and the upper cultivator body 2 while offsetting them by the dimension d in the longitudinal direction β, so that the distance between adjacent guide rods 5 is constant (dimension d), and they can be used as placement position markers to indicate the position for placing the seed potato T. In other words, if a seed potato T is placed between adjacent guide rods 5, the newly grown wild yam J of that seed potato will enter the grooves 3 of the cultivator body 2 and be able to be cultivated, as shown in Figures 9 and 10.

[0037] Furthermore, the first height position mark 5b and the second height position mark 5c formed on the guide rod 5 indicate the height of the soil to be placed above the cultivator bodies 2 when they are stacked on top of each other. For example, after the soil is placed up to the height H1 of the first height position mark 5b and the seed potatoes T are placed on the soil, the soil is then placed up to the height H2 of the second height position mark 5c to form a ridge.

[0038] Next, a method for cultivating wild yam using the yam cultivator 1 according to this embodiment will be described. First, prepare multiple cultivator bodies 2 and lock them by inserting guide rods 5 into locking holes h formed in each cultivator body 2. Then, with a certain amount of soil piled up in the grooves 3, one cultivator body 2 is placed in a groove formed in the field while tilting it at a predetermined angle γ, and another cultivator body 2 is placed on top of it.

[0039] At this time, the end face F of the upper cultivator body 2 is brought into contact with the guide rod 5 engaged with the thick portion 4 of the lower cultivator body 2, so that the lower cultivator body 2 and the upper cultivator body 2 are offset in the longitudinal direction β by a predetermined dimension (dimension d). By positioning and installing the cultivator bodies 2 sequentially toward the upper tier in this way, multiple cultivator bodies 2 can be stacked while being tilted at a predetermined angle γ, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0040] Here, each of the multiple cultivator bodies 2 has a thick portion 4 with a thickness dimension (thickness dimension L) that is larger than other parts of the cultivator body 2 (especially the parts that form the groove portions 3), so when the cultivator bodies 2 are stacked one on top of the other, the thick portions 4 overlap and function as spacers, and a gap S can be formed between the groove portion 3 of the upper cultivator body 2 and the groove portion 3 of the lower cultivator body 2 for growing wild yam J (yamaimo).

[0041] Then, soil is piled up to the height of the first height position mark 5b of the guide rod 5, and soil to a height H1 is applied to cover the top of the multiple cultivator bodies 2, and seed potatoes T are placed between adjacent guide rods 5 (left and right positions corresponding to the grooves 3 as shown in Figure 10). After all the seed potatoes T have been placed, soil is piled up to the height of the second height position mark 5c of the guide rod 5, and ridges D to a height H2 are formed as shown in Figure 8.

[0042] By burying the seed potatoes T in the furrows D in this way, as the seed potatoes T grow, the vines become entangled and supported by the net N, and the wild yam J as a new potato grows within the grooves 3 of the cultivator body 2. The wild yam J growing within the grooves 3 will grow in the extension direction of the grooves 3 (the longitudinal direction β of the cultivator body 2), and by cultivating it for a predetermined period of time, the wild yam J of the desired size can be harvested.

[0043] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The yam cultivator 1' according to the second embodiment, like the first embodiment, is for cultivating wild yam in a field, and as shown in Figures 11 to 14, has a cultivator body 2 with grooves 3 formed therein, a thick portion 4' constituting the spacer portion of the present invention, and a guide rod 5, and can be installed by stacking the cultivator bodies 2 vertically in multiple layers and tilting them at a predetermined angle γ (see Figure 2) while buried in the soil of a field (in the ridge D in Figure 8). Note that the cultivator body 2, grooves 3, and guide rod 5 are the same as those in the first embodiment, so detailed explanations will be omitted.

[0044] As shown in Figure 12, the thick portion 4' in this embodiment consists of a portion that is thicker (thickness dimension L') than other portions, and when the cultivator bodies 2 are arranged one above the other, the upper and lower thick portions (4a', 4b') overlap each other, and as shown in Figure 13, a gap S for growing wild yam J (yamaimo) is formed between the groove portion 3a of the upper cultivator body 2a and the groove portion 3b of the lower cultivator body 2b.

[0045] Specifically, as shown in Figure 13, the thick portion 4' in this embodiment has an upper end surface w1 consisting of an upper flat surface and a lower end surface w2 consisting of a lower flat surface, and when the cultivator bodies 2 are stacked one on top of the other, the lower end surface w2 of the thick portion 4a' in the upper cultivator body 2a matches and overlaps with the upper end surface w1 of the thick portion 4b' in the lower cultivator body 2b, so that the thick portion 4b' functions as a spacer and a gap S is formed between the groove portion 3a of the upper cultivator body 2a and the groove portion 3b of the lower cultivator body 2b.

[0046] In Figure 13, in order to distinguish between the upper and lower cultivator bodies 2, the upper cultivator body 2 is shown as cultivator body 2a and the lower cultivator body 2 is shown as cultivator body 2b, and it is shown that a groove portion 3a and a thick portion 4a' are formed in the upper cultivator body 2a, and a groove portion 3b and a thick portion 4b' are formed in the lower cultivator body 2b.

[0047] When cultivator bodies 2 are stacked vertically in multiple layers in this way, a gap S is formed between the upper cultivator body 2 and the lower cultivator body 2, as shown in Figure 14, and a gap S large enough to accommodate and grow the wild yam J can be ensured. In other words, if the thick portions 4' were not present, when cultivator bodies 2 were stacked one on top of the other, the weight of the soil would make the gap between the upper groove portion 3 and the lower groove portion 3 extremely small, leaving no space to grow the wild yam J. However, by forming the thick portions 4' to function as spacers, the gap S for growing the wild yam J can be reliably formed.

[0048] Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The yam cultivation device 1" of the third embodiment, like the previous embodiment, is for cultivating wild yam in a field, and as shown in Figure 15, has a cultivation device main body 2 with groove portions 3 formed therein and a separate member 6 that constitutes the spacer portion of the present invention, and can be installed by stacking the cultivation device main bodies 2 vertically in multiple layers and tilting them at a predetermined angle γ (see Figure 2) while buried in the soil of the field (in the ridge D in Figure 8). Note that the cultivation device main body 2, groove portions 3 and guide rod 5 are the same as those of the first embodiment, so detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0049] As shown in Fig. 15, the separate member 6 according to this embodiment is a separate member from the cultivator body 2, and is joined to the back surface of the intermediate portion R located between adjacent grooves 3 in the cultivator body 2 to form an integral unit. The separate member 6 can be joined to the cultivator body 2 by, for example, bonding with an adhesive or joining with screws. The cultivator bodies 2 to which the separate members 6 are attached are arranged one above the other with the separate members 6 overlapping and interposed therebetween, and as shown in Fig. 15, a gap S for growing wild yam J (yamaimo) is formed between the groove 3a of the upper cultivator body 2a and the groove 3b of the lower cultivator body 2b.

[0050] 15, the separate member 6 according to this embodiment is made up of a separate member having an upper surface 6a and a lower surface 6b that conform to the shape of the middle portion R of the cultivator body 2, and the upper surface 6a is fixed to the back surface of the middle portion R of the cultivator body 2. As a result, when the cultivator bodies 2 are stacked one on top of the other, the top surface of the middle portion R of the lower cultivator body 2b matches and overlaps with the lower surface 6b of the separate member 6 of the upper cultivator body 2a, so that the separate member 6 functions as a spacer, and a gap S is formed between the groove portion 3a of the upper cultivator body 2a and the groove portion 3b of the lower cultivator body 2b.

[0051] When cultivator bodies 2 are stacked vertically in multiple tiers in this way, a gap S is formed between each of the upper and lower cultivator bodies 2, as shown in Figure 15, ensuring a gap S large enough to accommodate and grow the wild yam J. In other words, if the cultivator bodies 2 were not provided with separate members 6, stacking them one on top of the other would result in the gap between the groove portion 3 of the upper tier and the groove portion 3 of the lower tier becoming extremely small due to the weight of the soil, leaving no space to grow the wild yam J. However, by forming separate members 6 to function as spacers, the gap S for growing the wild yam J can be reliably formed.

[0052] Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. The yam cultivation device 1"' of the fourth embodiment, like the previous embodiment, is for cultivating wild yam in a field, and as shown in Figure 16, has a cultivation device body 2 with groove portions 3 formed therein and a closing portion 7 which constitutes the spacer portion of the present invention, and can be installed by stacking the cultivation device bodies 2 in multiple layers one above the other and tilting them at a predetermined angle γ (see Figure 2) while buried in the soil of the field (in the ridge D in Figure 8). Note that the cultivation device body 2, groove portions 3 and guide rod 5 are the same as those of the first embodiment, so detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0053] As shown in Fig. 16, the closing part 7 according to this embodiment is made up of a part integrally formed on the back side of the intermediate part R located between adjacent groove parts 3 in the cultivator body 2, and a cavity G is formed between the intermediate part R and the closing part 7. The cultivator bodies 2 each having the closing part 7 formed therein are arranged one above the other with the closing part 7 interposed therebetween, and as shown in Fig. 16, a gap S for growing wild yam J (yamaimo) is formed between the groove part 3a of the upper cultivator body 2a and the groove part 3b of the lower cultivator body 2b.

[0054] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 16, the closing portion 7 according to this embodiment is composed of a portion integrally formed on the rear surface side of the middle portion R of the cultivator body 2, and a cavity G is formed inside the closing portion 7 so that the wall thickness of the closing portion 7 and other portions of the cultivator body 2 are the same. As a result, when the cultivator bodies 2 are stacked one on top of the other, the top surface of the middle portion R of the lower cultivator body 2b matches and overlaps with the closing portion 7 of the upper cultivator body 2a, so that the closing portion 7 functions as a spacer, and a gap S is formed between the groove portion 3a of the upper cultivator body 2a and the groove portion 3b of the lower cultivator body 2b.

[0055] When cultivator bodies 2 are stacked vertically in multiple layers in this way, a gap S is formed between the upper cultivator body 2 and the lower cultivator body 2, as shown in Figure 16, and a gap S large enough to accommodate and grow the wild yam J can be ensured. In other words, if the closure parts 7 were not present, when the cultivator bodies 2 were stacked one on top of the other, the weight of the soil would make the gap between the upper groove part 3 and the lower groove part 3 extremely small, leaving no space to grow the wild yam J. However, by forming the closure parts 7 to function as spacers, the gap S for growing the wild yam J can be reliably formed.

[0056] According to the yam cultivators 1, 1', 1", and 1"' of the first to fourth embodiments, spacer sections (thick sections (4, 4'), separate members 6, and closing sections 7) are formed between adjacent groove sections 3 in the width direction α of the cultivator body 2 to make the thickness dimension larger than other parts of the cultivator body 2, and when the cultivator bodies 2 are stacked one on top of the other, the spacer sections (thick sections (4, 4'), separate members 6, and closing sections 7) overlap, forming a gap S for growing the wild yam J (yam) between the groove section 3 of the upper cultivator body 2 and the groove section 3 of the lower cultivator body 2. Therefore, even when the cultivator bodies 2 are stacked one on top of the other, the gap S for growing the wild yam J can be secured, thereby improving the production efficiency of the wild yam J.

[0057] Furthermore, the cultivator body 2 according to the embodiment has a wave-like shape curved in the width direction α, and the recesses of the wave-like shape are the grooves 3, which improves the rigidity of the cultivator body 2 and allows the cultivator body 2 to be constructed using general-purpose wave-like members. In particular, the cultivator body 2 according to the embodiment has a wave-like shape curved in the width direction α, and thick-walled portions (4, 4') are formed between adjacent grooves 3, which improves the rigidity and increases the load-bearing capacity when soil is placed in the grooves 3, thereby maintaining the shape. Furthermore, the cultivator body 2 according to the embodiment has a stable shape with a wave-like shape in the width direction α, which makes it easy to store when not in use.

[0058] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, by abutting the end face F of the upper cultivator body 2 against the guide rod 5 engaged with the thick portion (4, 4') of the lower cultivator body 2, the lower cultivator body 2 and the upper cultivator body 2 can be installed sequentially with an offset of a predetermined dimension d in the longitudinal direction β, so that the offset of the cultivator body 2 relative to the longitudinal direction β can easily be set to a predetermined dimension.

[0059] In particular, the guide rod 5 according to this embodiment positions the lower cultivator body 2 and the upper cultivator body 2 while offsetting them in the longitudinal direction β, and also serves as a placement position mark indicating the position for placing the seed potato T, so the guide rod 5 can combine both the function of positioning the cultivator body 2 and the function of marking the seed potato T. Furthermore, the guide rod 5 according to this embodiment is formed with height position marks (first height position mark and second height position mark) that indicate the height position of the soil to be covered above the cultivator body 2, so the guide rod 5 can combine the function of positioning the cultivator body 2 and the function of marking the seed potato T, as well as the function of marking the height of the soil to be covered.

[0060] However, according to the first and second embodiments, the spacer portion is made of a thick portion (4, 4') that is thicker than other portions of the cultivator body 2, and therefore the strength can be improved when the spacer portions are overlapped when the cultivator bodies 2 are stacked one on top of the other. Also, according to the third embodiment, the spacer portion is made of a separate member 6 that is separate from the cultivator body 2, and therefore the thickness of the cultivator body 2 can be made uniform, making it easy to manufacture, and by attaching the separate member 6, it is possible to ensure a gap S for growing yams even when the cultivator bodies 2 are stacked one on top of the other. Also, since the cultivator body 2 and the separate member 6 can be made of different materials, for example, the separate member 6 can be made of foamed resin or the like.

[0061] In addition, according to the fourth embodiment, the spacer portion is made of the closure portion 7 formed with a cavity G therein, so that the entire cultivator body 2 including the closure portion 7 can be set to a uniform thickness, which makes it easy to manufacture the cultivator body 2 by resin molding (extrusion molding, etc.). The closure portion 7 is preferably configured to seal the cavity G, but may also close a part of the cavity G (for example, one with a drainage hole formed, etc.).

[0062] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the yam cultivated in the cultivation vessel main body 2 is made of wild yam J, so even if cultivation vessel main bodies 2 are stacked one on top of the other, a gap S for the yam J to grow can be secured, improving the production efficiency of the yam J. The yam J cultivated in this embodiment is a climbing perennial plant of the genus Dioscorea in the family Dioscoreaceae, and the tuber part grows underground like other yams, and typically grows to a length of about 1 to 1.3 m and a diameter of about 3 cm.

[0063] Although the present embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the cultivation vessel (1, 1', 1", 1"') is not limited to cultivation of wild yam J, but may also be used to cultivate other yams such as Chinese yam. Furthermore, the yam cultivation vessel (1, 1', 1", 1"') according to this embodiment has two groove portions 3 formed in the width direction α of the cultivation vessel body 2, but may have three or more groove portions 3 formed in the width direction α of the cultivation vessel body 2.

[0064] Furthermore, the yam cultivation device (1, 1', 1", 1'") of this embodiment is configured so that the cultivation device body 2 is made of a resin material molded into a predetermined shape, but it may also be obtained by molding (press molding, etc.) other materials such as metal. Furthermore, the yam cultivation device (1, 1', 1", 1'") of this embodiment is configured so that a guide rod 5 can be attached, but it may also be configured so that a guide rod 5 is not attached, or so that another type of guide means (a simple piece of wood, etc.) is attached. [Industrial Applicability]

[0065] The present invention can also be applied to devices with different external shapes or devices with additional functions, provided that they have the same gist as the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1, 1', 1", 1"' Yam cultivator 2 Cultivator body 2a Upper cultivator body 2b Lower cultivator body 3 Groove 4, 4' thick part 5. Guide stick 5a Stop part 5b First height position marker 5c Second height mark 6 Separate parts 7 Closure S gap h Locking hole F end face α Width direction β Longitudinal direction γ Predetermined angle L, L' Thickness dimension of thick part t1 protruding surface t2 bottom w1 Top surface w2 Lower end surface T Seed potato J Wild yam (new yam) N Net D ridge G cavity

Claims

1. A cultivator for yam, comprising a cultivator body in which a plurality of grooves capable of accommodating yam made of wild yam are formed in a row in the width direction, the cultivator bodies can be stacked in a plurality of tiers and tilted, and the cultivator body can be arranged in an up-down manner, and yam can be cultivated by accommodating yam in the grooves of the cultivator body located in the upper and lower tiers, A cultivator for yam, characterized in that spacer portions are formed between adjacent groove portions in the width direction of the cultivator body to make the thickness dimension larger than that of other portions of the cultivator body, and when the cultivator bodies are arranged one on top of the other, the spacer portions overlap to form a gap for growing yam between the groove portion of the upper cultivator body and the groove portion of the lower cultivator body, and the spacer portions consist of thick portions that are thicker than that of other portions of the cultivator body, or closing portions formed with a hollow inside.

2. 2. The cultivation vessel for yam according to claim 1, wherein the cultivation vessel body has a wave shape curved in the width direction, and recesses of the wave shape serve as the grooves.

3. A yam cultivator as described in claim 1, characterized in that it has a guide rod that can be engaged at a predetermined position on the spacer portion, and by abutting the end face of the upper cultivator body against the guide rod engaged on the spacer portion of the lower cultivator body, the lower cultivator body and the upper cultivator body can be installed sequentially with a predetermined offset in the longitudinal direction.

4. The yam cultivator according to claim 3, characterized in that the guide rod positions the lower cultivator body and the upper cultivator body while offsetting them in the longitudinal direction, and also serves as a placement position marker indicating the position where the seed potato should be placed.

5. 5. The yam cultivator according to claim 4, wherein the guide rod is formed with a height mark indicating the height of the soil to be placed over the cultivator body.

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