Cultivation support system, cultivation support device, cultivation support method and program

Abstract

To provide a technique by which even a person having not enough knowledge or experience of plant cultivation can easily execute a cultivation work necessary to realize ideal plant cultivation.SOLUTION: A cultivation supporting system 9 being a system for supporting cultivation of a plant has: growth information acquisition means 91 for acquiring information regarding growth states of the plant; growth state evaluation means 92 for stepwise evaluating the growth states of the plant; work content determination means 93 for determining an optimum cultivation work corresponding to each growth state of the plant; work instruction information creation means 94 for creating work instruction information showing a work that a person working on cultivation of the plant should execute on the basis of a cultivation work determined by the work content determination means 93; and output means 95 for outputting the work instruction information created by the work instruction information creation means 94.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for cultivating plants such as agricultural crops, and more specifically, to a plant cultivation support system, a cultivation support device, a cultivation support method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, as the aging of agricultural workers has become a problem, due to the large-scale farming by companies and the development of the need for young people to engage in agriculture, an increase in the number of newly engaged agricultural personnel is expected. In addition, it has become common for individuals to cultivate plants within the scope of their hobbies (hereinafter referred to as gardening).

[0003] Thus, since those newly engaged in agriculture and those who do gardening as a personal hobby often do not have sufficient knowledge and know-how regarding plant cultivation, techniques for supporting non-experts in cultivating plants have been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for non-destructively measuring at low cost an index representing the activity of a plant body, such as leaf surface temperature and water potential, by combining sensors (CCD, infrared sensor, band-pass filter) and performing imaging processing from a point away from the plant body so that non-experts can judge the state of the plant. More specifically, not only presenting an image of the plant sensed as described above, but also presenting it after converting it into information that can judge whether the variation in the leaf surface temperature of the plant is abnormal based on the saturation difference obtained from the measurement result of relative humidity. Also, visually displaying the differences from data such as the leaf surface temperature and water potential of an ideal farmer (for example, a farmer who has achieved a high yield), and displaying an analysis of the user's cultivation method in accordance with this, are described.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

[0006] According to the technology described in Patent Document 1, even non-experts can learn about the state of plants and compare it to the ideal state of plants cultivated by an ideal farmer. However, even if someone without sufficient knowledge and know-how about plant cultivation checks such data, they may not know specifically when and what kind of cultivation work to perform in order to approach the ideal state. Furthermore, the "ideal" state of plants differs depending on the purpose and policy of plant cultivation (hereinafter collectively referred to as the cultivation policy).

[0007] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a technology that allows even those who lack sufficient knowledge or experience in plant cultivation to easily perform the cultivation work necessary to achieve ideal plant cultivation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve the aforementioned objective, the present invention employs the following configuration.

[0009] The cultivation support system according to the present invention is a system for supporting the cultivation of plants, A means for acquiring growth information to obtain information relating to the growth state of the aforementioned plant, A growth state evaluation means for evaluating the growth state of the aforementioned plant in stages, A means for determining the optimal cultivation work corresponding to the growth state of the aforementioned plant, A work instruction information creation means creates work instruction information indicating the tasks to be performed by a person engaged in the cultivation of the plants, based on the cultivation work determined by the work content determination means. The system includes an output means that outputs the work instruction information created by the aforementioned work instruction information creation means.

[0010] Here, those engaged in plant cultivation will also be referred to as growers. Furthermore, "information related to the growth state of plants (hereinafter also referred to as growth information)" includes plant height, stem diameter, leaf shape, color, and number, fruit size and number, photosynthesis rate, etc. The acquisition of growth information may be performed automatically based on sensing by permanently installed sensor equipment, or it may be performed by manual input of information by the user. Alternatively, it is also possible to acquire growth information in a semi-automatic manner, for example, by analyzing images of plants arbitrarily taken by the user.

[0011] Furthermore, the above-mentioned "cultivation work" includes, but is not limited to, leaf removal, bud removal, pinching, flower thinning, watering, fertilizing, training, pesticide application, harvesting, and adjustment of the surrounding environment. In addition, "work instruction information" can be expressed in a variety of ways, and may be shown in text, photographs, diagrams, or a combination of these. It may also be information intended to be presented via audio, or a combination of audio and graphical display, or video.

[0012] With the above configuration, it is possible to understand the growth stage of a plant in stages and suggest the optimal cultivation work according to the growth stage of the plant. Therefore, even those who do not have sufficient knowledge or experience in plant cultivation (hereinafter also referred to as beginners in cultivation) can easily perform the cultivation work necessary to achieve ideal plant cultivation.

[0013] Furthermore, the work instruction information may include a graph showing the relationship between the passage of time and the growth state of the plant. Specifically, for example, the work instruction information may include a graph with the growth state of the plant on the vertical axis and the passage of time on the horizontal axis. By including such a display in the work instruction information, those engaged in cultivating plants (hereinafter also referred to as growers) can easily grasp the changes in the growth state over time.

[0014] The growth status evaluation means may evaluate the growth status of the plant from at least the viewpoint of vegetative growth. Alternatively, the growth status evaluation means may evaluate the growth status of the plant from the viewpoints of vegetative growth and reproductive growth, depending on the plant variety.

[0015] For example, in the case of ornamental plants and leafy vegetables, it is sufficient to evaluate the plant's growth state based solely on vegetative growth. On the other hand, for plants intended for fruit harvesting, both vegetative and reproductive growth are important. In this respect, having the above-described structure makes it possible to evaluate the plant's growth state by taking into account the balance between vegetative and reproductive growth, depending on the plant variety.

[0016] Furthermore, the aforementioned work instruction information is The system may include a graph that shows the growth state indicating vegetative growth and the growth state related to reproductive growth in a matrix, a display that shows the current growth state of the plant on the graph, and a display that shows the cultivation target of the plant on the graph.

[0017] With this configuration, the desired state and the current state of plant growth can be visually confirmed, and the motivation of workers can be maintained and improved as they can see the results of their work, which bring them closer to the desired state.

[0018] Furthermore, the cultivation support system further includes a means for acquiring cultivation policies for the plants, The aforementioned work content determination means may determine the optimal cultivation work according to the cultivation policy acquired by the cultivation policy acquisition means.

[0019] When cultivating plants, it is necessary to carry out appropriate cultivation according to policies such as maximizing yield, shortening the harvesting period, and producing good-tasting products (emphasizing the balance of sugar acidity). That is, depending on the priority issues, the growth stages of the plants that are the goals may differ, or the speed at which the next growth stage should be reached may differ, and it is necessary to carry out corresponding cultivation operations. For novice cultivators, it is difficult to respond according to such policies, but according to the above configuration, even novice cultivators can easily carry out cultivation operations according to the cultivation policy.

[0020] Further, the cultivation support system further has a work history acquisition means for acquiring the history information of past cultivation operations. The work content determination means may determine the optimal cultivation operation according to the past work history acquired by the work history acquisition means.

[0021] Even when there is no variation in the growth stage of the plant (that is, it is positioned at the same growth stage), the cultivation operations to be carried out next (or not to be carried out) may differ depending on what cultivation operations have been carried out in the past. In this regard, with the above configuration, it is possible to determine the optimal cultivation operation in consideration of the past work history, and for example, it is possible to suppress inconveniences such as the presentation of instruction information for topdressing many times.

[0022] Further, the cultivation support system further has an environmental information acquisition means for acquiring information related to the growth environment of the plant. The work content determination means may determine the optimal cultivation operation according to the environmental information acquired by the environmental information acquisition means.

[0023] Here, the information related to the growth environment of the plant includes the temperature, humidity, illuminance, carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration, soil moisture content, etc. of the place where the plant is cultivated. With such a configuration, it is possible to give instructions for cultivation operations in consideration of the adjustment of the growth environment, which is particularly suitable for cultivation in indoor farms.

[0024] Further, the cultivation support system may further include grower information acquisition means for acquiring information related to the cultivation skills of those engaged in the cultivation of the plant, and the work content determination means may determine an optimal cultivation work according to the information acquired by the grower information acquisition means. Also, the work instruction information creation means may create work instruction information according to the information acquired by the grower information acquisition means.

[0025] Depending on the differences in the experience, knowledge, and skills of the grower, there may be differences in the content of the work that can be carried out, or differences in the degree of understanding of the instruction content. In this regard, according to the above configuration, work instruction information with optimized work content to be instructed, expression methods of instructions, etc. can be output according to the cultivation skills of the grower.

[0026] Further, the invention of the present application can also be regarded as a cultivation support device having the growth information acquisition means, the growth state evaluation means, the work content determination means, and the work instruction information creation means.

[0027] Further, the cultivation support method according to the present invention is a method for supporting the cultivation of a plant, comprising: a growth information acquisition step of acquiring information related to the growth state of the plant; a growth state evaluation step of stepwise evaluating the growth state of the plant; a work content determination step of determining an optimal cultivation work corresponding to the growth state of the plant; a work instruction information creation step of creating work instruction information indicating the work to be executed by the person engaged in the cultivation of the plant based on the cultivation work determined in the work content determination step; and an output step of outputting the work instruction information created in the work instruction information creation step.

[0028] Furthermore, each of the above steps may be performed at predetermined intervals. Plants also have individual differences, and the results of a certain cultivation operation are not always the same for every plant, meaning that the reproducibility of the effects of cultivation operations is not always high. In this respect, by performing each step regularly in this way, it becomes possible to continuously make adjustments and guide the plants to an optimal growth state.

[0029] Furthermore, the present invention can also be understood as a program for causing an information processing device to perform each of the above steps, and a computer-readable recording medium on which such a program is stored non-temporarily.

[0030] Furthermore, each of the above configurations and processes can be combined with each other to constitute the present invention, provided that no technical inconsistencies arise. [Effects of the Invention]

[0031] According to the present invention, even those who lack sufficient knowledge or experience in plant cultivation can easily perform the cultivation work necessary to achieve ideal plant cultivation. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0032] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of a cultivation support system according to an application example of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating a portion of the processing flow in a cultivation support system related to an application example. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of the cultivation support system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a first explanatory diagram showing an example of the output of work instruction information in Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] Figure 5A is a second explanatory diagram showing an example of the output of work instruction information in Embodiment 1. Figure 5B is a third explanatory diagram showing an example of the output of work instruction information in Embodiment 1. [Figure 6]Figure 6 is a flowchart showing a portion of the processing flow performed in the cultivation support system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the cultivation support system according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the cultivation support system according to Embodiment 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0033] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0034] <Examples of application> (Example of application) The present invention can be applied, for example, to a cultivation support device 9 as shown in Figure 1. This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the cultivation support device 9 in an application example. The cultivation support device 9 can be configured, for example, by a general-purpose computer. Specifically, although not shown in the diagram, it is configured to include a processing unit, input means (e.g., keyboard, mouse, touch panel, etc.), output means (e.g., liquid crystal display, etc.), and storage means (e.g., memory, hard disk drive, etc.), and may also be equipped with communication means (e.g., LAN interface board, wireless communication circuit, etc.). Furthermore, there are no particular restrictions on its form, and various forms such as desktop computers, notebook computers, tablet information processing terminals, etc. are conceivable, and it may even be a so-called smartphone.

[0035] As shown in Figure 1, the cultivation support device 9 is configured to include a growth information acquisition unit 91, a growth status evaluation unit 92, a work content determination unit 93, a work instruction information creation unit 94, and an output unit 95. These functional units output information to support the grower's cultivation work according to the input information.

[0036] The growth information acquisition unit 91 acquires information related to the growth state of plants via input means (including communication means). Information related to the growth state of plants includes, for example, information obtained from the appearance of the plant (stem thickness, number of fruits, etc.) and information related to photosynthesis obtained using a CO2 sensor, etc. This information may be input by the user through the input means, or it may be automatically input from permanently installed sensor equipment via the communication means. Alternatively, a semi-automatic input method may be used, for example, to acquire growth information individually by analyzing images of plants arbitrarily taken by the user.

[0037] The growth status evaluation unit 92 evaluates the growth status of the plant in stages based on the information acquired by the growth information acquisition unit 91. Specifically, for example, an evaluation of the vegetative growth indicator may be performed on a five-stage scale (very strong, strong, appropriate, weak, very weak). The evaluation is not limited to a five-stage scale; it may also be on fewer stages (e.g., three stages) or more stages (e.g., seven stages).

[0038] The work content determination unit 93 determines appropriate cultivation work according to the growth stage of the plant evaluated by the growth status evaluation unit 92. Here, "cultivation work" includes, but is not limited to, leaf removal, bud removal, pinching, flower thinning, watering, fertilization, training, pesticide application, harvesting, adjustment of the surrounding environment, etc. The determination of cultivation work may also be made by preparing a table that associates the growth stage of the plant with the corresponding work, and referring to the table corresponding to the growth stage.

[0039] The work instruction information creation unit 94 creates work instruction information indicating the tasks that the trainer should perform, based on the work content determined by the work content determination unit 93. The work instruction information may be a text display showing the work content in written form, a graphical display using photographs, diagrams, etc., or a combination of these. It may also be presented as audio or video.

[0040] The output unit 95 outputs work instruction information via a liquid crystal display, speaker, etc., according to the content of the work instruction information.

[0041] (Process flow) Next, with reference to Figure 2, an example of the processing for outputting work instruction information in the cultivation support device 9 having the above configuration will be described. Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the processing flow performed by the cultivation support device 9.

[0042] The cultivation support device 9 first receives information via various input means and communication means from the growth information acquisition unit 91. The cultivation support device 9 acquires growth information of the plants being cultivated (S901). Next, based on the growth information acquired in step S901, the cultivation support device 9 evaluates the growth status of the plants being cultivated in stages using the growth status evaluation unit 92 (S902). The cultivation support device 9 further determines the work content using the work content determination unit 93 according to the growth stage of the plants evaluated in step S902 (S903). The cultivation support device 9 then creates work instruction information using the work instruction information creation unit 94 based on the work content determined in step S903 (S904), outputs the work instruction information (step S905), and ends the series of routines.

[0043] By using the cultivation support device 9 having the above configuration, even beginners in cultivation can easily perform the cultivation tasks necessary to achieve ideal plant cultivation.

[0044] <Embodiment 1> Next, cultivation support system 1, which is another example of an embodiment for carrying out the present invention, will be described. However, unless otherwise specified, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc., of the components described in this embodiment are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to those components alone.

[0045] (System Configuration) First, the overall configuration of the cultivation support system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the system configuration of the cultivation support system 1. The cultivation support system 1 consists of a greenhouse 10 for growing crops, a management terminal 100, a greenhouse environment adjustment mechanism 13, and various sensors 12.

[0046] House 10 refers to an indoor field where plants are cultivated inside, and includes so-called plastic greenhouses, but there are no particular limitations on materials, size, etc., and it includes a variety of structures.

[0047] The management terminal 100 is comprised of a general-purpose computer. Specifically, the management terminal 100 is a computer having main memory such as read-only memory (ROM) and random access memory (RAM), and auxiliary storage such as EPROM, hard disk drive (HDD), and removable media. The management terminal 100 may consist of a single computer or multiple computers that cooperate with each other.

[0048] The management terminal 100 is composed of a general-purpose computer and communicates with the greenhouse environment control mechanism 13 and various sensors 12 to control the environment inside the greenhouse 10 and provide the user with information related to plant cultivation. Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, it is composed of a control unit 110, input means 120 (e.g., keyboard, mouse, touch panel, etc.), output means 130 (e.g., liquid crystal display, speaker, etc.), storage means 140 (hard disk drive, flash memory, etc.), and communication means 150 (e.g., LAN interface board, wireless communication circuit, etc.).

[0049] The control unit 110 is a means for controlling the management terminal 100 and is a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or DSP (Digital Signal Processor). It also includes the following functional modules related to supporting the grower's cultivation: a growth status acquisition unit 111, a growth status evaluation unit 112, a cultivation policy acquisition unit 113, a work history acquisition unit 114, a grower information acquisition unit 115, an environmental information acquisition unit 116, a work content determination unit 117, and a work instruction information creation unit 118.

[0050] The storage means 140 includes, although not shown in the figures, a main memory unit such as a read-only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM), and an auxiliary storage unit such as an EPROM, a hard disk drive (HDD), and removable media. The auxiliary storage unit includes, as will be described later, plant The system stores information for evaluating the growth stage of plants (e.g., threshold information for each item), information for determining the tasks to be performed (e.g., data tables, if-then rules, decision trees), an operating system (OS), and various programs. The stored programs are then loaded into the working area of ​​the main memory and executed. Through the execution of these programs, various components are controlled, thereby enabling the realization of functional units that fulfill predetermined purposes, as described later.

[0051] Sensor 12 includes a camera positioned to photograph at least the plants being cultivated inside the greenhouse, and also includes measuring instruments for measuring various physical quantities related to the environment inside the greenhouse 10 (e.g., temperature, humidity, illuminance, CO2 concentration, etc.).

[0052] Next, we will describe each functional module of the control unit 110. The growth state acquisition unit 111 acquires data such as the thickness of the plant stem (stem diameter), the morphology of the leaves at the growing point, the distance between the growing point and the flowering inflorescence, and the number of fruits from the image data acquired from the sensor 12.

[0053] The growth status evaluation unit 112 evaluates the growth status of the plant in stages from the perspectives of vegetative growth and reproductive growth, based on the information acquired by the growth status acquisition unit 111. Specifically, for example, regarding vegetative growth, thresholds are set to distinguish the stem diameter into five stages, and the evaluation is performed accordingly. Similarly, regarding reproductive growth, for example, thresholds are set to distinguish the number of fruits into five stages, and the evaluation is performed accordingly.

[0054] The cultivation policy acquisition unit 113 acquires the cultivation policy desired by the breeder. For example, it may process input of the plant's cultivation policy (e.g., maximum yield, earliest harvest time, emphasis on quality, etc.) via an input means. Alternatively, the cultivation policy may be acquired by storing the input cultivation policy in the storage means 140 and reading the information from there.

[0055] The work history acquisition unit 114 acquires a history of cultivation work performed in the past. For example, it may accept input of the work history via an input means, or it may acquire the work history via a sensor 12. Alternatively, the work history acquired in this way may be stored in the storage means 140, and the cultivation policy may be obtained by reading the information from there.

[0056] The breeder information acquisition unit 115 acquires information related to the breeder's cultivation skills, such as the breeder's farming experience. For example, it may process input of breeder information via an input means. Alternatively, it may acquire breeder information by reading information related to work history stored in the storage means 140.

[0057] The environmental information acquisition unit 116 acquires information about the environment in which plants are cultivated, such as temperature, humidity, illuminance, carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration, and soil moisture content inside the greenhouse 10, via the sensor 12.

[0058] The work content determination unit 117 determines the appropriate cultivation work that the grower should perform based on the growth status of the plant evaluated by the growth status evaluation unit 112. Specifically, for example, a table of plant growth stages and corresponding tasks may be stored in the storage means 140, and the work content may be determined by referring to this table.

[0059] Furthermore, it is advisable to prepare multiple tables for the work content, reflecting the cultivation policy, past work history, the grower's cultivation skills, and environmental information. For example, regarding the cultivation policy, the tasks to be performed may differ even at the same growth stage depending on whether the goal is to maximize yield or to prioritize quality (taste, sugar-acid balance). To accommodate such differences, it is advisable to prepare separate tables for each growth policy stage. That's good too.

[0060] The work instruction information creation unit 118 creates work instruction information indicating the tasks that the trainer should perform, based on the work content determined by the work content determination unit 117. The created work instruction information is output by an output means, but the output format is not particularly limited as long as it is recognizable by the trainer, such as text, diagrams, photographs, audio, video, or a combination thereof. In addition, the work instruction information may be output together with other information.

[0061] Figure 4 shows an example of the state in which work instruction information is output to the liquid crystal display, which is the output means. As shown in Figure 4, the work instruction content is displayed as text: "Please water the plants." In addition, this work instruction is displayed together with a graph that shows the growth status related to vegetative growth and the growth status related to reproductive growth in a matrix. Furthermore, the graph displays information indicating the current growth status of the plants and information indicating the growth status of the cultivation target.

[0062] In addition to providing cultivation work instructions, the use of such graphs allows growers to visually confirm the desired state and the current growth status of the plants, thereby helping to maintain and improve their motivation for cultivation work.

[0063] Furthermore, even if the work instructions describe the same task, they may be expressed differently depending on the grower's cultivation skills. Figure 5 shows examples of different expressions for the same task (in this case, bud removal). Figure 5A shows an example of a display for a grower with a certain level of cultivation skill, while Figure 5B shows an example of a display for a beginner grower.

[0064] (Process flow) Next, with reference to Figure 6, an example of processing for outputting work instruction information in the cultivation support system 1 having the above configuration will be described. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the processing flow performed by the management terminal 100. The management terminal 100 executes the following processing triggered by, for example, a work content output instruction from the grower via the input means 120.

[0065] First, the management terminal 100 acquires information regarding the growth status of plants being cultivated in the greenhouse 10 using the growth status acquisition unit 111 (S101), and then the growth status evaluation unit 112 evaluates the growth status of the plants based on the growth information acquired in step S101 (S102).

[0066] The management terminal 100 then acquires the cultivation policy from the cultivation policy acquisition unit 113 (S103), the work history from the work history acquisition unit 114 (S104), the breeder information acquisition unit 115 (S105), and the environmental information acquisition unit S116 (S116).

[0067] Then, based on the plant growth status evaluated in step S102 and the information acquired in steps S103 to S106, the management terminal 100 determines the work to be performed on the plant using the work content determination unit (S107). Furthermore, the management terminal 100 uses the work instruction information creation unit 118 to create work instruction information to communicate the work determined in step S107 to the grower (S108), and outputs the work instruction information using the output means 130 (S109), thus ending the series of routines.

[0068] Furthermore, the above routine does not necessarily need to be triggered by instructions from the trainer; it may be automatically executed at predetermined intervals (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly). Also, the order of steps S103 to S106 can be changed. Additionally, steps S103 to S106 may be performed before steps S101 and S102.

[0069] According to cultivation support system 1 configured as described above, it becomes possible to meticulously set the tasks to be performed based on the plant's growth status, cultivation policy, past work history, the grower's cultivation skills, and the plant's growing environment, and to provide the grower with more appropriate work instructions.

[0070] <Embodiment 2> Next, with reference to Figure 7, examples of other embodiments of the present invention will be described. Figure 7 is a block diagram showing the overall system configuration of the cultivation support system 2 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 7, the central server 200 and the information processing terminal 30 are connected via a communication network N. The communication network N may be a wide area network (WAN), such as the Internet, or other global public communication networks. The communication network N may also include a telephone communication network such as a mobile phone network, or a wireless communication network such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0071] The central server 200 is composed of a general-purpose server computer and includes a control unit 210, communication means 220, and storage means 230.

[0072] The control unit 210 is a means for controlling the central server 200 and is composed of, for example, a CPU. The control unit 210 also includes the following functional units: a growth status acquisition unit 211, a growth status evaluation unit 212, a cultivation policy acquisition unit 213, a work history acquisition unit 214, a grower information acquisition unit 215, an environmental information acquisition unit 216, a work content determination unit 217, and a work instruction information creation unit 218.

[0073] The communication means 220 is a communication means for connecting the center server 200 to the communication network N, and is comprised of, for example, a LAN interface board and a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication.

[0074] The storage means 230 is composed of an EPROM, HDD, etc., as described above, and stores the operating system (OS), various programs, various tables, and other data acquired via the communication network N.

[0075] The information processing terminal 30 is composed of a general-purpose computer and is equipped with input means 301, communication means 302, and output means 303. The information processing terminal 30 may be either a stationary terminal or a portable terminal. The information processing terminal 30 may also be connected to external devices such as sensors (not shown).

[0076] The input means 301 is a means for receiving information input from an external source, such as a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, camera, or microphone. The communication means 302 includes, for example, a LAN interface board or a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication. The output means 303 includes, for example, a liquid crystal display or a speaker.

[0077] In the cultivation support system 2 according to this embodiment, the functional units of the growth status acquisition unit 211, cultivation policy acquisition unit 213, work history acquisition unit 214, grower information acquisition unit 215, and environmental information acquisition unit 216 differ from those of Embodiment 1 in terms of information acquisition.

[0078] Specifically, for example, the growth status acquisition unit 211 acquires information related to the growth status via the communication means 220. That is, growth information is acquired when growth information input by the grower via the input means 301 of the information processing terminal 30 is transmitted to the center server 200 via the communication network N.

[0079] The other functional units, the cultivation policy acquisition unit 213, the work history acquisition unit 214, the breeder information acquisition unit 215, and the environmental information acquisition unit 216, similarly acquire the necessary information by acquiring information transmitted from the information processing terminal 30, or by reading the information stored in the storage means 230 after transmission.

[0080] Furthermore, since the functions performed by the growth status evaluation unit 212, the work content determination unit 217, and the work instruction information creation unit 218 are the same as those in Embodiment 1, a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0081] In the cultivation support system 2 of this embodiment, the work instruction information created by the work instruction information creation unit 218 is transmitted from the communication means 220 to the information processing terminal 30 via the communication network N and output from the output means 303. In other words, the cultivation support system 2 according to this embodiment is a partially cloud-based version of the cultivation support system 1 according to Embodiment 1.

[0082] With a cultivation support system 2 having such a configuration, the system operator can install the central server 200, allowing individual growers to easily perform the cultivation tasks necessary to achieve ideal plant cultivation without having to prepare a dedicated terminal for cultivation support.

[0083] Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram of cultivation support system 3, which is a modified version of cultivation support system 2. As shown in Figure 8, cultivation support system 3 according to this embodiment is configured such that a central server 200 and a plurality of information processing terminals 30a, 30b, and 30c are connected via a communication network N.

[0084] In Figure 8, information processing terminals 30a and 30b are management terminals installed in farms such as greenhouses 31a and 31b, while information processing terminal 30c is a portable information processing terminal such as a tablet or smartphone.

[0085] Each information processing terminal 30 of the cultivation support system 3 may belong to the management of multiple different growers. By providing work instruction information to many growers in this way, it becomes possible to improve the accuracy of work content determination by collecting information such as growth information and environmental information acquired in the process and using machine learning.

[0086] <Other> The embodiments described above are merely illustrative examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the specific forms described above. The present invention can be modified and combined in various ways within the scope of its technical concept. For example, the above-described management terminal 100 and center server 200 do not need to be equipped with all of the cultivation policy acquisition unit, work history acquisition unit, grower information acquisition unit, and environmental information acquisition unit, and may be configured to be equipped with some or all of these.

[0087] Furthermore, in Embodiment 2, a sensor (not shown) may be provided with a communication function to transmit the measured data directly to the central server 200 without going through the information processing terminal 30.

[0088] Furthermore, the example of work instruction information output is merely an example, and it goes without saying that the displayed content and format can be varied in many ways. For example, when cultivating leafy vegetables, a graph could be displayed with the stages of vegetative growth on the vertical axis and the passage of time on the horizontal axis. Naturally, depending on the plant variety, the vertical axis could be used to represent the stages of reproductive growth. The displayed content could also be read aloud.

[0089] <Note> One aspect of the present invention is A system for supporting plant cultivation (9;1;2), A growth information acquisition means (91;111;211) for acquiring information relating to the growth state of the aforementioned plant, A growth status evaluation means (92;112;212) for evaluating the growth status of the aforementioned plant in stages, A means for determining the optimal cultivation work corresponding to the growth state of the aforementioned plant (93;117;217), Based on the cultivation work determined by the aforementioned work content determination means, a work instruction information creation means (94;118;218) creates work instruction information indicating the tasks that a person engaged in cultivating the plants should perform, Output means (95;130;303) that outputs the work instruction information created by the work instruction information creation means, It is a cultivation support system that has the following features.

[0090] A method for supporting plant cultivation, The process involves obtaining information related to the growth status of the aforementioned plants (S901; S101), and acquiring growth information. The growth status evaluation step (S902; S102) evaluates the growth status of the aforementioned plant in stages, The work content determination step (S903; S107) determines the optimal cultivation work corresponding to the growth state of the aforementioned plant, Based on the cultivation work determined in the aforementioned work content determination step, a work instruction information creation step (S904; S108) is performed to create work instruction information indicating the tasks that the person engaged in cultivating the plant should perform, The output step (S905; S109) outputs the work instruction information created in the work instruction information creation step, This is a cultivation support method that has the following characteristics. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0091] 1, 2, 3, 9... Cultivation support system 10 House 100... Management terminal 110, 210... Control Unit 200... Center Server 10, 31a, 31b... House 30, 30a, 30b, 30c... Information processing terminals N... Communications Network

Claims

1. A system to support plant cultivation, A means for acquiring growth information to obtain information relating to the growth state of the aforementioned plant, A growth state evaluation means for evaluating the growth state of the aforementioned plant in stages, A means for determining the optimal cultivation work corresponding to the growth state of the aforementioned plant, A work instruction information creation means creates work instruction information indicating the tasks to be performed by a person engaged in the cultivation of the plants, based on the cultivation work determined by the work content determination means. An output means that outputs the work instruction information created by the aforementioned work instruction information creation means, It has, The aforementioned growth status evaluation means evaluates the growth status of the plant in stages from the perspectives of vegetative growth and reproductive growth, according to the plant variety. The work content determination means determines the cultivation work based on a data table that defines the cultivation work content corresponding to the stages of vegetative growth and reproductive growth according to the plant variety, and the evaluation results from the growth status evaluation means. Cultivation support system.

2. The system further includes means for obtaining cultivation policies for the aforementioned plants, The aforementioned data table specifies the cultivation work content corresponding to the stages in terms of vegetative growth and reproductive growth for each cultivation policy. The work content determination means further uses the cultivation policy information acquired by the cultivation policy acquisition means to determine the cultivation work. The cultivation support system according to claim 1, characterized in that

3. It also has a means for acquiring work history information to obtain past cultivation work history information, The work content determination means further uses the information of past work history acquired by the work history acquisition means to determine the cultivation work. A cultivation support system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that

4. The system further includes means for acquiring environmental information related to the growing environment of the aforementioned plants. The aforementioned work content determination means further uses the environmental information acquired by the environmental information acquisition means to determine the cultivation work. A cultivation support system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that

5. The system further includes a means for acquiring breeder information, which acquires information relating to the cultivation skills of persons engaged in the cultivation of the aforementioned plants. A cultivation support system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that

6. The aforementioned work content determination means further uses the information acquired by the breeder information acquisition means to determine the cultivation work. The cultivation support system according to claim 5, characterized in that...

7. The work instruction information creation means creates work instruction information according to the information acquired by the trainer information acquisition means. A cultivation support system according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that it is the same as the one described in claim 5 or 6.

8. The aforementioned work instruction information is, This includes a graph showing the relationship between the passage of time and the growth state of the plant, The cultivation support system according to claim 1, characterized in that

9. The aforementioned work instruction information is, The system includes a graph that shows the stages of growth related to vegetative growth and the stages of growth related to reproductive growth in a matrix, and a display on the graph that shows the current growth state of the plant and a display on the graph that shows the cultivation target for the plant. The cultivation support system according to claim 1, characterized in that

10. A cultivation support device comprising the growth information acquisition means, the growth state evaluation means, the work content determination means, and the work instruction information creation means, which constitutes at least a part of the cultivation support system described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A method for supporting plant cultivation, Information processing device, A growth information acquisition step to acquire information relating to the growth state of the aforementioned plant, A growth status evaluation step for evaluating the growth status of the aforementioned plant in stages, A work content determination step in which the optimal cultivation work corresponding to the growth state of the aforementioned plant is determined, Based on the cultivation work determined in the aforementioned work content determination step, a work instruction information creation step is made to create work instruction information indicating the tasks that the person engaged in cultivating the plant should perform. An output step that outputs the work instruction information created in the work instruction information creation step, It has, In the aforementioned growth status evaluation step, the growth status of the plant is evaluated stepwise from the perspectives of vegetative growth and reproductive growth, depending on the plant variety. In the work content determination step, the cultivation work is determined based on a data table that defines the cultivation work content corresponding to the stages of vegetative growth and reproductive growth according to the plant variety, and the evaluation results in the growth status evaluation step. Cultivation support method.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that each of the above steps is performed at predetermined intervals. Cultivation support method.

13. A program for causing an information processing terminal to perform each of the steps described in claim 11.

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