Seedling protective cover and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

To provide a protection cover for raising seedlings that can efficiently raise seedlings by using a resin cavity container formed by connecting a plurality of cavities, and by which replacement work or transport work of seedlings being raised can be easily performed without damaging seedlings or roots, and a method for manufacturing the cover.SOLUTION: A protection cover 1 for raising seedlings disposed inside cavities 11 of a cavity container 10 is constituted by including an approximately fan-shaped sheet-like member 2 and a belt-like member 7 extended downward from a lower end edge 6 of the sheet-like member 2, where the sheet-like member 2 is bent into a cylindrical shape and both side edge parts 4, 4 are connected to form a side wall part 8, and a lower end part 7a of the belt-like member 7 is bonded to the side wall part 8 at a position opposing an extension part 7b of the belt-like member 7 to form a bottom wall part 9. Further, in a method for manufacturing the protection cover 1 for raising seedlings, a material for protection cover for raising seedlings having polylactic acid as a raw material is prepared, and the side wall part 8 and the bottom wall part 9 are formed by the impact of a hammer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[[TECHNICAL FIELD]]

[0001] The present invention relates to a protective cover for raising seedlings, and particularly to a protective cover for raising seedlings suitable for raising tree seedlings in a cavity container, and a method for manufacturing the same. [[BACKGROUND ART]]

[0002] Conventionally, open-field cultivation has been generally used for raising seedlings of trees such as cedar, cypress, pine, yeddo spruce, karamatsu, and Japanese maple, so planting work has been limited to the seasons of spring or autumn. Recently, by using a resin seedling raising container formed by connecting a plurality of cavities, that is, a so-called cavity container, the efficiency of seedling raising work has been improved, and planting work has become possible throughout the year.

[0003] Various seedling raising containers that replace conventional resin seedling raising containers have also been disclosed (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). The seedling raising container disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a seedling raising container using polylactic acid fabric sewn with sewing thread, and is characterized in that a sewn portion sewn with the sewing thread can be unwound arbitrarily. It is described that according to the seedling raising container according to Patent Document 1 having the above configuration, the seedling raising container can be unwound arbitrarily, and a seedling raising container that causes less root binding of plants and does not hinder growth can be obtained.

[0004] Further, the plant cultivation bag disclosed in Patent Document 2 is characterized in that it is formed into a bag shape from a sheet-like material having liquid permeability and fine pores enough to prevent penetration of roots of cultivated plants. Soil is filled into the plant cultivation bag according to Patent Document 2 formed as described above, a plant is planted, and the plant cultivation bag is embedded in the ground. It is described that at the time of transplantation, it is only necessary to take out the plant cultivation bag, and root pruning work is unnecessary.

[0005] Furthermore, the present inventors disclose in Patent Document 3 a protective cover for seedlings that is disposed inside a pot of a seedling container, characterized in that it is composed of a sheet-like member having a substantially fan shape, and the sheet-like member is made into a cylindrical shape and installed inside the pot. According to the protective cover for seedlings disclosed in Patent Document 3, seedlings can be efficiently grown using a resin seedling container made up of multiple connected pots, and seedlings in the process of growing can be easily replaced without damaging the seedlings or roots. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-139122 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 05-29357 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-47735 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] When raising seedlings using conventional resin seedling containers (cavity containers) made up of multiple interconnected cavities, the seedlings grown in each cavity grow unevenly. Therefore, it becomes necessary to remove seedlings from the cavities during the growing process and replace them with seedlings that have grown at a more uniform rate.

[0008] However, once the seedlings grow and their roots take hold inside the cavity, it becomes extremely difficult to remove them. Furthermore, forcibly removing seedlings that are difficult to remove may damage the seedlings or roots, or cause the root ball to crumble.

[0009] Therefore, for example, with the seedling container described in Patent Document 1, the seedling container can be unfolded at will, which is thought to reduce root binding in plants.

[0010] Furthermore, the plant cultivation bag described in Patent Document 2 also eliminates the risk of damaging the plants or roots during transplanting, as the plants are removed from the ground along with the cultivation bag, unlike when using conventional resin seedling containers.

[0011] However, the seedling containers described in Patent Document 1 and the plant cultivation bags described in Patent Document 2 are used by filling these containers or bags with growing medium, sowing seeds, or transplanting seedlings, and then burying them in the ground. Therefore, in the cultivation of tree seedlings, there is no difference from conventional open-field cultivation, and the timing of planting is limited.

[0012] Furthermore, since both the seedling container described in Patent Document 1 and the plant cultivation bag described in Patent Document 2 are used by burying them in the ground, transplanting requires carefully digging the soil around each container (bag), which is very time-consuming.

[0013] Furthermore, because the seedlings are grown buried in the ground, it is virtually impossible to transplant them to ensure uniform growth.

[0014] In this respect, the seedling protective cover disclosed in Patent Document 3 allows for efficient seedling cultivation using a resin seedling container, and also enables easy replacement of seedlings during growth without damaging the seedlings or roots.

[0015] However, the bottom of the root ball can sometimes collapse during seedling replacement or planting, creating a need for methods to prevent root ball collapse. In particular, with the recent use of drones for transporting seedlings, there is a strong demand for methods to prevent root ball collapse during transport.

[0016] Furthermore, with conventional seedlings using resin pots, root entanglement and deformation are severe in the corners of the pot's bottom. If planted in this condition, there is a risk of poor growth, root rot, and even death. Therefore, container seedlings using cavity containers are preferable. However, the root ball of container seedlings is easily broken down, so it is important to ensure the shapeability of the root ball during seedling replacement, transportation, and planting. For this reason, there is a need for a method that is suitable for container seedlings and can firmly ensure the shapeability of the root ball.

[0017] Therefore, in view of the above problems, the inventors of this invention have diligently studied and developed a seedling protective cover and a method for manufacturing the same, which allows for efficient seedling cultivation using a resin seedling container, so-called cavity container, made up of multiple interconnected cavities, and also enables easy replacement and transportation of seedlings during their growth without damaging the seedlings or roots. As a result, they have arrived at the present invention. [Means for solving the problem]

[0018] In other words, the present invention relates to a protective cover for seedling cultivation to be disposed in the cavity of a cavity container, comprising a sheet-like member having a substantially fan shape and a strip-like member extending downward from the lower edge of the sheet-like member, characterized in that the sheet-like member is made cylindrical and its two side edges are joined to form a side wall, and the lower end of the strip-like member is joined to the side wall at a position opposite to the extended portion of the strip-like member to form a bottom wall.

[0019] Furthermore, the seedling protective cover of the present invention is characterized in that the raw materials of the sheet-like member and the strip-like member are polylactic acid.

[0020] Further, the present invention relates to a method for producing a protective cover for raising seedlings arranged in a cavity of a cavity container, comprising: a step of preparing a protective cover material for raising seedlings that uses polylactic acid as a raw material and comprises a substantially fan-shaped sheet-like member and a band-shaped member extending downward from the lower end edge of the sheet-like member; a side wall forming step of forming the sheet-like member into a cylindrical shape, overlapping both side edge portions and joining them by hammer impact to form a side wall; and a bottom wall forming step of overlapping the lower end portion of the band-shaped member on the side wall at a position facing the extended portion of the band-shaped member, and joining them by hammer impact to form a bottom wall. Effects of the Invention

[0021] According to the protective cover for raising seedlings of the present invention, efficient seedling raising can be achieved by using a resin-made seedling raising container formed by connecting a plurality of cavities, that is, a so-called cavity container.

[0022] In particular, when transplanting seedlings grown in each cavity, the protective cover for raising seedlings of the present invention is interposed between the cavity and the culture soil, so the seedlings can be easily pulled out from the cavity. Therefore, when the growth degree becomes uneven during seedling raising, the seedling replacement work can be easily performed without damaging the seedlings or roots.

[0023] In addition, when pulling a seedling out of the cavity, the root ball is protected by the protective cover for raising seedlings of the present invention, and the bottom portion of the root ball can be supported by the bottom wall, so there is no risk of the root ball collapsing or damaging the roots.

[0024] Furthermore, since a conventional resin cavity container is black, the temperature inside the cavity becomes high in summer. However, since the protective cover for raising seedlings of the present invention protects the root ball in a water-retaining state, a cooling effect and a heat insulating effect for the cavity can be obtained. On the other hand, a heat retaining effect provided by the protective cover for raising seedlings of the present invention can be obtained in winter.

[0025] Further, since the root ball of a seedling extracted from a cavity is protected by the seedling-raising protective cover of the present invention, packing can be easily performed when collecting a plurality of seedlings for shipment, and protection of the root ball and suppression of drying of the root ball after shipment can also be achieved. In particular, even during transportation to a planting site by drone, the seedling-raising protective cover of the present invention provided with a bottom wall can sufficiently ensure the moldability of the root ball.

[0026] Further, in the seedling-raising protective cover of the present invention, since the raw material of the sheet-shaped member and the band-shaped member is polylactic acid, the seedling can be planted on the ground in a state where the seedling-raising protective cover is still wrapped around the roots of the seedling grown in each cavity provided in the cavity container, which can prevent root damage and root ball collapse during planting, and improve the efficiency of planting work.

[0027] Furthermore, according to the method for manufacturing the seedling-raising protective cover of the present invention, a seedling-raising protective cover material using polylactic acid as a raw material is used, a sheet-shaped member is formed into a cylindrical shape, both side edges of the sheet-shaped member are overlapped and joined by hammering to form a side wall portion, and the lower end portion of the band-shaped member is overlapped with the side wall portion at a position facing the extending portion of the band-shaped member and joined by hammering to form a bottom wall portion. That is, the seedling-raising protective cover can be manufactured by a very simple method without requiring special manufacturing equipment or the like, and the seedling-raising protective cover of the present invention can be provided at a lower cost compared to resin-made seedling-raising pots. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] [Figure 1] It is a plan view showing a seedling-raising protective cover according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] (a) is a perspective view showing the seedling-raising protective cover shown in FIG. 1 formed into a cylindrical shape, and (b) is a plan view thereof. [Figure 3] (a) is a perspective view showing a state where the seedling-raising protective cover shown in FIG. 1 is installed in a cavity of a cavity container, and (b) is an A-A cross-sectional view of (a). [Figure 4]Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a seedling cultivation method using the protective cover for seedling cultivation. [Figure 5] Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the seedlings after they have been removed from the cavity. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0029] Hereinafter, embodiments of the seedling protection cover of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a plan view showing a seedling protection cover 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2(a) is a perspective view showing the seedling protection cover 1 in a cylindrical shape, and Figure 2(b) is a plan view. First, as shown in Figure 1, the seedling protection cover 1 according to this embodiment is a seedling protection cover disposed inside the cavity 11 of a cavity container 10 (see Figure 3), and is composed of a sheet-like member 2 having a substantially fan shape and a strip-like member 7 extending downward from the lower end edge 6 of the sheet-like member 2.

[0030] As shown in Figure 2(a), the seedling protective cover 1 according to this embodiment is formed by shaping a sheet-like member 2 into a cylinder and overlapping and joining its side edges 4, 4 to form a side wall portion 8 for the seedling protective cover 1. By shaping the sheet-like member 2 into a cylinder and joining its side edges 4, 4, an upper opening 5a is formed at the upper edge 5 of the sheet-like member 2, and a bottom opening 6a is formed at the lower edge 6. The side edges 4, 4 are joined to match the size of the cavity 11 of the cavity container 10 used, but the method of joining the side edges 4, 4 will be described later.

[0031] Furthermore, in the seedling protective cover 1 according to this embodiment, the lower end portion 7a of the strip-shaped member 7 is joined to the side wall portion 8 at a position opposite to the extended portion 7b of the strip-shaped member 7, thereby forming a bottom wall portion 9 for the seedling protective cover 1. As shown in Figure 2(b), by forming the bottom wall portion 9 with the strip-shaped member 7, a part of the bottom opening 6a formed by the lower edge 6 of the sheet-like member 2 is closed, thereby significantly improving the moldability of the root ball formed inside the seedling protective cover 1.

[0032] As shown in Figure 3, the seedling protective cover 1 according to this embodiment is placed inside each cavity 11 of a resin cavity container 10 (seedling container) which is made up of multiple interconnected cavities 11. After placing the seedling protective cover 1 inside each cavity 11 and filling it with growing medium through the upper opening 5a formed by the upper edge 5, seeds are sown or seedlings are transplanted.

[0033] The seedlings grown in each cavity 11 will eventually be planted in the ground. The protective cover 1 for seedling cultivation according to this embodiment is interposed between the inner surface of each cavity 11 and the growing soil, so that the roots of the seedlings grown in each cavity 11 are wrapped around the protective cover 1 for seedling cultivation according to this embodiment.

[0034] Here, when growing multiple seedlings at once using a cavity container 10 (seedling container) equipped with multiple cavities 11, variations in seedling growth may occur. For example, if variations in seedling growth occur due to the position of the cavities 11 in the cavity container 10, specifically as shown in Figure 4(a), if there is a mix of well-growing seedlings 20 and slower-growing seedlings 21 in multiple cavity containers 10, the seedling protection cover 1 is interposed between the inner surface of the cavities 11 in the cavity container 10 and the growing medium. As shown in Figure 5, seedlings 20 and 21 can be easily removed, and seedlings 20 and 21 can be swapped to equalize their growth. Therefore, as shown in Figure 4(b), for example, well-growing seedlings 20 and slower-growing seedlings 21 can be separated and grouped together, making it possible to ship them early without waiting for the slower-growing seedlings 21 to grow.

[0035] As described above, the seedling protective cover 1 according to this embodiment allows for efficient seedling cultivation using a resin cavity container 10 formed by connecting multiple cavities 11. In particular, when transplanting seedlings grown in each cavity 11, the seedling protective cover 1 according to this embodiment is interposed between the inner surface of the cavity 11 and the growing medium, and the bottom of the root ball is supported by the bottom wall portion 9. As shown in Figure 5, the seedlings 20 and 21 can be easily removed from the cavity 11. Therefore, even if the growth rate becomes uneven during seedling cultivation, the seedlings can be easily replaced without damaging the seedlings or roots.

[0036] Furthermore, when removing seedlings 20 and 21 from the cavity 11, the root ball is protected by the seedling protection cover 1 of this embodiment, so there is no risk of the root ball collapsing or the roots being damaged. In particular, since the seedling protection cover 1 of this embodiment has a bottom wall portion 9 formed by a strip-shaped member 7, the bottom of the root ball can be supported by the bottom wall portion 9, which further prevents the root ball from collapsing and the roots from being damaged.

[0037] Furthermore, since the root balls of the extracted seedlings 20 and 21 are protected by the seedling protection cover 1 of this embodiment, it is easy to pack multiple seedlings together for shipment, and the root balls are protected and drying is suppressed even after shipment. In particular, even when transporting to the planting site by drone, the seedling protection cover 1 of this embodiment, which has a bottom wall portion 9, ensures sufficient moldability of the root balls.

[0038] Furthermore, since the seedling protection cover 1 of this embodiment protects the roots and encloses the growing medium, the seedling protection cover 1 acts as an insulator within the cavity 11. Therefore, while ordinary resin cavity containers (seedling containers) are black and the inside of the cavity 11 becomes hot in the summer, the seedling protection cover 1 of this embodiment protects the root ball while retaining moisture, thus providing a cooling and insulating effect to the cavity 11. In addition, a heat retention effect is provided in winter, and by obtaining these cooling, insulating, and heat retention effects according to the season, the growth of seedlings is promoted.

[0039] Furthermore, by placing the seedling protection cover 1 of this embodiment inside the cavity 11 of the cavity container 10, it becomes easier to adjust the moisture content of the growing medium. Because the seedling protection cover 1 improves the water retention of the growing medium, excessive watering can be prevented, as can the runoff of fertilizer.

[0040] The above describes a protective cover 1 for seedling cultivation according to one embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the protective cover for seedling cultivation of the present invention, the raw materials of the sheet-like member and the strip-like member constituting the protective cover for seedling cultivation are not particularly limited, but it is more preferable that the raw materials of the sheet-like member and the strip-like member be polylactic acid. Polylactic acid is a plant-derived biodegradable plastic, and by using polylactic acid as the raw material for the sheet-like member and the strip-like member related to the protective cover for seedling cultivation of the present invention, as shown in Figure 5, for example, seedlings 20 grown in each cavity 11 of the cavity container 10 can be transplanted to the ground with the protective cover 1 still wrapped around their roots, thereby preventing damage to the roots and collapse of the root ball during transplanting, and improving the efficiency of the transplanting work.

[0041] Furthermore, in the seedling protective cover of the present invention, the length of the side edges of the sheet-like member, the length and width of the strip-like member, and the curvature and arc length of the upper and lower edges of the sheet-like member are set appropriately according to the size of the cavity provided in the cavity container used, and are not particularly limited.

[0042] Next, an embodiment of the method for manufacturing the seedling protective cover of the present invention will be described in detail. In manufacturing the seedling protective cover 1 of this embodiment shown in Figure 2, first, a seedling protective cover material is prepared, which includes a sheet-like member 2 having a roughly fan shape and a strip-like member 7 extending downward from the lower edge 6 of the sheet-like member 2. This seedling protective cover material, which includes the sheet-like member 2 and the strip-like member 7, is made from polylactic acid. In the preparation process for the seedling protective cover material, the seedling protective cover material is prepared by cutting out the shape of the seedling protective cover material, which includes the sheet-like member 2 and the strip-like member 7 shown in Figure 1, from a polylactic acid sheet.

[0043] In the subsequent side wall formation process, the sheet-like member 2 for the seedling protective cover material is formed into a cylindrical shape, and the side edges 4, 4 are overlapped and joined by hammering to form the side wall 8. In this embodiment, by using polylactic acid as the raw material for the seedling protective cover material (sheet-like member 2 + strip-like member 7), the overlapping portions of the side edges 4, 4 can be easily joined by hammering alone. For example, as shown in Figure 2(a), multiple joints 12, 12 are formed in the overlapping portions of the side edges 4, 4 of the sheet-like member 2 by hammering.

[0044] The number of joints 12 is not particularly limited and can be set appropriately according to the length of the side edge 4 (= depth of the cavity 11), but it is thought that providing 3 to 5 joints is sufficient. In addition, the joint strength at the joints 12 is weaker than that of welding, and the joints 12 can be easily peeled off by hand, but this is sufficient for maintaining the shape of the seedling protective cover 1, and there is no problem in installing it in the cavity 11 of the cavity container 10.

[0045] Then, in the final bottom wall formation step, the lower end portion 7a of the strip-shaped member 7 is overlapped with the side wall portion 8 at a position opposite to the extended portion 7b of the strip-shaped member 7, and joined by striking with a hammer to form the bottom wall portion 9, thereby obtaining the seedling protective cover 1 of this embodiment. Here again, since the raw material of the strip-shaped member 7 is polylactic acid, the lower end portion 7a of the strip-shaped member 7 can be joined to the side wall portion 8 by striking with a hammer alone, just as in the case of forming the side wall portion 8.

[0046] In the manufacturing method of the seedling protective cover 1 of this embodiment, in the side wall formation step, the side edges 4, 4 are joined at the joint 12 to form the side wall 8, and in the subsequent bottom wall formation step, the lower end 7a of the strip-shaped member 7 and the side wall 8 are joined at the joint 12 to form the bottom wall 9. However, for example, at the lowest part of the overlapping portion of the side edges 4, 4, the side edges 4, 4 are overlapped and the lower end 7a of the strip-shaped member 7 is also overlapped, and these are struck together with a hammer to form an integrated joint 12 of the side edges 4, 4 and the lower end 7a of the strip-shaped member 7. However, in order to implement this embodiment, it is necessary to form the strip-shaped member 7 in the central part of the lower end edge 6 of the sheet-like member 2, as shown in Figure 1.

[0047] Although embodiments of the seedling protective cover and the method for manufacturing the seedling protective cover of the present invention have been described in detail above, these embodiments should not be construed as substantially limiting the technical idea of ​​the present invention. The present invention can be implemented with appropriate improvements, modifications, or additions by those skilled in the art, without departing from its spirit. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0048] 1: Protective cover for seedling cultivation 2: Sheet-like member 4: Side edge 5: Upper edge 6: Lower edge 7: Strip-shaped member 7a: Bottom end 7b: Extension part 8: Side wall section 9: Bottom wall 10: Cavity container 11: Cavity

Claims

1. A protective cover for seedling cultivation, which is placed inside the cavity of a cavity container, A sheet-like member having a roughly fan shape, A strip-shaped member extending downward from a part of the lower edge of the sheet-like member, It consists of, By forming the aforementioned sheet-like member into a cylindrical shape and overlapping and joining its side edges, a side wall portion having an upper opening and a bottom opening is formed, A protective cover for seedling cultivation, characterized in that the lower end of the strip-shaped member is joined to the side wall at a position opposite to the extended portion of the strip-shaped member, thereby forming a bottom wall portion that covers a part of the bottom opening with the strip-shaped member.

2. The seedling protective cover according to claim 1, characterized in that the raw material for the sheet-like member and the strip-like member is polylactic acid.

3. A method for manufacturing a protective cover for seedlings, which is placed inside the cavity of a cavity container, A step of preparing a protective cover material for seedling cultivation, comprising a sheet-like member having a roughly fan shape and a strip-like member extending downward from a part of the lower edge of the sheet-like member, using polylactic acid as the raw material, The process of forming a side wall portion involves shaping the sheet-like member into a cylindrical form, overlapping both side edges, and joining them by striking with a hammer to form a side wall portion having an upper opening and a bottom opening, A bottom wall forming step is to overlap the lower end of the strip-shaped member with the side wall at a position opposite to the extended portion of the strip-shaped member and join them by striking with a hammer, thereby forming a bottom wall that covers a part of the bottom opening with the strip-shaped member. A method for manufacturing a protective cover for seedling cultivation, characterized by comprising the following:

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