Plant-growing container structure and manufacturing method thereof using cocoa pod shells

Abstract

A manufacturing method includes: cutting at least one cocoa pod shell to obtain a plurality of cocoa pod shell fragments; pre-processing the plurality of cocoa pod shell fragments to obtain a plurality of processed cocoa pod shell fragments; mixing the plurality of processed cocoa pod shell fragments with a soil material to obtain a plurality of blended cocoa pod shell fragments; and filling container device with the plurality of blended cocoa pod shell fragments to obtain a water-retaining container structure.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a structure and manufacturing method of a plant-growing container made from cocoa shells; particularly to a structure and manufacturing method of a water-retaining plant-growing container made from cocoa shells arranged in a configuration (e.g., an array or a stacked array); and even more particularly to a structure and manufacturing method of a water-retaining plant-growing container made from halved cocoa shells. [Previous Technology]

[0002] Regarding the conventional structure of water-retaining plant containers, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. JP-2008136640, "Water Retaining Container for Plant," discloses a water-retaining container for a plant, wherein the water-retaining container for the plant has a spout, a spout sealing means, and a lid.

[0003] Continuing from the above, the water-retaining container of the plant disclosed in the aforementioned patent No. JP-2008136640 is used to hold water, and the mouth can be inserted into a plant stem, and the mouth sealing means is used to seal the mouth in a liquid-tightly sealing manner, and the cap has an opening portion to allow the plant stem to be inserted into the opening portion, and the cap is used to fix the mouth sealing means to the water-retaining container of the plant, and the mouth sealing means is formed by stacking several elastic members.

[0004] Another related invention patent application concerning conventional water-retaining plant container structures is, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. JPH08-56507, "Water Retention in Pots for Growing Plant and Structure for Water Retention in Pots for Growing Plant," which discloses a water-retaining plant container having a water-carrying bag and a draining hole.

[0005] Continuing from the above, the water delivery bag disclosed in patent No. JPH08-56507 is used to fill a soil container, and within a container, the water delivery bag contacts an inner wall surface to guide excess moisture from the soil. The water delivery bag comprises a water-permeable material, an inside vessel, and a water-retention material.

[0006] As above, the built-in container disclosed in the aforementioned patent No. JPH08-56507 is used to contain excess moisture in the soil, and the water-retaining material is placed inside the built-in container. The built-in container and the water-retaining material are positioned below the water-permeable material, and the water-retaining material is in contact with the water-permeable material. Thus, excess moisture in the soil overflows from the built-in container and is discharged outside the plant water-retaining planting container through the drain outlet.

[0007] However, the water-retaining container for the plant in Japanese Patent Publication No. JP-2008136640 and the water-retaining planting container for the plant in Japanese Patent Publication No. JPH08-56507 only use general water-retaining materials and their structures. Therefore, there is still a potential need to further improve the overall water-retaining materials (e.g., using agricultural waste) and their structures.

[0008] Another related application of conventional cocoa pod shell extract materials and methods is, for example, US Patent Publication No. US-2006 / 0269633, "Polyphenol-Enriched Composition from Cocoa Shell Extraction", which discloses an extract material and method of a polyphenol-rich composition of cocoa pod shell, wherein the extract material is an extract material rich in caffeine or an extract material rich in polyphenol.

[0009] Another related application of conventional cocoa shell powder materials and manufacturing methods is, for example, US Patent No. US-9,375,024, "Process of producing cocoa shell powder", which discloses a production process of cocoa shell powder, and the cocoa shell powder is used to replace cocoa powder as a natural food coloring agent and as a food fat bloom inhibitor.

[0010] Another related application of conventional cocoa pod shell powder materials and manufacturing methods thereof, for example: US Patent No. US-10,477,877 "Cocoa shell powder and process of making", which discloses a cocoa pod shell powder and its manufacturing process, and the cocoa pod shell powder is used to replace cocoa powder products as a natural food coloring agent and as a food oil stain inhibitor.

[0011] Another related application of conventional cocoa pod shell powder materials and their manufacturing methods is, for example, US Patent No. US-10,701,951, "Process of producing cocoa shell powder", which discloses a production process of cocoa pod shell powder, and the cocoa pod shell powder is used to replace cocoa powder products as a natural food coloring agent and as a food oil stain inhibitor.

[0012] However, the extract material of the polyphenol-rich composition in the aforementioned US patent application No. US-2006 / 0269633, and the powder material of the cocoa pod shell in US patents No. US-9,375,024, US-10,477,877, and US-10,701,951, will inevitably leave a large amount of agricultural waste formed by cocoa pod shells after the extraction process, causing environmental pollution and the burden of agricultural waste disposal.

[0013] Another commonly used material is the extract of cocoa pod shell and its related applications, such as the invention patent No. TW-I640326 of the Republic of China, "Uses of cocoa shell extract", which discloses the use of a cocoa shell extract and applies the cocoa shell extract to the preparation of a sunscreen or a hair darkening agent.

[0014] As above, in the aforementioned patent publication No. TW-I640326, the cocoa shell extract is obtained by using an aqueous ethanol solution with an ethanol concentration of 50% to 75% as an extraction solvent, and a cocoa shell sample is obtained by extraction, and the cocoa shell extract is applied to the skin of a desired individual at a dose of 200 mg / cm2 to 400 mg / cm2.

[0015] However, the aforementioned patent publication No. TW-I640326 only discloses that the cocoa shell extract is used to prepare the sunscreen or hair darkening agent. However, after the cocoa shell extract undergoes the extraction process, it will inevitably leave a large amount of agricultural waste formed by cocoa pod shells, causing environmental pollution and the burden of dealing with agricultural waste.

[0016] Another commonly used material is the extract of cocoa pod shell and its related applications, such as the invention patent No. TW-I693024 of the Republic of China, "Use of cocoa shell extract", which discloses the use of a cocoa shell extract and uses the cocoa shell extract to prepare a drug that enhances the immune function of shrimp.

[0017] As above, the cocoa shell extract of the aforementioned patent publication No. TW-I693024 is applied to a shrimp to enhance the shrimp's immunity. The cocoa shell extract is extracted using an aqueous ethanol solution with an ethanol concentration of 90% to 98% as an extraction solvent. The cocoa shell extract uses a dried cocoa shell sample, and the water content of the dried cocoa shell sample is 2% to 5%.

[0018] As above, the cocoa shell extract in the aforementioned patent publication No. TW-I693024 was injected into the shrimp body, or the cocoa shell extract was injected into the cephalothorax ventral blood sinus of the shrimp body, and the cocoa shell extract was injected into the shrimp body at a dose of 0.6 μg per gram of shrimp body weight.

[0019] As above, the cocoa shell extract of the aforementioned patent publication No. TW-I693024 is orally administered to the shrimp, and the cocoa shell extract is mixed with a feed to form a feed mixture so that the cocoa shell extract and the feed are jointly administered to the shrimp, and the cocoa shell extract is administered to the shrimp at a dose of 120 μg per gram of shrimp body weight per day.

[0020] However, the aforementioned patent announcement No. TW-I693024 only discloses that the cocoa shell extract is used to prepare the drug or feed mixture. However, after the cocoa shell extract undergoes the extraction process, it will inevitably leave a large amount of agricultural waste formed by cocoa pod shells, causing environmental pollution and the burden of dealing with agricultural waste.

[0021] Another common invention related to cocoa shell retarder and its manufacturing method is, for example, the invention patent No. TW-I854904 of the Republic of China, "cocoa shell retarder and its manufacturing method", which discloses a method for manufacturing a cocoa shell retarder including: a pretreatment step, a drying step, a grinding step, a blending step and a filtration step.

[0022] As above, the pre-processing steps in the aforementioned patent publication No. TW-I854904 are as follows: a cocoa fruit is processed by removing several seeds and several pieces of pulp from a shell, while retaining the shell, and the shell is cut to form several shell pieces.

[0023] As above, the drying step of the aforementioned patent publication No. TW-I854904 is: drying several shell blocks in an environment of 95°C to 105°C to obtain several dried shell blocks; the grinding step is: grinding the dried shell blocks to obtain a solute powder.

[0024] Continuing from the above, the preparation step of the aforementioned patent publication No. TW-I854904 is as follows: 20% to 40% of the solute powder is uniformly mixed with a 60% to 80% aqueous solvent by weight percentage to obtain a mixed solution; the filtration step is as follows: the mixed solution is filtered with a filter screen to obtain a cocoa shell retarder.

[0025] However, the aforementioned patent announcement No. TW-I854904 only discloses that the cocoa fruit is used to prepare the cocoa shell retarder, but the application of the cocoa shell retarder is still insufficient to fully digest the cocoa pod shell. Therefore, it will inevitably leave a large amount of agricultural waste formed by the cocoa pod shell, causing environmental pollution and the burden of agricultural waste disposal.

[0026] In short, the aforementioned Japanese Patent Publications No. JP-2008136640, No. JPH08-56507, US Patent Publications No. US-2006 / 0269633, US Patents No. US-9,375,024, US-10,477,877, US-10,701,951, and Republic of China Patent Publications No. TW-I640326, TW-I693024, and TW-I854904, and the related technologies disclosed in the invention patents, are only for reference and explanation of the technical background of this invention and the current state of technological development, and are not intended to limit the scope of this invention.

[0027] In view of the above, in order to meet the above-mentioned technical problems and needs, the present invention provides a plant substrate container structure and manufacturing method thereof using cocoa pod shells. The method involves cutting at least one cocoa pod shell to obtain several pod shell pieces, blanching the several pod shell pieces to obtain several blanched pod shell pieces, mixing the several blanched pod shell pieces with at least one soil formulation material to obtain a prepared pod shell material, and filling the several prepared pod shell material into at least one container device to obtain a water-retaining plant substrate container structure. Therefore, compared with conventional cocoa pod shell application materials and their preparation methods, this invention achieves the goals of reducing the manufacturing cost of wood chips, reducing agricultural waste generation, expanding the uses of agricultural waste, and providing a standardized process for the resource-based production of agricultural waste. [Summary of the Invention]

[0028] The main objective of this invention is to provide a plant-based substrate container structure and manufacturing method using cocoa pod shells. The method involves cutting at least one cocoa pod shell to obtain several pod shell pieces, blanching these pieces to obtain several blanched pod shell pieces, mixing these blanched pod shell pieces with at least one soil formulation material to obtain a prepared pod shell material, and filling these prepared pod shell material into at least one container device. This achieves the objectives and effects of reducing the manufacturing cost of wood chips, reducing agricultural waste generation, expanding the uses of agricultural waste, and providing a standardized process for the resource-based production of agricultural waste.

[0029] To achieve the above objective, a preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a method for making a plant-based substrate container using cocoa pod shells, comprising:

[0030] At least one cocoa pod shell is cut to obtain several pod shell pieces;

[0031] Several pieces of the pod shell are pre-treated to obtain several processed pieces of pod shell;

[0032] Several of the treated pod hull pieces are mixed and formulated with at least one soil formulation material to obtain a formulated pod hull piece material; and

[0033] Several of the prepared pod shell cut materials are used to fill at least one container device to obtain a water-retaining plant substrate container structure.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cocoa pod shell is subjected to a blanching process to obtain a blanched pod shell.

[0035] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cocoa pod shell is subjected to a softening process to obtain a softened pod shell.

[0036] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the water-retaining plant substrate container structure is buried in the soil at the site.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the water-retaining plant substrate container structure is made of at least one organic fertilizer to form a fertilizer-retaining plant substrate container structure.

[0038] To achieve the above objective, the preferred embodiment of the present invention utilizes cocoa pod shells to create a plant-based substrate container structure, comprising:

[0039] At least one processed cocoa pod shell piece, which is obtained by cutting and pre-treating at least one cocoa pod shell; at least one soil formulation material, which is used to mix and blend several of the processed cocoa pod shell pieces to obtain a blended cocoa pod shell material; and at least one container device, which is used to fill several of the blended cocoa pod shell material into at least one container device to obtain a water-retaining plant substrate container structure.

[0040] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cocoa pod shell is cut in half to obtain at least one cocoa pod half shell.

[0041] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cocoa pod half-shell is used to contain at least one plant seed, at least one plant seedling, at least one plant, or any combination thereof.

[0042] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the processed pod shell pieces are stacked to form at least one stack of pod shell pieces.

[0043] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the processed pod shell pieces are used to fill at least one planting bag. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0075] Figure 1: A block diagram of a plant substrate container structure made from cocoa pod shells according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0076] Figure 2: A schematic flowchart of a method for manufacturing a plant substrate container using cocoa pod shells according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0077] Figure 3: A side view of the structure and manufacturing method of a plant substrate container made from cocoa pod shells according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the water-retaining plant substrate container structure.

[0078] Figure 4: A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the structure and manufacturing method of a plant substrate container made from cocoa pod shells according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention, using another water-retaining plant substrate container structure.

Implementation Method

[0044] In order to fully understand the present invention, preferred embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, and these are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0045] The preferred embodiment of the present invention, which utilizes cocoa pod shells to make a water-retaining and fertilizer-retaining plant substrate container structure, its apparatus, and its manufacturing method, is applicable to various types of water-retaining and fertilizer-retaining plant substrate container structures and systems. Furthermore, the preferred embodiment of the present invention, which utilizes cocoa pod shells to make a water-retaining and fertilizer-retaining plant substrate container structure, its apparatus, and its manufacturing method, can be selectively combined and applied to various automated plant substrate container production equipment, various semi-automated plant substrate container production equipment, or various non-automated plant substrate container production equipment, but it is not intended to limit the scope of application of the present invention.

[0046] The preferred embodiment of the present invention, which utilizes cocoa pod shells to make a [water-retaining and fertilizer-retaining] plant substrate container structure, device and manufacturing method, is suitable for application in various food industries [e.g., flavorings for ice cream, cakes, biscuits, chocolate, candy, coffee, tea, cola, wine, etc.], various cosmetic industries [e.g., adding high-grade fragrances, high-grade essences or high-grade flavorings] or other related product industries, but is not intended to limit the scope of application of the present invention.

[0047] The preferred embodiment of the present invention, which utilizes cocoa pod shells to make a [water-retaining and fertilizer-retaining] plant substrate container structure, device and manufacturing method are suitable for various regional cocoa varieties, such as: tropical and subtropical American and Caribbean varieties, African varieties, Madagascar varieties, Indian Peninsula varieties or Southeast Asian varieties, but is not intended to limit the scope of application of the present invention.

[0048] Furthermore, the preferred embodiment of the present invention, which utilizes cocoa pod shells to make a [water-retaining, fertilizer-retaining] plant substrate container structure, its apparatus, and its manufacturing method, is suitable for construction, configuration, or implementation in various plant substrate container production plants (e.g., large plants, medium plants, small plants, or other types of plants), various plant substrate container production equipment (e.g., large equipment, medium equipment, small equipment, or other types of equipment), various plant substrate container production machines (e.g., large machines, medium machines, small machines, or other types of machines) or their related plants, equipment, or machines, but it is not intended to limit the scope of application of the present invention.

[0049] Figure 1 shows a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, which is a container structure made of cocoa pod shells as a plant substrate. Referring to Figure 1, for example, the container structure made of cocoa pod shells as a plant substrate in the first preferred embodiment of the present invention includes at least one processed pod shell piece 10, at least one soil formulation material 20, and at least one container device 100.

[0050] Please refer to Figure 1 again. For example, the processed pod shell cut 10 can be selected to adopt a predetermined size specification (e.g., length, width, height or other specifications) and a predetermined cut surface (e.g., longitudinal half-cut surface, transverse half-cut surface, longitudinal oblique cut surface, transverse oblique cut surface or other shaped cut surface).

[0051] Please refer to Figure 1 again. For example, the soil formulation material 20 may be made from a predetermined soil material (e.g., potting soil or other soil material), a predetermined fertilizer (e.g., chemical fertilizer, natural organic fertilizer or other fertilizer) and a predetermined auxiliary material (e.g., trace element material or other auxiliary material).

[0052] Please refer to Figure 1 again. For example, the container device 100 may have a predetermined shape body (e.g., cube, cuboid, cylinder, elliptical cylinder, conical cylinder or other shape body) and a predetermined size specification (e.g., length, width, height or other specifications), and the container device 100 may be made of a predetermined material (e.g., environmentally friendly material, recycled adhesive material or other material).

[0053] Figure 2 is a schematic flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a plant-based substrate container using cocoa pod shells according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, which corresponds to the structure of the plant-based substrate container using cocoa pod shells in Figure 1. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the method for manufacturing a plant-based substrate container using cocoa pod shells according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention includes step S1: First, for example, at least one cocoa pod shell 1 is appropriately cut using appropriate technical means (e.g., halving or other cutting processes) to obtain several pod shell pieces (not shown).

[0054] Please refer again to Figures 1 and 2. For example, several of the pod shell pieces may be selected to have a predetermined size specification (e.g., length, width, height or other specifications), or several of the pod shell pieces may be selected to be processed with a humidity control unit (not shown) to have a predetermined humidity (e.g., about 10% humidity, about 20% humidity, about 30% humidity, about 40% humidity, about 50% humidity, about 60% humidity, about 70% humidity or other humidity).

[0055] Please refer again to Figures 1 and 2. For example, in another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cocoa pod shell or several pieces of the cocoa pod shell may be subjected to appropriate halving and other subsequent processing to obtain at least one cocoa pod half shell.

[0056] Please refer again to Figures 1 and 2. The manufacturing method of the plant substrate container made from cocoa pod shells in the first preferred embodiment of the present invention includes step S2: For example, the several pod shell pieces are then pre-treated (e.g., sterilization or other treatment) by appropriate technical means (e.g., automated, semi-automated or manual) to obtain several treated pod shell pieces 10.

[0057] Please refer again to Figures 1 and 2. For example, in another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cocoa pod shell or several pieces of the pod shell can be subjected to a blanching process or other pretreatment operations at a predetermined blanching temperature (e.g., high-temperature blanching) to deactivate the enzymes inside, so as to obtain a blanched pod shell.

[0058] Please refer again to Figures 1 and 2. For example, in another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cocoa pod shell or several pieces of the pod shell may be subjected to a softening process and other subsequent processing to obtain a softened pod shell.

[0059] Please refer again to Figures 1 and 2. The manufacturing method of the plant substrate container made from cocoa pod shells in the first preferred embodiment of the present invention includes step S3: Next, for example, the processed cocoa pod shell pieces 10 are appropriately mixed and blended with the soil formulation material 20 by appropriate technical means (e.g., in a predetermined ratio or other blending method) to obtain a blended cocoa pod shell material (not shown).

[0060] Please refer to Figures 1 and 2 again. For example, the blended cocoa pod diced material can be made from a ripe cocoa pod or an unripe cocoa pod. The blended cocoa pod diced material has a high water content and is also characterized by a loose structure and rich in fiber and nitrogen source.

[0061] Referring again to Figures 1 and 2, the manufacturing method of the plant substrate container made from cocoa pod shells in the first preferred embodiment of the present invention includes step S4: Next, for example, next, several of the prepared cocoa pod shell diced materials are appropriately filled into at least one or several of the container devices 100 by appropriate technical means (e.g., automated, semi-automated or manual) to obtain a water-retaining plant substrate container structure 101.

[0062] Figure 3 shows a side view of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the construction and manufacturing method of a plant substrate container using cocoa pod shells, and the construction method thereof. Referring to Figure 3, for example, compared to the first embodiment, the second preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of processed pod shell pieces 10, at least one soil formulation material 20, and a container / pot device 102.

[0063] Please refer to Figure 3 again. For example, in another preferred embodiment of the present invention, several of the processed pod shell pieces 10 are stacked in the container pot device 102 in a stacking manner (e.g., stacking vertically or other stacking manner) to form at least one pod shell piece stack or at least one pod shell piece stack array, and several plants 3 are appropriately planted in the container pot device 102.

[0064] Referring again to Figure 3, for example, several of the treated pod shell pieces 10 form a water-retaining plant substrate container structure 101, and a predetermined amount of aqueous solution (e.g., plant irrigation water) A or a predetermined amount of liquid (e.g., fertilizer, auxiliary material or other liquid) is stored in the several of the treated pod shell pieces 10.

[0065] Please refer to Figure 3 again. For example, the several treated pod shell pieces 10 in the water-retaining plant substrate container structure 101 can be used to store a predetermined amount of aqueous solution A so as to supply the water vapor required by the several plants 3 through appropriate slow evaporation, and can also be selected to continuously and appropriately replenish the storage of a predetermined amount of aqueous solution A.

[0066] Please refer to Figure 3 again. For example, the overflow of several of the treated pod shell pieces 10 of the water-retaining plant substrate container structure 101 can be selected to discharge an excess aqueous solution through a container drain (not shown) to avoid improper water accumulation in the container pot device 102, which would cause the roots of the plant 3 to rot from waterlogging.

[0067] Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the third preferred embodiment of the present invention, which utilizes cocoa pod shells to make a plant-based substrate container structure and its manufacturing method, and adopts another water-retaining plant-based substrate container structure. Referring to Figure 4, for example, compared with the first embodiment, the third preferred embodiment of the present invention can optionally use a processed pod shell cut piece 10 (i.e., a single processed pod shell cut piece) to appropriately form a water-retaining plant-based substrate container structure 101.

[0068] Please refer to Figure 4 again. For example, in another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the water-retaining plant substrate container structure 101 can be optionally buried in a field soil (not shown), a planting structure (not shown), or a potted plant device (not shown).

[0069] Please refer to Figure 4 again. For example, in another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the water-retaining plant substrate container structure 101 can be made of at least one organic fertilizer (trace elements or other fertilizers) to form a fertilizer-retaining plant substrate container structure.

[0070] Please refer to Figure 4 again. For example, in another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cocoa pod half shell or the processed pod shell cut piece 10 can be selected to be used to properly plant at least one plant seed, at least one plant seedling, at least one plant 3 or any combination thereof.

[0071] Referring again to Figure 4, for example, in another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cocoa pod half shell or processed pod shell cut piece 10 can be selectively used to fill at least one planter bag (not shown) or a device with similar planter bag function.

[0072] The above experimental data are preliminary experimental results obtained under specific conditions, and are only used to facilitate understanding or reference to the technical content of the present invention. Further related experiments are required. The experimental data and results are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0073] The foregoing preferred embodiments are merely illustrative of the present invention and its technical features. The technology of these embodiments can still be implemented with various substantially equivalent modifications and / or substitutions. Therefore, the scope of the present invention shall be determined by the scope defined in the appended claims. The copyright of this case is limited to the use of the patent application in the Republic of China.

Claims

1. A plant substrate container structure made from cocoa pod shells, comprising: at least one pre-treated pod shell piece, wherein at least one cocoa pod shell is cut and pre-treated to obtain the pre-treated pod shell piece; at least one soil formulation material, wherein several pre-treated pod shell pieces are mixed and blended with the soil formulation material to obtain a blended pod shell piece material; and at least one container device, wherein several blended pod shell piece materials are used to fill the at least one container device to obtain a water-retaining plant substrate container structure.

2. The plant substrate container structure made from cocoa pod shell as described in claim 1, wherein the cocoa pod shell is cut in half to obtain at least one cocoa pod half shell.

3. The plant substrate container structure made from cocoa pod shell as described in claim 2, wherein the cocoa pod shell is used to contain at least one plant seed, at least one plant seedling, at least one plant, or any combination thereof.

4. The plant substrate container structure made from cocoa pod shells as described in claim 1, wherein the processed pod shell pieces are stacked to form at least one stack of pod shell pieces.

5. A plant substrate container structure made from cocoa pod shells as described in claim 1, wherein the processed pod shell pieces are used to fill at least one plant bag.

6. A method for manufacturing a plant substrate container using cocoa pod shells, comprising: cutting at least one cocoa pod shell to obtain several pod shell pieces; pre-treating the several pod shell pieces to obtain several treated pod shell pieces; mixing the several treated pod shell pieces with at least one soil formulation material to obtain a prepared pod shell material; and Several of the pre-mixed pod shell diced materials are used to fill at least one container device to obtain a water-retaining plant substrate container structure.

7. The manufacturing method of a plant substrate container made from cocoa pod shells as described in claim 6, wherein the cocoa pod shells are subjected to a blanching process to obtain a blanched pod shell.

8. The method for manufacturing a plant substrate container using cocoa pod shells as described in claim 6, wherein the cocoa pod shells are subjected to a softening process to obtain a softened pod shell.

9. A method for manufacturing a plant substrate container using cocoa pod shells as described in claim 6, wherein the water-retaining plant substrate container structure is buried in on-site soil.

10. A method for manufacturing a plant substrate container using cocoa pod shells as described in claim 6, wherein the water-retaining plant substrate container structure is made of at least one organic fertilizer to form a fertilizer-retaining plant substrate container structure.

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