Flooded Hydroponic Seedling Raising for Earlier Budding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for cultivating fruit vegetable plants in artificial light type plant factories result in prolonged periods until budding, leading to insufficient cultivation efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a flooded hydroponic system with controlled conditions of temperature, humidity, and light, using a culture solution with a dissolved oxygen concentration of 3.2 mg/l or more, and a specific support and panel configuration to raise seedlings, followed by cultivation with controlled artificial lighting and hydroponic mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional seedling raising methods are used in artificial light type plant factories, then the cultivation process can be conducted in controlled environments, but the period until budding is prolonged resulting in insufficient cultivation efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by optimizing multiple environmental factors simultaneously: dissolved oxygen concentration in culture solution (3.2 mg/l or more), temperature (20-30°C), relative humidity (60-80%), and light intensity (100-500 μmol/m²/s). These parameter optimizations work together to accelerate seedling growth and shorten the period until budding, directly resolving the contradiction between cultivation efficiency and time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes hydraulic principles through the flooded hydroponic method, where culture solution continuously floods the root zone. The system maintains high dissolved oxygen concentrations (3.2 mg/l or more) in the culture solution through aeration, enabling efficient nutrient and oxygen delivery to roots. This hydraulic approach accelerates seedling development and reduces the time to budding compared to conventional methods.
2Volume of moving object
If the support surface area is increased to accommodate larger seedlings, then more space is available for root development, but the area occupied by each plant increases reducing overall cultivation density
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the support removable and reusable. The support with surface area of 9-40 cm² is designed to be taken out after seedling raising and reused for the next batch. This dynamic approach allows compact root development space during the seedling stage while maintaining high cultivation density, as the same support structure serves multiple cultivation cycles rather than occupying permanent space.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the cultivation process into distinct stages: seedling raising in controlled supports with specific surface areas (9-40 cm²), followed by transplantation to final cultivation positions. This segmentation allows optimized root development space during the critical seedling phase without permanently increasing plant spacing, as supports are removed and reused after the seedling stage.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method significantly shortens the period until budding and enhances cultivation efficiency by promoting early fruiting and fruit growth.
Implementation Method 1
raising seedlings of the fruit vegetable plant by a flooded hydroponic method using a culture solution having a dissolved oxygen concentration of 3.2 mg/l or more
Implementation Method 2
raising seedlings in an environment in which at least one condition selected from the group consisting of temperature, relative humidity, and light is controlled
Data Source
AI summary
A method of cultivating a fruit vegetable plant, including raising seedlings of the fruit vegetable plant by a flooded hydroponic method using a culture solution having a dissolved oxygen concentration of 3.2 mg/l or more in an environment in which one or more conditions selected from the group consisting of temperature, relative humidity, and light are controlled.