Hydroponic Wrapper Nutrient Composition for Yield and Leaf Strength

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The current facility-based cultivation of wrapper tobacco leaves suffers from poor yield and poor leaf tensile force due to insufficient nutrient management.

Innovation Solution

A method involving a nutrient solution cultivation system using modulated medium and trace element nutrient solutions, including specific concentrations of boric acid, manganese salt, calcium salt, magnesium salt, and ferric salt, applied in different growth stages of wrapper cultivation to improve yield and leaf tensile force.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If facility-based cultivation is used to control ecological conditions, then the controllability of nutrient management is improved, but the yield and leaf tensile force deteriorate due to insufficient nutrient management

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrollability of nutrient managementVSAvoidyield and leaf tensile force
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by precisely adjusting the concentrations of multiple nutrient elements in the hydroponic solution. Specifically, it optimizes calcium (310-690 mg/L), magnesium (400-1300 mg/L), iron (40-250 mg/L), boron (65-420 μg/L), and manganese (230-1600 μg/L) concentrations to simultaneously achieve high controllability and improved yield with enhanced leaf tensile force.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses a composite nutrient solution containing multiple medium and trace elements working together. This composite approach combines calcium salt, magnesium salt, ferric salt, boric acid, and manganese salt in specific proportions to create a synergistic effect that resolves the contradiction between controllability and productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Device complexity

If traditional field nutrient management is used, then the complexity of management is reduced, but the controllability of nutrient variables deteriorates due to uncontrollable environmental factors

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanagement complexityVSAvoidcontrollability of nutrient variables
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces traditional field-based mechanical cultivation with a hydroponic system that uses controlled nutrient solution delivery. This substitution eliminates soil-related uncontrollable factors while maintaining manageable system complexity through standardized nutrient formulation and delivery mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Manufacturing precision

If high-quality wrapper standards are pursued with thin leaves and fine veins, then the industrial usability is improved, but the production difficulty increases due to stringent ecological requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvequality standards of wrapperVSAvoidproduction technology complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent achieves high-quality wrapper characteristics by precisely controlling nutrient parameters in the hydroponic system. The optimized concentrations of calcium, magnesium, iron, boron, and manganese create ideal conditions for developing thin leaves with fine veins while maintaining strong tensile force, thereby improving manufacturing precision without excessively increasing production complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS12520781B1Application method of medium and trace nutrient elements for wrapper hydroponic system
Publication Date: 2026.01.13 HUBEI TOBACCO SCI RES INST

AI summary

The invention discloses an application method of medium and trace nutrient elements for wrapper hydroponic system. The application method includes the following steps: providing a nutrient solution cultivation system as well as medium and trace element nutrient solutions for facility-based cultivation of wrapper; the medium and trace element nutrient solutions are applied in the cultivation of wrapper; wherein the medium and trace element nutrient solutions contain modulated components, 65-420 ug/L boric acid and 230-1600 ug/L manganese salt, the modulated components contain at least two of 310-690 mg/L calcium salt, 400-1300 mg/L magnesium salt and 40-250 mg/L ferric salt. The present invention can obviously improve yield, appearance quality and leaf tensile force of the wrapper by applying the nutrient solution with specific components in different stage of the wrapper cultivation, respectively, thereby greatly improving the industrial availability of the wrapper raw materials.