JP7576854B2 - Two-stage floating plant support platform - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a floating vegetation base, specifically a floating vegetation base whose main purpose is to provide for the cultivation of root vegetables, woody plants or seedlings thereof, herbaceous plants in general, and ferns and mosses in general, and a method for using the same.

In recent years, a foundation and method for plant care has been developed using a structure (also called a "transporter," "pumping body," or "infiltration body") that transports water or nutrient solution from a water body containing it to a plant care area by capillary action. Based on this principle, a base technology has been developed in which biological sphagnum moss and its dried form are used as the transporter material, and thin-layer pumping bodies and infiltration bodies made of processed stone or plastic are used as non-biological materials. This has made it possible to cultivate and grow mosses and other plants using sphagnum moss or dried sphagnum moss, and to steadily and easily cultivate other rare species, including species belonging to the genus Sphagnum, which is an endangered plant. Based on this invention, it is currently making a great contribution as a growth base for vascular plants including sphagnum moss, mosses other than sphagnum moss, and ferns, not only in fields under outdoor conditions such as flow cultivation in dams and lakes and environmental restoration in natural environments, but also in rooftop greening and wall greening.

The above-mentioned foundations are broadly divided into two types: fixed foundations that are fixed to the ground, and floating foundations that float on the water surface (also called "floating type," "float type," or "raft type" foundations). The former is a foundation or technique that is fixed to a solid place such as the ground or a rooftop to cultivate plants, and is developed by applying a cultivation method based on the traditional or traditional method of cultivating plants in fields and greening as "artificial ground". In contrast, the latter floating type is a technique for cultivating plants in an area above the water surface using floating objects, and has been developed as a technique for constructing "artificial wetlands" mainly for waterside plants as "floating islands" or "artificial floating islands". In recent years, it has also been used for hydroponics in plant factories, specifically, a floating foundation made of processed polystyrene foam is used, and the above-ground organs of the plant (mainly the leaves) are cultivated on the top of the float, and the underground organs of the plant (mainly the roots) are cultivated in the water area below the float, and the floating foundation is used as a so-called "hydroponic cultivation" format. In recent years, a floating platform with a soil layer structure has been invented, which has made it possible to cure any type of plant, including trees and root vegetables. The characteristics of this platform structure are that it has an absolute space area that blocks the direct intrusion of water or nutrient solution into the floating platform curing section, and an open system area that acts as a spatial arrangement maintenance function to keep the spatial arrangement of this gas area constant relative to the water surface while floating and to prevent tilting. However, even if a floating platform with this structure is used, there are still unsolved problems, such as 1) the initial growth of small plants, including seedlings or young plants, is significantly delayed and they may die depending on the installation environment, and 2) although it is possible to maintain a constant moisture content in the curing section within the platform, the water or nutrient solution in the absolute space with a moist state is difficult to evaporate, which reduces the efficiency of the circulation of the water or nutrient solution and the generation of heat of evaporation, limiting the curing of plants. In the future, the development of a floating platform suitable for cultivating such plants is awaited.

The inventors have conducted extensive research to solve this problem. As a result, by installing a core buoyant body that is buoyant independently of the floating foundation in the curing section of the main body, it has become possible to cure small plants such as seedlings and young plants without going through the stages of acclimatization and raising, and by providing openings in the main body and the core buoyant body, it is possible to ensure ventilation in the absolute space area below the plant curing, and thus it has been possible to keep the inside of the space moist while suppressing the rise in temperature in the lower curing area that would inhibit the growth of cured plants due to the circulation of water or nutrient solution or the generation of heat of vaporization. By providing this as a floating vegetation foundation, the inventors have completed the present invention, which can solve the above problem.

That is, the present invention is an improved floating base (hereinafter referred to as the main body, floating base, or simply buoyant plate) that has a base part that is raised above the liquid surface by a float, has an internal air space where gas always exists (also simply referred to as absolute space) above the water surface of the float, and further blocks the movement of water between the water area and the curing area, thereby stabilizing the water part of the floating base and controlling the moisture content of the curing area. 1) An independent floating base (hereinafter referred to as the core buoyant body) is installed on the top of the floating base, and 2) openings are provided in the main body and the core buoyant body, ensuring ventilation of the absolute space area below the plant curing area, thereby dramatically improving the circulation of water or nutrient solution or the generation of heat of vaporization while maintaining a moist state inside the space. And 3) the invention provides a method of using the floating plant base to cure small plants such as seedlings and young plants without going through the stages of acclimatization and raising them by installing these two structures.

In addition, unless otherwise specified, the nutrient solution is any solution capable of allowing any organism to live, grow or proliferate. It also includes distilled water and culture solution, as well as sterilized or disinfected nutrient solutions capable of growth (commercial products are also acceptable), and furthermore, organisms such as microorganisms may be added to the nutrient solution, or they may grow naturally. In any case, the term "nutrient solution" mainly refers to water or a culture solution for allowing organisms to live, grow or proliferate, and does not matter as long as it circulates in the same way as water, regardless of the type of organism.

In addition, the transport body ("pumping body" or "permeation body") may be any structure capable of lifting the nutrient solution above the water level, including the movement of water by capillary action, such as natural plant fiber materials such as paper, cloth, cotton, pulp, chemically synthesized plastic materials such as sponges, foamed ceramics, greenbiz, mortar, secondary concrete products, bricks, tiles, etc., and the material and combination are not particularly limited. In addition, sedimentary rocks such as sphagnum moss, sandstone, mudstone, etc., pyroclastic rocks such as tuff, and glacial sedimentary rocks, igneous rocks formed from lava, volcanic eruptions, magma, etc., limestone made from biological deposits, artificial concrete materials, and shaped materials obtained by shaping these crushed materials alone or in combination are also included in the category of transport bodies. For example, powder particles of sand or lava with a uniform grain shape that have been thin-layered and surface-treated and fixed with adhesives, etc., fall under this category.

The "transporter" may be anything that moves the nutrient solution to the curing section, and there are no limitations on its shape, role, or use, such as a channel-like structure (also called a waterway) with an open top, a pipe-like structure with the inflow and outflow sections as the main openings, or a bag-like structure that can store water. The transporter also includes sphagnum moss or stony materials as water-absorbent materials, and the present invention can be used without being limited to such single materials or materials themselves. For example, a water-absorbent material may be attached to or filled into the surface or interior of a non-absorbent or hydrophobic material, or these may be mixed in granular form to form an object, and plant curing can be performed by infiltrating the nutrient solution from the transporter into the curing section.

The plants that can be grown on this platform are not particularly limited, and all vascular plants can be grown. It is also possible to grow all mosses and ferns, and all mushrooms and fungi. In particular, it is possible to grow root vegetables such as radishes, carrots, burdock, and potatoes, as well as agricultural crops that are generally grown on artificial ground or in fields, such as Japanese pepper and citrus trees. Other examples include bean sprouts, which are plants that utilize germinated seedlings, and seeds and seedlings of sprouts, such as soybeans, mung beans, lettuce, and sesame. Herbs and other plants include artichoke, Iceland poppy, agatake, agrimony, achetosa, anise, alkanet, arnica, alfalfa, angelica, yellow floss flower, Italian parsley, ingeroni milano, weld dyer's, water cress, ward, wood sage, woodruff, echinacea, erba gait, erba stella, elecampane, endive, ornamental grass, old man's yard, honesty, oregano, olech, watercress, kaiyard, poppy (for food and decoration), coriander, coriander, and kousa. Examples include mints such as I, Sutton, Suffolk herb, shiso, sage, savory winter, celery, sorrel blue catnip, catmint, nasturtium dwarf single fennel sweet (sweet fennel), French, chervil, till, basil, parsley, hyssop, frankici, mallow common large flower, mallow blue, pepper, peppermint, pennyroyal mint, and calamint, poppy, mint pennyroyal, arugula, lemon balm, lemongrass, royal fleur, rocket, rosemary, yarrow, and wormwood. Edible greens and vegetables include strawberries, tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, melons, okra, tomatoes, bell peppers, paprika, habanero, pumpkins, zucchini, bitter melon, watermelon, lettuce, rapeseed, cabbage, lettuce, Chinese cabbage, spinach, green onions, chives, broccoli, cauliflower, sprouts, radish sprouts, and chili peppers. Flowers, ornamental plants, and greening plants include pansies, violas, cosmos, sunflowers, chrysanthemums such as asters, lilies, orchids such as moth orchids and dendrobiums, turfgrasses (Japanese turfgrass, western lawn grass, cat's grass, regenerative grass, Kentucky bluegrass, jayturf grass, bermuda grass, bentgrass), bellflowers such as lisianthus, nasturtiums, calendulas, zinnias, agrostemma, dianthus, ageratums, morning glories, hydrangeas, asclepias, anachiculus, anemones, and amaranths. Examples of the plant include, but are not limited to, rapeseed, avillus, alyssum, anthemis, androsacea, cockscomb, instant, impatiens, valerian, edelweiss, echinacea, echinops, aubrietia, oenothera, oxypetalum, jigi grass, mirabilis, osteospermum, columbine, oxlip, ominaeshi, wood sorrel, bellflower, sultan, daisy, hagoromorukousou, hibiscus, rose, margaret, marigold, cornflower, and sanguisorba. Also included are marsh plants and aquatic plants (a general term for plants that live mainly in or around water). Specifically, examples of such orchids include Cyperus rotundus, terrestrial orchids (Cypripedium tschonoskii, Cyperus japonica, Water dragonfly, Cyperus orchid, Toxicola, Perilla japonica, Egret orchid, Paphiopedilum spp., Phragmipedium spp., and Phalaenopsis orchids), plants of the Saxifragaceae family, plants of the Iridaceae family, and plants of the Drosera family (Drosera venetiana, Drosera venetiana, Drosera falconeri, Drosera petiolaris, Drosera adelae, and Drosera venetiana). Examples of nurse plants include, but are not limited to, plants belonging to the genus Viola, plants belonging to the genus Biblis, plants belonging to the genus Pitcher plant, plants belonging to the genus Cephalotus, plants belonging to the genus Sarracenia, plants belonging to the genus Darlingtonia, and Solidago candida.

The plants grown here can be used as a "harvest" or as a seedbed for all the plants planted on the platform.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a two-stage floating plant-curing platform. An opening (rear) 2 is provided on the buoyant plate 1, and a core buoyant body, which is an independent buoyant body having a core buoyant frame 3, is installed on the curing section on the buoyant plate. Plants may be cured without providing this buoyant body. The buoyant plate and the core buoyant body are provided with side openings 5 and 6 and a front opening 7, respectively, to allow the movement of liquid and gas in the absolute space area below the plant curing. The size of the opening is not particularly limited, but the thickness of the float of the size of the buoyant plate or the core buoyant body is preferably about 1/1000 to 1/3, usually 1/10 to 1/100. The shape of the size is usually rectangular or circular, but is not particularly limited. The number of openings is about 1 to 10,000 for both the buoyant plate and the core buoyant body, and is usually 2 to 20. The buoyant plate 1 may be placed in a water reservoir 8 filled with water or nutrient solution. The curing portion of the buoyancy plate is always above the water level 9, and the distance from the water level 9 to the top of the curing portion can be adjusted by the buoyancy of the float material and the structure of the base. The shape of the float is not particularly limited, and may be a curved shape, a circle, or the like, as long as the curing portion floats to the water surface. The shape of the lattice is not particularly limited, and may be any structure that can transport water and grow plants on the water, and the shape is not particularly limited. The thickness of the float is not particularly limited, but is preferably about 0.1 mm to 100 mm, and usually 2 mm to 50 mm. The material may be polystyrene foam, general insulation materials (such as Styrofoam), plastic, wood, vinyl, resin, rubber, concrete, stone, metal, or the like, and is not particularly limited. The material and shape are not particularly limited as long as they float on the liquid, such as putting air into a vinyl or glass container. The float is preferably made of a material that is easy to process and has buoyancy. From this point of view, examples of suitable materials include foamed plastic (Styrofoam), polystyrene resin (Styrofoam), lightweight plastic, etc.

Fig. 2 is a view of the flat core buoyant body. A support plate 11 may be provided to reinforce the shape of the buoyant frame 10. The buoyant frame 10 and support plate of this core buoyant body may be made into the same buoyant body structure by incorporating a structure (hereinafter referred to as a lattice body) in which plate-shaped objects (also called planar bodies or planar members) are combined in a lattice shape. In this case, the groove depth of the lattice body is preferably about 1 mm to 500 mm, and usually 20 mm to 200 mm. A net-like body may be installed in the curing section on the top of the lattice body to grow plants.

FIG. 3 is a view of the mountain-shaped core buoyancy body with an opening. By providing a similar opening in the flat core buoyancy body, a suitable curing environment can be created. The mountain-shaped core buoyancy body is constructed with a trapezoidal plate-shaped object or a mountain-shaped plate-shaped object (hereinafter referred to as a mountain-shaped plane body) 12 and a buoyancy frame plate-shaped object (hereinafter referred to as a buoyancy frame plane body) 13 as constituent members. The front left opening 14 and the front right opening 15 may be provided in the front buoyancy frame plane body, the central opening 16 and the through-hole 17 may be provided in the mountain-shaped plane body 12, the side right opening 18 and the side left opening 19 may be provided in the side buoyancy frame plane body, and the rear opening 20 may be provided in the rear buoyancy frame plane body. Unless otherwise specified, these plane bodies may be made of any material that forms a planar structure with thickness, and may have uneven surfaces, curves, thickness differences in one plane body, and holes or cuts in the plane. The material of the plane body is not particularly limited, and may be wood, polyplate, synthetic plastic material, foamed resin, metal including aluminum and stainless steel, stone, ceramic, pottery, roof tile, Greenbiz, mortar, secondary concrete products, brick, tile, concrete, glass, etc. The thickness of the plane body is not particularly limited, but is preferably about 0.1 mm to 100 mm, usually 2 mm to 50 mm. The material is not particularly limited as mentioned above, but is preferably a material that is easy to bend and has excellent durability over time. From this point of view, examples of suitable materials include those with excellent rust resistance such as polyplate, vinyl, and plastic.

The thickness of the float of both the flat and mountain-shaped core buoyancy bodies is preferably about 1/1000 to 1/3, and usually 1/10 to 1/100. Openings may be provided not only in the frame of the buoyancy body but also in the supporting flat body. The size and shape of the openings are usually rectangular or circular, but are not particularly limited. The number of openings is preferably about 1 to 10,000 for both the buoyancy plate and the core buoyancy body, and usually 2 to 20.

When combining planar members to create a vegetation base, a lattice shape is particularly suitable. However, the fixing angle of the planar body is usually about 5 degrees to 175 degrees, usually 45 degrees to 135 degrees, and is not necessarily limited to vertical (90 degrees). The size of the planar body is not particularly limited, but is preferably about 2 mm to 500 mm in length (height) and about 10 mm to 10,000 mm in width (width or length) relative to the construction surface, usually 20 mm to 200 mm in length and 100 mm to 1,000 mm in width. The arrangement of the planar bodies is preferably a lattice body that is a lattice-like assembly as shown in Figures 2 and 3, but it is not necessarily limited to the arrangement or gradient as long as it can be fixed to the construction surface, such as alone, parallel, or in an indefinite arrangement.
The planar member may be any member capable of fixing the assembled members, for example, nails, screws, staples, etc., but staples are particularly suitable. The material of the planar member is not particularly limited, and may be wood, metal such as iron or stainless steel, etc.

FIG. 4 is a view of a mountain-shaped core buoyant body with a water lifting body (also called a water lifting body or water absorption body) 21 installed. The water lifting body may be installed on a flat core buoyant body, and the size and shape of this core buoyant body are not particularly limited as long as it can be installed in the plant curing section of the buoyancy base, which is the main body. The installed water lifting body may be used for the main body. The water lifting body may be installed and partially or entirely covered with a mesh body. The material of the water lifting body may be a structure that can lift the curing liquid above the water level, including the movement of water by capillary action, such as paper, cloth, cotton, wet tissue, pulp, etc., and chemically synthesized plastic materials such as sponges, foamed ceramics, greenbiz, mortar, secondary concrete products, bricks, tiles, etc., and the material and combination thereof are not particularly limited. The shape of the pulp may be something like "sawdust" granulated or micronized with a mixer. Other materials that may be used include sphagnum moss, peat moss, tea leaves (including used tea leaves), and leaves from any plant or their fine particles.Furthermore, the category of water-pumping bodies also includes the crushed materials of the above-listed substances, either alone or in combination, which have been shaped.For example, the surface of a thin-layer water-pumping body may be treated by bonding powder particles of sand or lava with uniform grain size using adhesives.Adhesives such as salt-rubber, urethane, and acrylic adhesives are used.

The material of the mesh body 5 is not particularly limited, and may be plastic, wood, vinyl, resin, rubber, concrete, stone, metal, etc., but is preferably a material that is easy to bend and has excellent durability over time. From this point of view, materials with excellent rust resistance, such as vinyl and plastic (waterproof rubber), and especially bird nets, are exemplified as suitable materials. The thickness of the net of the covering mesh body 9 is preferably about 0.1 mm to 50 mm, usually 2 mm to 50 mm. The size of the mesh is preferably about 1 mm to 100 mm, usually 2 mm to 50 mm. The covering mesh body 9 does not need to be provided on the top of the planar standing structure, but it is preferable to cover the plant with the covering mesh body 9 after it has been established. The lattice body may be attached with a tacker or a cable tie. The fixing member may be any member that can connect and fix the planar body to the planar body, and may be fixed with, for example, nails, screws, staples, etc., but tackers are particularly preferable. Furthermore, the material of the member is not particularly limited and may be wood, metal such as iron or stainless steel, etc.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a floating plant-cultivation base with a mountain-shaped core buoyant body installed, in which plants are cultivated. Seedlings 22 of plants such as sphagnum moss or young plants to be cultivated are placed on the cultivation surface 23 of the core buoyant body. It is also possible to provide a treatment surface 24 on the buoyant plate 25 of the main body. The buoyant plate 25 of the main body may be used in a water reservoir or tank 26 filled with water or nutrient solution. A buoyant plate opening 27 is provided on the buoyant plate, and a water lifting body 28 is provided on the core buoyant body. A slope 29 may be provided around the upper core buoyant body. It is preferable that the openings 30 of the core buoyant body are provided on both sides of the support plate 31. The number of support plates 31 in the frame is about 1 to 100, and usually 1 to 10. It is also possible to provide a slope structure on the core buoyant body frame part. The buoyancy plate and the core buoyancy body are inclined toward the center at an angle of about 5° to 80°, and usually 20° to 70° is suitable. The buoyancy body opening 27 of the buoyancy plate is always above the water level 33, and the distance from the water level 33 to the top of the curing section can be adjusted according to the buoyancy of the float material and the structure of the foundation. A support 34 is installed at the bottom of the buoyancy plate to stabilize the core buoyancy body.

When the buoyancy plate is surface-treated, the surface is cured afterwards and a liquid material that is viscous before solidification is applied. Examples of such a cured material include adhesives or water-based paints, such as silicone adhesives, water-based resin paints (water-based acrylic resin paints, etc.), urethane adhesives, vinyl acetate adhesives, cellulose adhesives, synthetic rubber adhesives, ultraviolet curing adhesives, anaerobic adhesives, and ultraviolet anaerobic adhesives. However, water-based resin paints (water-based acrylic resin paints, etc.) or silicone adhesives are preferred. When using water-based resin paints, it is also possible to select the desired color.

The method of application is not particularly limited, and for example, the liquid material can be injected onto the surface of the object from an injection container (ejection tube, etc.) containing the liquid material, and then smoothed out with a trivet or the like. When a thin application is desired, the liquid material can be attached to a brush or the like and then applied to the surface of the object.

Next, it is preferable to fluff the liquid material applied to the surface of the object or apply it with a white material. The method for carrying out this step is not particularly limited, but for example, when fluffing, a method such as beating the surface of the liquid material on the surface of the object with a stiff nap-raising member (for example, a wire brush) is used.

Next, particles (gravel, sand, soil, ceramic powder, glass powder, ash, lightweight aggregate, clay, peat moss, crushed dried sphagnum moss, perlite, etc.), pigments, dyes, mosses, green algae, etc. are sprinkled on the liquid material applied to the surface of the object, and then, preferably, the surface of the object is contacted with a water flow generated by adding a shower nozzle to a normal water supply outlet to wash away excess sprinkles. Next, preferably, the surface of the object is lightly smoothed, and then the liquid material is solidified (by a solidification method according to the type of post-hardening material such as drying, ultraviolet irradiation, anaerobic, etc.), thereby forming a natural texture surface on the object similar to that of a clay wall. In addition, a precursor composition of the water-permeable composition described later can be used as the above-mentioned fine soil material.

Providing a coating film on the surface of the above-mentioned object is suitable for preventing the nutrient source of the microorganisms on the surface of the object from being exposed on the surface. However, if the object sprinkled on the surface of the object is a living organism such as a moss plant or green algae other than Sphagnum moss, performing the step of providing this coating film is not suitable because it will be an obstacle to the life activities of the organism. The coating film can be provided by applying a desired coating material to the surface of the object and drying and solidifying it. There is no particular limitation on this coating material, and it is possible to use products currently provided as glazes, but it is preferable to use one that maintains transparency and is highly safe as much as possible. For example, it is very suitable to use an aqueous agent of acrylic resin (manufactured by Atomics Co., Ltd., etc.) sold as an aqueous base stabilizer as this coating material. Furthermore, if necessary, waterproofing can be performed on the upper surface of this coating material, for example, by applying a silicone coating agent.

The material of the buoyancy plate is not particularly limited as long as it is buoyant, such as polystyrene foam, general insulation materials (such as Styrofoam), plastic, wood, vinyl, resin, rubber, etc. Concrete, stone, and metals may be used as long as the structure has a gas portion inside. However, polystyrene foam and insulation materials have the advantages of being water-impermeable and substantially free of nutrient sources for living organisms, as well as being easy to process into a desired shape, being lightweight, and being easy to handle. In addition, as described above, they float on water, making them a particularly suitable material for the present invention.

The subject on which this process can be carried out is not limited to polystyrene foam, but any material that can be used as a container for a simple sphagnum moss cultivation base can be selected.

The thickness of the water reservoir member is not particularly limited, but is preferably about 0.1 mm to 100 mm, usually 2 mm to 50 mm. The material is not particularly limited, but it is preferably a material that is easy to bend and has excellent durability over time, such as plastic, wood, vinyl, resin, rubber, concrete, stone, metal, etc. From this point of view, materials with excellent rust resistance, such as vinyl and plastic (waterproof rubber), are exemplified as suitable materials. The shape of the water reservoir may be box-shaped, cylindrical, conical, columnar, elliptical, dome-shaped, convex (kamaboko-shaped), or other shapes or irregular shapes, and is not particularly limited as long as it is a shape that can store water. The water reservoir body 7 may also be made of multiple materials, and for example, the bottom may be made of wood or waterproof resin, or silicone may be bonded to it, so that it can be used to store water.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a production plant body 37 that has grown by nursing the seedlings after the seedling construction in Fig. 5. In this way, the present invention can also be utilized for the management of seedlings.

This is an appearance drawing of a two-stage floating plant care platform. This is an appearance diagram of a flat core buoyancy body. This is a diagram of a mountain-shaped core buoyancy body with an opening. This is a diagram of the mountain-shaped core buoyancy body with the lifting body installed. This is a cross-sectional view of plants being grown on a buoyant plate with a core buoyancy body installed. This is a cross-sectional view of a production plant body that has grown from seedlings after seedling construction and nursing.

Claims (2)

The floating vegetation base is a floating body that is floated in a water area containing water or nutrient solution, and supplies water or nutrient solution from the area where the liquid is present to the area where the plants are cultivated through capillary action or a transporter having an equivalent property. The floating vegetation base has an independently buoyant core buoyant body,
This plant curing base is characterized in that openings are provided in the main floating curing base and in the independently buoyant core buoyant body, thereby enabling the movement of liquid or gas between the outside and inside absolute spatial regions . 2. A method for using the floating vegetation base according to claim 1 , comprising incorporating a part or the whole of the fixed vegetation base into a floating body having an absolute space to cultivate plants.

Images