JP7589043B2 - Management device, management method, program, and cultivation system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a management device, a management method, a program, and a cultivation system.

A technology is known in which, in a useful microorganism culture tank, an instantaneous value of the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) is judged to be normal when it is within a range between a lower limit and an upper limit, and an instantaneous value of the oxidation-reduction potential outside of this range is judged to be abnormal, and control is performed based on the judgment result (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
[Patent Documents]
Patent Document 1: JP 2009-142231 A

Conventional technology does not allow the specific state of microbial reactions to be known. Therefore, the amount of organic matter to be added to the culture solution or the timing of addition must be determined based on the grower's experience.

To solve the above problems, in a first aspect of the present invention, a management device for managing an organic nutrient solution cultivation system containing microorganisms in a cultivation solution is provided, the management device including a potential acquisition unit that acquires time series data of the redox potential in the cultivation solution, and a state determination unit that extracts characteristics of the waveform of the redox potential from the time series data acquired by the potential acquisition unit and determines the state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system based on the characteristics.

The state determination unit may determine the state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system based on the baseline value when the redox potential reaches a steady state after adding organic matter to the cultivation solution.

The state determination unit may determine the state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system based on the recovery time from when the organic matter is added to the cultivation solution until the redox potential reaches a steady state.

The state determination unit may determine the state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system based on the slope of the redox potential waveform when the redox potential returns to a steady state after organic matter is added to the cultivation solution.

The state determination unit may determine the state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system based on multiple peaks in the waveform from when the organic matter is added to the cultivation solution until the redox potential reaches a steady state.

The management device may further include a temperature acquisition unit that acquires temperature data indicating the temperature in the culture solution. The state determination unit may correct the time series data of the redox potential based on the temperature data, and extract characteristics of the waveform of the redox potential from the corrected time series data.

The management device may further include a correction information generation unit that generates correction information for correcting the time series data based on previously acquired temperature data and time series data.

The correction information generation unit may update the correction information at a predetermined interval.

The state determination unit may compare previously extracted features with newly acquired features to determine the state of the organic hydroponic cultivation system.

The management device may further include a process generation unit that generates process details for the organic nutrient solution cultivation system based on the state determined by the state determination unit.

The process generation unit may generate process content that indicates at least one of the amount and timing of input of organic matter to the organic nutrient solution cultivation system.

The processing generation unit may adjust at least one of the amount and timing of input of organic matter based on at least one of the illuminance of light, temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, and images of the cultivated plants around the organic nutrient solution cultivation system.
The state determination section may extract, as the feature, a change in the waveform of the oxidation-reduction potential within a predetermined time range.

The organic nutrient solution cultivation system may have a cultivation tank through which the cultivation solution flows. The potential acquisition unit may acquire time series data of the redox potential at multiple locations in the cultivation tank. The state determination unit may determine the state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system based on characteristics of the waveforms of the redox potential at the multiple locations.

The process generation unit may determine the position in the cultivation tank where the organic matter is to be added based on the result of the determination by the state determination unit, and generate process content that indicates that position.

In a second aspect of the present invention, a method for managing an organic nutrient solution cultivation system containing microorganisms in a cultivation solution is provided, which includes acquiring time series data of the redox potential in the cultivation solution, extracting characteristics of the waveform of the redox potential in a predetermined time range from the time series data, and judging the state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system based on the characteristics.

In a third aspect of the present invention, a program is provided for causing a computer to execute the management method of the second aspect of the present invention.

In a fourth aspect of the present invention, a cultivation system is provided that includes an organic nutrient solution cultivation system containing microorganisms in a cultivation solution, and a management device according to the first aspect of the present invention that manages the organic nutrient solution cultivation system.

Note that the above summary of the invention does not list all of the necessary features of the present invention. Also, subcombinations of these features may also be inventions.

2 shows an overview of the configuration of a cultivation system 300. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a cultivation system 300. The principle of the ORP sensor is shown. 2 shows an example of an ORP waveform. 1 shows an example of ORP correction based on the temperature in the culture solution. 4 shows how the ORP waveform changes. 1 shows an example of a flowchart of a management method performed by a management device 100. 13 shows an example of a flowchart of a correction process for time series data. 1 shows an example of a flowchart of a state determination process for an organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200. 13 shows an example of a flowchart for generating processing contents. 13 shows another example of a flowchart for generating processing contents. 22 illustrates an example computer 2200 in which aspects of the present invention may be embodied, in whole or in part.

The present invention will be described below through embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Furthermore, not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

Figure 1 shows an overview of the configuration of the cultivation system 300. The cultivation system 300 is a system related to organic nutrient solution cultivation. The cultivation system 300 includes a management device 100 and an organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200. The organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 includes a cultivation tank 210 and a water tank 220. The cultivation tank 210 is a tank for cultivating a cultivated object 350 using a cultivation solution 230. The organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 of this example also includes a fertilizer application section 240 for adding organic fertilizer 242 to the cultivation solution 230 in the water tank 220.

The cultivation tank 210 in this example has fertilizer ports 212a to 212d (sometimes collectively referred to as fertilizer ports 212) and a drainage port 214. The fertilizer port 212 supplies the cultivation solution 230 from the water tank 220 to the inside of the cultivation tank 210. The drainage port 214 discharges the cultivation solution 230 to the outside of the cultivation tank 210. The cultivation solution 230 discharged from the drainage port 214 returns to the inside of the water tank 220.

In this example, the cultivation tank 210 has multiple fertilizer ports 212a to 212d. Each of the fertilizer ports 212a to 212d may be provided with a control valve 213a to 213d for controlling the supply amount of the cultivation solution 230. However, the number and installation position of the fertilizer ports 212 are not limited to the case of FIG. 1, and may be changed depending on the type and number of cultivated plants 350. There may be only one fertilizer port 212, and in this case, the fertilizer port 212 may be provided at a location farthest from the drainage port 214. This allows the cultivation solution 230 to spread and flow within the cultivation tank 210.

The water tank 220 stores the cultivation solution 230. The fertilizer unit 240 adds organic fertilizer 242, which is an organic matter, to the cultivation solution 230 stored in the water tank 220. The organic fertilizer 242 is, for example, bonito broth or corn soaking liquid. The cultivation solution 230 may contain water, microorganisms, and the organic fertilizer 242. In the water tank 220, the cultivation solution 230 that has returned from the cultivation tank 210 is aerated. The aeration of the cultivation solution 230 may be a method of dropping the cultivation solution 230 or a method of using an aeration pump. Oxygen is taken up into the water in the cultivation solution 230 by aeration. This supplies oxygen to the roots of the cultivated plant 350.

The fertilizer application unit 240 stores organic fertilizer 242 inside. The fertilizer application unit 240 injects an instructed amount of organic fertilizer 242 into the water tank 220 at an instructed injection time or injection timing under control of a device such as the management device 100. For example, the fertilizer application unit 240 includes an adjustment valve that adjusts the instructed injection amount, a timer that sets the time, a communication unit, and a control unit.

The cultivation solution 230 circulates between the cultivation tank 210 and the water tank 220. The microorganisms in the cultivation solution 230 mainly attach to the surface of the roots of the cultivated product 350 in the cultivation tank 210. The microorganisms decompose the organic fertilizer 242 into inorganic nutrients on the surface of the roots of the cultivated product 350. The cultivated product 350 cannot absorb the organic fertilizer 242 as nutrients if it is left as it is, and grows by absorbing the decomposed inorganic nutrients. The larger the roots of the cultivated product 350 become, the more inorganic nutrients are absorbed. In this way, the organic fertilizer 242 in the cultivation solution 230 is mainly decomposed in the cultivation tank 210 and newly added in the water tank 220. Adding the organic fertilizer 242 to the cultivation solution 230 in the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 is called "fertilization".

The fertilizer application unit 240 does not constantly add organic fertilizer 242 to the cultivation solution 230. The fertilizer application unit 240 may add organic fertilizer 242 to the cultivation solution 230 intermittently. The fertilizer application unit 240 may add new organic fertilizer 242 to the cultivation solution 230, taking into account the time it takes for the organic fertilizer 242 added once to be decomposed by microorganisms. The cultivation solution 230 is supplied from the water tank 220 to the cultivation tank 210 by the pump 222.

A planting panel 211 may be provided on the top of the cultivation tank 210. The planting panel 211 has a plurality of holes, and a cultivated product 350 is planted in each hole. A liquid information detection unit 250 is also attached to the cultivation tank 210. The liquid information detection unit 250 measures various physical or chemical quantities in the cultivation solution 230. As described below, the liquid information detection unit 250 includes at least an ORP sensor (oxidation-reduction potential sensor) that measures the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) in the cultivation solution 230. The liquid information detection unit 250 may also include a liquid temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the cultivation solution 230. The liquid information detection unit 250 may include other sensors, as described below.

In this example, multiple liquid information detection units 250a to 250d (sometimes collectively referred to as liquid information detection units 250) are provided. In one example, one liquid information detection unit 250 may be provided in the center between adjacent cultivated plants 350. However, the number and installation position of the liquid information detection units 250 are not limited to the case of FIG. 1, and may be changed according to the type and number of cultivated plants 350. The liquid information detection unit 250 may be provided in the water tank 220. There may be only one liquid information detection unit 250, and in this case, it may be provided at a location farther away from the fertilization port 212. The amount of organic fertilizer 242 in the culture solution 230 supplied decreases the further away from the fertilization port 212. It is easier to measure the information of the culture solution 230 and manage the culture solution 230 by installing the liquid information detection unit 250 downstream where the amount of organic fertilizer 242 in the culture solution 230 decreases.

An environmental information detection unit 260 may be provided around the cultivation tank 210. The environmental information detection unit 260 detects environmental information that affects the growth of the cultivated object 350. As described below, the environmental information may include at least one of light illuminance, temperature, humidity, atmospheric concentrations such as carbon dioxide concentration and nitrogen concentration, and an image of the cultivated object.

The management device 100 manages an organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 containing microorganisms in a cultivation solution 230. In this example, the management device 100 includes an edge device 102 (gateway) and a cloud system 104. The edge device 102 is a computer device that receives measurement data from the liquid information detection unit 250 and the environmental information detection unit 260. The edge device 102 may be located within a predetermined distance of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200. The edge device 102 may be a gateway that relays communication between a network between the liquid information detection unit 250 and the environmental information detection unit 260 and a network between the cloud system 104. The cloud system 104 may be composed of one computer or multiple computers that are communicatively connected. The cloud system is built on a communication network.

The edge device 102 is communicatively connected to the liquid information detection unit 250 and the environmental information detection unit 260 of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 via wireless communication or the like. The edge device 102 and the cloud system 104 are communicatively connected via a communication line. The communication line may include the Internet or a dedicated line. The edge device 102 transmits the measurement results by the liquid information detection unit 250 and the measurement data by the environmental information detection unit 260 to the cloud system 104.

The cloud system 104 acquires time series data of the ORP in the cultivation solution 230 from the edge device 102. The cloud system 104 then extracts the characteristics of the ORP waveform from the time series data. The cloud system 104 judges the state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 based on the extracted characteristics. In this way, the management device 100 judges the microbial state based on the characteristics of the ORP waveform, not on whether the instantaneous ORP value is within a range between a lower limit value and an upper limit value.

The management device 100 may control the fertilizer application section 240 in the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 based on the result of the determination of the state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200. The management device 100 realizes effective nutrient solution cultivation. Nutrient solution cultivation has various advantages compared to soil cultivation. Nutrient solution cultivation can copy the microbial environment of the soil to water, so it can be cultivated anywhere and in any region. In addition, it is less susceptible to the effects of weather and can prevent disease and insect damage, so the cultivated product 350 can be produced stably. Furthermore, since multi-tiered cultivation is possible, the yield per unit area increases. This can also simplify the work of farmers.

Organic hydroponic cultivation also has many advantages over inorganic cultivation. In organic hydroponic cultivation, the presence of microbial colonies in the nutrient solution makes it difficult for pathogens to grow and makes the roots more resistant to diseases. This reduces the required level of cleanliness in the cultivation environment, making it possible to introduce this method in a variety of cultivation environments. In addition, because organic matter is converted into inorganic fertilizer by microorganisms, less energy is consumed during production compared to chemical fertilizers, and discarded organic matter can also be utilized.

Figure 2 shows an example of the configuration of the cultivation system 300. Figure 2 mainly shows the configuration of the management device 100. The liquid information detection unit 250 has an ORP sensor 251. In one example, the liquid information detection unit 250 has a liquid temperature sensor 252. The liquid information detection unit 250 may have various sensors such as a dissolved oxygen concentration sensor 253, a pH sensor 254, and a conductivity sensor 255. The liquid information detection unit 250 may have a communication unit 256 that can communicate with the management device 100.

The dissolved oxygen concentration sensor 253 measures the amount of dissolved oxygen (DO) in the cultivation solution 230 to determine the amount of oxygen consumed by microorganisms in the organic matter decomposition process. The pH sensor 254 measures the hydrogen ion exponent (pH) of the cultivation solution 230. The electrical conductivity sensor 255 measures the electrical conductivity of the cultivation solution 230. The electrical conductivity may be used for long-term management, such as on a monthly basis. However, the dissolved oxygen concentration sensor 253, the pH sensor 254, and the electrical conductivity sensor 255 may be omitted.

The environmental information detection unit 260 may include a temperature sensor 261, a humidity sensor 262, an illuminance sensor 263, a crop monitoring camera 264, and an atmosphere information sensor 265. The environmental information detection unit 260 may have a communication unit 266 capable of communicating with the management device 100. The temperature sensor 261, the humidity sensor 262, and the illuminance sensor 263 measure the temperature, humidity, and illuminance around the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200, respectively. The crop monitoring camera 264 takes an image of the cultivated product 350. The cultivated product monitoring camera 264 may take an image of the roots of the cultivated product 350 in the liquid. The atmosphere information sensor 265 measures at least one of the component concentrations of carbon dioxide concentration and nitrogen concentration around the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200. However, unlike this embodiment, all or part of the environmental information detection unit 260 may be omitted.

The edge device 102 may include a communication unit 103 capable of communicating with the communication unit 256 of the liquid information detection unit 250 and with the communication unit 266 of the environmental information detection unit 260. The cloud system 104 may also include a communication unit 106 for communicating with devices such as the edge device 102, the control valve 213, the fertilizer application unit 240, the terminal 270, and the temperature regulator 282.

The management device 100 includes a potential acquisition unit 110 and a state determination unit 120. The management device 100 may further include an information acquisition unit 130, a database 140, a correction information generation unit 150, and a processing generation unit 160. In this example, the case where each of these components is provided in the cloud system 104 has been described, but the management device 100 is not limited to this case. Some or all of these components may be provided in the edge device 102, and each data collection, data analysis, and judgment may be performed in the edge device 102. How to allocate the multiple components to the edge device 102 and the cloud system may be determined appropriately. Also, instead of the edge device 102 and the cloud system 104, one computer may be used as the management device 100.

The potential acquisition unit 110 acquires time series data of the ORP in the cultivation solution 230. The time series data may be the ORP values measured by the ORP sensor 251 at multiple times.

Figure 3 shows the principle of the ORP sensor. The ORP sensor 251 includes a comparison electrode 257, a platinum electrode 258, and a potentiometer 259. The comparison electrode 257 may be a silver electrode, a silver chloride electrode, or a calomel electrode. One end of each of the comparison electrode 257 and the platinum electrode 258 is inserted into the cultivation solution 230 to be measured. The other end of the comparison electrode 257 and the other end of the platinum electrode 258 are connected to the potentiometer 259. The potentiometer 259 measures the potential difference Eh between the comparison electrode 257 and the platinum electrode 258 as the ORP.

The oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), Eh, is expressed by the Nernst equation Eh = Eh ⁰ + (RT/nF) In ([Ox]/[Red]). Eh is the actual oxidation-reduction potential. Eh ⁰ is the standard oxidation-reduction potential, and indicates the oxidation-reduction potential when the activity of the oxidant [Ox] and the activity of the reductant [Red] are the same. R is the gas constant, T is the absolute temperature, n is the number of reaction electrons, and F is the Faraday constant. [Ox] is the activity of the oxidant, and [Red] is the activity of the reductant. In is the natural logarithm.

[Ox] mainly corresponds to the oxygen concentration in the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200. [Red] mainly corresponds to the concentration of organic matter (organic fertilizer 242) in the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200. Fluctuations in the oxygen concentration are basically suppressed by aeration in the water tank 220. Therefore, according to the Nernst equation, as the concentration of organic fertilizer 242 in the cultivation solution 230 increases, the ORP decreases, and as the concentration of organic fertilizer 242 decreases, the ORP increases.

Figure 4 shows an example of an ORP waveform. Figure 4 illustrates a waveform of ORP time series data acquired by the potential acquisition unit 110, with the horizontal axis representing time and the vertical axis representing potential difference (mV). When the concentration of organic fertilizer 242 in the cultivation solution 230 increases due to fertilization, the ORP value drops rapidly. Then, as the organic fertilizer 242 is decomposed by microorganisms, the concentration of organic fertilizer 242 in the cultivation solution 230 decreases, and the ORP value gradually increases. In this example, fertilization is performed once a day, but this is not limited to this case. Fertilization may be performed multiple times a day.

In the management device 100 of this embodiment, the state determination unit 120 shown in FIG. 2 may extract characteristics of the ORP waveform from the time series data acquired by the potential acquisition unit 110. The state determination unit 120 determines the state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 based on the extracted characteristics. The state determination unit 120 may extract the change pattern of the oxidation-reduction potential waveform in a predetermined time range as the characteristic. The "change pattern in a predetermined time range" does not mean the instantaneous value of ORP, but the change pattern of the ORP time series data over a certain period of time.

Examples of characteristics (changes) of the ORP waveform include (1) the recovery time from fertilization until the ORP returns to a steady state, (2) the number or intensity of minimum values (peaks) from fertilization until the ORP returns to a steady state, and (3) the ORP value at the point in time when the ORP returns to a steady state after fertilization. The changes will be described later. "Steady state" may mean a state in which the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) is stable for a certain period of time, and in particular, a state in which the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) after correction based on the liquid temperature, as described later, is stable for a certain period of time.

The "state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200" determined by the state determination unit 120 may include at least one of information regarding the concentration of organic matter in the cultivation solution 230, the state of the microorganisms (the amount or speed at which the microorganisms can decompose the organic matter), whether the amount of fertilizer should be increased or decreased, and whether the timing of fertilization should be advanced or delayed.

The state determination unit 120 may determine the state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 based on the change in the ORP waveform at multiple locations measured by each of the ORP sensors 251 in the liquid information detection units 250a to 250d installed at multiple locations as shown in FIG. 1. For example, the change in the ORP waveform at multiple locations can reveal the aggregation position of organic matter (organic fertilizer 242) in the cultivation tank 210 and the distribution of the organic matter.

The Nernst equation includes absolute temperature T as a variable. In addition, the oxygen concentration represented by [Ox] in the Nernst equation is also affected by temperature. Therefore, the ORP is affected by the temperature of the cultivation solution 230. The state determination unit 120 may correct the ORP time series data based on the temperature data of the solution temperature, and extract the characteristics of the ORP waveform, in particular the change pattern, from the corrected time series data.

The information acquisition unit 130 shown in FIG. 2 may include a temperature acquisition unit 131 that acquires temperature data indicating the temperature in the cultivation solution 230. The information acquisition unit 130 may acquire various measurement data from the solution information detection unit 250 and the environmental information detection unit 260 in chronological order. The database 140 stores the ORP value of the cultivation solution 230 and the temperature value of the cultivation solution 230 at each past time. The database 140 may also store various measurement data by the solution information detection unit 250 and the environmental information detection unit 260 at each past time. The database 140 may sequentially store the newly acquired ORP value, the temperature value of the cultivation solution 230, and various measurement data.

The correction information generating unit 150 generates correction information for correcting the ORP time series data based on previously acquired temperature data and ORP time series data. The correction information generating unit 150 may acquire previously acquired temperature data and ORP time series data from the database 140.

The correction information generating unit 150 may update the correction information at a predetermined cycle. The correction information generating unit 150 updates the correction information every day, for example. The update cycle does not have to be a fixed cycle. The correction information generating unit 150 may update the correction information whenever a predetermined event occurs. The predetermined event may be an update instruction input by the grower. The state determining unit 120 corrects the ORP time series data based on the correction information.

Figure 5 shows an example of ORP correction based on the temperature in the cultivation solution 230. The horizontal axis of Figure 5 shows the temperature (°C) of the cultivation solution 230, and the vertical axis shows the ORP (mV) of the cultivation solution 230. Black circles show actual measured values of ORP in the past. White circles show ORP corrected using a calibration curve (correction information).

The actual measured values are time series data of temperature and ORP obtained in the past. In the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 in a steady state, the correction information generating unit 150 may generate a calibration curve as correction information from the relationship between the temperature (°C) and ORP (mV) of the cultivation solution 230 obtained by utilizing natural temperature changes such as night and day. In this example, the ORP (mV) corrected to the value when the temperature of the cultivation solution 230 is 20°C is given by a calibration curve of -4.4 (T-273) + 222 (where T is absolute temperature). However, the calibration curve as correction information is not limited to this case.

The correction information generating unit 150 is not limited to obtaining correction information using natural temperature changes. In one example, the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 may have a temperature control unit such as a heater that controls the temperature of the cultivation solution 230. The correction information generating unit 150 may generate correction information based on measurement data obtained by artificially changing the temperature of the cultivation solution 230 using a heater or the like and measuring the ORP at each temperature. In this case, the heater may be installed in only a portion of the solution. This allows the temperature of the cultivation solution 230 to be changed in a place that does not affect the cultivation.

Figure 6 shows an example of the change in the ORP waveform. The upper part of Figure 6 shows an example of the ORP waveform 10 before liquid temperature correction, and the lower part of Figure 6 shows an example of the ORP waveform 20 after liquid temperature correction. The state determination unit 120 may correct the ORP time series data based on the temperature data, and extract the characteristics of the ORP waveform 20, in particular the change, from the corrected time series data (lower part of Figure 6). Liquid temperature correction makes it easier to extract the change in the ORP waveform 20.

The state determination unit 120 may determine the state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 by comparing previously extracted features with newly acquired features. The state determination unit 120 may determine the state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 based on a comparison result of comparing the amount of change between the previously extracted change mode with a predetermined threshold value, feature value, or condition. Alternatively, the state determination unit 120 may determine the state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 by comparing the newly acquired change mode with a predetermined threshold value, feature value, or condition.

The management device 100 may use machine learning to determine predetermined thresholds, features, or conditions without relying on the intuition and experience of the grower. For example, the management device 100 corrects the thresholds, features, or conditions and updates them over time through machine learning of an image of the final ORP of the cultivation solution 230. In addition, the management device 100 may adaptively determine predetermined thresholds, features, or conditions through pattern recognition from past cultivation history data. For example, the management device 100 corrects the thresholds, features, or conditions and updates them over time through pattern recognition of time-series data of the final ORP of the cultivation solution 230 [0].

The state determination unit 120 may determine the state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 based on the baseline value when the ORP reaches a steady state 22 after the organic fertilizer 242, which is an organic matter, is added to the cultivation solution 230. The addition of the organic fertilizer 242, which is an organic matter, may be fertilization by the fertilization unit 240. The steady state 22 may be a state in which the fluctuation in the ORP value after temperature correction is equal to or less than a predetermined value, or a state in which a predetermined time (in one example, 7 hours) has passed since fertilization. The baseline value may be the minimum, maximum, or average value of the ORP in the steady state 22.

In one example, the state determination unit 120 may determine the state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 based on the amount of change between a past baseline value (such as the previous baseline value) and the current baseline value. If the baseline value has decreased compared to the past baseline value (the previous baseline value) or a predetermined value, the state determination unit 120 may determine that the organic fertilizer 242 has not been sufficiently decomposed by microorganisms, and if the baseline value has increased, may determine that components that are not absorbed by the cultivated plants have accumulated in the cultivation solution. In these cases, the state determination unit 120 may determine that the amount of fertilizer application should be suspended or reduced, or that the timing of fertilization should be delayed.

The state determination unit 120 may determine the state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 based on the recovery time t1 from the addition of the organic matter to the cultivation solution 230 until the ORP reaches the steady state 22. Alternatively, the state determination unit 120 may determine the state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 based on the period t2 from the addition of the organic matter to the cultivation solution 230 until the ORP reaches a minimum value (minimal value), or the period t3 from the minimum value until the ORP reaches a steady state value after fertilization.

If the return time t1 becomes long, or if the ORP does not return to the steady state 22 within a predetermined time, it may be determined that the organic fertilizer 242 has not been sufficiently decomposed by microorganisms. In this case, the state determination unit 120 may determine that the state is such that fertilization should be suspended or the amount of fertilizer applied should be reduced, or that the timing of fertilization should be delayed.

The state determination unit 120 may determine the state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 based on the slope C1 of the ORP waveform 20 when the ORP recovers toward the steady state 22 after organic matter is added to the cultivation solution 230. The slope C1 of the waveform 20 may be the increase in ORP per unit time. If the slope C1 of the waveform 20 is smaller than a predetermined value, it may be determined that the organic fertilizer 242 has not been sufficiently decomposed by microorganisms. In this case, the state determination unit 120 may determine that the amount of fertilizer should be reduced, or that the timing of fertilization should be delayed.

The state determination unit 120 may determine the state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 based on multiple peaks (valleys, minimum values) P1, P2 in the waveform 20 from the time when the organic matter is added to the cultivation solution 230 until the ORP reaches a steady state 22. The state determination unit 120 may determine the microbial state based on the relative relationship between the intensities of the multiple peaks P1, P2, the half-widths of the peaks P1, P2, the interval between the peaks P1, P2, etc.

The state determination unit 120 may determine the state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 based on the fertilization area S shown in FIG. 6. The fertilization area S may be the area of the range surrounded by a line (dotted line in FIG. 6) connecting the first point of the waveform 20 at the time of fertilization and the second point of the waveform at the time of reaching the steady state 22, and the waveform 20 between the first and second points. When the fertilization area S becomes large, the state determination unit 120 may determine that the organic fertilizer 242 has not been sufficiently decomposed by microorganisms. In this case, the state determination unit 120 may determine that the amount of fertilizer should be reduced, or that the timing of fertilization should be delayed.

The state determination unit 120 may determine the state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 based on the absolute value and positive/negative of the slope (flatness) C2 of the waveform 20 in the steady state 22. The state determination unit 120 may determine the state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 based on multiple types of characteristics selected from the baseline value, the recovery time, the characteristics of the slopes C1 and C2 of the waveform, the peaks P1 and P2, and the fertilization area S, etc.

The state determination unit 120 may determine the state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 by using the characteristics of the ORP waveform in combination with other information. The other information may be information about the cultivation solution 230, such as the dissolved oxygen concentration and hydrogen ion exponent (pH) in the cultivation solution 230, or may be the illuminance of light, temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, nitrogen concentration, and images for determining the specific growth of the cultivated plant 350 around the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200.

In FIG. 2, the management device 100 of this embodiment may further include a process generation unit 160 that generates process content for the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 based on the state determined by the state determination unit 120. In this example, the process generation unit 160 generates process content indicating at least one of the amount and timing of input of organic matter to the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200. That is, the process generation unit 160 determines control content for the amount and timing of fertilization by the fertilization unit 240. The communication unit 106 transmits a control signal to the fertilization unit 240 in accordance with the determined control content. Upon receiving the control signal, the fertilization unit 240 performs fertilization at a timing and amount based on the received process content.

The processing generation unit 160 may adjust at least one of the amount and timing of input of organic matter based on the result of the determination by the state determination unit 120, as well as on at least one of information on the illuminance of light, temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, and images of the cultivated plants around the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200.

The higher the illuminance, the more nutrients are absorbed by the cultivated plant 350, so the processing and generating unit 160 may adjust the input amount of organic matter to be increased or the input frequency to be increased. There is a temperature range suitable for the cultivated plant 350. Therefore, the processing and generating unit 160 may adjust the input amount of organic matter to be decreased or the input frequency to be decreased as the deviation from the suitable temperature range increases. The processing and generating unit 160 may determine the growth level of the cultivated plant 350 by comparing images taken in chronological order of the cultivated plant 350, and adjust the input amount and input timing of the organic matter according to the growth level. In one example, if the growth level determines that the cultivated plant 350 is weak, the processing and generating unit 160 may adjust the input amount of organic matter to be decreased. If the carbon dioxide concentration is higher than a predetermined value, photosynthesis is promoted, so the processing and generating unit 160 may adjust the input amount of organic matter to be increased.

The processing generation unit 160 may generate processing contents other than the amount and timing of input of organic matter. The processing generation unit 160 may transmit the processing contents to a terminal 270 registered in advance by a grower or the like via the communication unit 106. The terminal 270 may be a mobile terminal or a computer terminal such as a personal computer. The terminal 270 may display the received processing contents on the screen.

The process generation unit 160 may control a temperature regulator 282 that adjusts the temperature of the cultivation solution 230 based on the state determined by the state determination unit 120. The temperature regulator 282 may include, for example, a heater and a cooling means.

The processing generation unit 160 may control the water supply valve 284 for adding water to the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200, particularly the water tank 220. If the amount of water supplied is less than a predetermined value, the concentration of the cultivation solution 230 may become high, affecting microorganisms and the roots of the cultivated plants, or the hydrogen ion exponent may become too high, affecting the roots of the cultivated plants. Therefore, the processing generation unit 160 may adjust the amount of water in the water tank 220.

The processing generation unit 160 may also control the cultivation solution exchange mechanism 286 to exchange the entire cultivation solution 230 based on the state determined by the state determination unit 120. The cultivation solution exchange mechanism 286 may drain the current cultivation solution 230 from the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200, and may introduce the cultivation water and water prepared and stored in the pre-cultivation process (cultivation process) into the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 as new cultivation solution 230.

The process generation unit 160 may control the pump 222 (FIG. 1) based on the state determined by the state determination unit 120 to change the flow rate of the cultivation solution 230. The process generation unit 160 may control the degree of opening and closing of the fertilizer inlet 212 based on the determination result in the state determination unit to adjust the amount of cultivation solution 230 supplied to the cultivation tank 210.

The process generation unit 160 may determine the position (addition position) in the cultivation tank 210 for adding organic matter based on the judgment result in the state judgment unit, and generate process content indicating the position. The position for adding the organic matter may be the fertilizer inlet 212 of the cultivation solution 230 containing organic fertilizer 242. The process generation unit 160 may control the opening and closing and the degree of opening and closing of the control valves 213a to 213d of each of the multiple fertilizer inlets 212a to 212d.

Figure 7 shows an example of a flowchart of the management method by the management device 100. A computer program may cause a computer to execute the management method. The computer program may be provided by a computer-readable recording medium. The management method manages an organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 containing microorganisms in a culture solution 230. The potential acquisition unit 110 acquires time series data of the ORP in the culture solution 230 (step S10). The state determination unit 120 and the correction information generation unit 150 correct the ORP time series data based on temperature data indicating the temperature in the culture solution 230 (step S20). The state determination unit 120 extracts a change pattern as a feature of the ORP waveform 20 from the time series data of the ORP in the culture solution 230 or the temperature-corrected time series data, and determines the state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 based on the change pattern (step S30). The process generation unit 160 generates process content for the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 based on the state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 determined in the state determination step (step S30) (step S40).

Figure 8 shows an example of a flowchart of the correction process of time series data. Figure 8 shows an example of the process content of step S20 in Figure 7. The temperature acquisition unit 131 acquires temperature data in the cultivation solution 230 (step S21).

The correction information generating unit 150 updates the correction information (calibration curve) for correcting the ORP time series data at a predetermined interval, based on previously acquired temperature data and ORP time series data. The state determining unit 120 corrects the ORP time series data based on the temperature data of step S21 by referring to the correction information (step S22). By using the time series data corrected in this manner, the accuracy of determining the state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 can be improved.

Figure 9 shows an example of a flow chart of the state determination process of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200. Figure 9 shows an example of the process contents of step S30 in Figure 7. The state determination unit 120 extracts a change mode as a feature of the ORP waveform 20 from the time series data of the ORP in the cultivation solution 230, particularly the temperature-corrected time series data (step S31). The change mode may be, as shown in Figure 6, (1) the baseline value when the ORP reaches the steady state 22 of the waveform 20 after fertilization, (2) the return time t1 until the ORP reaches the steady state 22 after fertilization, (3) the slope C1 of the waveform 20 when the ORP recovers toward the steady state 22 after fertilization, and (4) the mode of multiple minimum peaks P1 and P2 until the ORP reaches the steady state 22 after fertilization (relative relationship of intensity, half-width, peak interval), etc.

The state determination unit 120 compares the change mode extracted in step S31 with the corresponding past change mode or with a criterion based on the past change mode (step S32). If the amount of change between the previously extracted change mode and the newly extracted change mode is equal to or greater than the threshold value or the newly extracted change mode satisfies the condition (step S32: YES), the state determination unit 120 determines that the decomposition of organic matter by microorganisms is not sufficient (step S33). On the other hand, if the amount of change is less than the threshold value or the newly extracted change mode does not satisfy the condition (step S32: NO), it determines that the decomposition of organic matter by microorganisms is sufficient (step S34).

The state determination process of this embodiment makes it possible to know the state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 more accurately than when determining whether the ORP instantaneous value is normal or abnormal based on whether it is within a range between a lower limit value and an upper limit value. Therefore, even a grower who has little experience cultivating the crop 350 and finds it difficult to determine the fertilization conditions can know the appropriate amount and timing of fertilization.

Figure 10 shows an example of a flowchart for generating process contents. Figure 10 shows an example of the process contents of step S40 in Figure 7. The process generation unit 160 acquires the state judgment result of the organic hydroponic cultivation system 200 based on the change in the ORP in Figure 9 (step S41).

The process generation unit 160 generates process content for the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 based on the state determined by the state determination unit 120. In particular, the process generation unit 160 determines process content such as the input amount (fertilization amount) of organic matter (organic fertilizer 242) in fertilization, input timing, or input position (step 42). The process generation unit 160 transmits a control signal to the fertilization unit 240, etc. (step S43). The fertilization unit 240 that receives the control signal performs fertilization at the timing and amount based on the received process content.

Figure 11 shows another example of a flowchart for generating processing contents. Figure 11 shows another example of the processing contents of step S40 in Figure 7. The processing of steps S51, S53, and S54 is similar to the processing of steps S41, S42, and S43 in Figure 10. Therefore, repeated explanations will be omitted.

The information acquisition unit 130 acquires at least one of the following information: temperature, humidity, illuminance, carbon dioxide concentration, nitrogen concentration, and an image of the cultivated plant around the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 (step S52). In this example, the state determination unit 120 uses not only the change in ORP but also the various information acquired in step S52 to determine the processing details, such as the amount, timing, or location of organic matter to be added during fertilization (step S53).

The state determination unit 120 may generate processing contents other than the input amount, input timing, and input location of organic matter. The state determination unit 120 may generate at least one of the following processes: (1) temperature control of the cultivation solution 230; (2) control of adding water to the water tank 220; (3) control of the amount of cultivation solution 230 supplied to the cultivation tank 210; (4) control of replacement of the cultivation solution 230; (5) control of the flow rate of the cultivation solution 230 (control of the pump 222); and (6) transmission of information to a terminal 270 of a grower or the like.

According to the process shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, the fertilizer application unit 240 applies organic fertilizer 242 based on the fertilization conditions calculated by the process generation unit 160. For example, the fertilizer application unit 240 applies organic fertilizer 242 in an amount calculated by the process generation unit 160. This allows the organic fertilizer 242 to be applied automatically.

In addition, the amount of fertilizer applied, the timing of fertilization, the location of fertilization, the temperature of the culture solution, the addition of water to the water tank 220, the supply of culture solution to the culture tank 210, the replacement of the culture solution 230, and the flow rate of the culture solution 230 can be controlled with higher accuracy than when determining whether something is normal or abnormal based on whether the instantaneous ORP value is within a range between a lower limit and an upper limit. In addition, the microbial state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system 200 can be identified with higher accuracy and the grower can be informed of this.

12 shows an example of a computer 2200 in which aspects of the present invention may be embodied in whole or in part. A program installed on the computer 2200 may cause the computer 2200 to function as or perform operations associated with an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention or one or more sections of the apparatus, and/or to perform a process or steps of a process according to an embodiment of the present invention. Such a program may be executed by the CPU 2212 to cause the computer 2200 to perform certain operations associated with some or all of the blocks of the flowcharts and block diagrams described herein.

The computer 2200 according to this embodiment includes a CPU 2212, a RAM 2214, a graphics controller 2216, and a display device 2218, which are interconnected by a host controller 2210. The computer 2200 also includes input/output units such as a communication interface 2222, a hard disk drive 2224, a DVD-ROM drive 2226, and an IC card drive, which are connected to the host controller 2210 via an input/output controller 2220. The computer also includes legacy input/output units such as a ROM 2230 and a keyboard 2242, which are connected to the input/output controller 2220 via an input/output chip 2240.

The CPU 2212 operates according to the programs stored in the ROM 2230 and the RAM 2214, thereby controlling each unit. The graphics controller 2216 retrieves image data generated by the CPU 2212 into a frame buffer or the like provided in the RAM 2214 or into itself, and causes the image data to be displayed on the display device 2218.

The communication interface 2222 communicates with other electronic devices via a network. The hard disk drive 2224 stores programs and data used by the CPU 2212 in the computer 2200. The DVD-ROM drive 2226 reads programs or data from the DVD-ROM 2201 and provides the programs or data to the hard disk drive 2224 via the RAM 2214. The IC card drive reads programs and data from an IC card and/or writes programs and data to an IC card.

ROM 2230 stores therein a boot program or the like executed by computer 2200 upon activation, and/or a program that depends on the hardware of computer 2200. I/O chip 2240 may also connect various I/O units to I/O controller 2220 via a parallel port, a serial port, a keyboard port, a mouse port, etc.

The programs are provided by a computer-readable medium such as a DVD-ROM 2201 or an IC card. The programs are read from the computer-readable medium, installed in the hard disk drive 2224, RAM 2214, or ROM 2230, which are also examples of computer-readable media, and executed by the CPU 2212. The information processing described in these programs is read by the computer 2200, and brings about cooperation between the programs and the various types of hardware resources described above. An apparatus or method may be constructed by realizing the manipulation or processing of information according to the use of the computer 2200.

For example, when communication is performed between computer 2200 and an external device, CPU 2212 may execute a communication program loaded into RAM 2214 and instruct communication interface 2222 to perform communication processing based on the processing described in the communication program. Under the control of CPU 2212, communication interface 2222 reads transmission data stored in a transmission buffer processing area provided in RAM 2214, hard disk drive 2224, DVD-ROM 2201, or a recording medium such as an IC card, and transmits the read transmission data to the network, or writes reception data received from the network to a reception buffer processing area or the like provided on the recording medium.

The CPU 2212 may also cause all or a necessary portion of a file or database stored on an external recording medium such as the hard disk drive 2224, the DVD-ROM drive 2226 (DVD-ROM 2201), an IC card, etc. to be read into the RAM 2214, and perform various types of processing on the data on the RAM 2214. The CPU 2212 then writes back the processed data to the external recording medium.

Various types of information, such as various types of programs, data, tables, and databases, may be stored in the recording medium and may undergo information processing. CPU 2212 may perform various types of processing on data read from RAM 2214, including various types of operations, information processing, conditional judgment, conditional branching, unconditional branching, information search/replacement, etc., as described throughout this disclosure and specified by the instruction sequence of the program, and write back the results to RAM 2214. CPU 2212 may also search for information in a file, database, etc. in the recording medium. For example, if multiple entries each having an attribute value of a first attribute associated with an attribute value of a second attribute are stored in the recording medium, CPU 2212 may search for an entry that matches a condition specified by the attribute value of the first attribute from among the multiple entries, read the attribute value of the second attribute stored in the entry, and thereby obtain the attribute value of the second attribute associated with the first attribute that satisfies a predetermined condition.

The above-described programs or software modules may be stored on a computer-readable medium on the computer 2200 or in the vicinity of the computer 2200. In addition, a recording medium such as a hard disk or RAM provided in a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the Internet can be used as a computer-readable medium, thereby providing the programs to the computer 2200 via the network.

The present invention has been described above using an embodiment, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiment. It is clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiment. It is clear from the claims that forms with such modifications or improvements can also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

The order of execution of each process, such as operations, procedures, steps, and stages, in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, specifications, and drawings is not specifically stated as "before" or "prior to," and it should be noted that the processes may be performed in any order, unless the output of a previous process is used in a later process. Even if the operational flow in the claims, specifications, and drawings is explained using "first," "next," etc. for convenience, it does not mean that it is essential to perform the processes in this order.

10...waveform, 20...waveform, 22...steady state, 100...management device, 102...edge device, 103...communication unit, 104...cloud system, 106...communication unit, 110...potential acquisition unit, 120...state determination unit, 130...information acquisition unit, 131...temperature acquisition unit, 140...database, 150...correction information generation unit, 160...processing generation unit, 200...organic hydroponic cultivation system, 210...cultivation tank, 2 11: Planting panel, 212: Fertilizer port, 213: Control valve, 214: Drain port, 220: Water tank, 222: Pump, 230: Cultivation solution, 240: Fertilizer section, 242: Organic fertilizer, 250: Liquid information detection section, 251: ORP sensor, 252: Liquid temperature sensor, 253: Dissolved oxygen concentration sensor, 254: pH sensor, 255: Conductivity sensor, 256: Communication section, 257: Comparison electrode, 258: Platinum electrode, 259: Potentiometer, 260: Environmental information detector, 261: Temperature sensor, 262: Humidity sensor, 263: Illuminance sensor, 264: Cultivation monitoring camera, 265: Atmosphere information sensor, 266: Communication unit, 270: Terminal, 282: Temperature regulator, 284: Water supply valve, 286: Cultivation solution exchange mechanism, 300: Cultivation system, 350: Cultivation, 2200: Computer, 2201: DVD-ROM, 2210: Host controller, 2212: CPU, 2214: RAM, 2216: Graphic controller, 2218: Display device, 2220: Input/output controller, 2222: Communication interface, 2224: Hard disk drive, 2226: DVD-ROM drive, 2230: ROM, 2240: Input/output chip, 2242: Keyboard

Claims (18)

A management device for managing an organic hydroponic cultivation system containing microorganisms in a culture solution,
A potential acquisition unit that acquires time-series data of the oxidation-reduction potential in the culture solution;
a state determining unit that extracts characteristics of a waveform of the oxidation-reduction potential from the time-series data acquired by the potential acquiring unit, and determines a state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system based on the characteristics. The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the state determination unit determines the state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system based on a baseline value when the oxidation-reduction potential reaches a steady state after the organic matter is added to the cultivation solution. The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the state determination unit determines the state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system based on a recovery time from when an organic matter is added to the cultivation solution until the oxidation-reduction potential reaches a steady state. The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the state determination unit determines the state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system based on a slope of the waveform of the oxidation-reduction potential when the oxidation-reduction potential recovers toward a steady state after an organic matter is added to the cultivation solution. The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the state determination unit determines the state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system based on a plurality of peaks in the waveform from when the organic matter is added to the cultivation solution until the oxidation-reduction potential reaches a steady state. A temperature acquisition unit that acquires temperature data indicating a temperature in the culture solution,
The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the state determination unit corrects the time series data of the oxidation-reduction potential based on the temperature data, and extracts the features of a waveform of the oxidation-reduction potential from the corrected time series data. The management device according to claim 6 , further comprising a correction information generating unit configured to generate correction information for correcting the time series data based on the temperature data and the time series data previously acquired. The management device according to claim 7 , wherein the correction information generating unit updates the correction information at a predetermined cycle. The management device according to claim 1 , wherein the state determination unit determines the state of the organic hydroponics cultivation system by comparing the previously extracted features with the newly acquired features. The management device according to claim 1 , further comprising a process generating unit that generates process details for the organic nutrient solution cultivation system based on the state determined by the state determining unit. The management device according to claim 10 , wherein the process generation unit generates the process content indicating at least one of an input amount and input timing of an organic matter to the organic hydroponic cultivation system. The management device according to claim 11, wherein the processing generation unit adjusts at least one of the amount and timing of input of the organic matter based on at least one of light illuminance, temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, and an image of the cultivated plant around the organic nutrient solution cultivation system. The management device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the state determination unit extracts, as the characteristic, a change in the waveform of the redox potential within a predetermined time range. The organic nutrient solution cultivation system has a cultivation tank through which the cultivation solution flows,
The potential acquisition unit acquires time series data of the oxidation-reduction potential at a plurality of points in the cultivation tank,
The management device according to claim 10 , wherein the state determination unit determines a state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system based on the characteristics of the waveforms of the oxidation-reduction potential at the plurality of points. The management device according to claim 14 , wherein the process generation unit determines a position in the cultivation tank to which organic matter is to be added based on a result of the determination by the state determination unit, and generates the process content indicating the position. A method for managing an organic hydroponic culture system containing microorganisms in a culture solution, comprising:
Obtaining time series data of the oxidation-reduction potential in the culture solution;
a feature of the waveform of the oxidation-reduction potential within a predetermined time range is extracted from the time-series data, and a state of the organic nutrient solution cultivation system is determined based on the feature. A program for causing a computer to execute the management method described in claim 16. An organic hydroponic system containing microorganisms in the culture solution;
A cultivation system comprising: a management device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, which manages the organic nutrient solution cultivation system.

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