JP7636775B2 - How to grow ginger - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for cultivating ginger.

Ginger is mainly cultivated in fields, and after seeds (seed ginger) are planted in the soil, water is supplied (irrigated), fertilized, and chemicals are sprayed, and the ginger is harvested in about 3 to 6 months.
Ginger is generally sensitive to dryness and needs to be watered frequently during the cultivation period. Ginger is also susceptible to diseases such as rhizome rot and pests such as pyralids, so it is necessary to cultivate it while controlling diseases and pests.

On the other hand, in the cultivation of ginger, it is important in agricultural management to promote the thickening of the rhizome (tuber) to increase the yield. Therefore, up to now, cultivation techniques have been developed to sufficiently thicken the rhizome while taking into consideration the above-mentioned characteristics of ginger. As an example, Patent Document 1 describes a method for cultivating plants including ginger, in which "a plant activator containing an organic compound not containing a nitrogen atom and having a solubility of 0.1 mg or less in 100 g of water at 25° C. is applied to the stem of the plant" (see [Claim 1] of Patent Document 1). Here, the plant activator is an oil and fat component, and specific examples thereof include higher alcohols, fatty acids, esters, glycerides, hydrocarbons, and silicones.
According to the cultivation method described in the above Patent Document 1, an organic compound not containing nitrogen atoms, which has a solubility of 0.1 mg or less in 100 g of water at 25° C., is adsorbed to the stem of the plant body, which provides an appropriate stimulation and contributes to improving the vitality of the plant, thereby realizing improvements in plant growth, such as an increase in the weight of the roots and above-ground parts of the plant.

JP 2007-195546 A

Incidentally, the yield of ginger depends on the cultivation environment. As mentioned above, ginger is particularly vulnerable to dryness, and if there is prolonged drought, for example, there is concern that the yield of that year will decrease. In addition, in conditions where diseases and pests are likely to occur, it is natural that the expected yield cannot be expected.
Therefore, there is a need to develop a cultivation method for ginger that is less susceptible to the effects of the cultivation environment. On the other hand, it is unclear whether the plant activator described in Patent Document 1 can improve the vitality of ginger even under a severe cultivation environment.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for cultivating ginger that is less susceptible to the influence of the cultivation environment and can be expected to produce a sufficient yield.

As a result of intensive research to achieve the above object, the present inventors discovered that by using nanobubble water for ginger cultivation, the cultivation environment is less susceptible to the effects of the cultivation environment and a sufficient yield can be expected, and thus completed the present invention.
That is, the present inventors have found that the above object can be achieved by the following configuration.

[1] A method for cultivating ginger, comprising applying nanobubble water to ginger during cultivation.
[2] The method for cultivating ginger according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of watering with the nanobubble water and spraying a pesticide diluted with the nanobubble water.
[3] The method for cultivating ginger according to [2], wherein watering with the nanobubble water is carried out during the rainy season during the cultivation period of ginger, when the soil as the ginger culture medium dries out and the ginger leaves wither.
[4] The method for cultivating ginger according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein ginger is cultivated by open-field cultivation.
[5] The method for cultivating ginger according to [2] or [3], wherein the pesticide diluted with the nanobubble water is attached to a leaf surface of ginger.
[6] The method for cultivating ginger according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the most frequent particle diameter of bubbles contained in the nanobubble water is 10 to 500 nm.
[7] The method for cultivating ginger according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein the bubbles contained in the nanobubble water contain at least one gas selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, ozone, and carbon dioxide.
[8] The method for cultivating ginger according to any one of [1] to [7], wherein the nanobubble water has bubbles of 1 x 10 ⁸ / mL to 1 x 10 ¹⁰ / mL.

According to the present invention, a method for cultivating ginger can be provided that is less susceptible to the effects of the cultivation environment and can produce a sufficient yield.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a nanobubble generator. 1 is an image of ginger harvested in experimental area I. 1 is an image of ginger harvested in experimental area II.

The present invention will be described in detail below.
The following description of the components may be based on representative embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to such embodiments.
In this specification, a numerical range expressed using "to" means a range that includes the numerical values before and after "to" as the lower and upper limits.

The ginger cultivation method of the present invention is a method of cultivating ginger in which nanobubble water is applied to the ginger during cultivation.

Here, "nanobubble water" refers to water that contains bubbles with a diameter of less than 1 μm, or more precisely, water that has nanobubbles mixed in. In addition, with regard to "water that has nanobubbles mixed in," water that is used to generate nanobubble water (raw water for nanobubble water, for example, well water that contains impurities) and that unavoidably contains nanobubbles due to its properties, etc., is excluded from the above-mentioned "water that has nanobubbles mixed in."
The diameter (particle size) of bubbles contained in nanobubble water, as well as the mode particle size and number of bubbles described below, are values obtained by measuring the Brownian motion movement speed of bubbles in water using a nanoparticle tracking analysis method. In this specification, values measured using a nanoparticle analysis system, NanoSight Series (manufactured by NanoSight, Inc.) are used.
In addition, with the NanoSight series nanoparticle analysis system (manufactured by NanoSight), the diameter (particle size) can be calculated from the speed of the Brownian motion of the particles measured, and the most frequent particle size can be confirmed as the mode diameter from the particle size distribution of the nanoparticles present.

In the ginger cultivation method of the present invention, as described above, nanobubble water is applied to ginger during cultivation. This makes ginger cultivation less susceptible to the effects of the cultivation environment, and a sufficient yield can be expected at the time of harvest. Specifically, it is possible to ensure a sufficient yield at the time of harvest even in an environment where drought continues. The reason why such an effect is obtained is not clear in detail, but the present inventor speculates as follows.
In other words, one of the reasons why the present invention can ensure sufficient yields even in environments with prolonged drought is that nanobubble water penetrates into the culture medium (especially into the soil) more easily than ordinary water that does not contain nanobubbles, and thus ginger can absorb moisture well by spraying it with nanobubble water even in dry environments with little rainfall.
Another reason why the present invention can ensure sufficient yields even in an environment of prolonged drought is that the pesticide is easily spread by using it in combination with the above-mentioned nanobubble water, and the pesticide attached to the epidermis of the plant body continues to adhere for a relatively long period of time, so that the efficacy of the pesticide is sustained for a long period of time. In other words, even in a situation where diseases and pests are likely to occur normally, it is possible to effectively control diseases and pests that may occur in ginger by spraying the pesticide in combination with nanobubble water.

In the present invention, the application mode of the nanobubble water is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, used for watering in soil culture, for spraying pesticides in soil culture (strictly speaking, for spraying pesticides diluted with nanobubble water), for producing culture solution to be supplied in nutrient solution culture (hydroponics, spray culture, or solid medium culture), or for simultaneous irrigation and fertilization in nutrient solution soil culture. In addition, with regard to spraying pesticides, pesticides diluted with the nanobubble water may be sprayed, or the nanobubble water and pesticides may be sprayed separately (separated from each other).
The above application modes are merely examples, and any mode may be used as long as the nanobubble water can be suitably applied during the cultivation of ginger. In addition, because the operation is simple and the cutworms that damage ginger can be effectively controlled, it is preferable to perform at least one of the watering with the nanobubble water and the spraying of the pesticide diluted with the nanobubble water, and it is more preferable to perform both the watering with the nanobubble water and the spraying of the pesticide diluted with the nanobubble water.
Furthermore, in soil cultivation, particularly in outdoor cultivation, the application of the nanobubble water exhibits a remarkable effect in controlling cutworms.

In the present invention, the watering using the nanobubble water is carried out for the purpose of supplying moisture to ginger during cultivation. The embodiment is not particularly limited, but specific examples include a mode in which the nanobubble water is sprayed or discharged onto the soil in which ginger is planted, a mode in which the nanobubble water is dripped onto the soil, and a mode in which the nanobubble water is sprinkled (irrigated) into the soil from a drip tube buried in the soil. In each embodiment, the nanobubble water may be used alone, or may be used in a state in which the nanobubble water is mixed with a nutrient solution (liquid fertilizer).

In addition, the timing and frequency of the watering process are not particularly limited since they vary depending on the cultivation region, weather, etc., but it is desirable to perform the watering process at least immediately after planting the seeds (ginger seeds) and when the cotyledons begin to emerge above ground after germination.
In addition, since sufficient yield can be ensured even in an environment with prolonged drought, it is more preferable to carry out the watering process using the nanobubble water when non-rainy days continue during the rainy season during the ginger cultivation process. Here, the "rainy season" refers to a period when a certain amount of precipitation or more is expected in an average year, which is June to August in Japan. It is even more preferable to carry out the watering process using the nanobubble water during this period when non-rainy days, specifically, when the number of sunny, clear, and cloudy days continues for a predetermined number of days (for example, about two weeks), is more than the number of days.
A more preferable mode of watering is to perform watering using the nanobubble water when the soil, which is the medium for ginger, dries out and the ginger leaves wither during the rainy season during the ginger cultivation period. Here, "withering of ginger leaves" means that the ginger leaves (especially the tips) turn brown and wilt due to lack of moisture.
Furthermore, in order to more effectively exert the effect of ensuring a sufficient harvest even in an environment with prolonged drought, since the period during the rainy season when the number of leaves emerging above ground in ginger growth stage is 4 to 6 or more, it is even more desirable to carry out the watering step using the above-mentioned nanobubble water when there are a predetermined number of consecutive days other than rainy days during that period.

In the present invention, the cultivation method of ginger is not particularly limited, but specific examples include cultivation of ginger in the open field and cultivation in a greenhouse, hotbed, or the like. Of these, cultivation of ginger in the open field is more preferable in terms of being able to effectively exert the effect of ensuring a sufficient yield even in an environment of prolonged drought.

In the present invention, the spraying of the pesticide diluted with the nanobubble water is carried out for the purpose of controlling diseases that may occur during the cultivation period of ginger and pests that inhibit the growth of ginger. Among the pesticides used in the cultivation of ginger, examples of pesticides that are effective against diseases that may occur in ginger include Benlate hydrate, which is effective against rice blast, Daconil 1000, which is effective against white spot and sheath blight, Ranman Flowable, which is effective against rhizome rot, and Moncut Flowable 40, which is effective against sheath blight.
In addition, pesticides that are effective against pests that can harm ginger include, for example:
Sabrina Flowable, effective against caterpillars, tobacco moths, and diamondback moths;
Toarow CT, effective against caterpillars, tobacco moths, diamondback moths, etc.
Ortran hydrate, effective against corn borers, etc.
Examples of effective pest control agents against common cutworms and armyworms include Sabrina Flowable, Zentari Granular Water Dispersible Powder, Prebason Flowable, Ortran Water Dispersible Powder, Marathon Emulsion, Sumithion Emulsion, Benica Vegiful Emulsion, Benica R Emulsion, Benica S Emulsion, Elsan Emulsion, Encedan Emulsion, Phoenix Granular Water Dispersible Powder, Preo Flowable, Match Emulsion, and Sabrina Flowable.

In the present invention, the pesticide is diluted with the nanobubble water and sprayed in a liquid state. The method of spraying the pesticide is not particularly limited, but examples include spraying or dripping the nanobubble water and pesticide onto the soil where ginger is planted or onto the ginger, scattering the nanobubble water and pesticide from an aircraft flying above the ginger cultivation area, applying pressure from a sprinkler nozzle to eject the nanobubble water and pesticide, and allowing the nanobubble water and pesticide to flow into the soil from a drip tube buried in the soil.

In order to effectively exert the efficacy of the pesticide, it is preferable to spray the pesticide diluted with nanobubble water so that the diluted pesticide adheres to the leaf surface of the ginger (for example, spraying, scattering from the sky, etc.). The concentration of the diluted pesticide is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.00001 to 10 parts by mass, and more preferably 0.00005 to 5 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the nanobubble water.

The timing of pesticide spraying is not particularly limited as it varies depending on the cultivation region, weather, periods when diseases are likely to occur, and periods when pests are likely to breed, but in terms of effectively controlling diseases and pests, it is desirable to spray at the end of the rainy season (e.g., at the end of the rainy season). Of the above-mentioned pests, cutworms are more likely to breed when there is prolonged drought. Therefore, during the ginger cultivation process, if there are more than a certain number of consecutive days that are not rainy during a period corresponding to the rainy season (e.g., during the rainy season), it is advisable to dilute a pesticide that is effective against cutworms with the above-mentioned nanobubble water and spray the diluted pesticide.

The number of times the pesticide is sprayed is not particularly limited as it varies depending on the type of pesticide, etc., and may be one or more times, but preferably, during the ginger cultivation process, the pesticide diluted with the nanobubble water is sprayed multiple times (specifically, two to three times). Also, as mentioned above, in order to effectively exert the efficacy of the pesticide, it is preferable that the pesticide diluted with nanobubble water is attached to the leaf surface of the ginger in each spray.

Examples of methods for generating the nanobubble water used in the ginger cultivation method of the present invention include the static mixer method, the Venturi method, the cavitation method, the steam condensation method, the ultrasonic method, the swirling flow method, the pressurized dissolution method, and the micropore method.
As the nanobubble water generating device, a generation method using a device that does not intentionally generate radicals is preferable, and specifically, for example, a method of generating nanobubble water using the nanobubble generating device described in paragraphs [0080] to [0100] of JP2018-15715A can be mentioned. The contents of the above are incorporated herein by reference.

Another example of a nanobubble generator that does not intentionally generate radicals is a microbubble generator having a liquid dispenser that dispenses water, a gas mixer that pressurizes and mixes gas into the water dispensed from the liquid dispenser, and a microbubble generator that generates microbubbles in the water by passing the water mixed with the gas through the inside, in which the gas mixer pressurizes and mixes gas into the liquid that flows in a pressurized state toward the microbubble generator between the liquid dispenser and the microbubble generator.Specific example includes the nanobubble generator shown in FIG.
The nanobubble generator 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes therein a liquid discharger 30, a gas mixer 40, and a nanobubble generating nozzle 50.
The liquid dispenser 30 is composed of a pump, and takes in and dispenses raw water (e.g., well water) for nanobubble water. The gas mixer 40 has a container 41 in which compressed gas is sealed, and a substantially cylindrical gas mixer body 42, and introduces the compressed gas in the container 41 into the gas mixer body 42 while allowing the water dispensed from the liquid dispenser 30 to flow into the gas mixer body 42. As a result, gas-mixed water is generated in the gas mixer body 42.
The nanobubble generating nozzle 50 generates nanobubbles in the gas-mixed water according to the principle of pressurized dissolution by passing the gas-mixed water through the inside of the nanobubble generating nozzle 50, and the same structure as that of the nanobubble generating nozzle described in JP 2018-15715 A can be adopted as the structure thereof. The nanobubble water generated in the nanobubble generating nozzle 50 is sprayed from the tip of the nanobubble generating nozzle 50, and then flows out of the nanobubble generator 10 and is delivered to a predetermined destination through a flow path (not shown).
As described above, in the nanobubble generator 10, the gas mixer 40 mixes compressed gas into water (raw water) that flows in a pressurized state toward the nanobubble generating nozzle 50 between the liquid dispenser 30 and the nanobubble generating nozzle 50. This makes it possible to avoid problems such as cavitation that occur when gas is mixed into water on the suction side (suction side) of the liquid dispenser 30. In addition, since the gas is mixed into the water in a pressurized (compressed) state, the gas can be mixed against the water pressure at the gas mixing point. For this reason, it becomes possible to appropriately mix the gas into the water without generating a negative pressure at the gas mixing point.
Furthermore, it is preferable that a flow path for water supplied from a water source such as a well or a water supply is connected to the suction side of the liquid dispenser 30, and the pressure of the water flowing from the upstream side of the liquid dispenser 30 to the liquid dispenser 30 in the flow path (i.e., the water pressure on the suction side) is positive. In this case, the above configuration becomes more meaningful. That is, when the water pressure (suction pressure) on the upstream side of the liquid dispenser 30 becomes positive, gas is mixed into the water on the downstream side of the liquid dispenser 30, so the configuration of the nanobubble generator 10 that can appropriately mix gas into the water even on the downstream side of the liquid dispenser 30 becomes more prominent.

The ginger cultivation method of the present invention may further include a step of generating the nanobubble water before the above-mentioned watering and agricultural chemical spraying. That is, the ginger cultivation method of the present invention may further include a step of generating nanobubble water by taking water (raw water) from a water source such as a water storage tank, a well, or a water supply into a nanobubble generator.
Examples of a method for taking water from a water source into the nanobubble generator include a method for pumping water from the water source using a bucket or a pump, and a method for directly feeding water from a flow path laid between the water source and the nanobubble generator to the nanobubble generator.

The water (raw water) used to generate the nanobubble water is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, rainwater, tap water, well water, surface water, agricultural water, distilled water, etc. Such water may be subjected to other treatments before being used to generate nanobubble water. Examples of other treatments include pH adjustment, precipitation, filtration, and sterilization (disinfection). Specifically, for example, when agricultural water is used, typically, the agricultural water may be used after being subjected to at least one of precipitation and filtration.

In the present invention, since ginger cultivation is less susceptible to the effects of the cultivation environment, the most frequent particle size of the bubbles contained in the nanobubble water is preferably 10 to 500 nm, more preferably 30 to 300 nm, and even more preferably 70 to 130 nm.

The gas that constitutes the bubbles contained in the nanobubble water is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of allowing the bubbles to remain in the water for a long period of time, gases other than hydrogen are preferred. Specific examples of the gas include air, oxygen, nitrogen, fluorine, carbon dioxide, and ozone.
Among these, it is preferable that the gas contains at least one gas selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, ozone and carbon dioxide, because this makes ginger cultivation less susceptible to the influence of the cultivation environment, and it is particularly preferable that the gas contains oxygen, because this improves ginger growth and allows air bubbles to remain for a longer period of time.
Here, the term "containing oxygen" means that the oxygen is contained at a concentration higher than the oxygen concentration in air. The same applies to nitrogen and carbon dioxide. The oxygen concentration in the bubbles is preferably 30% by volume or more, and more preferably more than 50% by volume and 100% by volume or less.

Moreover, the nanobubble water preferably has bubbles of 1 x 10 ⁸ /mL to 1 x 10 ¹⁰ /mL, because this makes ginger cultivation even less susceptible to the effects of the cultivation environment. In particular, the nanobubble water preferably has bubbles of more than 1 x 10 8 /mL but less than 1 x ^{10 10 /} mL, because this provides a good balance between the bubble generation time and the bubble persistence, and more preferably has bubbles of 5 x 10 ⁸ /mL to 5 x 10 ⁹ /mL.

In the present invention, the nanobubble water may contain components other than the above-mentioned pesticides.
Examples of the other components include fertilizers, surfactants, antifreeze agents, antifoaming agents, preservatives, antioxidants, thickeners, etc. The types and contents of the other components are not particularly limited and can be selected according to the purpose.
However, in the present invention, it is preferable that the nanobubble water does not substantially contain radicals as the other components. With regard to "substantially free of radicals," in addition, the case where radicals are inevitably contained due to the water used to generate the nanobubble water (for example, well water containing impurities) is considered to be "substantially free of radicals." On the other hand, the case where radicals generated by some artificial operation are mixed in is not considered to be "substantially free of radicals."

The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples. The materials, amounts used, ratios, processing contents, processing procedures, etc. shown in the following examples can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited by the examples shown below.

<Exam Content>
The test was carried out in a field of ginger (variety: Daishoga) cultivated in Gyoda City, Saitama Prefecture from April to September 2017. Test areas I and II were set in the same field.
Test area I: Ginger was grown outdoors, and nanobubble water was used to water the ginger and to dilute the pesticide (specifically, Trebon powder) to be sprayed.
Test area II: Ginger was grown outdoors. Regular water (water not containing nanobubbles) was used instead of nanobubble water to water the ginger and to dilute the pesticide (specifically, Trebon powder) to be sprayed.
In each test area, 1,500 seed ginger plants were planted and cultivated according to conventional methods.
The frequency and amount of watering were adjusted according to the weather during the cultivation period, and were adjusted so that they were roughly the same in both test plots. During the rainy season in 2017 when the test was conducted, the amount of rainfall was less than usual due to consecutive sunny or clear days, and watering was conducted during a period when there were approximately two weeks of non-rainy days (specifically, sunny or clear days).
The type, timing, dilution rate, and frequency of spraying of the pesticides were appropriately set according to the type of disease or pests that occurred during the cultivation period, and were adjusted so that they were roughly the same in both test plots. Specifically, the above-mentioned Trebon powder was diluted to a specified concentration and sprayed once in late July.

<Method of generating nanobubble water>
The nanobubble water was produced by generating bubbles (nanobubbles) in water using a nanobubble generator (manufactured by Kakuichi Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Aqua Solution Division (now Aqua Solution Co., Ltd.), 100 V, 10 L/min type) using a pressurized dissolution method.
The water (raw water) used to generate the nanobubble water was tap water, and the type of gas constituting the bubbles was oxygen (industrial oxygen, concentration: 99.5% by volume).
The conditions for generating nanobubbles using the above nanobubble generator were as follows:
Number of bubbles per mL of water: 5 x 10 ⁸ bubbles/mL
Bubble size (mode particle diameter): 100 nm

<Evaluation of harvest yield>
In September 2017, ginger cultivated in each test area was harvested, and the yield was evaluated by measuring the size of the stem of one randomly selected plant from each test area. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the stem of ginger in test area I was enlarged compared to test area II, and a larger yield was obtained. Incidentally, Figure 2 shows an image of ginger in test area I, and Figure 3 shows an image of ginger in test area II, and each figure shows the width of one plant selected in each test area, measured by laying it on its side.
Regarding the yield in test area I, as mentioned above, the year 2017 when the test was conducted was a year in which the amount of rainfall during the rainy season was less than average, and the yield was expected to be less than average. However, the yield in test area I was approximately 700 kg, which exceeded the average annual yield (approximately 600 kg/year).
From the above results, the effect of applying nanobubble water to ginger during cultivation was clear. In other words, when there is a drought during the rainy season when there are consecutive days other than rainy days (sunny days, sunny days, and cloudy days), the ginger can efficiently absorb moisture by spraying with nanobubble water, and the efficacy of the pesticide can be effectively exerted by spraying it diluted with nanobubble water, making it possible to effectively suppress the occurrence of pests and diseases. As a result, the ginger grew well and a harvest yield exceeding that of the usual year was obtained.

10 Nanobubble generator 30 Liquid discharger 40 Gas mixer 41 Container 42 Gas mixer main body 50 Nanobubble generating nozzle

Claims (5)

This method for cultivating ginger comprises the steps of: applying a pesticide diluted with nanobubble water to ginger leaf surfaces when a predetermined number of days other than rainy days occur consecutively during a period corresponding to the rainy season during a ginger cultivation period; and applying the nanobubble water to the ginger during cultivation by watering the ginger when the soil, which is a medium for the ginger, dries out and the ginger leaves wither. The method for cultivating ginger according to claim 1, wherein ginger is cultivated in an open field. The method for cultivating ginger according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the most frequent particle diameter of bubbles contained in the nanobubble water is 10 to 500 nm. The method for cultivating ginger according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the bubbles contained in the nanobubble water contain at least one gas selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, ozone, and carbon dioxide. The method for cultivating ginger according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the nanobubble water has bubbles of 1 x 10 ⁸ bubbles/mL to 1 x 10 ¹⁰ bubbles/mL.