EP0959664A1 - Procede et installation pour cultiver des plantes - Google Patents

Procede et installation pour cultiver des plantes

Info

Publication number
EP0959664A1
EP0959664A1 EP97905230A EP97905230A EP0959664A1 EP 0959664 A1 EP0959664 A1 EP 0959664A1 EP 97905230 A EP97905230 A EP 97905230A EP 97905230 A EP97905230 A EP 97905230A EP 0959664 A1 EP0959664 A1 EP 0959664A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
column
plants
columns
installation according
plant
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP97905230A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
A. Graham Sparkes
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
M & J Ltd
Original Assignee
M & J Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by M & J Ltd filed Critical M & J Ltd
Publication of EP0959664A1 publication Critical patent/EP0959664A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01G—HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING
    • A01G31/00—Soilless cultivation, e.g. hydroponics
    • A01G31/02—Special apparatus therefor
    • A01G31/04—Hydroponic culture on conveyors
    • A01G31/047—Hydroponic culture on conveyors with containers inside rotating drums or rotating around a horizontal axis, e.g. carousels
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
    • Y02P60/00—Technologies relating to agriculture, livestock or agroalimentary industries
    • Y02P60/20—Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions in agriculture, e.g. CO2
    • Y02P60/21—Dinitrogen oxide [N2O], e.g. using aquaponics, hydroponics or efficiency measures

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to horticulture, and is particularly concerned with the provision of an apparatus and method for the growing of large numbers of plants in small areas of ground space.
  • the method is particularly suited to the growing of crop-bearing vine type plants such as beans, tomatoes, cucumbers etc, and can be adapted for the production of self-supporting flowering plants.
  • An objective of the present invention is to provide for an increased population density of plants over conventional methods.
  • a method for the cultivation of plants comprises positioning a plurality of plants in a number of vertically spaced rows extending circumferentially about a rotating column, and arranging light sources to irradiate the plants from a horizontal direction, preferably generally radially of the column.
  • a number of vertically extending linear light sources are arranged to surround the column.
  • a vertically extending linear light source may be placed within the column, preferably extending along the axis of the column, and may be provided in conjunction with or as an alternative to the external light sources.
  • the columns are preferably circular, but may be polygonal, in horizontal section.
  • Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a vine plant growing column
  • Figure 2 is a schematic plan view showing the layout of the columns and light sources in a growing house.
  • Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of a plant growing column populated with truncated vine plants.
  • Figure 1 shows a plant growing column for the growing of vine type plants.
  • the column comprises a generally vertical cylinder 1, surrounded by a number of generally horizontal ledges 2.
  • the cylindrical column 1 is preferably formed of an open mesh of wire or other suitable material, or may be formed from perforated sheet material or expanded metal sheet.
  • the column may comprise a number of vertically extending cords or wires hanging from an upper supporting ring, with plants trained up the cords to form a cylindrical array of plants.
  • Extending circumferentially round the column 1 of Figure 1 are a number of horizontal ledges 2. Typically three ledges 2 will be provided on each coiumn 1 , but the number of ledges will depend on the available height in the growing house and the required vertical spacing between the ledges. On each ledge 2 is supported a growth substrate such as a foam slab or mineral wool enclosed in an impervious sleeve, such as are conventionally used for the propagation of tomato or other plants.
  • a growth substrate such as a foam slab or mineral wool enclosed in an impervious sleeve, such as are conventionally used for the propagation of tomato or other plants.
  • an area of one square metre of floor can provide approximately 7.5 linear metres of growth substrate in the three circumferential lengths supported by the ledges 2.
  • vine type plants are rooted at regular spacings in the growth substrate, such that each shelf 2 will accommodate for example ten to twelve plants regularly spaced around the circumference of an 800 mm diameter column 1.
  • each shelf 2 will accommodate for example ten to twelve plants regularly spaced around the circumference of an 800 mm diameter column 1.
  • more plants can be accommodated per ledge if the diameter is increased, or if the spacing between plants is reduced.
  • a first plant p1 is trained to grow horizontally round the circumference of the column from its rooting point in the growth substrate. Its neighbouring plant p2 is allowed to grow vertically by a short distance, and is then trained horizontally so as to follow the direction of plant p1.
  • the next plant in the sequence is allowed to grow vertically by a slightly greater distance than p2, and is then trained to grow horizontally, again following the direction of plant p1.
  • the sequence is repeated for all the plants on each shelf 2.
  • the preferred vertical distance between the trained plants is 12 cm, but greater or smaller distances may be suitable for different plants.
  • the diameter of the column 1 is so arranged that each truss of fruit developed on the plant p1 is harvested before the growth tip of the plant p1 completes a circumference of the column and reaches the location of the fruit truss.
  • the first fruiting truss of each plant will be spaced from the first fruiting truss of preceding plant both vertically and horizontally, and thus the first fruiting trusses will be arranged in a helix about the column 1.
  • the first fruiting trusses will be arranged in a helical disposition about the column 1.
  • each plant may extend a number of times round the column 1. It is preferable that the diameter of the column 1 is so arranged that the time taken by the first fruiting truss to ripen fully is slightly less than the time taken for the growing tip of the plant to complete a circuit of the column 1.
  • the time taken by the first fruiting truss to ripen fully is slightly less than the time taken for the growing tip of the plant to complete a circuit of the column 1.
  • the vines may be trained round the column to grow with their stems extending along helical paths, with the stems at between 15 and 75 degrees to the horizontal.
  • the column may be vibrated either continuously or intermittently to influence the stem elongation of the plants.
  • the effect of vibration is to reduce internodal distance, and to cause thickening of the tissue, thus improving fruit weight and quality.
  • By vibrating the column it may be possible to increase the density of fruit due to the reduced spacing between fruiting trusses on each plant.
  • Rooted cuttings p1 , p2 are planted in a growth medium on the ledges 2 as before, and are grown vertically until a flowering truss has developed. Growth is continued until the stem develops one further leaf, and the growing tip is then pinched off. This effectively stops elongation of the plant stem and the plant then devotes its energy to producing fruit from the flowering truss.
  • the fruit When the fruit is ripe, the fruit is harvested and the plant removed from the ledge 2 and discarded or composted to provide a supply of nutrient extracts or growth medium.
  • the pinched-off tips may be rooted, grown on to a transplantable size, and eventually used to replace the plants removed after harvesting.
  • each column will ideally be surrounded by vertically extending linear light sources which radiate light in a generally horizontal direction towards the column.
  • the column 1 may be rotated about its vertical axis. This horizontal illumination of the column and plants effectively overcomes a major problem of the prior art methods, which is that the developing leaf canopy will progressively obscure the lower leaves of the vines from light and thus diminish the potential yield of the plant.
  • each of the sets of leaves developed by the plant will be illuminated to its maximum capacity for its entire useful life, since new leaves developed by the plant will be spaced from the previous leaves in a direction substantially perpendicular to the incident light.
  • the yield of the plants can be further enhanced by increasing the time for which illumination is provided, and it is envisaged that in a greenhouse or growing enclosure, a number of columns 1 will be mounted in rows, and radiation sources will be placed on either side of these rows to provide lateral illumination for the plants.
  • the columns will preferably be rotated so as to provide uniform illumination to each of the plants, and may be mounted for translational movement so that a number of columns may be placed in an illuminated area in the greenhouse or enclosure, while a further plurality of columns is placed in an unilluminated area to simulate night conditions for the plants.
  • Each column may be rotatably mounted on a base which is movable on the floor of the growing enclosure, this translational movement preferably being achieved by mounting the base on wheels which ride on tracks laid on the floor.
  • a number of columns may be mounted on a common base for rotation about their own axes.
  • a plurality of columns may be mounted on a movable base for both individual rotation about their axes and for rotation as an array about a central vertical axis. It is envisaged that bases will move to and fro along tracks laid along the enclosure, and the rotation of bases and/or columns will be arranged to facilitate columns passing each other closely, without damage to plants growing thereon. Bases or columns may rotate in senses arranged so as to 'mesh' the plants carried on columns which are passing along adjacent tracks in opposite directions.
  • the enclosure may be provided with a fixed array of rotatable columns in ranks and files, and arrays of movable light sources which can be disposed between selected rows of the columns, or round individual columns, to provide illumination to selected plants. Yield can be further improved by closely spacing the columns, with the direction of rotation of each column being in the sense opposite to that of its immediate neighbours.
  • the relative numbers of columns 1 and light sources 6 provided in the greenhouse will have to be such that the light sources 6 can illuminate 50% of the columns at any time. If a daily cycle of eight hours of light followed by sixteen hours of darkness is felt sufficient, then an array of light sources 6 sufficient to illuminate one third of the columns 1 will be needed. Either the columns 1 can be made movable, so as to bring the plants into the illuminated area on a sequential basis, or the light sources 6 may be movable so that the light sources can be moved to illuminate the plants in turn.
  • an elongated light source may be positioned within the columns, preferably to extend along the axis of each of the columns 1 , so as to emit light in radial directions to illuminate leaves of the plants from within the column.
  • the shelves for supporting the growing medium may be omitted, and cup-like receptacles (pots) or blocks of growth substrate may be provided in the cylindrical wall of the column to receive the plants.
  • the columns may be of mesh construction and modified plant pots, to which fixing means have been added, may be attached to the columns or to vertically movable mountings attached to the columns.
  • Each plant pot will be lidded to prevent loss of the growing medium, and irrigation of the plants may be effected by linking each pot to a water supply through a metering valve.
  • the metering valve may be associated with the individual plant pot, and may control the supply of water in dependence on the dryness or moisture of the growing medium therein.
  • the receptacles are so arranged that the plant pots are received with the plant stems extending radially in relation to the cylindrical column, and horizontally.
  • the receptacles may be caused to rotate about their horizontal axes at fixed or variable speeds. A rotational speed of 3 revolutions per hour has been found sufficient to produce growth in a horizontal direction, in a plant whose stem is horizontally aligned.
  • stemmed plants such as flowers may be grown in the vertical column structures, using illumination from vertically arranged linear light sources extending between the columns.
  • the amount of natural light received by the plants is made uniform by the cyclic vertical movement of the plants relative to the column, exposing each plant to equal intervals at all vertical locations on the column.
  • the speed of rotation of the individual plant receptacles may be controlled, to provide a constant rotation or a stepwise indexing of the plants about their respective axes.
  • the potted plants are grown to the required height by maintaining the rotational speed about the horizontal axis at or above 3 revolutions per hour, and then pinching out the growing tip of the stem.
  • the rate of rotation about the horizontal axis is then decreased to below 3 revolutions per hour, either as a constant rotation or as a stepwise indexing motion, which has the effect of producing a fuller, 'bushier' plant.
  • each pot or substrate may, in a further embodiment, be mounted for rotation about horizontal axes and for vertical translational motion on columns, to be used for growing vine-type plants in a generally horizontal direction.
  • each pot or substrate is planted with one or more cuttings, and is provided round its circumference with a number of parallel stakes extending horizontally, i.e. parallel to the plant stem.
  • the plant is grown between the stakes by controlling the rotational speed to produce a first growth parallel to the stakes, then rotation is slowed to produce radial growth towards a stake.
  • rotation is speeded up to promote growth along the stake direction.
  • rotation is again slowed to produce radial growth towards an adjacent stake.
  • the cycle is repeated to produce a plant growing spirally in steps between the stakes.
  • the method is particularly suited to the growing of crop-bearing vine type plants such as beans, tomatoes, cucumbers etc, it is envisaged that it may be applied also to plants whose normal growth format is generally characterised by horizontal stems from the upper surfaces of which flowers and leaves usually extend generally upwardly.
  • the usually horizontal stem could be induced to grow in a direction generally away from the pot, i.e. in a direction which will be vertical when the pot is placed upright.
  • the speed of rotation may be controllable to produce linear growth, or spiral growth if the speed is reduced or an indexed rotation applied.
  • the columns maybe mounted on tracks for movement about the interior of the greenhouse or growing enclosure, and the light sources may likewise be movable.
  • the columns are rotated about their vertical axes to ensure uniform illumination of the plants.
  • Harvesting may take place at a fixed harvesting station, to which the columns are brought in succession, or a mobile harvester unit may pass among rows of columns to effect the collection of fruit or other plant products such as foliage or cuttings.
  • Robotic plant handling and harvesting techniques are considered desirable in conjunction with the growing columns of the present invention.

Landscapes

  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Environmental Sciences (AREA)
  • Cultivation Of Plants (AREA)
  • Hydroponics (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un procédé pour cultiver des plantes, consistant à placer une pluralité de plantes dans un certain nombre de rangées espacées verticalement et s'étendant suivant la circonférence d'une colonne rotative et à les éclairer horizontalement avec une rangée verticale de sources lumineuses. L'invention concerne, également, une installation pour cultiver les plantes, comprenant une colonne verticale pouvant tourner autour de son axe, la colonne ayant au moins une zone de croissance s'étendant suivant sa circonférence où les plantes peuvent être enracinées dans un substrat de croissance, la colonne comportant des moyens de support pour diriger la croissance des plantes dans une direction prédéterminée, l'installation comprenant, en outre, au moins une source de lumière linéaire s'étendant verticalement pour assurer l'éclairage des plantes.
EP97905230A 1996-02-22 1997-02-21 Procede et installation pour cultiver des plantes Withdrawn EP0959664A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GBGB9603711.4A GB9603711D0 (en) 1996-02-22 1996-02-22 Plant cultivation method and apparatus
GB9603711 1996-02-22
PCT/GB1997/000484 WO1997030579A1 (fr) 1996-02-22 1997-02-21 Procede et installation pour cultiver des plantes

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0959664A1 true EP0959664A1 (fr) 1999-12-01

Family

ID=10789182

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP97905230A Withdrawn EP0959664A1 (fr) 1996-02-22 1997-02-21 Procede et installation pour cultiver des plantes

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0959664A1 (fr)
AU (1) AU1885497A (fr)
GB (1) GB9603711D0 (fr)
WO (1) WO1997030579A1 (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US11672215B2 (en) 2020-01-12 2023-06-13 Sentient Design, Inc. Aeroponic plant growing system
USD1067000S1 (en) 2020-08-11 2025-03-18 Sentient Design, Inc. Aeroponic plant growing system

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US10028448B2 (en) 2012-07-10 2018-07-24 Once Innovations, Inc. Light sources adapted to spectral sensitivity of plants
WO2014011623A2 (fr) 2012-07-10 2014-01-16 Zdenko Grajcar Sources de lumière adaptées à la sensibilité spectrale d'une plante
US10244595B2 (en) 2014-07-21 2019-03-26 Once Innovations, Inc. Photonic engine system for actuating the photosynthetic electron transport chain
DE202015100160U1 (de) 2015-01-14 2016-04-15 B+M Textil Gmbh & Co. Kg Saat- und/oder Pflanzsystem
US20170027109A1 (en) * 2015-07-27 2017-02-02 Douglas H. Powell Grow light matrix system

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4250666A (en) * 1979-04-10 1981-02-17 Rakestraw Roy R Supporting structure for plants
DE3219430A1 (de) * 1982-05-24 1983-11-24 Horst 4100 Duisburg Schäfer Verfahren und vorrichtung zum erzeugen von agrar- und forstprodukten und/oder zum biologischen aufbereiten von erde fuer die landwirtschaftliche nutzung
US4736543A (en) * 1985-03-18 1988-04-12 Von Bertrab Erdmann Guillermo Horticultural tree
FR2700918B1 (fr) * 1993-02-03 1995-04-21 Geraflor Installation pour la culture hors-sol de plantes.

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO9730579A1 *

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US11672215B2 (en) 2020-01-12 2023-06-13 Sentient Design, Inc. Aeroponic plant growing system
USD1067000S1 (en) 2020-08-11 2025-03-18 Sentient Design, Inc. Aeroponic plant growing system

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9603711D0 (en) 1996-04-24
WO1997030579A1 (fr) 1997-08-28
AU1885497A (en) 1997-09-10

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