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WO2020074861A1 - Appareil de culture automatisée, à haute densité - Google Patents

Appareil de culture automatisée, à haute densité Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2020074861A1
WO2020074861A1 PCT/GB2019/052814 GB2019052814W WO2020074861A1 WO 2020074861 A1 WO2020074861 A1 WO 2020074861A1 GB 2019052814 W GB2019052814 W GB 2019052814W WO 2020074861 A1 WO2020074861 A1 WO 2020074861A1
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WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
growing
plants
light
further characterised
space
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Ceased
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PCT/GB2019/052814
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English (en)
Inventor
Christopher Douglas Blair
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Individual
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Individual
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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
    • A01G31/042—Hydroponic culture on conveyors with containers travelling on a belt or the like, or conveyed by chains
    • 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
    • A01G9/00—Cultivation in receptacles, forcing-frames or greenhouses; Edging for beds, lawn or the like
    • A01G9/02—Receptacles, e.g. flower-pots or boxes; Glasses for cultivating flowers
    • A01G9/029—Receptacles for seedlings
    • A01G9/0293—Seed or shoot receptacles
    • 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
    • A01G22/00—Cultivation of specific crops or plants not otherwise provided for
    • A01G22/15—Leaf crops, e.g. lettuce or spinach 
    • 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
    • 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
    • A01G9/00—Cultivation in receptacles, forcing-frames or greenhouses; Edging for beds, lawn or the like
    • A01G9/24—Devices or systems for heating, ventilating, regulating temperature, illuminating, or watering, in greenhouses, forcing-frames, or the like
    • 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

  • This invention relates to a means of growing plants in a controlled environment using space and light more efficiently whilst reducing construction costs and making automation easier.
  • Plants are typically germinated in trays consisting of a grid of many, small“plugs” of growing medium. As the plants start to grow, these are transplanted into a more widely spaced grid - where they stay until harvested. It is obvious that, until fully grown, a rectangular grid of growing plants will have wasted space between the plants. This not only reduces the density of plants below that which could be achieved, it also means that much of the artificial light being provided falls on the tray between the young plants rather than being absorbed by a plant.
  • a further object of this invention is to provide a low cost apparatus that can be constructed from off-the-shelf parts where possible and by unskilled construction workers. This should make it more viable in poorer countries where the increased productivity is badly needed but capital and construction skills are scarce.
  • the present invention therefore seeks to provide for an apparatus for the cultivation of plants and having advantages over known such apparatus.
  • the static, rectangular grid in which plants are grown in trays can be replaced with a rotating, annular growing space, within which plants are moved as they grow.
  • Different environmental conditions can be maintained at different distances from the centre and at different angles around the annulus.
  • the invention can comprise n apparatus for the cultivation of plants in which said plants are placed on an preferably substantially annular or circular growing surface, rotatable about an axis perpendicular to said surface forming a substantially cylindrical or toroidal growing space within which environmental conditions can be varied according to distance from said axis and/or angular position within said toroidal growing space.
  • the said environmental conditions can be arranged to include any one or more of: temperature, humidity, air-flow rate, carbon dioxide concentration, nutrients, light level and spectrum.
  • Lighting can preferably be provided above said growing area using light sources preferably supported by a mesh allowing light to pass through them and air to pass around them.
  • the invention can include a central air duct through which air may be forced in either direction.
  • the invention can be arranged such that the rate of flow of air from said duct can be controlled by vents that can be adjusted independently for a plurality of segments around the inner and/or outer edges of said growing area.
  • the height of the light sources above said annular growing space can be arranged to increase towards the outer edge of said annular growing space.
  • the invention can also be arranged in one embodiment such that, for example, the strength, direction and/or spectrum of light received at any point within said growing space is measured by a device moving at least radially beneath said lights as said growing area is rotated.
  • the light sensing element can be automatically positioned at any height above said growing surface.
  • the light sensing element can be automatically rotated about one or more axes so as to measure light arriving from different directions
  • Newly germinated seedlings can be added at the inner edge of the annulus where the spacing between plants is at a minimum. As the plants grow, they can then be moved outwards towards the outer edge of the annulus. This gradually increases the separation between them as their foliage grows. Plants are then harvested from the outer edge.
  • Plants requiring N hours of lighting per day need to be in lit segments of the space for that period. As the plants move under the lights, only N/24ths of the toroid need to be lit. This reduces the number of lights and allows them to be on 24 hours per day giving steady state heat and lighting conditions. This also allows the temperature in the lit (“day”) segment of the space to be maintained above that of the dark (“night”) segment.
  • Figure 1 shows two different sizes of rockwool growing medium and corresponding carrier frames into which each is placed and according to an embodiment of the present invention
  • Figure 2 shows a pre-fabricated inner collar component of which four can bolted together to form a structure at the inside edge of the annular growing area according to an embodiment of the present invention
  • Figure 3 shows the pre-fabricated outer collar component of which twenty can be bolted together to form a structure at the outside edge of the annular growing area according to an embodiment of the present invention
  • Figure 4 shows a bearing block that allows a tray to move over it easily in any direction
  • Figure 5 shots a support spoke with bearing blocks attached;
  • Figure 6 shows the completed support assembly for an annular growing area.
  • Figure 7 shows a single, transparent acrylic growing tray
  • Figure 8 shows the support structure of Figure 6 fully loaded with the trays of Figure 7 to form a single annular growing layer according to an embodiment of the present invention
  • Figure 9 shows a stack of 3 growing layers of different heights
  • Figure 10 shows an Optimal Plant Positioning Robotic Apparatus (“OPPRA”) that moves and observes the plants as they pass above and below it; and
  • OPRA Optimal Plant Positioning Robotic Apparatus
  • Figure 1 1 shows the location of a stack of OPPRAs next to the packing station.
  • hydroponic“flood and drain” cultivation with a rockwool substrate uses hydroponic“flood and drain” cultivation with a rockwool substrate.
  • the same approach works for several other growing techniques - including more traditional cultivation in which each plant is in a standard plant pot containing soil. This latter approach can be used, for example, in a nursery producing pot plants for sale.
  • Figure 1 shows how the growing substrate is supported at the desired height, within a framework or“carrier” that can be used to move it around the growing area as the plant grows.
  • Seeds are typically planted in a hole (9) at the centre of the top face of a tiny rockwool cube (1 ) - say 25mm on each side.
  • the cubes are normally in trays of 150 or so and have a density of approximately 1600 per square metre.
  • the whole cube (1 ) can be placed in the pre-cut hole (10) in the top face of a larger cube - say 100mm on a side (5).
  • these cubes (5) are typically placed 200mm apart in plastic troughs into which nutrient solution flows as required, soaking the rockwool - which holds the moisture allowing the plant to absorb the nutrients. Troughs are typically spaced on 200mm centres in rectangular shelves. This gives a density of 25 plants per square metre. The plants remain in that position throughout the several weeks they take to grow from propagated seedlings to harvestable produce. Multiple such shelves are stacked vertically giving a plant density of (25 x number of shelves per metre high) plants per cubic metre of racking.
  • plants are kept within the small growing cube (1 ) for longer - achieving higher densities in the early stages of growth. This is only viable if the subsequent transfer into larger growing cubes (5) can be automated.
  • growing cubes (1 , 5) are held in metal carriers, designed to hold a cube of specific size at the optimum height and allowing it to be moved by the application of magnetic forces from beneath.
  • These carriers must therefore be made of magnetic material but also rust-proof - for example: stainless steel, galvanized or otherwise coated steel. They must also allow water and nutrient solution to flow freely into and out of the rockwool cube they support.
  • a solid steel base (2, 6) with an open cage structure as shown in Figure 1 may be used.
  • Columns (3, 8) project upwards from the base and hold the rockwool cube (or flower-pot if designed for that) firmly in position.
  • a cross-member (4, 7) or protrusions from the columns (3, 8) holds the base of the cube at the desired height above the base (2, 6).
  • spikes projecting up from the base may penetrate the growing medium. This latter approach is preferable for growing media that do not maintain a rigid profile well.
  • the precise height at which the cube should be held is a function of the height of the plant being grown and the distance of the lights above the floor of the growing area.
  • the supporting structure (7) holds the rockwool cube (5) at least a few millimetres off the base (6) of the carrier - so that even if nutrient is not completely drained, none of the rockwool cubes are in contact with the residue. This ensured they only absorb nutrients when the growing area is deliberately flooded and not after it has been drained.
  • a used tin can may be converted into an effective carrier to reduce costs - and is already food-grade and tolerant of prolonged contact with water.
  • Figure 2 shows a pre-fabricated aluminium arc (201 ) that forms one quarter of the inner“collar” of the apparatus.
  • the inner collar (201 ) subtends 90 degrees with full thickness but slightly more than 90 degrees with asymmetrical flanges (202, 203) at each end. These are drilled to accept bolts such that adjacent section can be firmly joined to form a complete circle.
  • Spoke sockets (204) are welded to the collar - in this example, at 9 degree intervals.
  • Figure 3 shows a pre-fabricated aluminium arc (301 ) which is, similarly, flanged at each end - in this case allowing 20 such sections to be bolted together to form the outer edge support structure for the growing space. Each section therefore subtends 18 degrees and connects to the outer ends of two spokes which are held in outer spoke sockets (302).
  • Figure 4 show a bearing block (401 ) that allows a tray (701 ) to move over it easily in any direction.
  • Florizontal hole (402) allows the block (401 ) to be slipped over the end of a spoke (501 ).
  • vertical fixing hole (403) is aligned with a similar hole (502) in the spoke (501 )
  • the block can be fixed firmly in place with a single bolt passing through the spoke.
  • a pair of spherical roller bearings (404) protrude from the top surface of the block (401 ), supporting the trays (701 ) just above the level of the head of the bolt used to hold the block (401 ) to the spoke (501 ).
  • the overall height of the assembly needs to be minimized so that as many layers as possible can be stacked vertically beneath a given ceiling height.
  • Alternative means of enabling the trays to move include, but are not limited to; a bed of spherical bearings; bearings built into the base of the tray.
  • the spherical bearings (404) may be replaced with roller bearings aligned to allow tangential movement but not radial movement of the trays.
  • additional bearings at 90 degrees to these may be raised (by means of a cam, for example) so as to rise above the level of the main bearings. This lifts the tray sitting above them by a few millimetres, allowing it to be slid into or out of the growing area.
  • Figure 5 shows a support spoke formed from a standard 4m long aluminium scaffolding pole (501 ). Floles drilled vertically through it at intervals allow a plurality of bearing blocks (401 ) to be firmly attached. Note that the separation between bearing blocks is greater towards the end attached to the inner edge of the annulus (502) than that at the outer edge (503).
  • Figure 6 shows a complete support assembly (601 ), constructed from the above components. Note that the inner collar is typically a few millimetres above the outer collar. This provides a very gentle slope so that the flooded trays can be almost completely drained of nutrients by a suction pipe at the outer edge of the growing area.
  • Figure 7 shows a growing tray (701 ) formed from transparent acrylic
  • the walls (702) of the tray are 150mm high - taller than the top of the larger rockwool blocks (5) when mounted in the carriers of Figure 1.
  • the depth is similar to that of a hydroponic“gulley” suitable for holding the rockwool cube size being used.
  • the rockwool cubes (5) held in their carriers within the tray can be completely saturated if the tray is filled with nutrient solution to a depth of just over 100mm.
  • the solution can then be drained from the tray with a suction pump using a pipe lowered into the tray.
  • the pipe is surrounded by a filter that blocks particles from entering the pipe.
  • the filter may be cleaned as required by lowering the pipe into a waste receptacle and reversing the flow of liquid (in this case water rather than nutrient solution) so as to blow debris off the filter and into the waste outlet.
  • the tray (701 ) is made of food-grade, non-leaching material.
  • the tray is made of a transparent material. This allows light that falls between plants to reach other levels in a stacked system where it may be absorbed by a plant.
  • Acrylic Perspex/Plexiglass is a good choice as it can be easily thermoformed into shape and it is easy to incorporate metal inserts.
  • Figure 8 shows sixteen trays forming a rectangular toroid directly above the annular growing area formed by the top face of the annular support structure of Figure 6.
  • Figure 9 show a vertical stack of 3 growing spaces (more can be added), supported by columns around the inner (901 ) and outer (902) edges of the support structure of Figure 6. Note that there are fewer columns (902) in the outer edge than there are trays (701 ) in each layer. A tray (701 ) can therefore be inserted or removed easily without fouling these columns (902).
  • Fixing holes every 25mm up the length of each column (901 , 902) allow the position of any layer and hence its separation from the ones above and below to be adjusted to suit the crop being grown.
  • Different layers may contain different crops and be positioned at different heights. The limit on the number of layers is a function of the interior height of the building.
  • automated means of adjusting the height of each layer may be provided.
  • the height between layers is determined by the height of that crop when harvested plus a space for lighting.
  • natural light can reach the plants.
  • supplemental lighting may be provided if required.
  • artificial lighting - normally in the form of LEDs - must be provided.
  • Other lighting mechanisms e.g. HID lamps
  • LED is normally preferred for the lower heat output.
  • the stationary framework (601 ) supporting the layer above and/or the columns can be used to hang LED lighting from (not shown).
  • Flat panels may be used but a wire mesh of individual point light sources allows for better cooling; lets light travel through the layers and allows the height of the lights above the trays to be varied easily.
  • each point source can be aligned so as to provide optimum lighting to a single plant directly beneath it - taking into account the dimensions of the substrate cages (2, 6) and the spacing between these that is used at a given radius from the centre.
  • this may be a single LED directly above the centre of the spot where the plant will be positioned.
  • this may change to a cluster of lights spread around an area comparable to the size of the plant beneath it.
  • markers or a grid can be printed onto, etched into or affixed to the underside of the trays (701 ) so that a camera (1005) moving beneath the tray can precisely align the bottom of the plant cages (2, 6) that it sees through the transparent floor of the tray (701 ) with these markers.
  • the above approach only works well if the lighted portion has precisely aligned lights - yet a wire mesh may not be precisely aligned and/or some lights may not be pointing straight down.
  • the exact pattern of lighting can be determined during commissioning of the system by placing a small wheeled robot into an empty tray (701 ) and letting it pass beneath the lit area - preferably at a rotational speed higher than the normal 1 revolution per day rate.
  • an upward facing camera and, preferably, light spectrum meter can record the actual light intensity throughout the lit area.
  • the camera and/or light sensor can be raised or lowered and oriented in any direction to measure light falling on it from every angle at every possible position. The results can later be used to correct any dark or hot spots before use; to calibrate the control system and to fine tune the placement of a plant of any given shape and height so as to maximize the light falling on it.
  • LEDs are typically provided around only a portion - typically no more than 18/24 - of the 360 degrees. As the layers are rotated daily, trays (701 ) pass beneath the areas where LEDs are present before moving into the area where there are none. All plants thus experience“day” of up to 18 hours (in this example) and“night” of 6 hours - yet only 75% of the area has to be equipped with lights.
  • opaque vertical barriers may be hung down from the support structure above to just above the maximum height that the crop reaches. Black on the“night” side and reflective on the“day” side, these prevent significant light leakage from day to night spaces, bouncing the light back into the“day” area.
  • this approach advantageously ensures that there is at least one segment of the annulus where lighting is not present - allowing automated plant handlers to operate unencumbered in this space. So, in the lit area, the lighting mesh can hang an LED a centimetre or two above the surface of the rockwool cube giving very precise, localised light as the first leaf appears. In the dark area, the space directly above the rockwool is open and available for automated plant handlers to operate there.
  • the lighting mesh is run at low voltage (SELV levels) rather than mains.
  • LED drivers - which are never 100% efficient - can be sited outside the annulus.
  • Insulating panels can be built between adjacent columns (901 , 902) to separate the toroidal volume within the growing area from the rest of the building.
  • Adjustable vents can be incorporated in such panels at the inner and/or outer edges of tha annulus.
  • an arrays of vents each spanning 10 degrees and a height of 200mm allows precise control over the radial flow of air through each segment of the circle and for each layer independently.
  • vents may direct air out and over LED drivers, cooling them to the outside or, when reversed, pull air in, warming it as it enters the growing space.
  • vents in conjunction with sensors, fans, mist-sprays, carbon-dioxide pipes and so forth (which can easily be hung from the rigid and stationary supporting structure of the layer above) a wide range of environmental conditions can be monitored and manipulated. This allows plants to be given different conditions according to the stage of their growth as they are gradually moved from inner to outer edges and within daily cycles as they rotate once around the structure each day.
  • the trays in a layer can all be rotated about the vertical axis perpendicular to the centre of the annulus by applying a tangential force to any one of them.
  • a tangential force to any one of them.
  • neighbouring trays can be attached to each other so that the set of conjoined trays move together around the annulus when required.
  • U-shaped clips/brackets that fit over the tops of adjacent walls of two trays (701 ); by hook and eye or similar latches at adjacent corners of the inner and outer faces; by interlocking projections on the walls (such as dove-tail joints, allowing adjacent trays to be locked together and unlocked by raising one relative to the other, aligning the joints and lowering the raised tray again); holes in the walls through which bolts can be inserted and tightened onto washers using nuts.
  • annulus (or partial annulus) of one or more trays needs to be rotated about the vertical axis through its centre. This is most easily achieved by means of a
  • the tangential force may be applied to the outer wall of the tray or, preferably, to the underside of the tray - towards to the outer edge for maximum moment about the axis of rotation.
  • This uses the weight of the tray itself to press onto the drive mechanism.
  • This may be as simple as one or more rubber tyres on an axle driven by a highly reducing gearbox from a low power electric motor. This is the same drive mechanism as is commonly used on roller coasters - with a fixed rubber drive wheel over which the trays (701 ) pass.
  • Such a mechanism can easily by clamped between a pair of spokes beneath the trays it is to move.
  • the underside and/or wall of the tray may incorporate teeth that engage with a drive cog.
  • a belt in tension around the outside of the annulus could be used but makes it difficult to add or remove trays.
  • At least one inner (901 ) and outer columns (902) are positioned directly facing each other. Between these are strung a set of robotic plant tenders or“Optimal Plant Positioning Robotic Apparatus” (OPPRA) (1004). One of these is shown in Figure 10.
  • OPRA Optimal Plant Positioning Robotic Apparatus
  • a parallel pair of taut cables or rails 300mm apart (1002, 1003) is hung (via insulators) from brackets (1001 ) attached to a pair of facing columns (901 , 902) and thus spanning a 300mm wide strip of the annular growing space.
  • This“tramline” should be situated at the start of the dark (“night”) segment of the annulus - so that the lights it uses for its cameras do not interrupt the truly dark period that the plants require.
  • One or more electric stepper motors within the OPPRA acts to drive rubber wheels inside it that run on the top of the cables (1002, 1003) and propel it along the guide cables. This allows it to position itself anywhere between inner and outer edges of the annulus.
  • Microswitches or optical proximity sensors (1009) on front and back faces of the OPPRA (1004) detect the end brackets (1001 ) allowing the device to stop before it hits them and to recalibrate its position at the end of a traversal of the cables.
  • These cables (1002, 1003) act as both supports and power supply for this robotic device.
  • a 24V D.C. supply is provided across the wires to avoid the need for a battery.
  • the OPPRA contains two cameras - one (1005) facing up to look at the underside of the tray above it.
  • the other camera (1006) looks down on the foliage of the tray below it.
  • at least the downward facing camera includes depth sensors (as used by recent smartphones for facial recognition) so it can build up a 3-D picture of foliage growth as it passes over the plants.
  • a computer controller for example an iOS or Raspberry Pi computer - or a smartphone (which provides the cameras in a handily thin package) controls the device. This is in wireless communication with the other OPPRAs above and below it as well as the overall room controller (not shown).
  • a further electric stepper motor within the OPPRA drives a horizontal threaded rod perpendicular to the cables (1002, 1003) on which is mounted a powerful
  • the bracket (1001 ) is positioned vertically such that, when not energised, the top of the electromagnet (1007) is a few millimetres below the base of the tray (701 ) above it. This allows the trays to move over it freely until a plant is to be moved.
  • the upwards facing camera (1005) can locate the base of a plant carrier (2, 6) thanks to the trays (701 ) being transparent.
  • the OPPRA By positioning the electromagnet (1007) directly beneath the centre of the carrier (6) and energising the electromagnet (1007), the OPPRA is attracted to the plant carrier above, lifting it into contact with the bottom of the tray (701 ). By then moving along the radial wires (1002, 1003) and/or tangentially between them on its threaded rod, it can move the plant carrier - and its contained rockwool and plant - to the required location.
  • This camera ideally equipped with depth sensing capabilities - not only senses where there are gaps between plants, it also allows the controller to gauge how well each plant is growing.
  • control software to decide when and where to move the plant. If it needs more space it is moved towards the outer edge of the annulus. If it is not growing so well, it may be overtaken by the rest of its cohort. In extreme cases, a dead or dying plant and its carrier (6) may be moved right to the outer edge of the annulus and removed by the harvesting robot at the picking station rather than continue to waste space.
  • the thickness of the tray floor and walls is a trade-off between robustness versus weight and cost.
  • a thinner floor is preferred as the OPPRA’s electromagnets beneath it are used to act on the steel carriers (2, 6) holding the rockwool cubes (1 , 5) and plants within them.
  • the robotic arm of the picking station may also deposit new seedlings in the outer edge of the tray for the plant tenders to move inwards as they reach them. However this may mean that many other growing plants have to be moved out of the way and back again to let the seedling head inwards.
  • an OPPRA may slide them through a gap they find or create in the outer part of the annulus so that a robotic arm can remove them from the outer edge, pull off the existing carrier and insert the rockwool cube into the hole in the middle of the larger cube and carrier before replacing it. The OPPRA then slides the plant back into the appropriate position in the annulus.
  • the picking station (1 101 ) is preferably positioned directly in line with the OPPRAs (1004) allowing a single robot to harvest fully grown plants, insert new seedlings and repot those needing larger grow cubes.
  • newly propagated seedlings and/or re-potted plants may be
  • the plant tenders are optimally positioned next to the picking station (1 101 ) such that produce is removed from the tray at the picking station (1101 ) and the gap thus left at the outer edge of the tray then appears beneath the plant tender (1004) shortly afterwards.
  • the plant tender notes the available space and moves the remaining plants outwards to fill the growing space optimally - with minimum space between the plants. This then leaves a gap at the inner edge of the annulus.
  • a grabber mechanism (not dissimilar to those that lift cuddly toys in penny arcade machines - but less likely to let go till told to) is affixed to a threaded rod in a similar manner to the electromagnet (1007) but hangs down beneath the device (1004). It too can therefore be positioned over any point beneath the guide cables (1002,
  • a seedling can be presented beneath the grabber.
  • the grabber lifts the seedling’s carrier, moves it to the gap in the inner edge and lowers it into place before releasing it.
  • a more sophisticated electromagnet may be added to the top of the OPPRA. This creates a rotating magnetic field which, when applied beneath a suitably non-radially symmetric steel brush-carrier within the tray (701 ) overhead will both pull the brush down and spin it - cleaning the bottom of the tray.

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  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Environmental Sciences (AREA)
  • Botany (AREA)
  • Cultivation Receptacles Or Flower-Pots, Or Pots For Seedlings (AREA)
  • Hydroponics (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention remplace la grille rectangulaire, statique dans laquelle des plantes sont cultivées dans des plateaux comportant un espace de croissance annulaire, à rotation quotidienne. À l'intérieur de cet espace, les conditions environnementales varient en fonction de la distance depuis le centre et de l'angle autour de l'anneau. Par l'introduction des plantules ayant nouvellement germées au niveau du bord interne d'une zone de croissance annulaire, l'espacement entre les plantes se trouve à un minimum. Ceci accroît à la fois le rendement par mètre carré et réduit les coûts d'éclairage et de chauffage. Au fur et à mesure que les plantes poussent, elles sont poussées vers l'extérieur vers le bord externe du tore, ce qui permet d'augmenter progressivement la séparation entre celles-ci lorsque leur feuillage croît. Les plantes sont ensuite récoltées depuis un point unique sur le bord externe.
PCT/GB2019/052814 2018-10-08 2019-10-04 Appareil de culture automatisée, à haute densité Ceased WO2020074861A1 (fr)

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WO2021262732A1 (fr) * 2020-06-24 2021-12-30 Mjnn Llc Indexation de plantes dans un espace bidimensionnel et tridimensionnel dans un environnement de culture régulé
WO2022056577A1 (fr) * 2020-09-16 2022-03-24 Gaia Project Australia Pty Ltd Module horticole, ensemble puisard associé, et système de puisard mobile formé à partir de celui-ci
CN118542164A (zh) * 2024-06-26 2024-08-27 江苏康润农业科技发展有限公司 一种种植蔬菜用育苗装置
US12171175B2 (en) 2018-12-21 2024-12-24 Mjnn Llc Indexing plants in two-dimensional and three-dimensional space in a controlled growing environment
USD1099751S1 (en) 2022-03-22 2025-10-28 Gaia Project Australia Pty Ltd Crop holder for a hydroponic system

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US4258501A (en) * 1979-08-15 1981-03-31 Lawrence C. Calvert, II Seed sprouting apparatus and method
NL1004974C2 (nl) * 1997-01-10 1998-07-13 Inst Milieu & Agritech Gewasproductiesysteem.
US6061957A (en) * 1998-05-14 2000-05-16 Takashima; Yasukazu Plant growth system with collapsible rib structure
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US12171175B2 (en) 2018-12-21 2024-12-24 Mjnn Llc Indexing plants in two-dimensional and three-dimensional space in a controlled growing environment
WO2021262732A1 (fr) * 2020-06-24 2021-12-30 Mjnn Llc Indexation de plantes dans un espace bidimensionnel et tridimensionnel dans un environnement de culture régulé
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WO2022056577A1 (fr) * 2020-09-16 2022-03-24 Gaia Project Australia Pty Ltd Module horticole, ensemble puisard associé, et système de puisard mobile formé à partir de celui-ci
EP4213619A4 (fr) * 2020-09-16 2024-10-09 Gaia Project Australia Pty Ltd Module horticole, ensemble puisard associé, et système de puisard mobile formé à partir de celui-ci
USD1099751S1 (en) 2022-03-22 2025-10-28 Gaia Project Australia Pty Ltd Crop holder for a hydroponic system
CN118542164A (zh) * 2024-06-26 2024-08-27 江苏康润农业科技发展有限公司 一种种植蔬菜用育苗装置

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