TECHNIQUE FOR THE CULTIVATION OF PLANTS IN HOBBY AND PROTECTED AGRICULTURE

Abstract: Rastaplan system is a technique for the cultivation of plants, the methodology comprises, a perfecting of the technique of the subirrigation and is based mainly on container-irrigator: Rastaplan; this, as illustrated by the section of the drawing enclosed, is characterized: on peripheral structure, by one septum porous-roller without a bottom (2) functioning as a continuous subirrigator of the substrate of cultivation; and on internal structure, with a truncated cone chamber (1) that acts as a dripping chamber and permits an aerated and in sips subirrigation around its own internal circumference. The irrigation canal (4) acts as an evaporimeter distributor; the water level oscillates between a minimum, under the border of the bottom (3) and a maximum, variable and regulable by the central float, which provokes the irrigation, consequently subirrigation in sips around the internal circumference.

Description: TECHNIQUE FOR THE CULTIVATION OF PLANTS IN HOBBY AND PROTECTED AGRICULTURE DESCRIPTION cf the industrial invention having the title "RASTAPLAN SYSTEM": A TECHNIQUE FOR THE CULTIVATION OP PLANTS IN E03EY AND PROTECTED AGRICULTURE. _0_0—0—0—0 The present title "RASTAPLAN SYSTEM", indicates a technique for the cultivation of plants out of the context of the earth-and so in a container. The methodology is based mainly on a container called "Rastaplan", this, for the very specific functionality and marked on binomial containex-irri- gator, it sets out a real system of cultivation,, SUBSTITUTE SHEET SUM&1ARY OP THE TECHNIQUE OP THE TITLE Rastaplan, in addition to its main task of a con¬ tainer of the substrate, thanks to the building technique and to the choice of tuft materials, po- sitively and actively with that small confined enviroment that is th.e substrate of cultivation assuring constantly the extremely good conditions for the growth and life of the root system on which the plant depends upon. These conditions, are mentioned they are mainly: - sufficient and constant humidity - good drainage - sufficient circulation of air - good thermal heat insulator as a defence against an external sudden change in temperature. As illustrated by the section of the drawing enclosed, Rastaplan is made up o : 1) a structure container of plastic material, or however impermeable, equipped with a underneath truncated cone chamber, with windows or micro- perforated;the latter acts as a dripping chamber and permits a aerated subirrigation around its own internal circumference; 2) one septum porous-roller without a bottom, func- tioning as a continuous subirrigator of the sub- SUBSTITUTE SHEET strate of cultivation. The septum roller made up mainly of porous-inert materials and plastic po— - lymers, it is considered in function of the capillary reascending of the water, of the capa- city of hydric retention and the capacity of air; it standsbetween the water-substrate contact and acts as a hydric plug, an air plug, for the air- water-inert system, and as a thermal plug, given the good thermal heat insulator of the inert of the roller. 3) an expanded polystyrene disc, that acts as a bottom and inserts itself in the cone dripping air chamber. The disc or the carrying structure, that acts as a bottom, moulded like a shape: it has therefore, a low window, a tube that puts in contact the dripping chamber with the wall of the roller, and an inclination towards the inter¬ nal air chamber that puts the border of the di_sc at about 2 cm. from the bottom that represents the level of water flow. In some applications the cone of the air tube is in polystyrene and it's an only thing with the above-mentioned disk; the water filter across the interspaces of the polystyrene pearls and conse- quently the whole of botτo surface is either SUBSTITUTE SHEET draining seat- or watering; 4) a level or flat irrigationcanal whose water le¬ vel is regulated by a float. In the amateurish case illustrated, the float is- single and the irrigation canal worksas an evaporimeter distribu¬ tor. The water level oscillates between a minimum, under the level of water overflow, and a maximum, variable over this level; this provokes the irri¬ gation consequently subirrigation in sips around the internal circumference β The flat irrigation canal and the roller make up, in this case, an integral evaporimeter; in fact the transpiration is correlated by means of an ex¬ ternal circle of water and the internal surface of the roller, either the external enviromental factors: temperature, solar radiation, Ur air, or those internal, relative to the dispersal humidity of the septum, porous-roller towards the substate. This accomplished a rational and functional sub- irrigation! continuous and indirect, through the septum roller in peripheral constantly in subirri¬ gation, in sips and directly, from the internal ring of the air chamber; everything in direct func¬ tion cf the exτernal environmental conditions and the hydric requiremenτs cf the subsτrate. SUBSTITUTE SHEET The level bank or the Rastaplan plate is connected to a source of water that in the amatory case illustrated is a tank that supplies more Rastaplan; the putting back in operation of the water level occurs according to the principle of the communica¬ ting pots at the moment that the float goes down to the minimum level and opens the security pin. In some chance we can apply a float with magnetic calibration: the contact of opening is for this reason operated by the magnet of the float when it descend to the very low, the push of floating detach the contact of opening which reclose the erogator opening. Por professional systems in which it can't be re- done to the evaporimeter plate, for the determina¬ tion of the hydric state of the substrate, an electric sensor is adopted, that regulates the level and frequency of irrigation and consequen¬ tly the level of humidity of the earth considered very good. The dripping air chamber avoids the asphyxiation of the roots derived from a non-stop capillary ri¬ se and therefore simplified the technique of sub¬ irrigation, ha doesn't need the sand stratifica- tion of the bank or of the subirrigation carpet. SUBSTITUTE SHEET TECHNICAL REPORT The pot for ornamental plants stands out, today, for the materials used in fabrication, fired clay, or plastic materials (polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene AU ect...). The use of one or the other, which involves some variations in the physical conditions of the sub¬ strate of cultivation due to the different porosity of the two materials: non-existent in the plastic materials, relevant, to the fired clay. The porosity of the walls- of the pot in fired clay determines: - an extension of the evaporating surface, - a favourable gas exchange between the substrate, and the external environment, - good drainage, - a uniform and more constant distribution cf humidity (imbibition of the fired clay). In air condition not confined but ventilated with a temperature range, outside of the context of the protected cultivation the porosity of fired clay determines a series of inconveniences, in fact, owing to the extreme amount cf water loss because of evaporation, there is: SU - a lowering of the temperature with the result of cooling the substrate, - a removal of nutritive salts by the absorption of the roots, due to their insolubility on the porous walls of fired clay, - more frequent irrigated interventions, with a risk of washing away the substrate, - an excessive and harmful salinity of the walls of the pot object of the salt deposit. The use of plastic pots, due to the absence of the permeability of water and air of the plastic materials, brings to a limited exchange of gases only to the superior surface of the substrate; that is it forces, from the beginning of the cultivation to the choice of a substrate with the characteristic of high porosity, at the end to favour the poor drainage of the plastic pots, above all, in conditions of protected cultivation: high of medium ϋr and there¬ fore low evaporating power of the air. Out of the context of protected cultivation, the plastic pots don't present the inconveniences mentio¬ ned for the fired clay, given the impermeability and sterility of plastic materials, but we have: - a poor drainage, - a poor heat insulator cf the plastic walls that SUBSTITUTE SHEET makes unproposable the external use under insula¬ tion for the overheating that it would involve. In plastic pots, - furthermore, irrigation needs more attension in respect to the cultivation in clay fired pots from which avoidsthe risks of excess water and the result of the asphyxation of the roots. Among the plastic materials a particular mention goes to polystyrene expanded, for its fantastic capacity as a heat insulator, but, for aesthetic rea¬ sons, limits thep use in alveolar and sowing pots. As far as shown, it is evident that Rastaplan brings together the advantages of the porosity, typical of fired clay and those of plastic materials: sterility, impermeability, less specified weight and not fragile annulling at the same time the nega¬ tive aspects of one and the other, furthermore with the Rastaplan System it re-evaluates the technique of subirrigation that is specialized in: - continuous subirrigation by air, by the septum roller, - subirrigation in sips and in air by the internal dripping chamber. The porosity of the septum-roller given the porous inert materials that construct it, it is SUBSTITUTE SHEE obviously much more than that of fired clay; in this case, it is accomplished in fact, a specialized sub¬ strate, with a constant dimentional structure, that surrounds the organic substrate of cultivation. The root apparatus that inevitably moves to the internal wall doesn't move, as to say, the pot, presses, installes its self on the circumference of the roller, where a close-meshed net of capillary roots accomplishes a condition of hydroponic absorption. The physical and glomerule structure of the roller, allows the rise again of the water by the capillary in the interstitial and in the internal granule itself; this brings to a hydric capacity of the roller tied to the granulation and to the capacity of hydric retention of the inert that constructs it. In the line of maximum the experimentation indi¬ cates very good values, a hydric capacity of the roller, about 20^ of the volume of an air capacity, of about 40 of the volume; naturally, given a wide range of inert porous materials and plastic polyme- ry (Perlite, Yermiculite-, expanded clay, scoria carbon, ect... nylon fibres not woven, polyamide fibres, polyesters, expanded ureic resin, ect...) it is possible to regulate the proportion between SUBSTITUTE SHEET the solid state, liquid and gaseous state, accor¬ ding to the conditions and the cultivation needs. Also in the limits of a conceptual exposition, it is indicated the interaction water-roller- substrate-air, that with Rastaplan is determined. As already shown the trait of union is the septum-roller, this extends the evaporating surface of the external ring of water towards the inside and works, together with the irrigation canal as an evaporimeter distributor in direct function with the thermoigrometric external conditions and the hydric needs of the substrate of cultivation towards which the roller has a continous and immediat di¬ spersal of humidity. The potential hydric field, in which the roller works, goes from the values close to the zero of the base, to values lower and lower towards the upper part and therefore about a -5 centibar. The capillary water of the roller moves towards the substrate by tension gradient, with a crossed directional to that of the capillary rise of the distributor plate that at its turn it is mentioned, is correlated to the loss of water by evaporation. The hydric reinstatement moves generally in a potential hydric field cf about -10 centibar. SUBSTITUTE SHEET The circulation of the humidity in the internal substrate of cultivation is even constant and sufficient having capillary water circulating bet¬ ween -0,5 and -10 centibar. Por specific cultivation needs: hygrophytoes o xerophytoes, the potential hydric field can be restricted or widened by the standard cited, operating on levels and frequency of irriga¬ tion Rastaplan is therefore an elastic system, to- wards the different cultivation needs and dynamic, being tied to the evaporation and to the absorption of the root system. - The subirrigation in sips, correlated to the eva- pori etric needs of the substrate syste -plant- atmosphere, permits the irrigation of water in a very fast and precise manner without hydric stress. - The adoption of the dripping air chamber, permits maximum drainage as well as the ventilation in the points where the potential hydric is near the zero; - furthermore, thanks to it, avoids stagnation and saturation of an uninterrupted capillary rise. As already stated Rastaplan System in addition to creating an advance building technique of plant con¬ tainers puts into simple practice, the best possible cultivating conditions, as: SUBSTITUTE SHEET - the continuous hydric supply of the roller is fre¬ quent to the evaporimeter plate, puts tlie plants in a degree to respond uninterruptedly to their vegetative stimuli; - the permance of a sufficient humidity of the sub¬ strate, frees from the responsibility of provi¬ ding to the estimate of the hydric needs, extre¬ mely variable for the different types and for the different pedologic and climatic conditions. Generally, but above all in protected cultivation, with Rastaplan System there is a better phytosa- nitary control of the hypogenous part of the plants. Purther more the use of the active roller a biolo¬ gical control of the substrate of cultivation is possible; in this case, among the costituents of the septum-roller, there is some defibrated bark of forest plants, that possesses specific and repressi¬ ve micro-organisms towards the most frequent tracheomycosis. Among the other advantages that are compared, it is pointed out: - a minor enviromental impact of cultivation; - a relevant saving of energy with very good produc¬ tion results, obtained from the heating at low thermic exchange of the basal water; SUBSTITUTE SHEET - an automation of the cultivating operations; " - the more rational program of nutrition: in fact, with Rastaplan System is conveniently applied a manuring of the base of the organic substrate and a heavy irrigation of support at a low mineral content and specialized absorption that is carried out on the inert of the roller jumps possible insoluble that could be verified in the cultivated substrate; - furthermore, given the particular structure and functioning of the Rastaplan, the repotting is remarkably postponed, and even extremely easy, with a possibility of the use of the roller. The industrial basket of the septum-roller can be: with a permanent basket, temporary by means of water- soluble bindings, or free in a fibre sheath not polypropylene material; the structure is according to the cultivation needs, it can be flat, on the whole surface, like in the roller case illustrated, lathing or spiral. The septum roller in some applications is present around the circumference of the dripping air chamber. The di entions as far as 30 cm. of diameter and hight permits a wide cultivation of the most part of ornamental plants today on the market. SUBSTITUTE SHEET For special cultivation on long cycle, shrub and ornamental citrus in a pot, whose hight and diameter don't consent to maintain the hydric potential necessary to the cultivation needs, the reinstatement of the irrigation level is carried out from the top of the septum-roller β SUBSTITUTE SHEET

Claims: REVENDICATION Although it has been illustrated the single rea¬ lization of the invention, it will be understood that, object of the industrial monopoly, the Rastaplan System in its whole is a system of pro¬ fessional and amatory cultivation of plants in con¬ tainers, whichever it may be: pot, case, bank, lar¬ ge chest, banquett, phytocelle, sowing container... Among these other forms of realization, we refer to the construction of bank, banquett, and in gene¬ ral to large cases of vegetation; here, to a poly¬ styrene bottom to low density and high seed pearl with the peculiarity and functionality of irriga¬ tion level and drainage of illustrated bottom; has coupled a load bearing structure of expanded poly¬ styrene to higher density, in whose interstice pro¬ fitably has applied an aerothermiσ conditioning of base. Within the limits of the invention, we intend to produce modifications in accordance with the con¬ structive applications, we claim: for the ornamental shooting of pottery the utiliza¬ tion of a porelateritions to high remainder of carbon. In this case, the outside and area waterproofing SUBSTITUTE SHEET can happen for crystal covering. The peculiar feature of this material of pottery in the high remainder of carbon which make a refrac¬ tory surface to the installation of algae, fungi and micro-organisms of various kinds, which on the contrary install themselves in the terra-cotta; moreover thermic inertness and hydroabsorption make complementary it; to the mentioned septum-roller. The production of the porolateritions as obtai- ned for cooking of calcareous magnesic clays, pre¬ valently filled with worn out husks, which fossilize and produce the remainder of carbon. The claims, concerning Rastaplan System's construc¬ tive principles are: 1) The adoption of a air tube of dripping, characte¬ rized by the fact to permit from his inner surface, the subirrigation, the airing and the draining of the substratum of cultivation. 2) The adoption of a septum-roller of various compo- sitions, characterized by the fact to be hydroae- rial continuous subirrigator apparatus and specia¬ lized mediator of the water-substratum contact. 3) The adoption of a botton in accordance with the claim 1) characterized by the fact that the mate— rial which it has constitued is the expanded SUBSTITUTE SHEET polystyrene to low density and high seed pearl. 4) The adoption of the flat of watering characteri¬ zed by the fact to act as a evaporimeter-distri- butor. 5) The adoption of a float characterized by the fact to have a magnetic calibration, that is to say it has a system of opening and closing magnet-buoy¬ ancy. 6) The adoption of a distributing septum, characte- rized by the fact that the material which has constituted with expanded polystyrene to_ low den¬ sity and high volume in interstice of seed pearl. 7) The adoption of a porelateritions with comple¬ mentary function to the septum-roller in accor- dance with the claim 2) characterized by the fact. that this material of pottery has an high remain¬ der of carbon and it. has obtained from cooking of the clays, 7/hich are prevalently fitted with worn out husks. Everithing as described is for the specified purposes and analogous to them. SUBSTITUTE SHEET

Inventors: IELO DOMENICO, IELO, DOMENICO
Applicants: FIRST KNOW S A S, FIRST KNOW S.A.S.
Application year: 1988
Main classification: A01G27
IPC codes: A01G27