HYDROPONIC CULTURE METHOD AND DEVICE FOR IMPLEMENTING SAME

Abstract: A succession of suspended conduits are arranged on filiform and parallel supports (2). The upper sheet (1) has holes (6) for planting the respectives plants, the lower sheet (3) without holes acts as a collector, and the intermediary sheets (4) have the same number of holes which are offset longitudinarily with respect to the upper sheet (1). The conduits are assisted by the tube (8) forthe supply of water and nutrients and temperature control. From said tube a microtube or similar comes out above the upper sheet, one for each watering unit, for its individual supply. The liquid comes down in cascade through the conduits and through the holes (7, 7') down to the lower conduit (3), and guides the roots of the plants through the same path as the nutrient.

Description: OBJECT OF THE INVENTION The present invention lies within the scope of hydroponic cultures, namely cultures without earth, the object being to achieve a substantial simplification of the facilities and an equally substantial increase in yield. The invention is furthermore related to the device for implementing said procedure. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is known that a hydroponic culture consists in an artificial culture process normally performed in shallow buckets to which a fertilizer liquid is added with a formulation that meets the nutrient requirements of a specific type of plant being grown, so that with adequate lighting, which may also be artificial, and adequate concentrations and proportions of nutrients dissolved in water, the plant growing conditions are optimal, providing far greater crops than those obtained by traditional methods. A series of other advantages are furthermore achieved, such as greater plantation density, perfect overall root and plant protection against pathogenic agents, etc. However, hydroponic cultures present a vitally important problem in regard to the plant's physical support means. The root of a plant plays a double role, namely that of absorbing the nutrients required by the plant and that of providing a physical support for the plant by taking root in the ground. Hydroponic cultures do not require earth and therefore the plant's traditional physical support means disappears, thus requiring said traditional support to be replaced by some other means having no detrimental effect on the crop in any of the above aspects. In this regard, inert matter such as high granulometric sand is used as a rooting physical support means, although this sand is occasionally difficult to obtain, is quite expensive and also poses several limitations to the farming facility as a result of its nature and weight. Furthermore, although sand is in fact an inert matter, it may carry harmful germs to the plants, an initial thorough washing step therefore being essential, which furthermore has a negative economical effect. US-A-3 823 508 discloses a process according to the preamble of claim 1. From EP-A-406 458 a device as claimed in the preamble of claim 2 is known. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The procedure proposed by the invention solves the above problems in a fully satisfactory manner by eliminating the traditional need to provide a rooting substrate for the plants based on coarse sand or some similar inert matter. Toward this end, as stated in the second part of claim 1, said procedure consists in a support based on several superimposed sheets which, in addition to providing channel units for the fertilizer liquid, constitutes a means of attachment for the plant roots as it is fitted with offset holes through which labyrinthine conducts are formed for the roots, and thus, as the plant grows and consequently requires a greater stability, the roots become progressively lodged in the holes in the various strata, thereby providing an optimum mechanical attachment. The implementation of this procedure involves the use of a device as claimed in claim 2. More specifically, the various sheets form dihedrons having different angles which form superimposed channels, the lower sheet being totally closed whereas the remaining sheets are provided with holes which in the upper sheet are spaced from each other according to the spacing foreseen for the plants, the holes being offset in the lower sheets in order to achieve a "cascading" effect based on a certain lengthwise slant of the overall multiple channel units. The upper sheet acts exclusively as a physical support for attaching the plants, while the intermediate sheets, in addition to taking part in the above-mentioned rooting effect, constitute cascading channels for the fertilizer liquid which is supplied through a tube with multiple outlets positioned within the recess of each channel unit and which flows on all of the channel units, cascading from one to the other and thus providing irrigation and oxygenation to the roots of the plants. The lower sheet or channel unit acts as a sump for the residual fertilizer liquid, which is recycled and is therefore used in its entirety. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order to complement this description and help to provide a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, a set of drawings is attached to this specification, being an integral part thereof, wherein the following is represented with an illustrative, non-limiting character: Fig. 1 shows a schematic, cross section view of a hydroponic culture device fabricated according to the object of the present invention. Fig. 2 shows a schematic, side elevation, longitudinal section view of the device shown in the previous figure, according to the A-B section line in said figure. Finally, Fig. 3 shows a schematic, perspective view of the device in question. PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION In the example of a practical embodiment shown in the drawings, a hydroponic culture device is shown comprising an upper sheet (1), preferably made of plastic, in the form of a longitudinal band of an indefinite length which, with the assistance of a pair of lateral supports (2) composed of cables or rods, forms an obtuse dihedron, a second sheet (3), considerably wider than the previous sheet, also of a plastic nature, preferably opaque, in turn forms an acute dihedron and is supported by the same cables and rods (2), and between these end sheets (1) and (2), and a set of intermediate sheets (4), also having a dihedric shape and supported by the same marginal filiform elements (2). The number of intermediate sheets (4) may vary according to the specific requirements in each case, namely the type of plant being cultivated. A cover (5) provides an initial protection for the small plants or seeds at the start of the culture process and protects the first roots from the light. The upper sheet (1) is provided - along its median line, i.e. the dihedron edge formed by said line - with a plurality of evenly distributed holes (6) which correspond to the spacing foreseen for the plants to be grown, each of the intermediate sheets (4) being in turn provided with a number of holes (7) identical to that of the upper sheet (1), although longitudinally offset in a staggered manner, as can be seen particularly in Fig. 2. The last sheet (3) is devoid of holes. In the channel units established by the intermediate sheets (4), feeding tubes (8-8') are installed for the fertilizer liquid, which simultaneously acts as a liquid thermic transmitter for adequate temperature control it the culture facility. According to this structure, the upper sheet (1) acts exclusively as a physical support for either the plant's bare root or for its root and substrate, the root becoming attached to the sheet by lodging inside the holes (6), the first roots being protected against the light, the intermediate sheets (4) also cooperating in said physical support function in view that, as the plant grows, the root in each plant first reaches holes (7), then holes (7') and so forth, in the event that a larger number of intermediate sheets (4) is provided, whereby rooting takes place at different levels and the mechanical attachment of the plant increases as its size increases, thereby remaining permanently stable. The channel assembly is assisted by the water/nutrients and temperature control tube (8). From this tube emerges, toward the upper area above the upper sheet, a micro-tube or similar device for feeding each watering unit individually , so that the roots of the plants are fully immersed in said intermediate channel units, the fertilizer liquid descending in a cascade by virtue of the longitudinal offsetting between holes (7) and (7'), down to the lower channel unit (3) which, as previously stated, acts as a sump for the excess fertilizer liquid. The longitudinal offsetting of the holes (6), (7) and (7') is oriented in the same direction as the slanting of the overall multiple channel unit, so that at the lower end (9) of said channel unit, i.e. its outlet, a general sump is established, not shown, wherein the liquid fertilizer is recycled toward the starting point (10) of the multiple channel unit for the integral use thereof. The roots follow the path of the liquid fertilizer, the rooting thus taking place according to the full lines (11) shown in Fig. 2. This description need not be more extensive for an expert on the subject to understand the scope of the invention as claimed and the advantages deriving therefrom.

Claims: Procedure for hydroponic culture which comprises the use of a device comprising a unit forming multiple channels based on superimposed, perforated, sheets, said device allowing multiple cascading paths for the liquid fertilizer as well as a staggered path for the plant roots through the different sheets, said sheets constituting a physical support for the plants, characterized by the use of a device wherein a multiple channel unit consisting of a set of superimposed, perforated, sheets is hanged from a pair of slanting parallel filiform supports (2); said set of sheets consists in a plurality of sheets containing a first sheet (1), a second sheet (3), and one or more intermediate sheets (4) between said first (1) and second (3) sheets; said sheets being superimposed in a vertically spaced array wherein said first sheet (1) is the upper one and said second sheet (3) is the lower one; said first sheet (1) forms a substantially obtuse dihedron angle attached to said pair of slanting parallel filiform supports (2) through its longitudinal ends, and is provided, along the edge of the dihedron angle, with a plurality of evenly distributed holes (6), which correspond to the spacing foreseen for the plants to be grown; each intermediate sheet (4) is hanged from said pair of slanting parallel filiform supports (2), and is provided with a number of holes (7, 7') identical to that of said first sheet (1) although longitudinally offset in a staggered manner; and said second sheet (3) is hanged from said pair of slanting parallel filiform supports (2), and is devoid of holes. Device for implementing the hydroponic culture procedure of Claim 1, comprising a first sheet (1) of an indefinite length which forms a substantially obtuse dihedron angle attached to a pair of parallel filiform supports (2) through its longitudinal ends, containing evenly distributed holes (6) at the ends for accomodating plants, and a second sheet (3), devoid of holes, hanged from said filiform supports (2), which forms a substantially acute dihedron angle attached to said pair of parallel filiform supports (2) through its longitudinal ends; said sheets being superimposed in a vertically spaced array wherein said first sheet (1) is the upper one and said second sheet (3) is the lower one; said device being characterized in that said first sheet (1) is attached to a pair of slanting parallel filiform supports (2) through its longitudinal ends, and contains, along the edge of said obtuse dihedron angle, a plurality of evenly distributed holes (6) corresponding to the spacing foreseen for the plants; and between said first sheet (1) and said second sheet (3), one or more intermediate sheets (4) are established, each intermediate sheet (4) being hanged from said filiform supports (2), forming a recess, and determining an intermediate channel unit provided with holes (7, 7') that coincide numerically with those of the first sheet (1), although said holes (7, 7') are longitudinally offset with respect to holes (6) of the first sheet (1), in a staggered manner. Device for hydroponic culture, according to Claim 2, characterized in that within the recess of the intermediate sheets (4), tubes (8, 8') are established which simultanously act as suppliers of fertilizer liquid and as a means of heat conditioning the culture via the temperature of the fertilizer itself, emerging from said tubes (8, 8') toward the upper area above the first sheet (1) a device for feeding each channel unit individually through the holes (6) of the first sheet (1), so that said tubes (8, 8') feed fertilizer liquid to all the holes (6) of the first sheet (1), said fertilizer liquid cascading from one intermediate sheet (4) to others, if any, down to said second sheet (3) which acts as a sump. Device for hydroponic culture, according to Claims 2 or 3, characterized in that at the lower end (9) of the multiple channel unit a sump is established wherefrom the excess fertilizer liquid is recycled toward the upper end (10) for its full reuse. Device for hydroponic culture, according to any one of Claims 2 to 4, characterized in that on one of the filiforms supports (2) a cover is attached for protecting the roots from the light.

Inventors: PEREGRIN GONZALEZ GERARDO, PEREGRIN GONZALEZ, GERARDO
Applicants: INSTAIN S A, INSTAIN, S.A.
Application year: 1997
Main classification: A01G31
IPC codes: A01G31