Patent RU-2758116-C2 (RU)
Title: Panel with grooves for growing plants afloat made with the possibility of laying in stack
Inventor: NOORDAM CHRISTIAAN SILVESTER
IPC: A01G31/04
Filed: 2017-12-19
Granted: 2021-10-26
Abstract: FIELD: crop production; hydroponics. 
     SUBSTANCE: panel is made with the possibility of laying in a stack, it contains a set of parallel grooves on the upper side of the panel that pass in the longitudinal direction of the panel and that are made with the possibility of receiving substrate and a set of plants or plant seeds in substrate. On the specified upper side, the length of each groove is at least 10 times greater than the width of the groove, wherein each groove passes through the panel from the first plane on the upper side to the second plane parallel to the first plane and located at a distance from the first plane. The panel contains a set of air chambers at its lower side, which pass essentially under the second plane, wherein each of air chambers is made with the possibility of providing the formation of air roots of plants or plant seeds in it, which are supported in substrate by one or more grooves. Each chamber contains a ceiling, into which one or more of grooves exits and passes into a peripheral sidewall that restricts each of air chambers from the others of air chambers, and has a peripheral lower edge made with the possibility of passing into water, when the panel floats on water. In the second plane, each groove is located at a distance from the peripheral sidewall of the air chamber, into which it exits, if viewed in projection on a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Each groove contains at least two side support surfaces that are closed surfaces and that run parallel to the groove and under the upper side, wherein side support surfaces are made with the possibility of essentially completely supporting substrate in the groove. The system contains: a frame; a conveyor attached to the frame and made with the possibility of moving the panel in its longitudinal direction relatively to the frame; a dosing device for plants or plant seeds installed on the frame and located above the conveyor. The dosing device is made with the possibility of dispensing plants or plant seeds into grooves of the panel during the movement of the panel relatively to the frame. Panel grooves are divided into two or more sets of grooves. The dosing device is made with the possibility of a separate selection of the output rate for each set of grooves. The method using two or more panels contains following stages: filling empty grooves of each panel with substrate and plants or plant seeds; subsequently arranging panels on the water body to ensure the formation of air roots of plants or plant seeds in air chambers of panels; and after air roots reaching the water body, removing panels from the water body and stacking them on top of each other in such a way that plants or plant seeds located in grooves of one of two or more panels can germinate and pass into the air chamber of the second panel of two or more panels that are stacked directly on one of panels.  
     EFFECT: inventions provide the formation of air roots and the exclusion of plant rot. 
     28 cl, 14 dwg