New soilless cultivation facilities and supporting technical models

⑶, B ⑷、C ⑸、D ⑹, 1000mm long ⑺. ⑻. LG-D ⑴、 DFT B- ⑵、 DFT/NFT ⑶. Three-dimensional ⑷、 DFT ⑸. application number: 201110068853.5 )

⑹、application number: 201110068853.5 )

3. Advantages of LG-D ⑴. ⑵. ⑶. 120cm ⑷. ⑸. The composite soilless cultivation mode that combines ⑹. ⑺. ⑻. ⑼. of the oblique-inserted three-dimensional cultivation column and cultivation wall facility structure originally designed and invented by me , I made major corrections to these two cultivation facility devices and developed three models: the second-generation chain combined wall cultivation ZL 2008 2 0109103.1 , the assembled wall cultivation and the triangular column cultivation facility. In 2011 , in view of the common shortcomings of all the current column-type cultivation devices, such as the need to replace the substrate, the main structure blocking the light, the uneven growth of vegetables, and the poor commercial quality, I further researched and developed the third-generation "spiral bionic three-dimensional hydroponic column" ( .

1. Chain combined wall cultivation facility structure

It consists of a wall cultivation trough, a trough top cover, a bottom liquid collecting trough, a base, a fixed axis tube, non-woven fabric, a matrix, a planting cup, a nutrient solution circulation supply system, etc.

The cultivation trough is molded with high-density polystyrene material. The outer length of the trough is 860mm , the height is 125mm , the inner diameter of the trough is mm , the width is 40mm , the depth is 10mm , and the thickness is 20mm . There are four grids in the trough, each of which has two drainage ports at the bottom, and a protruding U -shaped planting port on each side. There are 8 planting ports on both sides of the entire cultivation trough. There are shaft tube rings with an inner diameter of 40mm at both ends of the cultivation trough. The positions of the shaft tube rings at both ends are arranged in an up-and-down staggered manner for easy horizontal connection. The upper and bottom ends of the cultivation trough have a chimeric structure that is superimposed up and down, so that the trough body is stacked vertically to form a whole, and it can prevent the upper and lower water in the trough from overflowing. 

The length and width of the tank top cover and the liquid collecting bottom tank are exactly the same as the cultivation tank body, with shaft pipe rings at both ends. The inner depth of the top tank cover is 40mm , and the inner depth of the bottom liquid collecting tank is 60mm . There is a drainage port with an inner diameter of 25mm and an outer diameter of 50mm in the middle of the bottom, which can be connected to a PVC pipe with an inner diameter of 50mm . The base and the fixed shaft pipe support and connect and fix the cultivation wall. The base is generally a brick-concrete structure with a height of 200-240mm and a width that is basically the same as the outer width of the cultivation tank body. The return liquid pipeline is fixed to the base in advance, and the upper part of the shaft pipe is connected and fixed to the greenhouse or other buildings to ensure the stability of the overall cultivation wall facilities.

Non-woven fabrics and substrates are carriers for the growth of crop roots in wall cultivation troughs. Non-woven fabrics are responsible for absorbing water and protecting the substrate from leaking or overflowing. The substrate can be made of sponge or perlite, large-grain vermiculite, small expanded clay and other materials with good water absorption, air permeability and drainage.

In order to match the "raised" planting opening of the wall cultivation trough, a special " U -shaped planting cup" was designed. The outer wall of the cup is closed, and the inner wall and bottom are grid-shaped, allowing the crop roots to extend outward. The bottom of the planting cup is flat and can stand on its own after the substrate is installed, which is convenient for seedling separation, transplanting and watering the seedbed. After the seedlings are mature, the cup body is directly inserted into the planting hole of the wall to complete the planting operation.

2. Triangular column cultivation facilities

It consists of a triangular column pot, non-woven fabric, matrix, planting cup, column core tube, liquid collecting tank, nutrient solution circulation supply system, etc.

The triangular column pot is a whole hexagon, 160mm high and 140mm deep . In the middle is an axial core tube ring with an inner diameter of 50mm. There is a gap structure between the outer wall of the tube ring and the inner wall of the pot body, which is used to fill the matrix material to meet the space needs of crop root growth. The width of the gap varies from 30 to 40mm . There are 6 drainage holes at the bottom of the inner cavity , which is conducive to the upward and downward flow of nutrient solution. The cultivation pot body has three raised U- shaped planting openings arranged in a "right triangle", hence the name triangular column cultivation mode.

The functions and materials of non-woven fabrics, substrates, planting cups, axial tubes, etc. are basically the same as those of chain-type combined wall cultivation.

The collecting trough can be a cement structure, or it can be a universal bottom trough of a multifunctional cultivation facility in combination with an A- type planting plate. The width of the collecting trough is generally between 300-800mm and the depth is 50-120mm . All the nutrient solution discharged from the column is collected and returned to the nutrient solution pool through the drainage pipeline to complete the circulating liquid supply. The collecting trough is covered with a planting plate or paved with pebbles for flat planting of leafy vegetables or flowers.

3. Assembled wall three-dimensional cultivation facilities

It consists of a cultivation box, a connecting box, non-woven fabric, a sponge, a planting cup, a liquid collecting tank, an attachment bracket, fixing screws, a nutrient solution circulation system, etc.

The cultivation box is made of ABS plastic molded, and the outer diameter of the cultivation box is: 250mm long , 125mm high, and 30mm wide . The wall thickness at the upper opening is 1mm , and gradually thickens to 2mm downwards . There is a grid in the middle of the cultivation box, which divides the box body into two longitudinal cavities ( 124 × 124mm ) for the growth of plant roots, and the cavities are filled with non-woven fabrics and matrix materials. There are 8 drainage holes with a diameter of 12mm at the bottom of the cultivation box; there are two U- shaped protruding planting ports on the outer wall of the upper opening of the box body , and the inner diameter of the planting port is 38mm . The inner wall of the box opening is 20mm higher than the box body and has 3 fixing screw holes. The outer dimensions and internal structure of the connection box are exactly the same as those of the cultivation box, but there is no planting port, which serves to connect the upper and lower cultivation boxes on the cultivation wall to drain and adjust the planting spacing of plants. The box body is filled with non-woven fabric wrapped with matrix materials as a carrier for root growth.

The wall support attachment must be a completely flat vertical surface that can be screwed in to facilitate fixing the cultivation box and link box on the vertical surface. You can also consider using wooden strips, boards, etc. to make a frame, and then install and fix the cultivation box and link box on the frame to form a cultivation wall.

The return liquid tank is arranged at the bottom of the cultivation wall facility. The water and fertilizer discharged from the cultivation wall box are collected by a plastic tank or a cement tank and returned to the nutrient solution pool to complete the circulating liquid supply.

4. Spiral bionic three-dimensional hydroponic column

It consists of a cultivation pot, an outer planting cover, an embedded planting tray, a small planting cup, a column core tube, a nutrient solution circulation system, etc.

The cultivation pot is molded from polypropylene plastic, with a height of 45mm , a thickness of 2mm , a six-petal lace shape, and an outer diameter of 230mm . One side of the pot has a fixed ring with an inner diameter of 75mm , which forms an integral part with the cultivation pot. The ring wall is 5mm thick and 80mm high . A drainage pipe port is provided at the bottom of one side of the cultivation pot, with an inner diameter of 16mm , and a PVC pipe with an outer diameter of 16mm can be plugged in to adjust the water level in the pot.

The inner diameter of the outer cover planting cover matches the outer diameter of the cultivation pot, and it is covered on the cultivation pot to form a whole. The planting cover has 7 planting holes with an inner diameter of 25mm . A liquid inlet with an inner diameter of 16mm is set on one side of the planting cover . The outer diameter of the embedded planting tray matches the inner diameter of the cultivation pot, and it is placed in the cultivation pot to form a "cage-type" structure. The bottom of the planting tray is grid-shaped to facilitate the penetration of the roots.

The column core tube is a PVC tube with an outer diameter of 75mm . A corresponding liquid return pipe port is set at the bottom of each cultivation column to recover the drainage of each column in series and flow it back to the nutrient solution pool to complete the circulating liquid supply.

5 Application of LG-  ⑴. 6-12 ⑵, ⑶. ⑷. 3 7  

6. The main advantages of LG- ⑴. ⑵. 300 °, while the vertical growth space of each crop in the circular cultivation column is only about 200 °), which is conducive to better upright growth of crops.

The wall cultivation facilities are changed from a two-piece plywood structure to a trough structure, and the wall is fixed by the shaft tube passing through the connecting shaft rings at both ends of the cultivation trough instead of relying on the establishment of an internal steel pipe frame to fix the wall. This structural correction makes the installation of wall cultivation facilities easier and more convenient on the one hand; on the other hand, the fixed frame is no longer mixed with the cultivation matrix, nutrient solution, etc., avoiding the problem of rust and release of toxic ions due to acid and alkali erosion of the nutrient solution on the steel pipe frame, and also avoiding the contact between the root system and the rusted metal pipe. The connecting shaft ring design at both ends of the cultivation trough makes the installation of the longitudinal fixed pipe more convenient. This shaft ring connection structure allows the wall cultivation facade shape to be changed at will, with a maximum amplitude angle of up to 90 °, that is, the cultivation wall can be directly combined into a square or rectangular "yard wall" without disconnecting and installing at the corner, and can also be combined into hexagonal, octagonal, polygonal and wavy cultivation walls, which can be combined into a three-dimensional cultivation landscape rich in cultural, artistic and technological connotations.

⑶. The design concept of the spiral bionic hydroponic column changes the "dependent" planting structure of the traditional column-type cultivation, which has a thick central column and small cultivation holes, and completely separates the central column from the function of plant root growth space and water and fertilizer flow channel, becoming an independent skeleton structure that supports the cultivation pots. The spiral arrangement of the cultivation pots on the central column allows the plants in each cultivation pot to have all-round growth space, and allows each crop to be exposed to more direct light, minimizing the light blocking of the facility structure.

The cultivation pots are equipped with two sets of planting covers, which enrich the variety of crops that can be cultivated. The flexible opening and closing design of the planting cover makes it more convenient and thorough to clean the residual roots in each cultivation pot and disinfect the pot body. It solves the problem that the column cultivation facilities in the past had to dismantle the entire column before cleaning the residual roots in the column pot, replacing the substrate, and disinfecting it. It significantly improves the efficiency of crop replacement, cleaning, disinfection, and replanting, and significantly shortens the cycle.

The installation of the return liquid pipeline and the fixation of the facilities no longer require basic civil engineering projects such as fixed bases, return liquid tanks, and collection tanks, which reduces the intensity and difficulty of engineering construction and reduces the cost investment of cultivation projects. The return liquid pipeline can be directly laid on the surface or shallowly buried underground. The project connection is convenient and labor-saving, which is conducive to promotion and application.

(Spiral bionic hydroponic column planting landscape - taken at Langfang Jinfeng Agricultural Science Park)

(Scene of spiral bionic hydroponic column cultivation - taken at Langfang Jinfeng Agricultural Science Park)