Plant husbandry – Water culture – apparatus or method – Individual support
Patent
1989-02-27
1990-12-11
Raduazo, Henry E.
Plant husbandry
Water culture, apparatus or method
Individual support
47 59, 239545, A01G 3102
Patent
active
049760645
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a hydroponic installation for growing plants, in which the roots are constantly immersed in an aqueous nutrient solution.
It is known that a plant's capacity for absorbing water depends on the water's degree of saturation with dissolved oxygen, not merely with dissolved air, in the area about its roots.
It is obvious that, unless the plant absorbs water it absorbs no nutrients.
There are, furthermore, periods when the roots need to release gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) and ethylene.
Since the aim is to dissolve a gas--oxygen in this case--in water, the method currently most used in aquariums, for example, consists in blowing air into the water, which is a poor method.
This is because each air bubble, which contains 21% oxygen, as in the atmosphere, has but a small surface area through which its oxygen has to be able to diffuse into the volume of water, namely, the water that surrounds the bubble, which is enormous in relation to the volume of the bubble.
However, in the HCI process, which is the subject matter of the invention, this enormous volume of water is broken up into small droplets, each being surrounded by an enormous volume of air in relation to the volume of the droplet. In other words, the physical conditions in this process are completely reversed.
Consequently, since gases seek a state of equilibrium (a fundamental law of physics), oxygen, abundant in air, will easily diffuse through the surface of the water droplets which contain little or no oxygen.
During the growth of the plant, its roots release into the water carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) or ethylene, which causes the concentration of these gases in the droplets to exceed that of the ambient air. Hence, these gases will easily be able to leave the water droplets to diffuse into this ambient air. It is in this that the HCI gas exchange process consists. Of the two saturations, oxygen saturation is by far the most important, because it is more difficult to achieve economically. This difficulty is all the greater when the temperature of the air and of the water is higher, that is, in spring, which is precisely the season when the plants' oxygen demand is greatest, because they are in their full growth activity and are laden with fruits.
It is in such conditions that the other systems prove to be insufficient, resulting in the death of a great number of roots and the deterioration of the plant itself, with the possibility that this devastating sickness may extend to all the other roots.
It is also known that roots gripped in a solid support can be damaged mechanically by the latter, and since the tissue of the plant, hurt by this support or otherwise, is held in place, it can decompose to create a disease that will destroy all of the roots in existing hydroponic systems, both static and circulating.
Two methods will be described for injecting nutrient substances, one of them using laser-drilled holes, the other using individual nozzles, both permitting the delivery of the necessary nutrient solution in the form of fog. The laser method requires a higher distribution pressure and a pump of a larger size for very large installations permitting the development of roots from plant cuttings, but it can also be of inestimable value for the root growth of difficult varieties of plants. The nozzle method requires less pressure but operates with a greater rate of flow, which makes it quite recommendable for plants such as tomatoes which need a long period of growth (up to one year), which results in a substantial increase both in growth and in the destruction of the mass of the roots. The greater flow of the injector system results in the accelerated removal of destroyed root tissues, assuring an environment free of diseased roots.
Various patents have already been filed in this field, including the European Patent Nos.:
0,010,737 of Dec. 1, 1982
0,052,264 of Jan. 2, 1986 removable cover containing an aqueous nutrient solution and an air space between the surface of the latter and
REFERENCES:
patent: 3660933 (1972-05-01), Wong
patent: 4332105 (1982-06-01), Nir
patent: 4514930 (1985-05-01), Schorr
Johnson Jerrold D.
Raduazo Henry E.
LandOfFree
Equipment and methods for injecting aqueous nutrient solution in does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Equipment and methods for injecting aqueous nutrient solution in, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Equipment and methods for injecting aqueous nutrient solution in will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-382300