Method for cultivating plant

• US 9,326,454 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2014
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Showa Denko KK
• Original Assignee: Showa Denko KK
• Inventors: Suzuki, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): TSANG, LISA L
• Application Number:
  US14/171,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20140215911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 47/10.1 R, 47/62.R, 47/62.N, 47/13, 47/581.R, 47/581.LS, 47/581.SE, 47D/IG.6, 47/14
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/045 with electric lighting
• CPC Class Codes: A01H 3/02 by controlling duration, wavelength, intensity, or periodicity of illumination
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/14 Measures for saving energy, e.g. in green houses

Abstract

A plant-cultivating method is provided which comprises a red light irradiation step (A) and a blue light irradiation step (B), wherein the step (A) and the step (B) are independently carried out for a predetermined period of time under cultivation conditions such that amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium as fertilizer ingredients as used at the step (B) are smaller than amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium as fertilizer ingredients, respectively, as used at the step (A). Preferably, fertilizer ingredients are applied in amounts such that a growth medium at the step (B) contains 10-15 me/L of nitrogen, 1-4 me/L of phosphorus and 2-6 me/L of potassium, and a growth medium at the step (A) contains 15-20 me/L of nitrogen, 3-6 me/L of phosphorus and 6-9 me/L of potassium.

Claims

1. A method of cultivating a plant comprising a step (A) of irradiating a plant with a red light and a step (B) of irradiating the plant with a blue light, wherein the red light irradiating step (A) and the blue light irradiating step (B) are independently carried out for a predetermined period of time under cultivation conditions such that amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium as fertilizer ingredients applied at the blue light irradiating step (B) are smaller than amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium as fertilizer ingredients, respectively, applied at the red light irradiating step (A).

2. The method of cultivating a plant according to claim 1, wherein the fertilizer ingredients are applied in amounts such that a growth medium at the blue light irradiating step (B) contains 10 to 15 milliequivalents/L(me/L) of nitrogen, 1 to 4 me/L of phosphorus and 2 to 6 me/L of potassium, and a growth medium at the red light irradiating step (A) contains 15 to 20 me/L of nitrogen, 3 to 6 me/L of phosphorus and 6 to 9 me/L of potassium.

3. The method of cultivating a plant according to claim 1, wherein the fertilizer ingredients are applied in a form of a nutritious liquid at each of the blue light irradiating step (B) and the red light irradiating step (A), and the nutritious liquid applied at the blue light irradiating step (B) has a pH value smaller than a pH value of the nutritious liquid applied at the red light irradiating step (A).

4. The method of cultivating a plant according to claim 1, wherein the fertilizer ingredients are applied in a form of a nutritious liquid at each of the blue light irradiating step (B) and the red light irradiating step (A), and the nutritious liquid applied at the blue light irradiating step (B) has a pH value in a range of 4 to 5, and the nutritious liquid applied at the red light irradiating step (A) has a pH value in a range of 5 to 6.5.

5. The method of cultivating a plant according to claim 1, wherein the fertilizer ingredients are applied in a form of a nutritious liquid at each of the blue light irradiating step (B) and at the red light irradiating step (A), and a temperature of the nutritious liquid applied at the blue light irradiating step (B) is lower than a temperature of the nutritious liquid applied at the red light irradiating step (A).

6. The method of cultivating a plant according to claim 5, wherein the temperature of the nutritious liquid applied at the blue light irradiating step (B) is in a range of 10°

C. to 18°

C. and the temperature of the nutritious liquid applied at the red light irradiating step (A) is in a range of 15°

C. to 25°

C.

7. The method of cultivating a plant according to claim 1, wherein the plant is selected from algae, phytoplankton and euglena.

8. The method of cultivating a plant according to claim 1, wherein the red light irradiating step (A) and the blue light irradiating step (B) are alternately and repeatedly carried out over a period of at least one hour for an irradiation time for each of the red light irradiating step (A) and the blue light irradiating step (B).

9. The method of cultivating a plant according to claim 1, wherein the red light irradiating step (A) and the blue light irradiating step (B) are carried out using an illumination lamp facility having red light emitting elements and blue light emitting elements, both of which are capable of being independently operated, and the red light emitting elements and the blue light emitting elements exhibit a light emission intensity ratio of red light to blue light of at least 1:

1 as expressed by a ratio of photosynthetic photon flux density of red light to blue light.

10. The method of cultivating a plant according to claim 1, wherein the red light irradiating step (A) and the blue light irradiating step (B) are carried out using an illumination lamp facility having red light emitting elements and blue light emitting elements, both of which are capable of being independently operated, and the red light emitting elements and the blue light emitting elements exhibit a light emission intensity ratio of red light to blue light in the range of 2:

1 to 9;

1 as expressed by a ratio of photosynthetic photon flux density of red light to blue light.