AU632745B2

AU632745B2 - Method and device for planting seedlings

Info

Publication number: AU632745B2
Application number: AU31046/89A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Yoshihide Ito
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-03-03
Filing date: 1989-03-06
Publication date: 1993-01-14
Anticipated expiration: 2009-03-06
Also published as: AU3104689A; GB8904894D0; GB2228658A

Description

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1 i: -i 632 745

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority: Related Art: Name of Applicant: .,...:Address of Applica *0 Actual Inventor: ":*.Address for Servic 0 TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT YOSHIHIDE ITO int: No. 406, Sun Heights Hozumi, 4-5-11, Kasuga, Ibaragi-shi, Osaka-fu, Japan Yoshihide ARTHUR S. CAVE CO.

Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Level Barrack Street SYDNEY N.S.W. 2000

AUSTRALIA

3> F k Complete Specification for the invention entitled METHODMQ ".PLANTING SEEDLINGS.

The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me:- 1 ASC 49 PATENT AND TRADE MARK ATTORNEYS

SYDNEY

fq 0515a/SC la- METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PLANTING SEEDLINGS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an improved method and device for planting seedlings, more particularly to a novel method and device for reliably and positively planting seedlings in areas such as dried lands, deserts or wastelands where it is difficult or impossible to cultivate seedlings by conventional methods and devices.

In planting seedlings, it was conventional to cultivate or breed the seedlings in a seedbed or a hot bed, to dig out the cultivated seedlings therefrom, to transport the digged out seedlings to the place to be planted, and to dig holes in the ground to plant them.

The prior method, however, involves the following oaoa serious inevitable difficulties.

The seedlings, even if able to be grown into large trees, are very infirm and lack spontaneity when they are young to that it is difficult for them to withstand sudden changes of conditions. For instance, the growth of seedlings is extremely difficult where the place to be planted is under severe conditions such as intense heat, coldness or dryness without sufficient oe water.

In addition to the sudden change of habitat from el a seedbed or hot bed of satisfactory conditions to a planting place of under severe conditions, the seedlings are heavily injured in transplantation by that portions of roots are cut off or plucked off.

In cases where the place to be planted is a desert or a dried area close to a desert, the roots of seedlings are immediately exposed to danger of being dried since the lengths of the roots are from ten to i 0515a/SC 2 several tens centimeters at the most. Furthermore, in a dry season in a desert of strong sunshine or a torrid zone, the portions of the soil at the level of from ten to several tens centimeters under the ground surface become red-hot by solar heat in addition being dried so that the rootlets of the seedlings are withered far from growth. Under such sever conditions, frequent irrigations are even ineffective.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method and device for planting seedlings made for eliminating above described various difficulties of prior methods and devices.

The present invention was made in view of the fact that even in barren areas unsuitable for planting seedlings such as deserts, dried areas close to the desert or torrid zones where the amount of rainfall is small, there is water required for the growth of seedlings and there are many soil portions where the plants can extend their roots deep into the soil in the level of 50 100 centimeters or 100 500 centimeters under the ground surface.

o The present invention seeks to provide a method of planting seedlings which ensures the planting and growth of seedlings and prevents desertion of the earth due to disordered deforestation and which contributes to afforestation of deserts.

The present invention also seeks to provide a seedling breeder which may be used to achieve such a method. In one broad form, the present invention provides a method of planting a seedling in a seedling planting place comprised of an area dry in the upper levels but containing water at a lower level, comprising the steps of: determining the depth of the water-containing level; selecting a seedling breeder having a length corresponding to the depth of the water-containing level, said breeder comprising an elongated cylindrical body having an open upper end, a plurality of openings in the periphery 0515a/SC 3 of at least the lower portion of the body, and cover means removably covering said plurality of openings; filling said seedling breeder with culture media; planting said seedling in said seedling breeder; breeding the planted seedling in the breeder until the roots of the seedling substantially reach said plurality of openings; removing said cover means; and implanting the breeder in said seedling planting place by inserting the breeder into the ground at said seedling planting place.

According to such method and device, the following advantages are brought about.

The roots of the seedlings as transplanted from a seedbed to the culture soil in the breeders satisfactorily grow downwards along the breeder under the conditions Ssuitable for the growth and the seedlings grow up without cutting off of the roots to young trees having enough ability of withstanding the natural conditions or .circumstances.

o* oo e* *oeo 0515a/SC -4- Furthermore, the length of the seedling breeder is selected correspondingly with the conditions of a planting place, especially the depth of water containing soil, and the seedlings as grown up to the young trees as described above are planted into the soil without being removed from the breeders so that cutting off and drying of roots which are fatal serious problems never arise and completely satisfactory planting is realized.

The roots of the young trees as planted as described above flourishingly grow through the openings formed in periphery of the lower portion of the breeder with seeking water so that in spite of a spell of dry weather, depauperation or withering will not arise.

Still further, by forming the seedling breeders of material which will be weakened and decayed upon lapse of time, the breeders implanted in the ground will become fragile and rotten upon lapse of time and conjointly with the growth of the roots the breeders will be broken so that will not prevent the growth of the young trees beyond the breeders.

At this stage, even if the planting place is in desert, the ends of main roots of seedlings have already reached or extended to the water containing level of the ground so that the seedlings will not be depauperated or withered even if the irrigation is stopped. Even if the breeder is not broken after the lapse of substantial time, the breeder will not prevent the growth of the plants since their roots can extend out of the breeder through the openings formed in the lower portion thereof.

Further still, by using as an irrigation means a thin tube inserted deep into the breeder and inserting an irrigation tube through the thin tube as disclosed in Figs.

and 6, the precious water is directly supplied to the eroot portions extending deep in the breeder without being supplied to the upper portion of the breeder where the water is easily vanished by the solar heat, resulting in an efficient irrigation.

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4" 4* 0515a/SC As apparent from above described various advantages, according to the device and method of planting seedlings of the present invention, the acceleratively proceeding desertion of the earth in these days due to disordered deforestation, etc. may be effectively prevented and it is possible to greatly contribute to the forestation of the earth.

BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWINGS The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, wherein Fig. 1 is a partial sectional front view of a seedling breeder showing a growing state of a transplanted seedling; Fig. 2 is a view of seedling breeder similar to Fig. 1 with a cover being removed; Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line III-III of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a part of Fig. 2 taken on line IV-IV; Fig. 5 is a partial sectional view of a seedling breeder which has been implanted in the ground; Fig. 6 is a partial sectional view of a seedling breeder which has been implanted in the ground by another method; Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of a breeder holding frame for breeding the seedlings; Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view of a breeder holding frame of another design; Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken on line IX-IX of Fig. 8.

DETAILED EXPLANATION OF EMBODIMENT An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to Figs. 1 7.

The reference numeral designates a seedling breeder used in the present invention and it is formed, in this 0515a/SC 6 embodiment, of a material which is weakened and decayed in the ground upon lapse of short time, such as plastic material, wooden material, canvas, thick non-woven fabric, or other material weakened and decayed upon lapse of time.

The breeder is a cylindrical body of a required length having its opposite ends being opened and formed in the periphery with a plurality of elongate openings (2) extending from the lower portion toward the intermediate portion of the body. The reference numeral designates a cover fitted on the lower portion of the seedling breeder and it closes the openings when required to prevent flowing out of culture soil and to prevent insufficient growth of the roots in the growing period due to negative phototropism. The cover is made of a suitable material such as plastic material and formed in the shape of a short tube attachable o o eo oo on and removable from the breeder The reference numeral designates a cap having pointed end and removably attached to the lower tip end of the seedling breeder (1) and is made of a hard material such hard plastic material or metal and it prevents falling out and flowing out of the culture soil from the opening in the lower end of the seedling breeder and is useful when the breeder is driven into ground to be implanted therein. The cap is formed with a plurality of openings in its periphery for the drainage of water and for allowing extending out of the roots of the seedling.

o Though the cap is not absolutely necessary in the case where holes are digged in the ground and the breeders are 0 inserted into the holes, it may be attached to the breeder St even in such cases to prevent falling out of culture soil from the lower end opening of the breeder. Though not illus- 00'S trated in the drawings, the cap may be formed integral with the breeder 0* so Now one of the methods of planting the seedlings using the above described seedling breeder will be described.

In the first place, the length and diameter of the seedling breeders are selected in accordance with the conditions in planting place and these breeders are held upright in a seedbed as shown in Fig. 7 with using a holding frame or without using such holding frame. Culture soil mixed with a fertilizer and a water retention material such as rock wool is filled in the breeder and a seedling is planted in the upper portion of the filled culture -7s.

soil In this state, the seedlings are cultivated for a required period of time under the fittest conditions of t~ci-.erature, degree of sunshine, water amount, permeability Then the roots of the seedlings are allowed to grow downwards along the cylindrical breeders to the length compatible with the conditions of the planting place, cc.i.ally the water distribution. For instance, in a case where water of the amount required for the growth of the plants exists 2 meters under the ground surface of the planting place, the seedling breeder of about 2 meters are used and the seedlings are cultivated in the seedbed under the above described fittest conditions until the tip ends of the roots grow to about 2 meters to reach to the openings as shown in Figs 2 4, resulting in breeding of the seedlings to young trees having enough ability to withstand natural conditions or circumstances depending on the volume or capacity of the breeders Then, by using a suitable digging machine, holes of slightly shorter length and slightly larger diameter

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than the breeders are digged in a planting place, the covers are removed from the breeders as shown in Fig. 5, and also the caps are removed from the breeders when required, and then the breeders are inserted into the holes and earth and sand or the likes is filled into the gaps between the inner faces of the holes and the outer faces of the breeders to complete planting.

As means for irrigation after the planting, a measure could be taken, as shown in Fig. 5, wherein a thin tube is 8 inserted deep into the breeder and the tip end of an S. '*ation tube having a water distributor connected therein is inserted into the thin tube to irrigate when red. With such arrangement, precious water may be supplied directly to the root portions extending deep in the culture soil 4i1i.i tl. supplying the water to the upper portion of the breeders where the water is easily vanished or evaporated due to the solar ueat uo that effective irrigation may be effected with a small amount of water. Therefore, such irrigation means is especially S economic and effective in the places such as deserts or dry 4 00 areas where water is not easily available. The thin tube may 4 5 be prefixed to the inner face of the breeder j *Though different depending on the material of the breeder it becomes weakened and fragile upon lapse of time and conjointly with flourishing growth of the roots of young tree, it will be broken after the planting so that the roots may freely grow into the ground seeking for water, and, therefore, the roots are not depauperated or withered even if the irrigation is stopped.

Furthermore, even if it has taken a long time before the breakage S. of the breeder the main roots extend out through the openings of the breeder so that there will arise no hindrance for the life of the planted plants.

In a case where the planting place of seedlings is sandy as in deserts, dry riverbeds, etc., the holes digged by means of a digging machine may not maintain the hole configuration. In such cases, it is desirable to drive the breeder by means of a driving machine with the state that the cap is attached to the breeder as shown in Fig. 6.

9 Figs. 8 and 9 show another example of breeder holding frame This holding frame comprises in its lower portion sleeves which close the openings in the lower portions of the breeders and function like the covers so that with the use of such holding frame it is possible to ensure the light shield for the roots of seedlings and prevention of damages to the roots which are the expected functions of the cover and to ensure effective planting.

In the above, a preferred embodiment of the present as invention has been described. The present invention, however, is not limited to the disclosed embodiment. For instance, o 'Po. the arrangement and the shape of the openings in the breeder *too may be suitably selected. The openings may be circular, o* polygonal, or long sideways. Furthermore, the cap as attached to the lower end of the breeder may be integral a'6 with the breeder as 09 Still further, when the cap is not used, a bottom plate having openings may be attached to the lower end opening of the breeder or the lower end opening may be closed.

To sum up, the constructions of various parts of the breeder o and holding frame used in the present invention and their materials may be selected within the scope of the present invention. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is therefore to be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method of planting a seedling in a seedling planting place comprised of an area dry in the upper levels but containing water at a lower level, comprising the steps of: determining the depth of the water-containing level; selecting a seedling breeder having a length corresponding to the depth of the water-containing level, said breeder comprising an elongated cylindrical body having an open upper end, a plurality of openings in the periphery of at least the lower portion of the body, and cover means removably covering said plurality of openings; filling said seedling breeder with culture media; planting said seedling in said seedling breeder; breeding the planted seedling in the breeder until the roots of the seedling substantially reach said plurality of openings; removing said cover means; and by implanting the breeder in said seedling planting place binserting the breeder into the ground at said seedling planting place.

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower end of the breeder is open.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower end of the breeder is open and a cap of hard material having a :pointed end is removably attached to said open lower end of the breeder.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower end of the breeder is closed by a bottom plate.

A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the breeder is made of a material which weakens and decays in the ground upon lapse of time.

6. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to wherein said lower portion in the breeder is directly irrigated by supplying water from the upper end of a tube extending to said lower portion. t ii: I B F 1 j p j i! j i ~71~- 0515a/SC 12

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said tube is separate from the breeder.

8. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said tube is attached to the breeder.

9. A method of planting seedlings, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 10th day of November, 1992. YOSHIHIDE ITO By His Patent Attorneys DAVIES COLLISON CAVE 00 *0000 0 0 3 r t~S