GB2471491A

GB2471491A - Plantlet propagator

Info

Publication number: GB2471491A
Application number: GB0911378A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Chambers
Original assignee: FERMENTERPLANT Ltd; C Questor Group Ltd
Current assignee: FERMENTERPLANT Ltd
Priority date: 2009-07-01
Filing date: 2009-07-01
Publication date: 2011-01-05
Also published as: GB0911378D0

Abstract

A plantlet propagator comprises growth cylinderF, a funnelAplaced at the top of the cylinderFand spikesHto enable the cylinderFto be anchored to the ground. The cylinderFmay have a filterBat the top to prevent the ingress of fungi, bacteria and other contaminants. The lower part of the cylinderFholds a growth mediumGin which the plantletCgrows. There may be side tabsEat a lower end to assist in planting. The propagator may be biodegradable and may breakdown into substances which are useable by the plantlet such as fertiliser. The propagator may incorporate a defensive mechanism such as an insecticide or foul tasting coatings to prevent pest related damage. The propagator may be used for trees, may be used in reforestation and be used for aerial planting. The propagator may be sterile.

Description

INTELLECTUAL

. .... PROPERTY OFFICE Application No. GBO9 11378.8 RTM Date:7 October 2010 The following terms are registered trademarks and should be read as such wherever they occur in this document: Treepak Intellectual Property Office is an operating name of the Patent Office www.ipo.gov.uk Plantpak Micro-propagation Container Overview Over the whole period of human civilisation, the area covered by forest has been declining as a result of human activities. Increasing population, demand for farmland and timber, and expanding urban areas have all contributed to this decline, resulting in an annual net loss of tropical forest the size of Belgium, or approximately 9 million hectares.

Loss of trees is a major factor in increasing C02 levels in the atmosphere and consequent climate change, and is reckoned to be responsible for 20% of anthropogenic warming. The purpose of this invention is to speed up the process of the replanting of trees aimed at achieving an end to net deforestation. On current estimates, this will require in the order of 10 billion trees per annum to match current losses -not counting natural wastage. To take into account accumulated losses over a hundred year period, this would need around 60 billion new trees per year for twenty years.

Given the enormous scale of the task, conventional propagation and replanting techniques are proving to be inadequate for the task, especially in the more remote, less populated areas, The Plantpak system will enable automated factory production of elite quality trees and other useful plants, and improve deployment logistics in remote areas. Once produced, the Plantpak system is designed to allow rapid deployment from the air or other automated delivery system and to ensure that a high proportion of treelets survive (target >95%). The system is in effect a "tree incubator" to allow automated planting from the air or otherwise, and to ensure high survival rates of trees through the first few months of growth. The incubator function of the Plantpak allows for planting with greatly reduced; or in some cases no preparation of the soil prior to planting. This advantage is further enhanced by planting from the air, which taken together results in very low levels of soil disturbance, compacting, and erosion. These advantages result in substantially less carbon lost from the soil, enhanced tree growth, and less silting of watercourses.

Plantpak Plantpak differs in certain important respects from the related Treepak design, and is optimised for planting using ground based methods rather than from the air. The main differences are in the addition of side tabs to assist manual or mechanical planting using pressure on said tabs, and a degree of extra stiffness in the tube to prevent the device from crushing easily if planted with pressure applied inadvertently to the top rather than the base. Plantpak also has the option of a detachable outer funnel lid which can be reused. If this option is exercised, this component will be long lasting so as to tolerate several cycles of use.

Design Essentials of Plantpak 1. The Plantpak is designed to be manufactured and assembled out of sterile biodegradable polymers, and filled with its various internal gels, growing matrix, nutrients, tissue cultured cells, auxins and other substances using an automated sterile factory production line.

2. The Plantpak encloses a young plant or plantlet in a protective environment providing protection from infection -viral, bacterial, and fungal, from insects and grazing animals, from competition from other plants, and from the damaging effects of weather.

3. Provides all essential nutrients in accessible form for the whole period the young plant is in the Plantpak. The system will contain slow release nutrients, in a proprietary mix with saprophytic fungi, bacteria and algae, support matrix, water holding gels and shoot inducing auxin and delayed release auxin to allow root formation.

4. Provides a suitable amount of water -neither drying out nor flooding the young plant. This will require a mechanism for water capture and a drainage system to remove excess moisture. The system will further provide some degree of filtration to reduce exposure to virus, bacteria, fungi and insects such as might enter the Plantpak either in the air, or on the water gathering by the Plantpak lid. Air will also need to be exchanged to ensure a steady supply of C02, and manage humidity.

5. The Plantpak will break down in a controlled fashion -ideally to substances useable by the young plant as fertiliser. This is essential to allow the plant to grow beyond the container, and to avoid adding persistent litter to the landscape.

6. Manages light levels by providing sufficient shade to prevent what would otherwise be a small greenhouse turning into an oven. This is partly provided by the lid, but can be supplemented by varying the degree of transparency of the tube, or in certain versions, by an additional component in the form of a mesh veil dropping down from the lid to provide additional shade. The shade can either use conventional dyes, or be reactive -darkening in bright light.

7. Has sufficient structural integrity to survive handling, including being pushed into unprepared ground and exposure to weather.

8. Has spikes built into its base so as to allow the Plantpak to be quickly and easily pushed into unprepared soil.

9. The Plantpak incorporates defensive mechanisms such as pyrethrum based insecticide, and foul tasting coatings to reduce the degree of pest related damage.

10. To as great a degree as possible, the Plantpak is made up of materials derived from plant sources to minimise environmental impact. These materials will break down at a controlled and predictable rate under the influence of ultraviolet light, rain, and heat.

Components as per fig 1 & fig 2.

A. Water capture funnel shaped lid. This lid can be in two parts -the inner filter section, and the outer funnel. This permits more efficient space utilisation in the factory. An alternative form would have the outer part of the lid constructed out of flexible materials in an umbrella like design, and closed down like an umbrella to save space whilst in the initial phase of growth in the factory. (also shown in figure 3) B. Filter to remove disease causing fungi, bacteria and other contaminants from the rainwater irrigating the plant.

C. Plantlet -tree or other plant growing in the Plantpak container.

D. Overflow drainage system to allow release of excess water such as might be collected during heave rain.

E. Extended side tabs -to assist planting G. Clear Plastic Growth Cylinder -this is a simple tube designed to allow connection of other components. The tube will ideally be made of degradable bio-polymers turning into fertilizer in due course. The tube can be prepared in different sizes, and can incorporate shading where conditions require it. This shading can be either of fixed opacity, or contain photo-reactive pigments, and would be achieved by adding chemicals to the liquid polymer. The polymer will also be either coated or impregnated with foul tasting substances to deter chewing by rodents and other animals, and substances to selectively kill or deter insect pests.

F. Growth medium -solid or liquid with nutrients, enzymes, auxins, saprophytic fungi, bacteria and algae, matrix materials to facilitate access to nutrients and such other ingredients as will support, encourage and protect the growing plant (Tree or otherwise). In the case of solid media, this would incorporate water absorbing gel.

G. Spikes -The purpose of the spikes is to anchor the Plantpak to the ground. The spikes will incorporate materials suitable to facilitate further growth of the tree as it breaks out of the Plantpak container. The spikes will take the form of sharp hollow hypodermic needles -of suitable length and diameter, the upper half of which is filled with a loosely packed with a charcoal plug containing the supporting ingredients through which roots can grow. Two of the spikes will extend up through the gel to permit drainage to occur through the base.

Spike length will vary according to conditions at the delivery site. -soil type and soil depth in order to maximise penetration and stability whilst minimising shock and stone strike.

J. Filter to keep out insects, dirt and general contamination whilst permitting irrigation by rain, and exchange of gas with the atmosphere.

Claims

Claims 1. The Plantpak is a self contained and sterile tree incubator designed to facilitate the survival and growth of trees, bushes and other plants from the very earliest stages of cloned culture and growth.
2. The Seedling and/or plantlet planting container is impregnated or coated with materials which protect the developing tree or other plant from attack by insect, fungal, viral, or bacterial attack.
3. The system is designed to accommodate either seeds, or cloned material, and to allow the production of a wide variety of elite quality plants so as to contribute to enhanced biodiversity.
4. The Plantpak is designed to grow plants in sterile conditions (with the exception of deliberately introduced saprophytes) so as to exclude plant diseases, and facilitate the acquisition of plant health certificates.
5. The Plantpak is designed for deployment on the ground and makes use of side tabs to assist manual planting.
6. Use of biopolymers and plant fibres in the manufacture of Plantpak ensures that after the Plantpak degrades residual materials pose no threat to the environment.
7. The fine filter built in the lid, and the charcoal plugs built into the base of the Plantpak are designed to keep out disease causing organisms.
8. The use of a support matrix containing slow release fertiliser will facilitate growth for a significant period of time.
9. The Plantpak incorporates nutrient media, supporting matrix, and delayed release auxin to enable shoot and root formation in a single process 10. The Plantpak is designed in modular form for robotic assembly.11. By utilising delayed release auxin within the culture media, the Plantpak allows growth of trees or other plants from liquid cell suspension to growing rooted condition without transplant or subculture.12. The Plantpak is designed to permit automated production and deployment so allowing a far greater scale and rapidity of planting than traditional systems.13. The Plantpak is an enclosed system designed to exclude to a large extent unwanted insects, small animals, bacteria, fungi and other contaminants.14. The Plantpak will facilitate rapid growth by providing readily available nutrients in a slow release matrix which will prevent the nutrients from being washed away by rains.15. The Plantpak product makes use of saprophytic fungus co-cultured with the tree achieving faster growth rates and greater resistance to stress.16. The Plantpak product makes use of saprophytic bacteria co-cultured with the tree achieving faster growth rates and greater resistance to stress 17. The Plantpak product makes use of saprophytic micro-algae co-cultured with the tree achieving faster growth rates and greater resistance to stress 18. The entire Plantpak will be formed of materials designed for slow controlled breakdown, so that no part of the Plantpak will remain to litter the environment after it has served its purpose.19. The Plantpak materials will be broken down by heat, moisture, ultraviolet light and biological processes.20. In the Plantpak version with detachable lid this piece is durable for reuse.21. The Plantpak design allows for the incorporation of shading in the tube and lid using chemicals added during manufacture to the liquid polymer.22. The Plantpak design permits the incorporation of photo-reactive darkening chemicals so that light levels are reduced most when light intensity is greatest.23. Darkening the Plantpak in bright light conditions will prevent photo-inhibition 24. Darkening the Plantpak in bright light conditions will reduce overheating of the plant 25. The shading chemical will offer a mechanism to regulate the rate of breakdown of the Plantpak polymer by filtering ultraviolet light.26. The funnel on the Plantpak will allow it to self irrigate during rainfall and to regulate water level inside the Plantpak by an inbuilt drainage system.27. The Plantpak minimises evaporation by use of shading within the structure.28. The Plantpak absorbs and stores water in hydrophilic gels and activated charcoal.29. The Plantpak minimises evaporation by use of optional mesh shading hung below the lid so that the tree / plant is shaded.30. The Plantpak is able to contain or have on its surfaces substances which selectively kill or deter insect and other pests, so increasing survival rates for the trees and increasing average growth rate compared to other systems.31. The Plantpak is able to contain substances which taste unpleasant to deter chewing by rodents or other animals, so increasing survival rates for the trees and increasing average growth rate compared to other systems.32. The Plantpak design is flexible allowing for the use of different sized lids according to local rainfall norms. CoAmendments to the claims have been filed as follows Claims 1. The plant growth accelerator micro-propagation container is a self contained and sterile plant incubator comprising a funnel shaped lid with filter, a growth container, hollow spikes for anchoring and tabs to facilitate planting, with various mechanisms to regulate water, light and temperature and containing sterile gel or other cultivation media containing nutrients, auxins, delayed release plant hormones, saprophytic fungi and substances to minimise risk of plant disease or animal attack.2. The device of claim 1 where the container is impregnated or coated with materials which protect the developing tree or other plant from attack by insect, fungal or bacterial attack.3. The device of claim 1 that accommodates either seeds, or cloned material, by supporting either with suitable cultivation media tuned to the needs of the specific seed or material and to allow the production of a wide variety of elite quality plants so as to contribute to enhanced biodiversity.4. The device of claim 1 that grows plants in sterile conditions (with the exception of deliberately introduced saprophytes), a condition maintained by means of using sterile culture media, a filter in the lid and activated charcoal plugs in the base so as to exclude plant disease agents, and facilitate the acquisition of phytosanitary plant health certificates.5. The device of claim 1 with side tabs to assist manual planting for deployment on the ground.6. Use of biopolymers and plant fibres in the manufacture of the device in any of Q the claims so that it is biodegradeable.7. A fine filter built in the lid according to claim 1 to allow air exchange, filter incoming water and keep out harmful agents.8. Charcoal plugs built into the base of the device in claim 1 to keep out disease causing organisms.9. The use of a gel or cultivation media according to claim 1 containing slow release fertiliser to facilitate growth for a significant period of time.
10. A device that incorporates nutrient media, supporting matrix, plant rooting hormone and micro-encapsulated delayed release auxin to enable shoot and root formation in a single process.
11. The device in claim 1 in modular form for robotic assembly.
12. Use of delayed release capsules or microencapsulation in the device of claim 1 to enable sequential deployment of plant rooting hormone and shoot inducing auxin to enable micro-propagation to go from cell inoculation using cells from a somatic embryo or callus to planted out plantlet in a single container, allowing growth of trees or other plants from liquid cell suspension to growing rooted condition without transplant or subculture.
13. A plant growth accelerator device according to claim 11 that permits automated production and deployment by mechanical means i.e. robotic manufacture followed by deployment with automated farming equipment to allow scale and rapidity of planting.
14. The plant growth accelerator device in any of the claims that is an enclosed system designed to exclude to a large extent unwanted insects, small animals, bacteria, fungi and other contaminants by physical barrier means and otherwise by the incorporation of insecticides and other chemicals and foul tasting substances to eliminate or dissuade such harmful attentions.
15. The plant growth accelerator device in any of the claims that provides readily available nutrients in a slow release matrix which will prevent the nutrients from being washed away by rains.
16. The plant growth accelerator device in any of the claims that uses saprophytic fungus co-cultured with the tree and incorporated into the cultivation matrix either free or in microencapsulated delayed form to achieve faster growth rates and greater resistance to stress.
17. The plant growth accelerator device in any of the claims that uses saprophytic bacteria or fungi co-cultured with the tree and incorporated into the cultivation matrix either free or in microencapsulated delayed release form to achieve faster growth rates and greater resistance to stress.
18. The plant growth accelerator device in any of the claims that uses saprophytic Q micro-algae co-cultured with the tree and incorporated into the cultivation I-matrix either free or in microencapsulated delayed release form to achieve faster growth rates and greater resistance to stress.
19. The device in any of the claims formed of materials designed for slow controlled breakdown.
20. A detachable lid according to claim 7 which is durable for reuse.
21. Incorporation of shading in the tube and lid of the device in claim 1 using chemicals added during manufacture to the liquid polymer.
22. The device according to claim 21 that incorporates photo-reactive shading in the tube and lid using chemicals added during manufacture to the liquid polymer.
23. The funnel on the device in claim 1 to allow it to self irrigate during rainfall and to regulate water level inside the device by an inbuilt drainage system.
24. The device in claim 1 that absorbs and stores water in hydrophilic gels and activated charcoal.
25. The device in any of the claims with optional mesh shading hung below the lid to minimise evaporation.
26. The plant growth accelerator device in any of the claims where the device contains or has on its surfaces substances which selectively kill or deter insects and other pests to increase survival rates for the trees and increase average growth rate compared to other systems.
27. The plant growth accelerator device according to claim 26 where the device contains substances which taste unpleasant to deter chewing by rodents or other animals to increase survival rates for the trees and increase average growth rate compared to other systems.
28. The plant growth accelerator device in any of the claims that uses a flexible design allowing for the use of different sized lids and other components according to local rainfall, climatic and soil conditions. Co