Bioponic agriculture

Abstract

There is provided an off-ground plant growing system providing an electronic monitoring system and also providing a thin layer of high porosity organic compost and providing the steps of adding a precise amount of vermicompost to the soil phase, immediately followed by addition of arbuscular mycorhizae, and followed by regular weekly addition of beneficial micro-organisms for plant development, including mycorhizae associated bacteria, plant growth promoting fungi, soil conditioning bacteria, purple non-sulphur bacteria and probiotic disease-preventing bacteria, in order to promote the creation of a well differentiated, dense and ramified root system and complete microrhizobiome in the compost phase, that can effectively assist the functions of plant roots for optimal precision greenhouse, green walling or homegrown crop production of all kinds, without the use of chemical pesticides or fungicides.

Claims

1. A system and method for off-ground plant cultivation, including container devices and green walling devices, comprising the steps of providing a plant growing system having a reciever container and an insert therefore, said insert having a wall with wide apertures defining a cavity filled with a hydrophilic mineral-based wicking geotextile material to permit root growth therethrough, said insert being spaced from a bottom of said container; Placing a mineral-based geotextile wicking material into said insert, placing a soil on top of said mineral based wicking geotextile material, supplying water to said container; Supplying a microbial inoculant containing at least one species from each of the following groups of microorganisms : A) Arbuscular Mycorhizae B) Mycorhizae Associated Bacteria (MAB) C) PGPR microorganisms found naturally in vermicompost D) PGPF yeasts; and E) SCB.

2. A system and method of green walling comprising the steps of providing a plant growing system having a reciever container placed at a 45 degree angle relative to a vertical supporting wall, and providing an insert therefore, said insert having a wall with wide apertures defining a cavity filled with a hydrophilic geotextile wicking material to permit root growth therethrough, said insert being spaced from a bottom of said container; Placing a mineral based geotextile into said insert, placing a soil on top of said mineral based geotextile, supplying water to said container; Supplying a microbial inoculant containing at least one species from each of the following groups of microorganisms : A) Arbuscular Mycorhizae B) Mycorhizae Associated Bacteria (MAB) C) PGPR microorganisms found naturally in vermicompost D) PGPF yeasts; and E) SCB.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said microbial inoculant is supplied to a plant on a repeat basis

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said inoculant is supplied at intervals of between 5 and 10 days

5. The method of claim 1 further including the step of watering plants in said insert to provide nutrients directly at the base of the plant

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said PGPR populations are found in vermicompost.

7. The plant growing system of claim 1 wherein interface material is made of a water absorbing , thick wicking geotextile material with a loose mesh material that allows root growth therethrough.

8. The plant growing system of claim 1 wherein interface apertures are of a size between 4 and 40 mm.

9. The plant growing system of claim 1 wherein interface material is not of an organic nor granular nature, but either mineral based, spongious or fibrous nature.

10. The plant growing system of claim 1 wherein microbial consortium is of a liquid nature, and comprising concentrated, stable living and immediately bioactive microorganisms instead of being on an inert,. sporulated state.

11. The plant growing system of claim 1 wherein vermicompost is used.

12. The plant growing system of claim 1 wherein a perfectly aerobic environment for soil microflora and inoculum is provided, in order to achieve optimal equilibrium between all soil microbial populations for appropriate soil ecology around nourishing roots differentiated in the interface environment.

13. The plant growing system of claim 1 wherein glass wool cubes are used as a non-soil root forming interface growing medium.

14. The plant growing system of claim 1 wherein fiberglass insulating mineral wool material is used as a non-soil root forming interface growing medium

15. A combination of micro-organisms to be used in the plant culture system and method of claim 1, said combination of microorganisms being found in a microbial inoculum, said combination of microorganisms being expressly designed to enhance the biological activity of worm cast manure compost (vermicompost).

16. A combination of micro-organisms to be used in the plant culture system and method of claim 1 said combination of microorganisms being expressly designed to enhance plant growth and health without the use of pesticides.

17. The plant culture system and method of claim 1 wherein PGPR populations found in vermicompost are stabilized by the actions of specific strains of lactic acid bacteria found in an active form as a stable, ready to use liquid concentrated microbial consortium.

18. The plant culture system and method of claim 1 wherein PGPR populations found in vermicompost are stabilized by the combined actions of specific strains of beneficial yeasts and lactic acid bacteria living together in an active form as a stable, ready to use liquid concentrated microbial consortium.

19. The plant culture system and method of claim 1 wherein volatile organic compounds originating from the putrefaction of complex organic molecules found in biological fertilizers are terminally metabolized by purple non-sulfur bacteria found in an active form as a stable, ready to use liquid concentrated microbial consortium.

20. The plant culture system and method of claim 1 wherein the provided microbial consortium is expressly designed to avoid uncontrolled putrefaction of organic material, promote optimal crop yields and elicit natural plant defense mechanisms against plant pathogens and prevent insect larval proliferation such as mosquitoes in water reserve.

21. The plant culture system and method of claim 1 the design of which can create a new, hybrid version of a «soil-on-a-shelf» and a «soil-in-a-bag» green walling modular system, called «soil-in-an-insert» type system.

22. The plant culture system and method of claim 1 wherein three distinct rhizosphere zones are provided, the top one being occupied by filamentous fungi, arbuscular mycorhizae and sessile bacteria fixed on root hairs, the middle one being occupied by preemptive colonizers found in a sessile form on inert fiberglass interface geotextile material, and the bottom one being occupied by motile bacterial species living freely in the water reservoir.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0107] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a trough-like receiver and cassette insert placed inside on a side by side relationship;

[0108] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a series of troughs placed on a large horizontal surface inside of a greenhouse installation

[0109] FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal section of cassette insert inside trough-like receiver;

[0110] FIG. 4 shows the step of vermicompost enrichment of bioreactor environment

[0111] FIG. 5 shows the step of mycorhizal inoculation in bioreactor environment;

[0112] FIG. 6 shows the step of mycorhizal germination in bioreactor environment;

[0113] FIG. 7 shows the step of mutual mycorhizal and root growth in bioreactor environment;

[0114] FIG. 8 shows the step of mycorhizal infection of root tissues in bioreactor environment;

[0115] FIG. 9 shows the step of mycorhizal colonization of root with MHA and MHB preemptive colonizer species in bioreactor environment;

[0116] FIG. 10 shows the step of PGPR and bacterial endophyte and fungal endophyte recruitment by MHA and MHB preemptive colonizers in bioreactor environment;

[0117] FIG. 11 shows the step of PGPF nourishing action on colonized roots and on SCB lactic acid producing bacterial populations in bioreactor environment

[0118] FIG. 12 shows the step of SCB soil conditioning, especially lactic acid producing bacterial populations in bioreactor environment;

[0119] FIG. 13 shows the step of PDB controlled decomposing action in bioreactor environment;

[0120] FIG. 14 shows the step of PSHB probiotic action in bioreactor environment

[0121] FIG. 15 shows a diagram illustrating the successive addition of microbial species in bioreactor environment;

[0122] FIG. 16 shows a perspective view of individual container unit complete with electronic monitoring vertical stripe inserted through the three rhizosphere zones.

[0123] FIG. 17 shows two aspects of a new type of interface structure and design. FIG. 17a shows an interface support element made of a small plurality of downwardly extending ribs from the horizontal separation plate. FIG. 17b shows the same structure being filled with a special geotextile material that acts as a wick for allowing capillary transfer of water from water reserve to soil compartment, while allowing any size of root to pass therethrough.

[0124] FIG. 18 shows an aspect of a green walling modular unit.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0125] The aim to allow spatial segregation and functional differentiation of the three main rhizosphere zones according to their respective nutrient and water absorbing functions has been met with the creation and development of the original culture recipient and method described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,269 B1 that shares common inventorship with the present invention, the teachings thereof being incorporated by reference.

[0126] Hence, the nourishing roots will be properly and appropriately differentiated in a thin layer of high porosity organic compost phase, located in the superior half of the recipient. The tap roots will be differentiated and located in the lower half of the recipient, directly into the water reservoir. Sandwiched in between those two regions, a buffer zone of air and moist non-soil medium will naturally allow root differentiation and the trophic cascade it naturally generates, as demonstrated by experimental data.

[0127] The presence of numerous large apertures at the level of the rootforming interface zone indeed allows the complete development of healthy root tissues, and decreases considerably, if not completely, the spiral root formation that usually happens in non-copper coated traditional pot cultures. In doing so, the procedure of repotting is completely eliminated, and plant growth is substantially encouraged and improved.

[0128] Turning to the arrangement shown in FIG. 1, there is illustrated a plant growth system 10 which is similar to that shown in prior art U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,269 B1 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,038,273 B2, which shares common inventorship with the present invention and which are incorporated herein by reference. Accordingly, only a portion of the container system is illustrated herein.

[0129] As shown in FIG. 1, there is provided a plant growth system 10 which includes an outer container generally designed by reference numeral 12, The outer container 12 has an upper side wall 14 and a lower side wall 16 which are joined together by merging section 18. There is also provided a bottom wall 20. The said container has a considerably elongated form, to create a trough like recipient 22. A plurality of short containers that are joined together to create a large water reserve can also be considered. There is also provided at least one inner insert element 24 of the type illustratedin U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,269 B1, with a few modifications, as will be described herein. The inserts are placed along a straight line on a side by side relationship inside the trough like receiver. Another embodiment of the invention is a plurality of individual containers, each one with its own individual insert, that can be joined together on a side by side relationship.

[0130] Referring to FIG. 2, a plurality of trough-like containers, or a plurality of individual gardening modules, can be placed in parallel rows in order to cover a large indoor or outdoor surface, for urban farming or greenhouse plant culture, respectively.

[0131] Referring to FIG. 3, an inner insert 26 has an upper inner side wall 28 and an upper outer side wall 30 which defines an air space 32 therebetween. Apertures 34 are provided in the merging section between upper inner side wall 28 and upper outer side wall 30. As may be seen, inner insert 26 seals on both the upper marginal edge of upper side wall 14 and on merging section 18 of outer container 12.

[0132] As described in aforementioned US Patent, there are provided inner cavities defined by inner cavity walls 32 which are formed in a manner similar to that described in the patent and the embodiment of FIG. 17, i.e. a reduced plurality of apertures. As shown in FIG. 3, the inner insert 26 has a lower portion thereof filled with an inert, hydrophilic, root-friendly growing medium such as mineral geotextile wicking material 34 while on too thereof there is supplied a conventional high porosity organic potting soil 36. In the bottom of container 12 there is provided water which is at level so as to allow for the creation of an air space.

[0133] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, shown in FIG. 4, there is provided a basket structure made of a small plurality of vertically projecting ribs 40 from the horizontal separation plate, and concieved for holding a brick 34, said brick being preferably made of geotextile that is not biodegradable, inert, compliant, non-toxic, and highly hydrophilic loose mesh material. This innovative design is concieved in order to act as a wick that will allow capillary uptake of water from the water reserve, which will attract the growing roots towards this mineral wick acting as a soil moisturizer located deep in the son, and allow the large tap roots to pass therethrough without damage, said large roots having a diameter exceeding 1 cm, and being specialized in the function of water uptake. Its documented purpose is to prevent excessive congestion of tap roots in the interface zone located in the buffer zone between the water reserve and the son, thus triggering a trophic cascade that is beneficial to plant growth. Prior art such as U.S. Pat. No. 7,036273 teaches of an interface zone made of a particulate material such as vermiculite located in a basket with a plurality of ribs and narrow slots of a width comprised between 1.5 and 3.0 millimeters that unfortunately cannot allow the passage of all roots, thus allowing congestion in the interface zone. In this embodiment, root congestion becomes impossible.

[0134] The bioprocess works as follows : the soil medium 36 is first inoculated with vermicompost that provide microbial populations of PGPR micro-organisms 42, and second, with viable mycorhizal fungi propagules 51. The mycorhizal fungi propagules or spores germinate, and the mycelial filament then infects the root tissues of the plant, and aids the plant being able to access greater element nutrients from the soil (such as phosphorus, copper, iron, etc . . . ) These nutrients are basically insoluble in water, but with the use of the fungi, they become more water soluble, hence more easily bioavailable. Also, the development of the root system allows the plant to gain access to a larger volume of soil and thereby gain greater access to the nutritive elements and to come in direct contact with beneficial microorganisms.

[0135] Those beneficial microorganisms include opportunistic preemptive colonizers sues as mycorhization-helper bacteria and mycorhizae associated bacteria. They colonize the newly formed mycorhizal filament corning in contact with the root. These preemptive colonizers in turn recruit other micro-organisms of the PGP(group and start the formation of a bacterial mat, or biofilm, on the surface of the root and fungal filaments through the process of quorum sensing.

[0136] Meanwhile, PGPF 110 feed the ever expanding biofilm and encourage further plant growth. They also feed the lactic acid bacteria that condition the soil to pH values that inhibit overproliferation of putrefaction microbes, and leave the way for selected types of organic matter decomposers, such as lignicolous fungi, to decompose organic matter in a controlled manner, instead of at random.

[0137] Turning to FIG. 3, an individual cassette insert, or bioreactor element has an upper part and a lower part. The upper part contain either a thin layer of compost 36 for the purpose of greenhouse agriculture, or a thick layer of compost for the purpose of the cultivation of plants that produce large roots, such as potatoes or carrots, or for the cultivation of marsh plants for purposes of grey or brown water filtration.

[0138] In both cases, the bottom part of said bioreactor has a plurality of large apertures. Turning to the arrangement shown in FIGS. 3 and all others, the cassette inserts have an upper wall as well as lower walls with large apertures 41 that define the cavity containing soilless wicking medium. The large apertures should retain the wicking material 34, and are especially and intently designed to present a smooth arcuate surface to the roots, as they pass therethrough. Also, as previously mentioned, the material is preferably compliant in nature, i.e. it can be slightly deformed to easily permit the passage of roots therethrough without damaging them.

[0139] As shown in FIG. 5, a rnycorhizal inoculum 51 is added to the soil that already contains vermicompost and its rich and diversified PGPR microbial populations 42 ,

[0140] As shown in FIG. 6, following the placement of the mycorhizal inoculum, there is germination within the soil 61. As seen in FIG. 7, there is further mycorhizal growth leading to direct contact with the roots 71 and in the newly forming PGPR bacterial biofilm 72. FIG. 8 illustrates further infection of the inside of the root tissues 81 in the bioreactor environment. This is followed by FIG. 9 showing mycorhizal colonization of the entire root system as well as microbial colonization of the surface of the root system with MHA and MHB preemptive colonizer species 91.

[0141] FIG. 10 shows the step of PGPR 42, bacterial endophyte 101 and fungal endophyte 101 recruitment by MHA and MAB preemptive colonizer species 91, and elaboration of an abundant PGPR biofilm 72 on root surfaces in the bioreactor environment. This is followed by FIG. 11 showing the step of PGPF nourishing action on colonized roots 110 and also theft further nourishing action on PGPR bacterial populations 42 and on SOB lactic acid producing bacterial populations 120 in the bioreactor environment. FIG. 12 shows the actions of SOB lactic acid bacteria populations 120 in the bioreactor environment. The SOB are soil conditioning bacteria more especially, lactic acid producing bacterial populations. One of theft functions is to keep a constant soil pH between 6 and 7.

[0142] FIG. 13 shows the actions of PDB bacterial populations 130 in the bioreactor, such as purple non-sulphur bacteria, while FIG. 14 shows the step of PSHB probiotic action 140 in the bioreactor. These bacterial populations are natural elicitors of plant defense mechanisms against bacterial and fungal plant pathogens.

[0143] Gutter receivers can be placed on a side by side relationship in order to cover a large horizontal surface, such as a greenhouse. This arrangement can also be used for the purpose of bioremediation, as an urban or periurban modular filtrationmarsh, for the treatment of water waste (grey water and/or brown water). It can also be used for rooftop urban agriculture purposes. This arrangement is shown on FIG. 2.

[0144] It is indeed of primordial importance to provide a system in which water can be kept running at all times in a bioponic agriculture situation.

[0145] Turning to the preferred arrangement, there is provided a plant cultivation system comprising a series of individual gardening containers, a tank for containing water, a pump for allowing movement of water in the bottom of long receivers or individual specialized plant containers, a dripping system for allowing plants to get watered directly at the base through rnicroirrigation dripper s, solenoid valves and proportional fertilizer injectors as part of a complete organic greenhouse or homegrown agriculture infrastructure.

[0146] Turning to FIG. 15, there is illustrated a bioprocess comprising the 7 successive steps of microbial inoculation and rhizosphere conditioning that happens in an orderly manner in both space and time, and not at random. The microbial groups are indicated with their respective reference numerals 51, 91, 42, 101, 110, 120, 130 and 140.

[0147] As well, turning to FIG. 16, there is illustrated an individual plant container comprising a water reserve (W) , an interface environment (I) , a soil compartment (S) and an outside environment (O) , said individual plant container being provided with an electronic monitoring system 160 comprising a series of precision sensors for the exact measurement of various selected environment parameters such as temperature, ionic conductivity, pHl, dissolved oxygen, humidity, dissolved carbon dioxide, dissolved ammonia and other chemical constituents found in any of all aforementioned four W, I, S and O environments, such sensors being placed along a strip that can be inserted in permanence along the inner side of an individual cylindrical container, or cassette insert. The superior part of the strip 160 that is not buried in the soil also comprises precision captors and transrnittors that can respectively recieve or send wireless radio monitoring signals to an electronic control device that can be found at a distance from the plant container, for integration of all parameters. The electronic control device should itself be coupled with an electronic wifi transduction device for effective wireless communication of all data to the user through wireless mobile applications. This numeric technology can be supplied with the strip sensors, thus allowing the user to be kept informed at all times on the physico-chernical parameters that characterize the complete plant growing installation, and thus allowing the user to perform any desired intervention at a distance for the proper maintenance of the aforementioned plant cultivation installation.

[0148] In a greenhouse installation, water can be recirculated at all times in a dosed loop system configuration through pumping action that should allow water movement as follows : it should be drawn from a large collection tank and pumped up to the other end of the system in a seies of distribution pipes in order to reach the lower part of each individual trough, for circulation in the bottom of each trough, before reaching a downwardly extending collector pipe falling in the collection tank, where the cycle can be repeated, thus keeping the water in a constant movement and a constant state of oxygenation that can be measured and monitored and intervened upon through the use of wireless sensors and mobile application devices. In parallel with the ever recirculating water at the bottom of the system for permanent hydration of the tap root system of plants, an entirely robotized watering system is provided for allowing automatic and reliable fertilizer and bacterial conditioners to each individual plant specimen. This should be done using solenoid valves activated by timers connected to the mobile application device for easy intervention by the grower. The flow of water has to be kept unidirectional through the blocking action of check valves and water has to reach the top part of each individual cassette insert or specialized container through dripping irrigation, directly on top of the thin compost phase at the base of the plants, for providing fertilizers and microorganisms to the superficial (nourishing) root system conveniently found and differentiated in the proximity of said dripping irrigation device. A series of modular gutter-supporting elements can be joined together in a series to be installed in a large enclosure for large scale greenhouse organic production. Turning to Fig, 17 A and 17 B, the bottom part of an individual cassette insert 17A can hold a brick of geotextile material 34 that allows root growth therethrough as shown in FIG. 17 B.

[0149] Turning to FIG. 18 , a green wall unit is composed of a reciever 181 at an angle of 45 degrees that can be placed solidly on a vertical wall surface 182 , said reciever containing one or a plurality of soil-containing inserts 183 in order to grow plants therein. A series of modular green wall units specially designed to create green wall installations can be joined together in a series and in parallel on many levels on a large wall for green walling purposes. Sensors and detectors of all kinds can be incorporated in the green wall installation in order to provide monitoring and intervention capabilities from a distance, using mobile apps on an intelligent cell phone, tablet or laptop computer.

[0150] It will be understood that the above described embodiments are for purposes of illustration only and that changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventio