KR102862967B1 - Method for management of the irrigation and drainage e of hydroponics facilities - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for managing irrigation and drainage of a hydroponic cultivation facility using a nutrient solution device (10), comprising: (a1) a step in which, when a crop type is input into an input unit (200), the control unit (100) uses this to check the total daily irrigation amount (Wt) of the input crop; (a2) a step in which, when date and location information are input into the input unit (200), the control unit (100) uses this to check the daily accumulated light amount (Lt); (a3) When the performance information of the nutrient solution device is input into the input unit (200), the control unit (100) checks the irrigation unit time (s0), the maximum irrigation time (sn), and the irrigation amount per second (W0) of the nutrient solution device, checks a plurality of irrigation times (sj) per time adjusted in units of irrigation unit times (s0) to reach the maximum irrigation time (sn), and calculates a plurality of irrigation amounts (Wj) per time by multiplying the irrigation times (sj) per time by the irrigation amount per second (W0); (a4) A step in which any one of the plurality of culture medium information is input into the input unit (200); (a5) A step in which the control unit (100) sets the irrigation number (k) to an integer from 1 to N when the maximum number of irrigations per day (N) is input into the input unit (200); (b) a step in which the control unit (100) calculates a plurality of irrigation amounts (Wjk) by multiplying the number of irrigation times (k) for each of the plurality of irrigation amounts (Wj) per session; (c) a step in which the control unit (100) selects, from among the plurality of irrigation amounts (Wjk), one or more candidate irrigation amounts that fall within a preset upper and lower range based on the total daily irrigation amount (Wt) confirmed in the step (a1); and (d) a step in which the control unit (100) confirms the moisture content corresponding to the medium information selected in the step (a4) and uses the same to select one of the candidate irrigation amounts selected in the step (c) as the irrigation amount (Ws).

Description

Method for management of irrigation and drainage of hydroponics facilities

The present invention relates to agricultural technology and software technology.

Hydroponics is a method of growing crops by anchoring them in water, without using soil. Various elements necessary for growth are dissolved in water and supplied as a nutrient solution. The waste nutrient solution, which is discharged after the crops absorb it, contains microorganisms that can negatively affect growth. Therefore, it is either discharged or sterilized and then recirculated.

This management of irrigation is crucial in hydroponics. Providing the right amount of irrigation at the right time can improve crop quality and productivity. It's also closely linked to water resource efficiency and environmental management. One aspect of irrigation management is irrigation strategy, which supplies water. Irrigation strategies should vary depending on the crop type, the growing environment, and the type of substrate. Even if an irrigation strategy is established, it should be revised if the nutrient solution system's performance fails to meet the requirements.

Meanwhile, hydroponic cultivation is typically conducted within greenhouses. These greenhouses minimize the impact of external weather and maintain optimal temperatures for crop growth. These characteristics, combined with their ability to overcome seasonal limitations, have led to rapid expansion in the area of greenhouse cultivation. The development of smart farm technology, which integrates greenhouses with information processing technology, has also progressed significantly. The area of greenhouse cultivation utilizing smart farms is expected to continue growing, driven by various benefits, including government policy support, advancements in ICT, labor savings, and increased workload.

In the digital age, smartphone web technology allows farmers to monitor the environment inside their greenhouses and easily and conveniently calculate environmental management settings. Furthermore, it can reduce the effort required for repetitive tasks such as collecting and managing various inspection data, and creating logs and reports.

Recently, precision automatic irrigation systems that consider various factors such as solar radiation, growing environment, and crop yield have been used to control nutrient supply in cultivation fields. However, determining the optimal irrigation amount to maintain appropriate drainage rates based on crop variety, type of substrate used (whether reusable or not), cultivation period, and growth stage still relies entirely on the subjective judgment and experience of the farmer. Young farmers or those returning to farming often face significant challenges when setting crucial daily nutrient irrigation strategies and irrigation amounts due to limited cultivation experience.

Therefore, there is a growing demand for technologies that optimize the irrigation management methods that are important in hydroponics by integrating them with smart farm technology, and for technologies that efficiently provide various information.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2624724 Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2342987 Korean Patent Publication No. 10-1846943 Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2493230 Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2024-0028582 (Unpatent Document 1) An C. G., Y. H. Hwang, G. M. Shon, C. S. Lim, J. L. Cho and B. R. Jeong. 2009. Effect of irrigation amount in rockW0ol and cocopeat substrates on growth and fruiting of sweet pepper during fruiting period. Kor. J. Hort. Sci. Technol. 27:233-238. (Unpatent Document 2) An J. H., E. Y. Choi, Y. B. Lee and K. Y. Choi. 2023. Effects of temperature and irrigation intervals on photosynthesis, growth and growth analysis of pot-grown cucumber seedlings. Journal of Bio-Environment Control. 32:148-156. doi:10.12791/KSBEC.2023.32.2.148. (Unpatent Document 3) Choi G. L., M. Y. Lim, S. H. Kim, and M. Y. Rho. 2022. Effect of difference in irrigation amount on growth and yield of tomato plant in long-term cultivation of hydroponics. Journal of Bio-Environment Control. 31:444-451. doi: 10.12791/KSBEC.2022.31.4.444. (Unpatent Document 4) Choi S. H., M. Y. Lim, G. L. Choi, S. H. Kim, and H. J. Jeong. 2019. Growth and quality of tW0 melon cultivars in hydroponics affected by mixing ratio of coir substrate and different irrigation amount on spring season. Protected Horticulture and Plant Factories 28:376-387. DOI: 10.12791/KSBEC.2019.28.4.376. (Unpatent Document 5) Kim G. Y., J. R. Park, and Y. W. Seo. 2021. Digital HACCP management system for small tteok factories. Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial Cooperation Society. 22:387-393. Doi: 10.5762/KAIS.2021.22.10.38. (Unpatent Document 6) Lim M. Y., S. H. Choi, G. L. Choi, S. H. Kim, and H. J. Jeong. 2021. Effects of irrigation amount on fruiting period and EC level by growth period on growth and quality of melon (Cucumis melo L.) using coir substrate hydroponics during autumn cultivation. Hortic Sci Technol. 39:446-455. doi: 10.7235/HORT.20210040. (Unpatent Document 7) Lim M. Y., E. S. Jeong, M. Y. Roh, G. L. Choi, S. H. Kim, and C. K. Lee. 2022. Changes of plant growth and nutrient concentrations of the drainage according to drainage reuse and substrate type in sweet pepper hydroponics. Journal of Bio-Environment Control. 31:476-484. doi: 10.12791/KSBEC.2022.31.4.476. (Unpatent Document 8) Massa D., L. Incrocci, R. Maggini, G. Carmassi, C.A. Campiotti, and A. Pardossi 2010, Strategies to decrease water drainage and nitrate emission from soilless cultures of greenhouse tomatoes. Agric Water Manag 97:971-980. doi: 10.1016/j.agwat.2010.01.029. (Unpatent Document 9) Moon J. P., J. W. Bang, J. S. Hwang, J. K. Jang, S. W. Yun. 2021. Development of greenhouse cooling and heating load calculation program based on mobile. Journal of Bio-Environment Control. 30:419-428. doi: 10.12791/KSBEC.2021.30.4.419. (Unpatent Document 10) Myung D. J., G. H. Shin, J. H. Lee, E. J. Kim and B. S. Lee. 2021. Development of human resource management program for protected horticulture. Journal of Bio-Environment Control. 30:359-366. doi: 10.12791/KSBEC.2021.30.4.359. (Unpatent Document 11) Seo H. J., H. C. Kim, and I. H. Seo. 2022. Monitoring of W0rking environment exposed to particulate matter in greenhouse for cultivating flower and fruit. Journal of Bio-Environment Control. 31:79-89. doi: 10.12791/KSBEC.2022.31.2.079. (Unpatent Document 12) Shin J.H, and J.E. Son. 2015. Comparisons of water behavior and moisture content between rockW0ols and coir used in soilless culture. Protected Horticulture and Plant Factory. 24:39-44. doi:10.12791/KSBEC.2015.24.1.039.

The present invention was conceived to solve the above problems.

We propose a method that can help even beginners with little cultivation experience easily make decisions when changing irrigation strategies and amounts by monitoring changes in various factors in real time on a daily basis in agricultural fields.

We propose a method to establish an optimal irrigation strategy by considering the crop type, crop cultivation environment, medium, and performance of the nutrient solution system.

We propose a method to intuitively provide farmers with various information related to hydroponics and to accumulate and store the data to aid in future system development.

One embodiment of the present invention for solving the above-described problem is a method for managing irrigation and drainage of a hydroponic cultivation facility using a nutrient solution device (10), comprising: (a1) a step in which, when a crop type is input into an input unit (200), the control unit (100) uses the input to check the total daily irrigation amount (Wt) of the input crop; (a2) a step in which, when date and location information are input into the input unit (200), the control unit (100) uses the input to check the daily accumulated light amount (Lt); (a3) When the performance information of the nutrient solution device is input into the input unit (200), the control unit (100) checks the irrigation unit time (s0), the maximum irrigation time (sn), and the irrigation amount per second (W0) of the nutrient solution device, checks a plurality of irrigation times (sj) per time adjusted in units of irrigation unit times (s0) to reach the maximum irrigation time (sn), and calculates a plurality of irrigation amounts (Wj) per time by multiplying the irrigation times (sj) per time by the irrigation amount per second (W0); (a4) A step in which any one of the plurality of culture medium information is input into the input unit (200); (a5) A step in which the control unit (100) sets the irrigation number (k) to an integer from 1 to N when the maximum number of irrigations per day (N) is input into the input unit (200); (b) a step in which the control unit (100) calculates a plurality of irrigation amounts (Wjk) by multiplying the number of irrigation times (k) for each of the plurality of irrigation amounts (Wj) per session; (c) a step in which the control unit (100) selects, from among the plurality of irrigation amounts (Wjk), one or more candidate irrigation amounts that fall within a preset upper and lower range based on the total daily irrigation amount (Wt) confirmed in the step (a1); and (d) a step in which the control unit (100) confirms the moisture content corresponding to the medium information selected in the step (a4) and uses the same to select one of the candidate irrigation amounts selected in the step (c) as the irrigation amount (Ws).

In addition, it is preferable that the step (d) includes: (d1) a step in which the control unit (100) arranges the candidate irrigation amounts selected in the step (c) in the order of the number of irrigations; (d2) a step in which the control unit (100) confirms a moisture content reference value corresponding to the soil information selected in the step (a4); and (d3) a step in which the control unit (100) applies the moisture content reference value confirmed in the step (d2) to the number of irrigations sorted in the step (d1) to determine one of the number of irrigations, confirms the candidate irrigation amount corresponding to the same, and selects it as the irrigation amount (Ws).

In addition, after the step (d), it is preferable to further include a step of (e) the control unit (100) checking the irrigation time (sj) and the number of irrigations (k) per irrigation amount (Ws) selected in the step (d); and (f) the step of the control unit (100) controlling the nutrient solution device (10) according to the checked irrigation time (sj) and the number of irrigations (k) per irrigation.

In addition, the nutrient solution device (10) is provided with a light sensor (S) that senses the daily accumulated light amount detected in the medium irrigated, and it is preferable that the step (f) further includes a step of dividing the daily accumulated light amount (Lt) confirmed in the step (a2) by the number of irrigations (k) confirmed in the step (e), and then, when the detected light amount sensed by the light sensor (S) reaches this level, the control unit (100) controls the nutrient solution device (10).

In addition, it is preferable that the plurality of badge information input in the above step (a4) include rock wool, coir, and pearlite, and that the rock wool, coir, and pearlite have high water content in that order.

Additionally, it is preferable that the unit time (s0) in the above step (a3) is 30 seconds.

In addition, it is preferable that a terminal is located in the hydroponic cultivation facility, the terminal is connected to a server and a database by wire or wirelessly, the control unit (100) is located in the server, and the selected irrigation amount (Ws) is output to the terminal and stored in the database.

In addition, it is preferable that the hydroponic cultivation facility is equipped with a nutrient supply detection sensor and a nutrient drainage detection sensor, and the nutrient supply detection sensor measures the nutrient supply amount, the nutrient amount EC, and the nutrient supply pH, and the nutrient drainage detection sensor measures the nutrient drainage amount, the nutrient drainage EC, and the nutrient drainage pH, and these are output to the terminal and stored in the database.

In addition, it is preferable that the terminal outputs the amount of fluid supplied, the amount EC, and the pH of the fluid supplied measured by the fluid supply detection sensor, and the amount of fluid drained, the EC of the fluid drained, and the pH of the fluid drained measured by the fluid drained sensor as a graph over time.

Another embodiment of the present invention for solving the above-described problem provides a computer program stored in a computer recording medium so that the above-described hydroponic irrigation management method is performed by a computer.

Another embodiment of the present invention for solving the above-described problem provides a computer recording medium storing a computer program for performing the aforementioned hydroponic irrigation management method.

According to the present invention, users with limited cultivation experience can benefit from irrigation control decision-making to manage target drainage rates throughout the growing season. This can improve crop yields and quality in agricultural settings, and facilitates the adjustment of optimal irrigation rates based on crop variety and growing season. Consequently, managing appropriate irrigation rates can lead to savings in water and fertilizer use, thereby reducing farm management costs.

Users can monitor daily changes in nutrient supply and drainage. This allows them to manually establish or modify nutrient supply strategies to maintain an appropriate target drainage rate. This monitoring, along with changes in nutrient supply and drainage, EC, and pH, can be helpful in determining nutrient supply rates, such as the number of irrigations and the amount of irrigation per cycle, to be input into the nutrient solution system to maintain the target drainage rate during hydroponic cultivation of fruit and vegetables in greenhouses.

Figures 1 and 2 are conceptual diagrams illustrating a system according to the present invention.
Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of information to explain steps for performing a method according to the present invention.
Figure 4 is a table illustrating an example for explaining a method according to the present invention.
Figures 5 to 7 illustrate screens displayed on a terminal or server in a method according to the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a system for performing a method according to the present invention is described.

The method according to the present invention is used in a hydroponic cultivation facility, and a user can use a terminal, and the terminal communicates with a server and a database through communication such as the Internet.

As shown in Fig. 2, a nutrient solution device (10) is provided, which communicates with a raw water tank (11) and a nutrient solution tank (12), and supplies nutrient solution to a cultivation facility (30) through an irrigation line (20). A light sensor (S) is provided in the medium of the cultivation facility (30). The nutrient solution device (10) is controlled by a control unit (100), and a user can input a required value through an input unit (200). The control unit (100) may be a terminal used by a user (see Fig. 1), but may also be a communicating server.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a method for setting an irrigation amount for controlling a nutrient solution device (10) according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 4 is an example for explanation.

The method according to the present invention is a method that can optimally control the control method of general nutrient solution devices currently distributed to farms, considering the control method of these. These nutrient solution devices cannot control the irrigation amount per second because each nutrient solution device has a preset irrigation amount per second, and only the irrigation time is adjusted to control the irrigation amount. This method allows more irrigation to be performed by operating the nutrient solution device for a long time. In addition, the irrigation time control of most nutrient solution devices cannot be finely controlled to a few seconds. When the controlled time unit is called the irrigation unit time (s0), it is generally 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 60 seconds, etc., and 30 seconds is usually the most common. The irrigation unit time (s0) of 30 seconds means that control is possible in multiples of the irrigation unit time (s0), such as 30 seconds of irrigation, 60 seconds of irrigation, and 90 seconds of irrigation, but control is not possible in multiples of 10 seconds of irrigation, 15 seconds of irrigation, or 45 seconds of irrigation.

Additionally, the present invention takes into account that the total amount of irrigation suitable for each crop is different.

In addition, the present invention considers that the optimal irrigation time corresponds to the amount of light. For example, if irrigation is to be performed four times a day and the daily accumulated light amount is 2000J, it is preferable to continuously check the light amount and perform the first irrigation when the accumulated light amount reaches 500J, the second irrigation when the accumulated light amount reaches 1000J, the third irrigation when the accumulated light amount reaches 1500J, and the fourth irrigation when the accumulated light amount reaches 2000J.

Additionally, the present invention takes into account the moisture content of the medium. In mediums with a high moisture content, the higher the moisture content, the fewer irrigation cycles are required, i.e., a greater amount of irrigation is preferably applied per irrigation.

It is explained in detail with reference to the drawings.

First, the crop type is input into the input unit (200). When the user inputs the crop type through the input unit (200), the control unit (100) can check the total daily irrigation amount (Wt) of the corresponding crop in the database.

Additionally, the date and location information for irrigation are input into the input unit (200). When the user inputs the date and location information through the input unit (200), the control unit (100) can check the daily accumulated light amount (Lt) according to the date and location in the database.

In addition, the performance information of the nutrient solution device is input into the input unit (200). This concept includes not only direct input of the nutrient solution device performance information by the user, but also checking the performance information stored in the database by matching it when an identifier such as the name of the nutrient solution device (10) is input. The nutrient solution device performance information includes irrigation unit time (s0), maximum irrigation time (sn), and irrigation amount per second (W0). The irrigation unit time (s0) refers to a time unit that can be controlled in the nutrient solution device (10). The irrigation unit time (s0) of a general nutrient solution device (10) is not limited to 30 seconds. The maximum irrigation time (sn) refers to the maximum irrigation time of the nutrient solution device (10) that can be operated for one irrigation. The irrigation amount per second (W0) is a fixed value and a unique performance depending on the internal components of the nutrient solution device (10), such as a pump. The control unit (100) checks this information. In addition, the irrigation unit time (s0), maximum irrigation time (sn) and irrigation amount per second (W0) of the corresponding nutrient solution device (10) are checked, and a plurality of irrigation times (sj) per time adjusted in units of irrigation unit time (s0) to reach the maximum irrigation time (sn) are checked, and a plurality of irrigation amounts (Wj) per time are calculated by multiplying the irrigation time (sj) per time by the irrigation amount per second (W0). Here, j is a representative value of the irrigation time (sj) per time and is an integer from 1 to n.

An example will be described with reference to Fig. 4. In the example illustrated in Fig. 4, when looking at the performance of the corresponding nutrient solution device (10), the irrigation unit time (s0) is 30 seconds. That is, time control is possible only in units of 30 seconds. In addition, the maximum irrigation time (sn) is 480 seconds. That is, irrigation exceeding 480 seconds cannot be performed at a time. Then, as illustrated, the irrigation time of the corresponding nutrient solution device (10) can be controlled only to 150 seconds, 180 seconds, 210 seconds, … … 420 seconds, 450 seconds, and 480 seconds. When the representative value (j) at 150 seconds is assumed to be 1, the maximum value is 12. In addition, when looking at the performance of the corresponding nutrient solution device (10), the irrigation amount (W0) per second is 0.69 ml. Therefore, by multiplying this by each irrigation time (sj), it can be seen that the irrigation amount (Wj) per time when the representative value (j) is 1 to 12 is 103.5 ml, 104.2 ml, 144.9 ml … … 289.9 ml, 310.5 ml, 331.2 ml, as shown in the figure.

Additionally, one of the multiple badge information is input into the input unit (200). This is to take into account the moisture content. For example, the badge information may be rock wool, coir, and perlite, with the highest moisture content being the highest in that order. When a user inputs the type of badge through the input unit (200), the information, including the moisture content, can be retrieved from the database, or the user can directly input numerical information.

Next, the maximum number of irrigations per day (N) is input into the input unit (200). This means how many times irrigation is performed per day. Theoretically, the number is infinite, but realistically, the nutrient solution device (10) cannot operate in that manner, so a number around 10 is set. The control unit (100) sets the number of irrigations (k) to an integer from 1 to N.

In the example shown in Fig. 4, the maximum number of irrigations per day (N) is set to 11, and the number of irrigations (k) is an integer from 1 to 11.

In summary, a matrix is constructed as shown in Figure 4. One axis represents the irrigation amount per cycle (Wj) (j = integer from 1 to n), and the other axis represents the number of irrigations (k) (k = integer from 1 to N). The maximum value of each axis is determined. Each irrigation amount can be expressed as Wjk. This value is calculated by multiplying each number of irrigation amounts per cycle (Wj) by the number of irrigations (k).

Now, the control unit (100) selects candidate irrigation amounts through the following procedure and determines an appropriate irrigation amount among them.

To select a candidate irrigation amount, the previously confirmed total daily irrigation amount (Wt) is used, reflecting the crop characteristics. Only cases falling within the preset upper and lower ranges based on the total daily irrigation amount (Wt) of the crop are selected as candidate irrigation amounts. In the example illustrated in Figure 4, the total daily irrigation amount (Wt) is 500 ml, and the preset upper and lower ranges are 20 ml. Therefore, only four cases, W15, W24, W43, and W82, as indicated by the shaded areas in Figure 4, were selected as candidate irrigation amounts.

Next, the final irrigation amount (Ws) is selected using the previously confirmed media information. The media information stores various media types, and a percentile is set based on each moisture content. For example, if only rock wool, coir, and perlite are stored, the reference values are stored as 10, 5, and 1, respectively, because rock wool, coir, and perlite have high moisture contents in that order. If multiple types are mixed, the detailed percentile values will change. Meanwhile, the candidate irrigation amounts are sorted in order of the number of irrigations (k). In the example applied to Figure 4, the order is W15, W24, W43, and W82. Now, the irrigation amount (Ws) is determined by matching the moisture content reference value with the number of irrigations (k). If the moisture content is high, irrigation even a small number of times is sufficient. For example, if the soil information only includes “rock wool,” the moisture content is high, so the reference value is 10. In this case, W82 will be selected in the order of the number of irrigations among the sorted candidates. If the soil information is “perlite,” W15 will be selected.

Once the irrigation amount (Ws) has been selected, the irrigation time (sj) per session and the number of irrigations (k) can now be easily confirmed. If W82 is selected, the irrigation time (sj) per session is 360 seconds and the number of irrigations (k) is 2. If W15 is selected, the irrigation time (sj) per session is 150 seconds and the number of irrigations (k) is 5. The control unit (100) can use this to control the nutrient solution device (10).

The control unit (100) can also control the irrigation timing. For this purpose, the previously confirmed daily cumulative light amount (Lt) is used. A light sensor (S) that senses the daily cumulative light amount detected in the medium irrigated by the nutrient solution device (10) is provided. The control unit (100) divides the previously confirmed daily cumulative light amount (Lt) by the determined number of irrigations (k), and controls the nutrient solution device (10) to operate whenever the detected light amount sensed by the light sensor (S) reaches this amount. For example, if the daily cumulative light amount is confirmed to be 2000J based on the location and date of the cultivation site and the irrigation amount (Ws) is selected as W82 and irrigation is to be performed twice, 2000J is divided by 2, and the nutrient solution device (10) irrigates once when the cumulative light amount detected by the light sensor (S) on the day reaches 1000J, and irrigates twice when it reaches 2000J. For another example, if the irrigation amount (Ws) is selected as W15 and irrigation is to be performed five times, the nutrient solution device (10) irrigates once when the accumulated light amount detected by the light sensor (S) on the day reaches 400J, the nutrient solution device (10) irrigates twice when it reaches 800J, the nutrient solution device (10) irrigates three times when it reaches 1200J, the nutrient solution device (10) irrigates four times when it reaches 1600J, and the nutrient solution device (10) irrigates five times when it reaches 2000J. In this way, the nutrient solution device (10) can be controlled so that irrigation is performed at an optimal time when the light amount reaches a certain level.

In another embodiment of the present invention, this light amount-based irrigation timing control can be performed in parallel with time-based irrigation timing control. This is to supply an appropriate amount of nutrient solution even when the light amount is insufficient due to reasons such as cloudy weather. After dividing the time from sunrise to sunset on the same day by the number of irrigations (k) to set a preliminary irrigation timing, if irrigation has not been performed by the light amount-based irrigation timing control method up to that time, irrigation can be performed forcibly. In the above example, if W82 is determined as the irrigation amount (Ws), sunrise is 06:00, and sunset is 18:00, if the first irrigation has not been performed by 12:00, forced irrigation will be performed, and if the second irrigation has not been performed by 18:00, forced irrigation will be performed.

Referring to FIGS. 5 to 7, an actual constructed terminal or server screen and a program for the same are described.

The program implementing the method according to the present invention consists of a server operating system, a web application, and a database. The server operating system is Linux-based Centos 7.9, and the web application is implemented as an HTML5 standard web application using the Node.js-based Express web framework. N-Screen support allows it to run on various mobile devices, tablets, and PC browsers. MariaDB 10.4 was used as the database.

The program implementing the method according to the present invention was developed using a web server and database within an Internet-connected cloud service (see Figure 1). Users can access the program via a terminal (such as a user's mobile phone or a management computer within a smart farm) and use it after logging in.

Figure 5 illustrates the main screen of an implemented program according to the present invention. After logging in, clicking the "Supply and Drainage Survey Log" menu by cultivation period and cultivation house on the main screen takes you to a detailed page.

Figures 6 and 7 are screens displayed on the terminal. The information displayed here is irrigation information, including irrigation amount (Ws), irrigation amount, amount EC, irrigation pH, drainage amount, drainage EC, and drainage pH. The irrigation amount (Ws) may be determined according to the above-described method or may be measured by a sensor. The irrigation rate and drainage rate can be further expressed through simple calculation. To confirm the information, a irrigation detection sensor and a drainage detection sensor are installed in the hydroponic cultivation facility. The information sensed by the sensor or calculated by the control unit (100) is transmitted to the server, and the daily change amount is automatically calculated as a graph, visualized, outputted from the terminal or server, and stored in a database. All stored data can be downloaded in bulk in Excel file format.

Figure 6 is a terminal screen that includes a graph depicting daily information. From top to bottom, Figure 6 shows daily fluid intake, daily drainage, and daily drainage rate. Each of these is derived from four media and is named as non-circulating, non-returning, circulating 2-weeks, and circulating 4-weeks.

Figure 7 is a terminal screen that includes graphs and tables showing daily information. The top graph shows daily irrigation amounts, measured from four culture media. The table below shows the daily cumulative light intensity (Lt), number of irrigations (k), and irrigation amount (Ws) for each culture media. The table below shows performance information for the nutrient solution device (10) for each culture media.

Meanwhile, a method for controlling the irrigation amount (Ws) can be selected through a program according to the present invention. The method according to the present invention can be applied to optimize and control the irrigation amount (Ws), or conventional solar radiation control or time control can be selected.

By monitoring the continuous daily change in drainage amount graph on the screen, the decision-making process for setting the irrigation amount to maintain the target drainage rate is quickly carried out, and at the same time, the calculated value that can be input into the nutrient solution device is produced, so it can be conveniently assisted in making decisions to maintain the drainage rate target value.

10: Nutrient solution machine
11: Raw water tank
12: Nutrient tank
20: Irrigation line
30: Cultivation facilities
100: Control Unit
200: Input section

Claims (11)

As a method for managing nutrient supply and drainage of a hydroponic cultivation facility using a nutrient solution device (10),
(a1) When a crop type is input into the input unit (200), a step of using this to check the total daily irrigation amount (Wt) of the input crop by the control unit (100);
(a2) When date and location information are input into the input unit (200), the control unit (100) uses this to check the daily accumulated light amount (Lt);
(a3) When the performance information of the nutrient solution device is input into the input unit (200), the control unit (100) checks the irrigation unit time (s0), the maximum irrigation time (sn), and the irrigation amount per second (W0) of the corresponding nutrient solution device, checks a plurality of irrigation times (sj) per time adjusted in units of irrigation unit time (s0) to reach the maximum irrigation time (sn), and calculates a plurality of irrigation amounts (Wj) per time by multiplying the irrigation time (sj) per time by the irrigation amount per second (W0); - Here, j is a representative value of the irrigation time (sj) per time and is an integer from 1 to n.
(a4) A step in which one of the plurality of badge pieces of information is input in the input section (200);
(a5) When the maximum number of irrigations per day (N) is input into the input unit (200), the control unit (100) sets the number of irrigations (k) to an integer from 1 to N;
(b) a step in which the control unit (100) calculates a plurality of irrigation amounts (Wjk) by multiplying the number of irrigation times (k) for each of the plurality of irrigation amounts (Wj); - j is an integer from 1 to n, and k is an integer from 1 to N.
(c) a step in which the control unit (100) selects one or more candidate irrigation amounts that fall within a preset upper and lower range based on the daily total irrigation amount (Wt) confirmed in step (a1) from among the plurality of irrigation amounts (Wjk); and
(d) a step in which the control unit (100) checks the function rate corresponding to the badge information selected in the step (a4) and uses this to select one of the candidate irrigation amounts selected in the step (c) as the irrigation amount (Ws).
How to manage water supply and drainage in hydroponics.
In the first paragraph,
Step (d) above,
(d1) A step in which the control unit (100) sorts the candidate irrigation amounts selected in step (c) in the order of the number of irrigations;
(d2) a step in which the control unit (100) checks the function rate reference value corresponding to the badge information selected in the step (a4); and
(d3) The control unit (100) determines one irrigation number by applying the water content reference value confirmed in the step (d2) to the irrigation number sorted in the step (d1), and includes a step of selecting the candidate irrigation amount corresponding to the irrigation amount (Ws).
How to manage water supply and drainage in hydroponics.
In the first paragraph,
After step (d) above,
(e) a step in which the control unit (100) checks the irrigation time (sj) and the number of irrigations (k) per irrigation amount (Ws) selected in the step (d); and
(f) The control unit (100) further includes a step of controlling the nutrient solution device (10) according to the confirmed irrigation time (sj) and number of irrigations (k).
How to manage water supply and drainage in hydroponics.
In the third paragraph,
A light sensor (S) is provided to sense the daily accumulated light amount detected in the medium irrigated by the above nutrient solution device (10).
Step (f) above,
The step of dividing the daily accumulated light amount (Lt) confirmed in the above step (a2) by the number of irrigations (k) confirmed in the above step (e) and then controlling the nutrient solution device (10) by the control unit (100) when the detected light amount sensed by the light amount sensor (S) reaches this amount is further included.
How to manage water supply and drainage in hydroponics.
In the first paragraph,
The plurality of badge information input in the above step (a4) includes rock wool, coir and perlite, and the order of rock wool, coir and perlite has a high moisture content.
How to manage water supply and drainage in hydroponics.
In the first paragraph,
In the above step (a3), the unit time (s0) is 30 seconds.
How to manage water supply and drainage in hydroponics.
In the first paragraph,
The terminal is located in the above hydroponic facility,
The above terminal is connected to the server and database by wire or wirelessly,
The above control unit (100) is located in the above server,
The above selected irrigation amount (Ws) is output to the terminal and stored in the database.
How to manage water supply and drainage in hydroponics.
In paragraph 7,
The above hydroponic cultivation facility is equipped with a water supply detection sensor and a drainage detection sensor,
The above-mentioned fluid detection sensor measures the fluid amount, the amount EC, and the fluid pH, and the above-mentioned drainage detection sensor measures the fluid amount, the drainage EC, and the drainage pH, which are output to the terminal and stored in the database.
How to manage water supply and drainage in hydroponics.
In paragraph 8,
The terminal outputs the amount of fluid supplied, the amount EC, and the pH of the fluid supplied measured by the fluid supply detection sensor, and the amount of fluid drained, the EC, and the pH of the fluid drained measured by the fluid drainage detection sensor as a graph over time.
How to manage water supply and drainage in hydroponics.
A computer program stored in a computer recording medium so that a method for managing the supply and drainage of hydroponic water according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is performed by a computer.
A computer recording medium storing a computer program for performing a method for managing the supply and drainage of hydroponic water according to any one of claims 1 to 9.