Environmental control of a plant factory that knows to "Wasabi feelings" from surface bio-potential data

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K04083
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 21030:Measurement engineering-related
• Research Institution: Kanazawa Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Hirama Junji 金沢工業大学, 工学部, 教授 (40181185)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 植物工場 / ワサビ水耕栽培 / 生体電位 / 環境制御 / 生長促進

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research is to establish optimal growth conditions for cultivation control parameters based on SPA (Speaking Plant Approach) type growth environment control method linked to leaf surface bio-electric potential measurement data of Wasabi leaves in a wasabi plant, where cultivation environment control based on hydroponic cultivation in a completely closed system is considered extremely difficult. The most distinctive feature of this research is that it aims to improve the growth rate of "wasabis feeling" based on the characteristics of the leaf surface bio-electric potential response to external stimuli in a wasabi plant. Following the basic data on environmental parameters, leaf surface bio-electric potential data, chlorophyll fluorescent characteristics obtained in small-scale wasabi factories to date, a cultivation demonstration test of approximately 300 plants is being conducted in a medium-sized refrigerated container in the final year.

Free Research Field

生体情報工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

野菜類の露地栽培は労働者の高齢化や若者の減少、異常気象や災害等で国内では安定生産が困難となり食料確保が喫緊の課題である。そこで、安全・安心・安定供給が見込まれる植物工場が大変注目されている。本研究は特に栽培が困難であるわさびを新規対象とした水耕栽培型植物工場にIot・ICT技術を導入した至適生育環境制御技術の実用化研究である。「わさびの気持ちを生体電位」から知ることで生育環境制御に活用し高効率栽培技術を確立する。この技術をわさび栽培に新たに応用して近未来には地域連携・地場産業の活性化、高機能(薬効成分)付加、地元農家と連携して地元産わさびのブランド化を目指し大規模わさび工場の提案を行う。