Abstract: Prior art technology has a problem in that when a plant is cultivated for a long period of time on a PVA film having its lower surface positioned in contact with a nutrient fluid, plant roots that have formed penetrate through the film. A plant cultivation system wherein the PVA film has an equilibrium degree of swelling in the range of from 125 to 250% as measured in water at 30° C. and has a loss tangent (tan ?) in the range of from 0.005 to 0.2 as measured in an equilibrium swollen state in water at 30° C., and a method for cultivating a plant by using this plant cultivation system. Plant cultivation can be performed for a long period of time while avoiding infection by bacteria and the like causative of plant diseases. Therefore, the present invention is useful in, e.g., agriculture and the manufacture of pharmaceuticals.

Abstract: Prior art technology has a problem in that when a plant is cultivated for a long period of time on a PVA film having its lower surface positioned in contact with a nutrient fluid, plant roots that have formed penetrate through the film. A plant cultivation system wherein the PVA film has an equilibrium degree of swelling in the range of from 125 to 250% as measured in water at 30° C. and has a loss tangent (tan ?) in the range of from 0.005 to 0.2 as measured in an equilibrium swollen state in water at 30° C., and a method for cultivating a plant by using this plant cultivation system. Plant cultivation can be performed for a long period of time while avoiding infection by bacteria and the like causative of plant diseases. Therefore, the present invention is useful in, e.g., agriculture and the manufacture of pharmaceuticals.

Abstract: Prior art technology has a problem in that when a plant is cultivated for a long period of time on a PVA film having its lower surface positioned in contact with a nutrient fluid, plant roots that have formed penetrate through the film. A plant cultivation system wherein the PVA film has an equilibrium degree of swelling in the range of from 125 to 250% as measured in water at 30° C. and has a loss tangent (tan ?) in the range of from 0.005 to 0.2 as measured in an equilibrium swollen state in water at 30° C., and a method for cultivating a plant by using this plant cultivation system. Plant cultivation can be performed for a long period of time while avoiding infection by bacteria and the like causative of plant diseases. Therefore, the present invention is useful in, e.g., agriculture and the manufacture of pharmaceuticals.

Abstract: [Problems] Prior art technology has a problem in that when a plant is cultivated for a long period of time on a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film having its lower surface positioned in contact with a nutrient fluid, plant roots that have formed penetrate through the film. [Means to solve the problems] A plant cultivation system wherein the PVA film has an equilibrium degree of swelling in the range of from 125 to 250% as measured in water at 30° C. and has a loss tangent (tan ?) in the range of from 0.005 to 0.2 as measured in an equilibrium swollen state in water at 30° C., and a method for cultivating a plant by using this plant cultivation system. [Industrial applicability] Plant cultivation can be performed for a long period of time while avoiding infection by bacteria and the like causative of plant diseases. Therefore, the present invention is useful in, e.g., agriculture and the manufacture of pharmaceuticals.

Abstract: To provide a system for producing safe and high nutrition vegetables at low cost. A plant cultivation system for cultivating a plant on a nonporous hydrophilic film, which comprises a nonporous hydrophilic film and a feeding means for supplying water or a nutrient fluid to the lower surface of the film in the absence of a hydroponic tank for accommodating water or a nutrient fluid and cultivating a plant therein. As the feeding means, use is made of a water absorbing material which is in contact with the film and which is disposed between the film and a water impermeable material. A system for producing safe and high nutrition vegetables at low cost can be obtained by disposing the water impermeable material directly on ground soil, whereupon the water absorbing material and an irrigation tube are disposed, followed by disposing the film thereon.

Abstract: There are provided a plant-cultivating container and a plant-cultivating method which facilitate “water control”, which is particularly important in view of the control of the gaseous environment in soil and the soil moisture environment. In the above-mentioned plant-cultivating container, a selective moisture vapor-permeable portion which prevents water from passing through it, but which allows water vapor to pass through is provided as at least a portion of the container having a receiving portion for receiving a plant body. Water per se cannot pass into the container through the selective moisture vapor-permeable portion, but water vapor can selectively pass into the container. As a result, the relative humidity in the container to a can be increased degree which contribute to the growth of the plant disposed in the container, and the frequency of supply and/or the amount of water per se provided to a plant by a measure such as irrigation can be, at least, reduced markedly.

Abstract: A device having a shape capable of receiving the plant body to be cultivated. As at least a portion of the device, a film which can substantially be integrated with the root of the plant body is disposed. Such a structure can provide a plant-cultivating device, a plant-film integrate, and a plant-cultivating method which can preferably attain both of the supply of oxygen and the supply of water and a fertilizer component to the root of the plant body.

Abstract: A cell or tissue-culturing carrier which can effectively regenerate an intended a cell or tissue, while suppressing an excessive growth of fibroblasts, and a method of culturing a cell or tissue by using the above carrier, the cell or tissue-culturing carrier wherein fibroblasts showing substantially no growing property in a gel based on the hydrogel-forming polymer, is constituted by using a hydrogel-forming polymer; an aqueous solution of which shows a thermo-reversible sol-gel transition such that it assumes a sol state at a lower temperature and assumes a gel state at a higher temperature.

Abstract: A water-retaining support for a plant exhibiting a water-retaining ability comparable to that of a polyacrylic acid-type hydrogel without inhibition of root origination or root elongation. The water-retaining support for a plant includes a hydrogel-forming polymer having a calcium ion absorption of less than 50 mg per 1 g of its dry weight and having a water absorption magnification in ion-exchange water (at 25° C.) of 100 or more. When the water-retaining support is used, a plant may be supplied with sufficient water without suffering from a deficiency of calcium ions.