Gutter system and set for use in a hydroponic system and method for cultivating a crop

1 . A gutter system for use in a hydroponic system for cultivating a crop, comprising a gutter and a lid having an upper surface, wherein arranged in the upper surface are a plurality of openings which are mutually separated in a longitudinal direction of the gutter,

such that the gutter forms a channel in which substrates for having crop units of the crop grow therein are placeable via the openings,

wherein the upper surface is provided at the position of each of the plurality of openings with a flange which extends substantially perpendicularly relative to the upper surface from an edge of the opening;

wherein the flange extends below a bottom surface of the lid to form a stop for a substrate of said substrates disposed in the gutter to thereby prevent the substrate from extending above the upper surface such that the lid reduces or eliminates substrate displacement and reduces the risk of crop contamination during automated harvesting; and

wherein the flange does not extend above the upper surface of the lid.

2 . The gutter system according to claim 1 , wherein the flange extends downward from the edge of the opening such that the formed stop is situated below the upper surface.

3 . The gutter system according to claim 1 , wherein each flange extends over substantially the whole edge of the respective opening.

4 . The gutter system according to claim 3 , wherein the openings take a substantially circular form, and the flanges take the form of hollow cylinders.

5 . The gutter system according to claim 1 , wherein a chamfering which connects the upper surface to the flange is provided at the edge of each opening in order to thus simplify access of the substrate to the channel through the opening.

6 . The gutter system according to claim 5 , wherein the upper surface, the flange and the chamfering are formed integrally from one piece.

7 . The gutter system according to claim 1 , further comprising a lid for the gutter, wherein the lid comprises the upper surface and wherein the lid and the gutter are releasably connectable.

8 . The gutter system according to claim 1 , wherein the gutter has a length of at least 7 metres.

9 . The gutter system according to claim 1 , wherein a pitch distance between two adjacent openings of an upper surface is one of: greater than 1.5 cm and smaller than 10 cm.

10 . A gutter system for use in a hydroponic system for cultivating a crop, comprising a gutter and a lid having an upper surface, wherein arranged in the upper surface are a plurality of openings which are mutually separated in a longitudinal direction of the gutter such that the gutter forms a channel in which substrates for having crop units of the crop grow therein are placeable via the openings,

wherein the upper surface is provided at the position of each of the plurality of openings with a flange which extends substantially perpendicularly relative to the upper surface from an edge of the opening, wherein the flange extends below a bottom surface of the lid to form a stop for a substrate of said substrates disposed in the gutter to thereby prevent the substrate from extending above the upper surface thereby minimizing substrate displacement and reducing the risk of crop contamination during automated harvesting, and where the flange does not extend above the upper surface; and

wherein the gutter system comprises a further lid which comprises a further upper surface and is releasably connectable to the gutter, and wherein arranged in the further upper surface are further openings which are mutually separated in a longitudinal direction of the further lid.

11 . The gutter system according to claim 10 , wherein a pitch distance and/or cross-sectional dimension of the openings differs from respectively a further pitch distance or further cross-sectional dimension of the further openings.

12 . The gutter system of claim 1 , wherein the lid further comprises an outer flange that extends substantially perpendicularly relative to the upper surface, the outer flange further extending below a bottom surface of the lid to engage an outer surface of the gutter.

13 . The gutter system of claim 10 , wherein the lid further comprises an outer flange that extends substantially perpendicularly relative to the upper surface, the outer flange further extending below a bottom surface of the lid to engage an outer surface of the gutter.