PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the medium in cultivation containers from making contact with contaminants until inoculated with the liquid inoculum and to minimize the variation as much as possible in the amount of inoculum inoculated to the culture medium in each cultivation container.SOLUTION: The apparatus for liquid inoculation comprises the main tank 200 and the nozzle 77. The nozzle 77 is located above and is brought into contact with or separated from each of the cultivation containers 12 stored in the tray 14 of the position where the liquid inoculation is performed. The apparatus also comprises: the nozzle mechanism 20 which has the nozzle opening and closing means 96 to change the opening and closing of the nozzle 77 the sub-tank 230, which is equipped halfway in the channel leading from the main tank 200 to the nozzle 77, to store the liquid inoculum temporarily the liquid feed mechanism 220 which supplies the liquid inoculum from the main tank 200 to sub-tank 230 the valve 234 which regulates between the liquid feed mechanism 220 and the sub-tank 230 the inflow of the liquid inoculum to the sub-tank 230 and the control part which controls the opening and closing of both the valve 234 and the closing means 96, respectively, based on the supply of the liquid inoculum into the sub-tank 230.COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT【課題】液体種菌を栽培容器内の培地に接種するまでの間、雑菌との接触を断ち、かつ各栽培容器内の培地へ接種すべき種菌量のばらつきを可及的に少なくすること。【解決手段】メインタンク200と、液体種菌の接種位置においてトレイ14に収納された栽培容器12の上方に各々位置し、栽培容器12に対し接離動するノズル77と、ノズル77の開放および閉塞を切り替えるノズル開閉手段96を有するノズル機構20と、メインタンク200からノズル77に通じる流路の中途に、液体種菌を一時貯留するサブタンク230、メインタンク200からサブタンク230へ液体種菌を供給する送液機構220と、送液機構220とサブタンク230との間に、サブタンク230への液体種菌の流入を規制する弁体234と、サブタンク230内への液体種菌の供給量に基づき、弁体234の開閉動作、ノズル開閉手段96の開閉動作を各々制御する制御部とを具備する。【選択図】図1
