Study on the Establishment of a Bionic-Type Domestication Garden for Orchids

Abstract Semi-wildorchids growing environment, select suitable woodland microclimate conditions to establish anorchid domestication garden, without building shade frames or rain shelters, enabling localorchids to safely overwinter in the forest, thereby achieving the goals of protecting wild orchid germplasm resources and rational development and utilization, while saving 80%-90% of garden construction investment, and providing a new avenue for mountain farmers to save farmland andgrow orchids to achieve prosperity. Keywords wild orchid resources; bionic type; domestication garden Chinese orchid original species have been listed by the state as one of the endangered species. How to protect and rationally develop and utilize wild orchid resources has become an urgent topic at present. In the spring of 1992, a "bionic-type orchid garden" was established within the Chinese fir forest land of the Jiande City Forestry Science Research Institute, with 325 potted orchids (mainly local wild orchids). The characteristic of the "bionic-type orchid garden" is the use of woodland microclimate conditions, with no shade frames and no rain shelters, and local orchids overwintering in the forest. After 4 years of experimental research, the orchids grew robustly, with an average annual tillering rate of over 50%. The orchid garden scale expanded year by year, and by 1995 there were 1150 pots of various orchids, about 20,000 seedlings. And orchid promising varieties have been domesticated and selected: exotic-flowerCymbidium goeringii, colored-flowerCymbidium goeringii, line-artCymbidium goeringii and other varieties. The first batch of 100 pots of domesticated mature Cymbidium goeringii was exported to the market in June 1995, achieving initial results. Although the domestication cycle of wildorchids is relatively long (generally 3-5 years), the orchid garden can now achieve: bringing in a batch of wild orchids every year, producing a batch of mature plants every year, yielding benefits every year, becoming a small-scale orchid production base, and fully developing and utilizing wild orchid resources. The garden establishment situation is reported as follows: 1. Selection of Garden Establishment Conditions Jiande City is under the administration of Hangzhou City, located in the western part of Zhejiang Province, in the middle and upper reaches of the Xin'an River basin of the Qiantang River system. The city has an area of 2329 sq km, a hilly and mountainous area of eight parts mountain, one part water and one part farmland. The climate belongs to the mid-subtropical monsoon climate. The city's mountainous areas have abundant wild orchid resources. During the orchid resource survey, it was observed that wild orchids growing in deep mountains and secluded valleys have tree branches and leaves above providing shade, shelter from wind and frost, and are surrounded by shrub vegetation as neighbors, enjoying the woodland microclimate conditions of warm winters and cool summers bestowed by nature, enabling them to survive and reproduce. We believe that according to bionic principles, selecting an environment suitable for orchid growth and establishing a bionic-type orchid domestication garden is feasible. In the spring of 1995, within the 20 hm2 mountain forest of the city's Forestry Science Research Institute, a strip-shaped Chinese fir forest land with a length of 67 m and a width of 3.4 m was selected as the garden establishment site, with an area of 227 sq m. The environmental conditions are: artificial Chinese fir forest (planted in 1979), forest canopy density reaching 0.7-0.8, scattered sunlight can enter the forest land; slope aspect facing east by north, winter northwest wind blocked by mountain ridges; slope of about 20 degrees, favorable for orchid garden management; elevation of 50 m, 800 m from the Xin'an River bank; far from towns and factories, with no noise or dust and smoke air pollution. According to local meteorological data, the annual average precipitation is 1500 mm, annual average temperature is 16.9°C, and annual average relative humidity is 83%. Such environmental conditions are suitable for orchid growth. 2. Materials and Methods for Garden Establishment The bionic-type orchid garden is established in Chinese fir forest land, which differs from ordinary orchid garden establishment methods. 2.1 Clearing the Garden Site Horizontal strips were opened on the slope of the Chinese fir forest land, with a strip width of about 30 cm (able to hold orchid pots), and the spacing between horizontal strips is generally about 50 cm (with the principle of facilitating orchid garden management, specifically depending on the position of Chinese fir trees and terrain). The orchid garden area is 227 sq m, using 10 person-days of labor, with labor cost of 200 yuan. 2.2 Placing Orchid Pots Bricks were placed on the horizontal strips, and orchid pots were placed on the bricks, to facilitate smooth drainage through the pot holes. A total of over 1000 bricks were purchased, costing 200 yuan. 2.3 Fixed-Point Collection of Wild Orchids Based on the city's orchid resource survey data, wild orchids were collected at fixed points in planned batches year by year, totaling about 1000 clumps, with a cost of 1000 yuan. 2.4 Preparing Orchid Culture Soil Since the bionic-type orchid garden has no rain shelter, the culture soil is required to have good drainage and air permeability. The self-made culture soil formula is sawdust, coarse sand and humus soil at 1/3 each, suitable for orchid growth in the garden. 2.5 Selecting Orchid Pots Clay pots with good air permeability were selected, 1200 pieces. The investment for culture soil and orchid pots totals 1500 yuan. 2.6 Routine Tools for the Orchid Garden Watering can, sprayer, hoe, scissors, sieve, etc., investment of 300 yuan. Total garden establishment investment is 3200 yuan. In summary, the bionic-type orchid garden utilizes woodland microclimate conditions, without shade frames or rain shelters, and the garden establishment method is simple and feasible, saving labor and materials. Compared with ordinary orchid gardens with shade frames and rain shelters, the garden establishment investment can save 80%-90%. 3. Management and Characteristics of the Bionic-Type Orchid Garden 3.1 Management The management work of the bionic-type orchid garden is simpler than ordinary orchid garden management. For example, watering: generally during the autumn drought season, water once every 7-10 days, and rarely water in other seasons. The differences are: 3.1 One, in spring, promptly sweep away dead branches and fallen leaves of Chinese fir, clean the garden once, and spread quicklime around the orchid garden for disinfection and insect repellent. 3.1 Two, before the plum rain season in June, strengthen anti-mold measures. Spray fungicides such as carbendazim and thiophanate 2 times. 3.1 Three, at the beginning of winter, loosen and bank the soil in orchid pots, preventing orchid roots from being exposed, and apply winter phosphorus fertilizer once, enhancing the cold resistance of orchids. Other management work such as repotting orchids, dividing pots, applying spring fertilizer,pest and disease control, flowering period observation, screening of promising varieties, etc. are carried out according to conventional methods. 3.2 Characteristics Through practical observation, the bionic-type orchid garden has the following characteristics. 3.2.1 No shade frames.Growing orchids has an ancient proverb "no sun in summer", orchids prefer shade and coolness, and fear scorching sun exposure. The Chinese fir branches and leaves in the garden play a role in shading and sheltering, with forest canopy density reaching 0.7-0.8, only part of the scattered sunlight entering the forest land, and no ground radiation heat. Therefore, in summer and autumn, the temperature inside the forest is 2-3°C lower than outside, and the relative humidity is 1-2 percentage points higher than outside, forming a cool microclimate suitable for orchid growth. 3.2.2 No rain shelter. Potted orchids fear water accumulation and root rot. Although the bionic-type orchid garden has no rain shelter, the Chinese fir branches and leaves can prevent rainstorms from directly hitting orchid pots and can reduce rainfall speed, making it difficult for water to accumulate in orchid pots. In addition, two artificial measures were taken: (1) Orchid pots placed on bricks to ensure smooth drainage through pot holes. (2) Adjusting the orchid culture soil formula to enhance the drainage and air permeability of the culture soil. To achieve no water accumulation in pots after rain stops, so no rain shelter is also feasible. 3.2.3 Local orchids overwintering in the forest. As the saying goes: "Winter cold, cold in the wind." Orchids prefer gentle breezes, fear fierce winds, and especially fear winter northwest winds. The bionic-type orchid garden selected Chinese fir forest land with an east-facing slope aspect, using mountain ridges and mountain bodies to block the northwest wind, greatly weakening wind force, and the Chinese fir forest canopy serves as a second windbreak net. The trees, shrubs and vegetation on the forest land form a windproof and heat-insulating layer, with winter temperatures inside the forest 1-2°C higher than outside. Warm in winter and cool in summer is precisely where the superiority of the woodland microclimate lies. For example, observation records show that the lowest temperature last winter and this spring was on January 10, with the temperature outside the forest at -3°C and inside the forest at -1°C. Although the surface layer of orchid pots froze, it did not damage the orchid roots. As is well known, wild orchids have certain adaptability to local minimum temperatures, plus artificial measures such as banking soil and fertilizing orchid pots before winter, enhancing the cold resistance of orchids. Therefore, local wild orchids can safely overwinter in the bionic-type orchid garden (orchids introduced from other places are brought indoors to overwinter). 4. Evaluation and Analysis of the Bionic-Type Orchid Garden 4.1 Establishing a bionic-type orchid garden, utilizing woodland microclimate conditions without shade frames and rain shelters, saving garden establishment investment, the method is practical and feasible, with certain scientific and practical value, opening up a new approach for the development and utilization of wild orchid resources. 4.2 Protecting resources for sustainable utilization is the prerequisite for the development and utilization of all resources. Currently, there exists the phenomenon of indiscriminate digging and excessive harvesting of orchids, damaging orchid germplasm resources, which has attracted great attention from the orchid community. Protecting orchid resources and achieving sustainable utilization is already an urgent task. Establishing a bionic-type orchid garden, with domesticated mature plants put on the market and entering thousands of households, while selected promising varieties can be further bred into new orchid varieties, can fully and rationally utilize orchid resources. It provides a new path for protecting orchid germplasm resources and stopping the predatory indiscriminate digging and excessive harvesting of orchid resources. 4.3 Mountainous areas have abundant wild orchid resources, and at the same time mountainous areas also have more woodland conditions available for selecting garden sites. Promoting the experience of bionic-type orchid gardens provides a new avenue for mountain farmers to develop orchid resources, establish small-scale orchid production bases, andgrow orchids to achieve prosperity. 4.4 Issues requiring further exploration: (1) The bionic-type orchid garden as a means of domesticating and screening wild orchids is feasible, but whether targeted breeding of promising orchid varieties can be carried out in the bionic-type orchid garden requires further observation and practice; (2) Chinese fir forest land can be used for garden establishment, but there is no experience with other forest lands, which requires future research. Selecting the garden establishment site is very important, otherwise the bionic-type characteristics will be lost. If the actual environmental conditions have certain deficiencies, taking artificial measures to compensate is also acceptable, in order to create more new experiences. References 1. Shen Yuanru, Shen Yinchun, authors. Orchids. Beijing: China Architecture & Building Press, 1984 2. Wu Yingxiang, author. Orchids. Beijing: China Forestry Publishing House, 1980 3. Liu Qingyong. Orchids. Guangzhou: Guangdong Travel and Tourism Press, 1991 4. Xu Huoliang et al. Investigation and Research on Orchid Resources in Jiande City. Zhejiang Forestry Science and Technology, 1993; 13(6) (Zhejiang: Xu Huoliang, Xia Genqing)