A Complete Analysis of Flower Irrigation Methods and Edible Mushroom Cultivation Techniques
In recent years, China's flower industry has gradually grown stronger, the varieties of flowers cultivated have continued to increase, and flower irrigation methods have also begun to develop in a diversified way. This article analyzes the commonly used irrigation methods.
Drip irrigation refers to an irrigation system in which the emitters used deliver water to crops in drip form, such as droplets or a continuous fine stream. Common emitters in drip irrigation systems include drippers, drip arrows, drip irrigation pipes, and drip tapes. The drip irrigation system is one of the most advanced irrigation methods. Using drip irrigation can avoid the drawback of other irrigation methods, in which excessive humidity after watering easily causes crops to become diseased. Therefore, drip irrigation can be said to be the best choice for the irrigation systems of the vast majority of greenhouse flowers.
Drip irrigation systems have advantages such as saving labor, saving water, saving energy, high quality, increasing yield, a wide range of adaptability, and being easy to automate. They can also be combined with fertigation equipment to precisely carry out operations such as topdressing flowers with water or applying pesticides. Their shortcomings are relatively high equipment investment and poor anti-clogging performance of the system, so drip irrigation has relatively high requirements for water quality.
When using a drip irrigation system, the following points need attention.
First, the biggest difference between drip irrigation systems and traditional irrigation methods such as border irrigation and pipe irrigation is "small amounts, many times." When using a drip irrigation system, the emphasis is on "watering the crop and watering the roots." Each irrigation session should not last too long, and it differs according to different flowers and planting methods. For potted flowers, for example, it is advisable to control it so that water does not flow out from the bottom of the flower pot. The amount of water applied each time by a drip irrigation system is much less than that of traditional irrigation methods such as border irrigation and pipe irrigation, so the irrigation frequency needs to be increased.
Second, flowers are mostly grown in substrate, so when selecting the model of drip irrigation pipes (tapes), the following points need attention: the dripper spacing cannot be selected too large; choose a 10 cm spacing as much as possible; the dripper flow rate should not be too small and should be 2L/h; when laying drip irrigation pipes (tapes), the water outlets must face upward or be parallel to the ground surface, and must not face downward, to prevent soil from clogging the water outlets when the water suddenly stops; the filtration device must be cleaned regularly, and cleaning after each irrigation is recommended; taking out the filter element and not using it is prohibited.
Micro-sprinkler irrigation refers to an irrigation system in which the emitters used deliver water to crops in a sprinkling water-flow state. The emitters of micro-sprinkler systems include various micro-sprinklers and sprinkler tapes. In open-field micro-sprinkler systems, sprinkler tapes are generally laid on the ground surface or micro-sprinklers are inserted into the ground; in protected facilities, micro-sprinklers are generally hung upside down on the facility framework to avoid affecting the operation of the micro-sprinkler system on other crops in the field.
Micro-sprinklers in micro-sprinkler systems are divided into two types: rotating and scattering. Rotating micro-sprinklers are generally used for supplemental irrigation; scattering micro-sprinklers are further divided into refraction and centrifugal types. Refraction micro-sprinklers are generally used in places where both cooling and humidification and irrigation are needed, while centrifugal micro-sprinklers are generally used for cooling and humidification and for atomized irrigation in soilless cultivation.
In facility production, it is advisable to use drip irrigation and micro-sprinkler systems in combination. The drip irrigation system is mainly used for irrigation, while the micro-sprinkler system is used for supplemental irrigation, cooling and humidification, and regulating the field microclimate in the facility.
When using a micro-sprinkler system, the following points need attention: First, when micro-sprinklers are installed upside down, an anti-drip device must be installed to prevent dripping from the micro-sprinklers after the water stops from harming the flowers; second, if the micro-sprinkler system and the drip irrigation system in a facility share one water source at the same time, a pressure-reducing device must be installed on the drip irrigation system or a local pressurizing device must be installed on the micro-sprinkler system, to prevent the drip irrigation system from bursting or the micro-sprinkler system from failing to spray; third, the filtration device must be cleaned regularly, and cleaning after each irrigation is recommended; taking out the filter element and not using it is prohibited.
A artificial fog system refers to an irrigation method in which the emitters used spray crops in fog form.
The working pressure of artificial fog is very high, generally from 4MPa to 12MPa, so the atomization effect is very good. It is generally used for cooling and humidifying high-grade flowers in multi-span greenhouses, and can also be used for spraying pesticides and disinfection.
When using an artificial fog system, the following points need attention: First, the water outlet diameter of artificial fog nozzles is very small, and the requirements for water quality are very high. Softened water is usually used to prevent nozzle clogging. Once nozzle clogging occurs, the nozzle can be removed and cleaned with an ultrasonic cleaner; second, the pressure pump of the artificial fog system needs regular maintenance and oil changes; third, this system generally uses an automatic control system for control, automatically starting and shutting off according to temperature and humidity.
Self-propelled sprinkler irrigation machine. The self-propelled sprinkler irrigation machine used in greenhouses is actually a micro-sprinkler system, but the self-propelled sprinkler irrigation machine is a micro-sprinkler system with very high irrigation uniformity that can be moved for use.
Because the investment is relatively high, self-propelled sprinkler irrigation machines are mostly used in multi-span greenhouses with special irrigation requirements, such as plug seedling raising and foliage flower cultivation. Tracks are installed on the greenhouse framework, and the sprinkler irrigation machine moves along the tracks. Generally, one unit is installed per greenhouse span. To save investment, one unit can also be installed for two or three greenhouse spans, and irrigation for the crops in each span is achieved by transferring the track between spans.
When using a self-propelled sprinkler irrigation machine, the following points need attention: First, for greenhouses with a relatively long bay direction, to shorten the operating distance of the water supply pipe, the sprinkler irrigation machine is generally arranged in the center of the greenhouse; second, the sprinkler irrigation machine has multiple nozzles, and suitable nozzles need to be selected according to the crop or different spraying purposes for spraying operations; third, the sprinklers used on the sprinkler irrigation machine must be installed with anti-drip devices.
Sprinkler irrigation refers to the medium sprinkler irrigation used for open-field flowers, with a sprinkler range of about 12 m. Open-field herbaceous flowers are most suitable for sprinkler irrigation.
When using sprinkler irrigation, note the following: choose the sprinkler flow rate as small as possible to prevent oversized water droplets from affecting flower production; do not irrigate when the wind speed is relatively high.