Research on the Current Development Status of Soilless Cultivation Technology for Flowers
I. Characteristics of Soilless Cultivation of Flowers
(1) Flowers grown with soilless cultivation grow fast, have high yields and good flower quality
Soilless-cultivated flowers differ from ordinary flower plants, and soilless-cultivated flowers have many advantages. Take soilless-cultivated carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus) for example: carnations have a short growth period, a long flowering period, produce many flowers and have a strong fragrance. The phenological period of soilless-cultivated impatiens is 3 to 14 days earlier than that of soil-cultivated impatiens, and the flowering time can be extended by 7 to 12 days; at the same time, the biomass of soilless-cultivated impatiens increases by 33%-74.5%, which is enough to prove that soilless-cultivated flowers are far better than ordinary flowers in many ways.
(2) Soilless cultivation can save large amounts of fertilizer, water resources and labor
In soilless cultivation, the nutrient solution for flower plants is prepared according to the amount of nutrients the flowers need, thereby effectively simplifying technical steps in soil cultivation such as land preparation and intertillage; at the same time, soilless cultivation of flowers is conducive to automated operations and the extensive use of modern equipment, effectively reducing manpower and material resources while also raising labor efficiency, thus saving fertilizer and water resources.
(3) Soilless cultivation is conducive to environmental protection and hygiene protection, and can effectively reduce the occurrence of pests and diseases
Because soilless cultivation is basically carried out in a soil-free environment, it plays a very large role in environmental protection. At the same time, because soilless cultivation is basically completed indoors, such a growing environment helps reduce the probability of plant pests and diseases, thereby improving the quality and yield of flowers. Therefore, soilless cultivation is conducive to environmental protection and hygiene protection, can effectively reduce the occurrence of pests and diseases, and thereby effectively improve the product quality and brand benefits of flowers.
II. Current Development Status of Soilless Cultivation Technology for Flowers
Looking at the overall international context, China's research on soilless cultivation technology started late. However, in recent decades most of China's soilless cultivation technology has adopted advanced energy-saving greenhouses; the adoption of this technology effectively promoted the rapid development of China's protected horticulture and landscape construction industry, and also drove the development of soilless cultivation. The continuous renewal of soilless cultivation technology for flowers is the main condition for ensuring the development of soilless flower cultivation. In recent years, major changes have taken place in China's soilless cultivation technology for flowers, mainly shown in the following:
(1) China's soilless cultivation technology is continuously updated, and facility systems are continuously improved
From an overall view of China, although China's soilless planting technology started relatively late, its development speed is very fast, especially in recent years, when development has been even more astonishing. Overall, China's soilless cultivation technology is constantly being updated and improved, and relevant research results from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences have achieved world-class success. This fully demonstrates China's research intensity and investment in soilless cultivation. At the same time, China's current supporting facilities related to soilless cultivation are also constantly being perfected and improved, thereby better adapting to the development of China's soilless cultivation technology.
(2) China's off-season soilless cultivation technology is developing fast and at a high technical level
Essentially speaking, the development capacity of soilless cultivation depends on its competitiveness with land-based agriculture. Therefore, in future agricultural development, it is necessary not only to increase the actual yield of soilless-cultivated flowers, but also to pay more attention to the high added value and industrial chain of soilless-cultivated flower plants, so as to improve the economic benefits of soilless cultivation. At the same time, in the process of soilless cultivation, more attention should be paid to substrate research, so as to provide a strong theoretical basis for soilless cultivation.
(3) Encouraging progress has been made in research on low-cost, high-benefit nutrient solution formulas for soilless flower cultivation
In modern soilless flower cultivation, the fertilizers currently used in China are basically valuable fertilizers with China's independent intellectual property rights. Such fertilizers not only have disinfection and nutritional effects, but low cost is also one of their characteristics. On this basis, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and related research institutes are also constantly researching new liquid fertilizers, and encouraging progress has been made in research on high-benefit nutrient solution formulas, which has greatly solved the problems of low survival rates and large losses of valuable flowers. At the same time, it has also greatly expanded the seed regions for flowers.
III. Development Prospects of Soilless Cultivation of Flowers
Soilless cultivation technology for flowers replaces traditional flower planting technology, can effectively resolve the contradictions in water, air and nutrient supply that are difficult to solve in traditional soil cultivation, and places crop roots in the most suitable environmental conditions, thereby fully giving play to the crops' yield-increasing potential. At the same time, soilless cultivation of flowers can also effectively avoid diseases transmitted through soil, reduce soil pollution, and improve the product quality of flowers. In addition, soilless planting is also the main trend of future agricultural development; new planting technologies will greatly reduce the negative outcomes brought by traditional planting technologies, thereby achieving twice the result with half the effort. Judging from the development of soilless flower cultivation technology throughout the world, the development of soilless flower cultivation technology has reached a critical point; at the same time, soilless flower cultivation technology is also becoming increasingly complete, and the technology is constantly being updated. Facts have proved that the higher the degree of simplification, modernization and automation of soilless flower cultivation, the greater the economic benefits of flowers. Although China's soilless flower cultivation technology started relatively late, and the current technical level of soilless flower cultivation is at a low-end level, as China's economy, science and technology continue to update and progress, China's soilless flower cultivation technology will also become more and more mature, and its market will also become larger and larger. The rise of soilless flower cultivation technology has brought the development of urban horticulture and the flower industry into a new stage of development, so soilless flower cultivation technology has very broad development prospects.
IV. Conclusion
China's soilless flower cultivation technology has grown from nothing to something, and from something to something new; this is the result of the continuous development of China's science and technology. Soilless flower cultivation technology is the main development trend of the entire economy in the future. Looking at China's development, as China's economy continues to develop and improve, more and more people demand to live in a clean, tidy, green and comfortable environment; therefore, people's requirements for the environment will become higher and higher, which places higher requirements on China's soilless flower cultivation technology. From the perspective of future economic development trends, the prospects for soilless flower cultivation in China are excellent, and as research on soilless cultivation technology continues to deepen, soilless cultivation technology will certainly show even broader development prospects in China.