VERSATILE HYDROPONIC TECHNOLOGY FOR COMMERCIAL ORCHID CULTIVATION

A.C. Tse Leow, T.K. Khye Tan
Traditionally, orchids are raised in organic substrates or charcoal and hand sprayed with two fertilizers, one for promoting vegetative growth and the other for initiating reproductive growth. Hand spraying of orchids is tedious, time consuming and nutrient run offs result in extensive algae outbreak. Despite these disadvantages, growers are generally reluctant to switch to hydroponic technology for commercial cut flowers production because most economically important epiphytic orchids quickly develop root rots in wet re-circulating closed system such as the aeroponic system, nutrient film technique, or ebb and flow system. To address these concerns, Temasek Polytechnic had invented the Precise Influx Hydroponic Growth System (PIHGS) which utilizes an automated, revolutionary mechanism to deliver a precise pre-determined amount of nutrient solution to the orchid root zones without causing the growth media to become soggy. This effectively circumvents the root rot problem faced by the hydroponic orchid growers. Three years of joint collaborative research work between Temasek Polytechnic and the Agri-Food Veterinary Authority of Singapore had demonstrated that the PIHGS, when combined with a single hydroponic nutrient formulation developed at Temasek Polytechnic, offers a highly cost effective technology for commercial hydroponic orchid cut flower production. The new system allows more orchid plants to be grown per unit area; eliminates the tedious chore of hand spraying and the associating algae problem; removes the need to periodically re-pot older plants, reducing the cost of fertilizer usage; and vastly increases the quality and quantity of the cut flowers compared to traditional growth methods. This research reaffirms the versatility of hydroponic technology for commercial cut flowers production even for root-rot prone plants such as orchids.
Tse Leow, A.C. and Khye Tan, T.K. (2007). VERSATILE HYDROPONIC TECHNOLOGY FOR COMMERCIAL ORCHID CULTIVATION. Acta Hortic. 742, 75-83
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2007.742.10
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2007.742.10
Dendrobium, charcoal, expanded clay, N:P:K, vegetative, reproductive
English

Acta Horticulturae