Since soilless cultivation, an innovative technological planting technique, was introduced to the market, it has been loved by many growers for its small investment, low risk, simple operation and easy management. Below Sara I have shared with you an instructional video on organic soilless cultivation of vegetables, come and learn about it!

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Vegetable Soilless Cultivation is the most advanced cultivation technology in the world today, due to the Soilless Cultivation than the cultivation of soil has many advantages, so the development of the area of Soilless Cultivation has been a straight line upward trend in recent years. The general type of soilless culture is mainly hydroponics, rockwool cultivation and substrate cultivation of three categories. In order to allow readers to further understand the production characteristics of various types of soilless culture, now first of all the leafy vegetables hydroponics technology for systematic introduction.

Hydroponics

Hydroponics is a cultivation method in which the plant root system is in direct contact with the nutrient solution without the use of substrate.

The earliest hydroponics is to submerge the plant roots into the nutrient solution to grow, this way there will be a lack of O2 phenomenon, affecting the root respiration, and in serious cases, causing material root death. In order to solve the problem of O2 supply, the British Cooper in 1973 proposed a nutrient film method of hydroponics, referred to as ?NFT? (Nutrient Film Technique). Its principle is to make a very thin layer of nutrient solution (0.5-1 cm) layer, continuous circulation flow through the crop root system, not only to ensure the continuous supply of water and nutrients to the crop, but also to supply the root system with fresh O2. NFT method of cultivation of crops, the irrigation technology is greatly simplified, do not have to calculate the crop water requirements every day, the nutrient elements of a balanced supply. The isolation of the root system from the soil avoids soil-borne diseases and eliminates the need for soil sterilization.

This method of cultivation of plants directly from the solution to absorb nutrients, the corresponding root system developed fibrous roots, the main root is obviously degraded than the open field cultivation. Example: Cucumber infinite growth, the main vine can reach 10----15M Main root Root system: 45CM

Leafy greens hydroponics as an example to briefly introduce the significance of leafy greens hydroponics and its infrastructure structure.

1. The significance of leafy vegetables hydroponics The vast majority of leafy vegetables are grown in hydroponics for the following reasons:

(1) Good product quality Leafy vegetables are mostly consumed in the stems and leaves of plants, such as lettuce, chicory, and such leafy vegetables are also consumed in raw form, which requires the products to be fresh, clean, and free of pollution. Soil cultivated vegetables are easily contaminated, stained with soil, cleaning is not convenient, and hydroponic leafy vegetables than soil cultivated leafy vegetables of good quality, clean, tender, good taste, quality.

(2) to adapt to market demand, can be in the same site for annual cultivation. Leafy vegetables are not easy to store, but in order to meet market demand, the need for annual production. Soil cultivation of leafy vegetables inverted stubble operation is cumbersome, the need for land for beds, planting fertilizer, watering and other operations, and soilless cultivation of stubble is very simple, only need to implant seedlings in the planting holes can be, for example, lettuce, 365 days a year every day can be sown, planting, harvesting, uninterrupted continuous production. So hydroponics is easy to stubble arrangement, suitable for planned, contractual production.

(3) a good way to solve the off-season supply of vegetables

Leafy vegetables are generally short plants, no need to increase the bracket facilities, so the investment in facilities is less than the soilless cultivation of fruit and vegetables. Hydroponic vegetables have a short growth cycle and fast turnover. Hydroponics is also a facility production, generally not easy to be damaged by typhoons. Coastal areas can supply fresh vegetables during the typhoon season farmers can often get higher profits.

(4) do not need to replace the nutrient solution, save fertilizer Due to the short growth cycle of leafy vegetables, if no major physiological diseases occur in the middle of the general from planting to harvesting only need to be planted with a nutrient solution, no need to replace the nutrient solution in the middle of the nutrient solution. Fruit vegetables due to the long growth period, even without major physiological diseases, in order to ensure that the nutrient balance of the nutrient solution, it is necessary to half or full update of the nutrient solution.

(5) high economic efficiency hydroponic leafy vegetables can avoid crop failure, high replanting index. Facility operation rate of up to 20 crops a year, the production of high economic benefits. For this general leafy vegetables are often used in hydroponics.

2. Hydroponic infrastructure structure

Beijing Vegetable Research Center through the introduction of reference to foreign hydroponic facilities, combined with the reality of China's economic level has been developed DFT-type hydroponic facilities. This facility consists of nutrient tanks, cultivation beds, nutrient system consists of three parts, are introduced as follows.

(1) nutrient tank

Nutrient tank is the storage of nutrient solution equipment, generally made of brick and cement sinks placed underground. Because of the large capacity of this nutrient tank, the temperature of the nutrient solution does not change much either in winter or summer. However, the use of nutrient tanks must rely on the power of the pump to add liquid, so it must be in a place where there is a power supply can be used. Nutrient tank volume, generally 667m2 hydroponic area, need 5?7t water standard design, specific width can be based on the greenhouse terrain flexible design. Nutrient tank construction is a technical work. Generally made of brick and cement, can also be built with reinforced concrete. In order to make the liquid tank does not leak, does not seepage and does not return to the water, construction must be added to the seepage material, and the liquid tank wall coated with water-removing materials. In addition, in order to facilitate the cleaning of the tank and the pump to maintain a certain amount of water, in the design and construction of the tank should be put in a corner of the tank where the pump to do a 20cm square small sink, in order to facilitate the cleaning of the nutrient tank.

(2) cultivated bed

Cultivated bed is the site of crop growth, is the main part of the hydroponic facilities. The roots of the crop are fixed and supported in the bed and receive water, nutrients and oxygen from the cultivated bed. Cultivated beds are composed of two parts: the bed and the fixed planting plate (also known as cultivation plate).

(a) Bed Body The bed body is a device used to hold nutrient solution and planting crops. Cultivation bed bed body made of polystyrene material. There are two kinds of bed specifications, one is 75cm long, 96cm wide, 17cm high, the other is 100cm long, 66cm wide, 17cm high. two specifications according to the greenhouse span with the use. The polystyrene bed is lightweight, easy to assemble, and has a service life of more than 10 years. In order to prevent the nutrient solution leakage and protect the bed, inside a layer of 0.15mm thick, 1.45m wide black film.

(b) Cultivation board Cultivation board is used to fix the roots, prevent dust from intruding, block the light from entering, prevent algae production and keep the temperature of the nutrient solution in the bed stable. Cultivation board is also made of polystyrene board, 89cm long, 59cm wide, 3cm thick, arranged on the top of the diameter of 3cm planting holes, hole distance for 8cm?12cm. can be adjusted according to the needs of different crops in their own rows and rows of spacing. The service life of the cultivation plate is also more than 10 years.

(3) Nutrient system, including the liquid system, liquid discharge system and circulation system

Hydroponic facilities to the liquid, generally by the pump to the nutrient solution pumped into the cultivation bed. Bed to maintain a 5?8cm deep water level, to the cultivation of bed liquid facilities by the iron or plastic liquid addition of the main and plastic liquid addition branch pipe, plastic branch pipe every 1.5m l diameter 3mm holes. Nutrient solution flows into the cultivation bed from the small holes. Nutrient solution circulation pathway is the nutrient solution pump from the nutrient solution tank, through the liquid filling main tube, liquid filling branch into the cultivation bed, by the crop root suction. The nutrient solution is pumped from the nutrient tank by the pump, and enters into the cultivated bed through the liquid filling main pipe and liquid filling branch pipe, and is sucked by the crop roots.

There are many varieties of leafy vegetables suitable for hydroponics, and the Beijing Vegetable Research Center has successfully tested leafy vegetable varieties suitable for hydroponics, such as lettuce, chicory, kale, chard, rapeseed, cabbage, cabbage, mustard, collard greens, purple back asparagus, bean curd, watercress, celery, celery, amaranth, fine onion, potato, etc.

What is the most important thing to know about hydroponics is that it's not just about the water.

Fog cultivation

Also known as aeroponics or fog cultivation. It is the nutrient solution is compressed into an aerosol and sprayed directly onto the crop's root system, which is suspended inside the space of the container. Usually polypropylene foam board, which is drilled at a certain distance from the holes in the hole in the cultivation of crops. Two foam boards are built diagonally into a triangle to form a space, and the liquid supply pipe passes through the triangular space to spray the root system hanging down. Generally every interval of 2-3 minutes spray for a few seconds, nutrient solution recycling, while ensuring that the crop root system has sufficient oxygen. However, this method of equipment costs are too high, need to consume a lot of electricity, and can not be blackout, there is no buffer, but also limited to scientific research applications, not large-scale production, so it is best not to use this method. This method of cultivating plants is the same as hydroponics, so the root condition is the same as hydroponics.

Matrix Cultivation

Matrix cultivation is one of the most popular methods of soilless culture. It is to fix the root system of the crop in an organic or inorganic substrate, and supply the crop with nutrient solution through drip irrigation or fine-flow irrigation. Cultivation substrates can be packed in plastic bags or laid in cultivation trenches or troughs. The nutrient solution for substrate cultivation is non-circulating, called an open-circuit system, which prevents the spread of diseases through the circulation of the nutrient solution.

Matrix cultivation buffer capacity, there is no water, nutrients and supply O2 contradiction between, and the equipment is simpler than hydroponics and fog cultivation, and even do not need power, so the investment is small, low-cost, the production of commonly used. From the current situation in China, substrate cultivation is one of the most realistic way.

Pyroxene 20% limestone and 20% coke mixed, calcined and melted at a high temperature of 1600 ℃, and then sprayed into a diameter of 0.005 mm fiber, and then cooled and pressed into a plate or a variety of shapes. The advantage of rock wool is that it can form a series of products (rock wool plugs, blocks, boards, etc.), easy to use and handle, and can be sterilized for multiple use. However, after a few years of use can not be reused, the disposal of waste rock wool is more difficult, in the use of rock wool cultivation area of the largest Netherlands, has formed a public health hazard. Therefore, some people in Japan advocate the development and utilization of organic substrate, after use can be turned into the soil as fertilizer without polluting the environment. This method because of the involvement of substrate, the actual operation may see the length of the main root than the general soilless culture may be longer, but the performance of the cucumber, the main root is generally not more than 60CM