Vegetable plug seedling cultivation technology introduce

Plug seedling cultivation is a method that uses peat, mother stone, etc. as substrates and plug trays with different holes as containers. The precision seeding production line is used to automatically or manually install the substrate, sow, cover, suppress, water, and then place it in the germination room and When sowing, one seed is placed in one hole, and when the seedlings are grown, one plant is planted in one hole. The root system and the substrate are thin, and the root mass is in the shape of a big top and a small plug. It is very suitable for factory-based and professional production of vegetable seedlings.

1. Selection of hole tray

Plug trays are an important carrier for factory-style plug seedling cultivation and are necessary. According to different materials, they are divided into polystyrene foam plug trays and plastic plug trays. For the original purpose and cost-saving reasons, plastic plug trays are more widely used. The size of the general plastic plug tray is 54 × 28 cm. One plug tray can have 50, 72, 128, 200, 288, 400, or 512 seedling holes. Generally, melons such as pumpkins, watermelons, winter melons, and melons usually use 20 holes, and sometimes 50 holes are used; cucumbers mostly use 72 holes or 128 holes; solanaceous vegetables such as tomatoes and pepper seedlings use 128 holes and 200 holes; leafy vegetables Vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, and celery can use 200 holes or 288 holes. When the number of holes in the plug plate is large, although the efficiency of seedling cultivation is improved, the space of each hole is small, the substrate is less, and the retention of fertilizer and water is poor. At the same time, the interface is less exposed to light, and the required level of seedling cultivation is higher.

2. Matrix selection and ratio

Plug seedlings mainly use light substrates, such as peat, vermiculite, perlite, etc. Peat has good water retention and air permeability, is rich in organic matter, and has strong ion adsorption properties. It mainly plays the role of water retention, air permeability, and fertilizer retention in the matrix; vermiculite has particularly excellent water retention and can play a role in water retention. , but the air permeability of vermiculite is poor, which is not conducive to the growth of the root system. All vermiculites are used to easily retting the roots; perlite has poor water absorption and mainly plays a role in air permeability. The appropriate ratio of the three substances can achieve the best seedling raising effect. The general ratio is peat: vermiculite: perlite = 3:1:1.

3. Water quality requirements for plug seedling cultivation

Water quality is one of the important factors affecting plug seedling cultivation. Since the plug medium is small, the requirements for water quality and supply are relatively high. Poor water quality will cause damage to crops, ranging from slowing down growth and reducing quality to causing plant death in severe cases. Generally, water quality with a pH value between 5.5-6.5 is the best, and water exceeding 8.4 is prohibited.

4. Sowing and germination

The production of seedlings in plug trays has high requirements on seed quality and low seedling emergence rate, resulting in increased plug space and waste. The uneven emergence of seedlings will reduce the quality of plug seedlings and make it difficult to form a good product. Therefore, vegetable plug seedlings usually require pretreatment of seeds. Ordinary seeds can be soaked for germination and then sown, which can form very neat seedlings and give full play to the advantages of plug seedlings. Seed treatment methods include selection, blanching and soaking, soaking (mixing) seeds with chemicals, scrubbing, germination, etc.

5. Dwarfing Technology of Plug Seedlings

The above-ground and underground parts of vegetable plug seedlings are limited by space, which often results in elongated and slender growth forms. This is the biggest shortcoming in the production quality of plug seedlings. It is also the main reason why soil-seedlings cannot be fully replaced. Therefore, how to produce short and sturdy plug seedlings? Seedlings are the direction that nursery operators strive to pursue. Generally, seedlings can be dwarfed by controlling light, temperature, moisture, etc.