A method for soilless cultivation of melon based on plant factory

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of plant cultivation technology, and specifically discloses a melon soilless cultivation method based on a plant factory, comprising the following steps: S1, seedling cultivation: placing the melon seeds after germination in a seedling tray, carrying out the first light treatment to start seedling cultivation, the light quality conditions of the first light treatment are: far-red light 10-15%, red light 25-30%, blue light 25-30% and white light 25-30%; S2, field planting and subplanting: carrying out the second light treatment of the melon seedlings to start cultivation, until the melon seedlings grow to the flowering and pollination period; the light quality conditions of the second light treatment are: far-red light 18-22%, red light 18-22%, blue light 18-22% and white light 34-46%; S3, flowering and pollination, harvesting: when the first flower is to be opened, the time required for the alternation of day temperature and night temperature is 0.25-1h, and the cultivation is continued until the melon is harvested. The present invention can shorten the growth cycle of melon and increase the sugar content of fruit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of plant cultivation, and in particular to a soilless cultivation method for melons based on a plant factory. Background Art

[0002] Muskmelon, also known as cantaloupe, Hami melon, honeydew melon, etc., is a plant of the genus Cucurbitaceae. Muskmelon contains a large amount of carbohydrates and nutrients, has a juicy taste, and can help people clear away summer heat and quench thirst. Muskmelon has high requirements for light and temperature, and prefers a warm and sunny environment. At present, melon cultivation is mainly carried out in open fields, greenhouses and solar greenhouses; due to unscientific use of land and deterioration of the ecological environment, conventional cultivation has caused problems such as soil pollution, decreased fertility, frequent pests and diseases, high land transfer costs and increased labor costs. Although compared with open-field cultivation, greenhouses and greenhouses can advance the seedling period, the current greenhouses and greenhouses have low construction standards and are not standardized. Most of them are simple arched plastic greenhouses, with aging structures, poor heating, insulation and resistance to freezing and flooding disasters, resulting in the phenomenon of bad melon seedlings every year, wasting a lot of manpower and material resources and increasing production costs.

[0003] Artificial light plant factories have the advantages of high-precision control of the production environment, high degree of automation, and little or no restrictions on natural conditions. They are currently the most advanced technology in plant cultivation. Using artificial light plant factories for melon cultivation can shorten the growth cycle of melons, improve the quality of melons, and achieve year-round, continuous, efficient, and green production of melons.

[0004] Fruit sugar content is one of the evaluation indicators of melon quality. How to reasonably control the parameters of the artificial light plant factory to make the cultivated melon have a shorter growth cycle and higher fruit sugar content has good commercial value. Summary of the invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a method for soilless cultivation of melons based on a plant factory, so as to shorten the growth period of the melons and increase the sugar content of the fruits.

[0006] The present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0007] A method for soilless cultivation of melon based on a plant factory comprises the following steps:

[0008] S1. Seedling raising: soaking melon seeds in clean water and then germinating them in dark place, placing the germinated seeds in a seedling tray containing nutrient solution, and performing the first light treatment to start seedling raising, wherein the light quality conditions of the first light treatment are: far-red light 10-15%, red light 25-30%, blue light 25-30% and white light 25-30%, and the cycle of the first light treatment is 24h / d;

[0009] S2. Planting and transplanting: When 2-3 true leaves of the melon seedlings are fully expanded, the melon seedlings are planted and transplanted, and the second light treatment is carried out, and soilless cultivation is started until the melon seedlings grow to the flowering and pollination stage; the light quality conditions of the second light treatment are: far-red light 18-22%, red light 18-22%, blue light 18-22% and white light 34-46%, and the cycle of the second light treatment is 13-15h / d;

[0010] S3. Flowering, pollination and harvesting: When the first flower blooms, the time required for the day temperature and night temperature to alternate is 0.25-1h, among which the day temperature is 25-30℃ and the night temperature is 16-18℃; continue to cultivate until the melon is harvested.

[0011] The present invention can greatly shorten the time of the melon seedling stage and thus shorten the overall growth cycle of the melon by reasonably controlling the light quality conditions (light quality ratio) and the cycle of light treatment (light cycle) in different production stages of the melon and coordinating the control of the time required for the alternation of day temperature and night temperature during the flowering, pollination and harvesting process. In addition, the present invention regulates the time required for the alternation of day temperature and night temperature during the flowering, pollination and harvesting process, increases the soluble solids content, soluble total sugar content, organic acid content and sugar-acid ratio of the melon, and improves the flavor quality of the melon.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, in step S1, the cycle of the first light treatment is 22-24 h / d.

[0013] The present invention can significantly shorten the melon seedling period by extending the light cycle in the seedling stage, thereby further shortening the total growth period (production cycle) of the melon.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, in step S1, the illumination intensity of the first illumination treatment is 200-250 μmol / m 2 s; temperature is 25-28℃.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, in step S1, the CO2 concentration of the first light treatment is 700-900 ppm and the humidity is 50-60%.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, in step S2, the melon seedlings are planted in cultivation troughs with a substrate, and then the cultivation troughs are placed on cultivation racks containing a nutrient solution.

[0017] The above cultivation method of the present invention does not adopt the conventional direct use of nutrient solution for cultivation, but first plants the melon seedlings in a cultivation tank with a substrate, and then places the cultivation tank on a cultivation rack containing nutrient solution for cultivation, which can significantly shorten the vine extension period and fruit expansion and maturity period of the melon, thereby shortening the total growth period of the melon. In addition, the soluble solid content, soluble total sugar content, organic acid content and sugar-acid ratio of the melon can be further increased, especially the soluble total sugar content of the melon is significantly increased.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, in step S2, the day temperature for the second light treatment is 28-35°C, and the night temperature is 15-18°C.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, in step S2, the illumination intensity of the second illumination treatment is 250-300 μmol / m 2 s.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment, in step S1, the temperature for germination in the dark is 28-30°C.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment, the EC value of the nutrient solution is 1.2±0.2 mS / cm, and the pH value is 6.0±0.5.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages and beneficial effects:

[0023] The present invention can greatly shorten the growth period of conventional melon cultivation by regulating the environment in the plant factory, and further shorten the growth period by regulating the light cycle, light quality ratio and cultivation method in the plant factory, thereby improving economic benefits. In terms of quality, the present invention increases the soluble solid content, soluble total sugar content, organic acid content and sugar-acid ratio of melon by regulating the time required for the alternation of day temperature and night temperature during the flowering, pollination and harvesting process, thereby improving the flavor quality of melon. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] In order to make the purpose, technical scheme and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the embodiments. The schematic implementation mode of the present invention and its description are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. The embodiments described below are part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0025] In the following description, a large number of specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it is apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that these specific details do not have to be employed to practice the present invention. In other embodiments, in order to avoid confusing the present invention, known structures, materials or methods are not specifically described. The materials, instruments and reagents used in the following examples, unless otherwise specified, can be obtained from commercial sources. The technical means used in the examples, unless otherwise specified, are conventional means well known to those skilled in the art.

[0026] In order to shorten the production cycle of melons and increase the sugar content of fruits, this embodiment provides a method for soilless cultivation of melons based on a plant factory, comprising the following steps:

[0027] S1. Seedling cultivation: Select high-quality melon seeds and soak them in clean water at room temperature for 24 hours. Place the soaked seeds in a culture dish with moistened gauze, germinate them in the dark at 28-30℃ for 24 hours, place the germinated seeds in a seedling tray with a soaked sponge, 1 seed per hole, add nutrient solution to the seedling tray, and start the first light treatment. The light quality conditions for the first light treatment are: far-red light 10-15%, red light 25-30%, blue light 25-30% and white light 25-30%. The cycle of the first light treatment is 12-24h / d, and the light cycle is preferably 22-24h / d. The seedling trays are placed in a plant factory, and the melon seedlings are kept at a temperature of 25-28℃, a CO2 concentration of 700-900ppm, a humidity of 50-60%, and a light intensity of 200-250μmol / m 2 s environmental conditions.

[0028] The nutrient solution is not an influencing factor of the present invention, and the existing commercially available nutrient solution can be directly used. A specific formula of the nutrient solution is as follows:

[0029] The macro-element composition is: 436.6mg / L Ca(NO3)2·4H2O, 232.3mg / L KNO3, 209.1mg / LMgSO4·7H2O, 272.0mg / LKH2PO4.

[0030] The trace element composition is: 15.0mg / L Fe-DTPA (7%), 40mg / L 5Ca(NO3)2·NH4NO3·10H2O, 17.4mg / L K2SO4, 1.4mg / L H3BO3, 0.2mg / L CuSO4·5H2O, 2.1mg / L MnSO4·H2O, 0.12mg / LNa2MoO4, 0.8mg / L ZnSO4·7H2O.

[0031] The EC of the nutrient solution was 1.2±0.2 mS / cm, and the pH was 6.0±0.5.

[0032] S2. Planting and transplanting: When 2-3 true leaves of the melon seedlings are fully unfolded, the melon seedlings (melon seedlings) are planted and transplanted on a cultivation rack containing a nutrient solution. Preferably, the melon seedlings are planted and transplanted in a cultivation trough with a substrate, and then the cultivation trough is placed on a cultivation rack containing a nutrient solution. The second light treatment is carried out to start cultivation until the melon seedlings grow to the flowering and pollination stage; the light quality conditions of the second light treatment are: far-red light 18-22%, red light 18-22%, blue light 18-22% and white light 34-46%, the cycle of the second light treatment is 13-15h / d, and the light intensity is 250-300μmol / m 2 s; specifically: the day temperature is 28-35℃, the night temperature is 15-18℃, the nutrient solution, environmental humidity, and CO2 concentration are all the same as during the seedling period.

[0033] S3, flowering, pollination and harvesting: When the first flower blooms, the time required for adjusting the alternation of day temperature and night temperature is 0.25-1h, specifically, the melon is cultivated in an ambient temperature of 25-30℃ during the day and 16-18℃ at night until pollination and harvest. In step S3, except for the time required for alternation of day temperature and night temperature, the planting method, nutrient solution, ambient humidity, light conditions and CO2 concentration are all the same as those in the vine extension period (step S2).

[0034] This embodiment can shorten the melon cultivation period by regulating the light cycle and light quality ratio in the plant factory, and can further shorten the growth period and improve economic benefits by adjusting the cultivation method; this embodiment can increase the soluble solids content, soluble total sugar content, organic acid content and sugar-acid ratio of melons and improve the flavor quality of melons by regulating the time required for the alternation of day temperature and night temperature and coordinating a reasonable light cycle, light quality ratio and cultivation method.

[0035] In order to better illustrate the effect of this embodiment, the following specific examples are used for illustration.

[0036] Embodiment 1:

[0037] A method for soilless cultivation of melon based on a plant factory comprises the following steps:

[0038] S1. Seedling cultivation: Select high-quality melon seeds and soak them in water at room temperature for 24 hours. Place the soaked seeds in a culture dish with moist gauze and germinate them in the dark at 28°C for 24 hours. Place the germinated seeds in a seedling tray with a soaked sponge, 1 seed per hole. Add nutrient solution to the seedling tray and start the first light treatment. The light quality conditions for the first light treatment are: far-red light: red light: blue light: white light is 1:2:2:2 (far-red light 14.29%, red light 28.57%, blue light 28.57% and white light 28.57%). The light cycle of the first light treatment is 14h / d. The seedling trays are placed in a plant factory. The melon seedlings are kept at a temperature of 28°C, a CO2 concentration of 800ppm, a humidity of 55%, and a light intensity of 250μmol / m 2 s environmental conditions.

[0039] S2. Planting and transplanting: When 2-3 true leaves of the melon seedlings are fully expanded, the melon seedlings are planted and transplanted on the cultivation rack containing nutrient solution for the second light treatment. Specifically, the day temperature is 32°C, the night temperature is 18°C, and the time required for the alternation of day temperature and night temperature is 1h (when switching from day to night, the temperature drops from 32°C to 18°C ​​in 1h, and when switching from night to day, the temperature rises from 18°C ​​to 32°C in 1h), until the melon seedlings grow to the flowering and pollination stage; the light quality conditions of the second light treatment are: far-red light: red light: blue light: white light is 1:1:1:2 (far-red light 20%, red light 20%, blue light 20% and white light 40%). The cycle of the second light treatment is 15h / d, and the light intensity is 300μmol / m 2 s; the nutrient solution, ambient humidity, and CO2 concentration are all the same as in step S1.

[0040] S3, flowering, pollination and harvesting: when the first flower blooms, the melons are cultivated in an environment with a day temperature of 28°C and a night temperature of 18°C, and the time required for the alternation of day temperature and night temperature is regulated to be 1 hour (when switching from day to night, the temperature drops from 28°C to 18°C ​​in 1 hour, and when switching from night to day, the temperature rises from 18°C ​​to 28°C in 1 hour) until pollination and harvesting of the melons. Except for the different time required for the alternation of day temperature and night temperature, the planting method, nutrient solution, environmental humidity, light conditions and CO2 concentration are the same as those in the vine extension period (step S2).

[0041] The melons in this embodiment are grown in a plant factory.

[0042] Embodiment 2:

[0043] This embodiment is based on Embodiment 1, and differs from Embodiment 1 in that:

[0044] In step S1, the illumination period of the first illumination treatment is extended to 18 h / d.

[0045] Embodiment 3:

[0046] This embodiment is based on Embodiment 1, and differs from Embodiment 1 in that:

[0047] In step S1, the illumination period of the first illumination treatment is extended to 24 h / d.

[0048] Embodiment 4:

[0049] This embodiment is based on Embodiment 1, and differs from Embodiment 1 in that:

[0050] In step S1, the illumination period of the first illumination treatment is extended to 24 h / d.

[0051] In step S3, the cultivation is carried out in an environment with a day temperature of 28°C and a night temperature of 18°C, and the time required for adjusting the alternation between the day temperature and the night temperature is 0.5h.

[0052] Embodiment 5:

[0053] This embodiment is based on Embodiment 1, and differs from Embodiment 1 in that:

[0054] In step S1, the illumination period of the first illumination treatment is extended to 24 h / d.

[0055] In step S3, the cultivation is carried out in an environment with a day temperature of 28°C and a night temperature of 18°C, and the time required for adjusting the alternation of the day temperature and the night temperature is 0.25h.

[0056] Embodiment 6:

[0057] This embodiment is based on Embodiment 1, and differs from Embodiment 1 in that:

[0058] In step S1, the lighting period of the first lighting treatment is extended to 24h / d, and the cultivation method in step S3 is changed. In this embodiment, the melon seedlings are planted in a cultivation trough with a substrate (coconut bran: peat soil: perlite mixed in a ratio of 3:1:1), and then the cultivation trough is placed on a cultivation rack containing a nutrient solution for a second lighting treatment.

[0059] In step S3, the cultivation is carried out in an environment with a day temperature of 28°C and a night temperature of 18°C, and the time required for adjusting the alternation of the day temperature and the night temperature is 0.25h.

[0060] Comparative Example 1:

[0061] This comparative example adopts greenhouse technology to cultivate melons, specifically:

[0062] A melon cultivation method comprises the following steps:

[0063] Select high-quality melon seeds and soak them in clean water at room temperature for 24 hours. Place the soaked seeds in a culture dish with moist gauze and germinate them in the dark at 28°C for 24 hours. Place the germinated seeds in a seedling tray with a soil: substrate ratio of 1:1, spray them with appropriate amount of water and then place them in an external greenhouse. Use conventional planting and management until the melons are ripe.

[0064] Comparative Example 2:

[0065] This comparative example is based on Example 1, and the difference from Example 1 is that:

[0066] In step S1, the light quality ratio of the first illumination treatment is different. The light quality ratio of the first illumination treatment in this comparative example refers to the existing plant factory melon light control parameters, specifically: far-red light 2%, red light 75%, blue light 20% and white light 3%.

[0067] Six melons were planted in each of Example 1-Example 6 and Comparative Example 1-Comparative Example 2. They were cultivated on a vertical frame, with double vine pruning and melons on the grand vines. After the flowering and fruiting period, two melons with good fruit shape were selected from each plant and retained. The remaining melons and side vines were cut off. Taking the netted melon as an example, the growth cycle of the melons in Example 1-Example 4 and Comparative Example 1-Comparative Example 2 was recorded. The melons were harvested in time when the single fruit weight reached 2.0 kg. The growth cycle is shown in Table 1 and the quality of the melons is shown in Table 2:

[0068] Table 1

[0069]

[0070] From the data in Table 1, we can see that:

[0071] 1) By comparing Examples 1-6 with Comparative Example 1, it can be seen that the use of plant factories to cultivate melons can significantly shorten the various cycles of melon growth and development and the total growth period compared to greenhouse cultivation.

[0072] 2) By comparing Example 1 with Comparative Example 2, it can be seen that changing the light quality during the melon seedling stage can significantly shorten the seedling stage, thereby shortening the entire growth period by 5.86%.

[0073] 3) By comparing Example 2 to Example 3 with Example 1, it can be seen that the seedling stage can be significantly shortened by extending the photoperiod of the seedling stage. In particular, compared with Example 1, the total growth period of Example 3 is shortened by 14.68%.

[0074] 4) By comparing Example 3 to Example 4 and Example 5, it can be seen that the fruit expansion and maturity period can be significantly shortened by shortening the time to reach the target day and night temperatures after flowering and pollination. Among them, compared with Example 3 and Example 5, the total growth period is shortened by 8.83%.

[0075] 5) From the comparison between Example 5 and Example 6, it can be seen that changing the cultivation method of melon seedlings can significantly shorten the vine extension period and fruit expansion and maturity period of melons, and the total growth period is shortened by 13.38%.

[0076] Table 2

[0077]

[0078] From the data in Table 2, we can see that:

[0079] 1) From the data of Example 3-Example 4 and Example 5, it can be seen that by shortening the time to reach the target day and night temperatures, the soluble solids content in the center of the melon, the soluble solids content in the edge, the total soluble sugar content, the organic acid content and the sugar-acid ratio can be increased.

[0080] 3) From the data of Example 6 and Example 5, it can be seen that the soluble solid content in the center, the soluble solid content in the edge, the total soluble sugar content, the organic acid content and the sugar-acid ratio of the melon can be further increased by changing the cultivation method.

[0081] The specific implementation methods described above further illustrate the objectives, technical solutions and beneficial effects of the present invention in detail. It should be understood that the above description is only a specific implementation method of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for soilless cultivation of melon based on a plant factory, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1, seedling raising: soaking the melon seeds in clean water and then germinating them in dark place, placing the germinated seeds in a seedling tray containing a nutrient solution, and performing the first light treatment to start seedling raising, wherein the light quality conditions of the first light treatment are: far-red light 10-15%, red light 25-30%, blue light 25-30% and white light 25-30%, and the cycle of the first light treatment is 24h / d; S2. Planting and transplanting: When 2-3 true leaves of the melon seedlings are fully expanded, the melon seedlings are planted and transplanted, and the second light treatment is carried out and soilless cultivation is started until the melon seedlings grow to the flowering and pollination stage; the light quality conditions of the second light treatment are: far-red light 18-22%, red light 18-22%, blue light 18-22% and white light 34-46%, and the cycle of the second light treatment is 13-15h / d; S3, flowering, pollination, and harvesting: When the first flower blooms, the time required for the alternation of day temperature and night temperature is 0.25-1h; the day temperature is 25-30℃, and the night temperature is 16-18℃, and the cultivation continues until the melon is harvested; In step S2, the melon seedlings are planted in cultivation troughs with a substrate, and the cultivation troughs are then placed on a cultivation rack containing the nutrient solution.

2. The method for soilless cultivation of melon based on a plant factory according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S1, the illumination intensity of the first illumination treatment is 220-250 μmol / m 2 s; temperature is 25-28℃.

3. The method for soilless cultivation of melon based on a plant factory according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S1, the CO2 concentration of the first light treatment is 700-900 ppm and the humidity is 50-60%.

4. The method for soilless cultivation of melon based on a plant factory according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S2, the day temperature for the second light treatment is 28-35°C and the night temperature is 15-18°C.

5. The method for soilless cultivation of melon based on a plant factory according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S2, the illumination intensity of the second illumination treatment is 250-320 μmol / m 2 s.

6. A method for soilless cultivation of melon based on a plant factory according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: In step S1, the temperature of the light-proof germination is 28-30°C.

7. A method for soilless cultivation of melon based on a plant factory according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The EC value of the nutrient solution is 1.2±0.2 mS / cm, and the pH value is 6.0±0.5.

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