Seedling sowing is a high labor-intensive, time consuming and high technical task. The traditional method of seedling sowing is usually apply seeds on a out-door field operation involving manual preparation of the ground, loosening of soil, opening borders, seeds sowing, mulching and fertilization. However, this way of seedling breeding can is often affected by human or natural disasters, which makes it difficult to meet the requirements of commercialization and sustainable promotion. So the way will impact the seedling raise time, quality and stability in seedling breeding. Reforming the traditional seedling process and implementing mechanized seedling is an inevitable choice to improve the production of vegetables and economic crops in China.

With the continuous improvement of agricultural management scale, specializations, mechanizations and automation of agricultural operations, modern agriculture has developed rapidly and a mature advanced agricultural technology - industrialized seedling raise has emerged. It is a production method for mass production of high-quality seedlings under the best man-made environmental conditions, using scientific, mechanical and automatic technical measures.

Compared with traditional nursery, mechanized seedling not only greatly reduces the impact of natural disasters, but also has high efficiency, risk resistance and lower seeding raising costs with quality guaranteed. It overcomes the disadvantages of farmers’ decentralized management and solves the problem caused by farmers poor seeding experience and labor so that to help to reduce costs and increase income.

Mechanized seedling uses hydroponics and substrate nursery, substrate cavity tray nursery is a fast way of seedling raising that has gradually become popular in recent years, with significant advantages such as saving manpower and land, high survival rate and excellent seedling quality.

In addition to scientific control of the planting environment, the choice of planting substrate is also a key to fully exploit the advantages of planting seedlings.

So what conditions should be considered when choosing a seedling substrate?

Physical properties

Uniform shape and stable structure

Factory seedlings need substrates with a certain mechanical strength and adapted to factory mechanized production. UPuper rock wool substrate has uniform shape and stable structure, which makes it easy for the identification of automatic mechanical equipment. It can get rid of a large number of manual dependence to achieve intelligent operation, reduce labor costs and improve work efficiency.

Porosity

A large porosity holds a large amount of air and water, and vice versa. Substrates with a high air and water capacity are light and conducive to root growth and the cultivation of strong seedlings. UPuper rock wool substrate, which has the unique porous fiber structure, with a porosity of more than 95%, uniform distribution and stable structure, which can promote the uniform distribution of water and nutrients in the matrix, high seed germination rate, neat emergence and reduce the risk of seedling production.

Root insulation.

In winter, it is the fork with the greatest difficulty and benefit to cultivate vegetables and fruits in solar greenhouse. The temperature differences between day and night are large in winter, so the substrate needs a certain degree of insulation. The unique fiber structure of the UPuper rock wool substrate allows the roots of the plants to have a smaller periodically temperature variation. When it used in the winter and spring, the temperature of roots can be insulated at night, shortening the seedling period, making the root system more developed and improving the plants' ability to prevent the cold later in the season.

Water absorption and fertilizer retention

Good water absorption and fertilizer retention reduces irrigation costs in seedlings. The superb volume water absorption and water and fertilizer retention capacity of the UPuper rock wool substrate can reduce irrigation frequency or quantity, reduce water and fertilizer consumption and reduce irrigation cost.

Green and harmless

n addition to greenhouse disinfection in the early stage, the substrate should also ensure that it does not carry pathogenic bacteria in order to reduce seedling diseases and seedling costs. The UPuper rock wool substrate with 1500 ℃ high temperature disinfection in the production process, it does not carry any pathogens, insect eggs or other harmful organisms, It not only reduces seedling pests and diseases, but also but also lays a good foundation for the later production of green and pollution-free fruits.

Chemical properties

Inert substrates

The substrate does not react with the nutrient solutions required by the plants and better not contain high levels of nutrients themselves. UPuper rock wool substrates are inorganic that do not contain water or any nutrients themselves, consume water and nutrients, and do not react physically or chemically with any of the nutrients required by the plants. The plant's nutrition can be controlled to meet the various nutrients used by the seedlings. These seedlings have a well-developed root system and good resistant to adverse conditions. They do not have slow-raising period, so the seedling growing period can be shorten and achieve an early market entry.

UPuper Rock wool substrate for factory seedlings is currently available in three models which are round, trapezoidal and square seedling plugs to meet different requirements.

Currently, the mechanized seedling of developed countries in Europe and the United States has a perfect system and technical standards. In aspects of technology, facilities, environment, nursery procedures and storage and transportation, they all have a perfect relief system, soilless cultivation of rock wool substrate is also widely used.

China began to promote mechanized seedling technology in the 1970s. With the increasing in national investment, a number of new large and medium-sized intelligent greenhouses are built and widely applied vegetables, flowers, seedlings and production. The promotion and application of rock wool substrate in the future, will improve the farmers’ vegetable production level, and bring more green and healthy vegetables and fruits to consumers.