Effect of Artificial Light Supplement in Transcontinental Sea Cargo on the Flowering of Young Spiking Phalaenopsis

Ming-Yih Chang, National Ilan Univ., TaiwanWei Fang, National Taiwan Univ., TaiwanPo-Hung Wu, Ox Orchid Group, TaiwanChi-Chung Chen, Nano Bio light Co., Ltd. ,Taiwan

6th International Symposium of Light in HorticultureNov. 15-19, 2009Tsukuba, Japan

Content

Background of Orchid Export in Taiwan Advantages and the Bottleneck of Exporting

Spiking Orchid Experiment of LED as Light Supplement

Source for Orchid in Transport Container Results and Dicussion

3

Global Market of Phalaenopsis Industry

Global production up to 200 million plants Major market

Europe, North America, Far East

4

Orchid Export from Taiwan

Before 2004, only bare-rooted orchids were allowed to the US market.

Now, orchids with moss are allowed.Over continental transportation shift

from air fleet to sea cargo.Long dark period may cause damage

to the plant.

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1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Ton

US Japan 5

Orchid Export from Taiwan to US Increased Rapidly since 2006

US admitted the import of potted orchid with moss

Japan was the biggest buyer

Bare root by AIR

Pot with mossby SEA

To export which stage of the potted orchid?

Blooming plant Finished product Too vulnerable and occupied too much space to

transport Seedling or Plantlet (the MOST)

Raw material Tolerable for transport

Spiking plant (with flower stalk emerge) Semi-finished product

7

Cost Analysis for Exporting spiking orchid to US

FlowerForcing

4 W

Storage with light3-4 weeks

Successive Growth6-8 weeks

Stalk to 10 cm4 W

Dark Storage3-4 weeks

2WSuccessive Growth

12 WeeksMarket

FlowerForcing

4 W

Market

+ US$ 0.9

US$ 0.6 + US$ 4.5

+ US$ 2US$ 0.6

= US$ 5.1

= US$ 3.5

Matureplant

Spiking plant

Aboard Ashore

8

Analysis of Greenhouse Turnover Rate for Exporting Spiking Orchid

Successive Growth6-8 Weeks

2WSuccessive Growth

12 WeeksMarket

FlowerForcing

4 W

Market

Ashore5-6 months

2.5 – 3 months

2-2.5/year

4-5 /year

Spiking orchid is a better candidate

Why? Running cost is less when grown in Taiwan

US$0.3 /plant/month in Taiwan US$ 1 /plant/month in Eastern US

Final product is difficult to transport As close to ‘final product’ as possible Improve the greenhouse turnover rate

Current situation: Very few exported by Air , due to high cost.

Is it possible to be shipped by SEA without damage?

10

Shipping by Sea is cheaper, butDark stress would be the problem…

It takes time One month from Taiwan to Eastern US

= One month of dark stress on orchid

Dark stress inhibit the bud differentiationThe stalks become useless

RottedWhiten

Objective

To develop a new business model for Taiwan orchid growers.

Product to export: mature young plant => spiking plant maintain the stalk vitality is the key technology

To overcome Dark stress,Add the Light in

Artificial light supplement in Container To maintain the orchid physical activity To maintain the stalk vitality To assure the successive flowering

Light need electricity in container,and generator provide electricity to container,So, every thing is done ?

Power Restriction in container

The power supply for each Reefer container in cargo ship is 440V, 25 Amp max. 16 Amp for refrigerator Only 9 Amp for light

Due to restricted electricity supply, energy-efficient light source should be used, such

as LED, T5 fluorescent light

What is the minimum light integral required ?

Different spectrum of LEDs as Light Source in Experiment

CW LED tube Cool White 5400 K R/G/B = 20:50:30 20 W

RB LED tube Red/Blue (660/450 nm = 80:20) 13 W

Compared with T5 Fluorescent tube 6500 K 28 W

2 – 4 tubes installed under 127 × 55 cm shelves of cart

Light distribution at 25 cm from lightCW LED × 3 RB LED × 4

CW LED × 2 T5 FL × 3

54 µmol/m2/s60 W

48 µmol/m2/s52 W

40 µmol/m2/s40 W

54 µmol/m2/s84 W

energy effic.0.9 µmol/m2/s per Watt

Light intensity

Experiment I:Effect of Light Spectrum on Flowering

Light sourceDurationD/N, hr

Light integralmol/m2/d

Daily Power Consumption

kW-hr / d

CW×3 12/12 2.35 0.72

RB×4 12/12 2.07 0.62

FL×3 12/12 2.35 1.01

Dark 0/24 0 0

Greenhouse 13/11 > 10 0

Focus on different Light sources under same light integral

Experiment II :Effect of Lighting Strategy on Flowering

Light sourceDurationD/N, hr

Light integralmol/m2/d

Daily Power Consumption

kW-hr / d

CW×3 12/12 2.35 0.72

CW×3-8 8/16 1.56 0.48

CW×2 12/12 1.73 0.48

Dark 0/24 0 0

Greenhouse 13/11 > 10 0

Focus on different Lighting strategy under same light source

White and Red orchid in this experiment

Orchids of two commercial cultivars, white flower Phal. Sogo Yukidian 'V3' red flower Dtps. Jiuh Bao Red Rose 'OX1194',

140 mature orchids in each cultivar 6 leaves leaves span 30-35 cm grown in 10.5-cm-diameter pots filled with moss

Experiment divided into 3 Stage

flower-forcing (2 months) Greenhouse 25/18ºC, 15,000 lux

Simulating transport (4 weeks) Environmental control chamber 18ºC Different light supplement treatment

Successive growth move to greenhouse again

Measure the flower quality at the 7th week

Successive growth in greenhouseat Tainan, Taiwan

RESULTS and DISCUSSION

Experiment I:Effect of Light Spectrum on Flowering

Effect of Light Spectrum on Flowering of White Orchid

TreatmentBuds

no./plantFlowers no./plant

Blossom %Flower Diam.

cm

CW×3 5.7 d 1.6 bc 61.5 11.6 a

RB×4 5.7 d 1.0 cde 55.6 11.8 a

FL×3 5.9 bcd 2.1 b 81.3 11.8 a

Dark 6.5 ab 0.5 e 37.5 10.9 a

Greenhouse 6.4 abc 3.6 a 92.0 12.0 a

NS

FL > CW > RB

NS

Effect of Light Spectrum on Flowering of Red Orchid

TreatmentBuds

no./ plantFlowers no./ plant

Blossom%Flower Diam.

cm

CW×3 7.1 a 3.5 b 100.0 9.3 a

RB×4 6.3 c 3.8 b 100.0 9.3 a

FL×3 6.3 c 3.5 b 100.0 9.2 a

Dark 6.2 c 1.4 d 81.8 9.6 a

Greenhouse 6.8 a 5.6 a 100.0 9.7 a

NS

NS NS

Experiment II :Effect of Lighting Strategy on Flowering

Effect of Lighting Strategy on Flowering of White Orchid

TreatmentBuds

no./plantFlowers no./plant

Blossom %Flower Diam.

cm

CW×3 5.7 d 1.6 bc 61.5 11.6 a

CW×2 6.8 a 1.4 cd 71.4 10.8 a

CW×3–8 5.7 cd 0.8 de 44.4 11.7 a

Dark 6.5 ab 0.5 e 37.5 10.9 a

Greenhouse 6.4 abc 3.6 a 92.0 12.0 a

NS

Lighting 12 hr > 8hr

Effect of Lighting Strategy on Flowering of RED Orchid

TreatmentBuds

no./ plantFlowers no./ plant

Blossom%Flower Diam.

cm

CW×3 7.1 a 3.5 b 100.0 9.3 a

CW×2 6.5 bc 1.5 d 81.8 8.9 a

CW×3-8 6.8 ab 2.9 c 100.0 9.6 a

Dark 6.2 c 1.4 d 81.8 9.6 a

Greenhouse 6.8 a 5.6 a 100.0 9.7 a

NS

Power Evaluation of feasibility of light supplyment in Container

Available power in container 9 A @440V Roughly calculation total power should be <3.9 kW 3 CW LED per shelf provide light intensity 54

µmol/m2/s is enough for lighting supplyment,60 W × 3 shelves/cart × 33cart/container × 50% light up = 3 kW < 3.9 kW

Lighting in Container is feasible

SUMMARY All lighting treatment is much better than the dark

treatment It is possible to transport spiking orchids by sea in a

container with light supplement. Further study should be required White orchid

Spectrum did not affect buds number and flower diameter On flower number, Cold white (LED or FL) is better than RB

Red orchid Spectrum did not affect flower number and flower diameter On bud number, Cool white LED is better than others

31

Thank you for your kind attention.

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