In the post-Flower-Expo era, promoting the development of the flower industry towards high precision has always been the direction actively explored in Chongming. How to continuously improve the yield and quality of flowers through a more mature planting system is the primary problem to be solved at the source. Shanghai Ganghong Ecological Technology Co., Ltd., located in Gangyan Town, is practicing this new way of flower planting. Relying on the climate to sprout and grow or time-consuming and laborious manual operations will not be seen. The planting here is relying on high-tech agricultural machinery and technology, and it is an integrated service of cultivation, management, and harvesting. They use their technology and wisdom to reconstruct the flower planting system, thus creating a colorful and vibrant island.

Flowers bloom throughout the year

As the temperature gradually increases in early summer, various colors of chrysanthemums are tightly arranged in the base of Ganghong, each in bud, and it is breathtaking. The chrysanthemums that are supposed to bloom in autumn can now be appreciated in June, and the secret is hidden in this wise greenhouse. The staff tells that plants need certain conditions for flowering, such as light, temperature, water, and fertilizer, etc. The environment in the greenhouse is strictly regulated at a constant temperature of 24-28 ℃, with air humidity between 70% -80%, all of which are set according to the preferences of chrysanthemums. In this way, under such weather conditions, flowers can bloom all year round.

So, how to regulate it? The end receiving the command is devices in various sizes that can be seen everywhere in the shed: a white pipeline connected to the underground well, which circulates and flows through the well water to achieve cooling; the nozzle suspended in the air can automatically sense, load water or fertilizer, supplement nutrients... and these functions are controlled by a computer. The entire greenhouse is controlled through a computer system, and we only set the corresponding data to remotely operate it fully automatically", staff member Dai Yingwen tells. For example, the plastic film on the top of the greenhouse can be controlled by a computer to unfold or collapse at a set time, thus accurately controlling the lighting. According to the requirements, the system can also refine the regulation area for the growth of chrysanthemums in different areas in the greenhouse.

Machines contribute to increasing production and income

High-tech empowerment has made planting flowers easier. Previously, it required a few people to work, but now it was easier. In fact, a highly intelligent model has already run through the entire planting process, from seedling cultivation to picking and packaging. When raising seedlings, a cutting robot will automatically pick up the seedlings and place them in the holes of the fixed hole tray to complete a series of selection, cutting, and other tasks; when sowing, the transplanting function accurately moves and carries out the flow process of seedling supply and planting; when picking, the harvesting robot will cut the roots of chrysanthemums along the rows and columns according to a unified standard; when packaging, a long assembly line runs straight from the field to the workshop, and within a few minutes, flowers become products. Various machines play their respective roles here.

The result of the replacement with machines was that the 50,000 square meter greenhouse only required more than ten staff members. “We also have a base in Yunnan, where machines are less used. A planting scale like this requires at least 50-60 people to manage", said Zhou Xue, the head of the base. Having worked in the flower industry for many years, Zhou has gone through the mechanization development process of flower planting all the way. She told that the shift from manpower to machine has greatly improved labor efficiency.

After the replacement with machines, the yield and quality of flowers were also guaranteed. “When manually sowing, it is impossible to achieve complete uniformity in the area and depth of each seedling planting", Zhou Xue gave an example. Mechanical planting can achieve neat, uniform, balanced, and accurate operation, improve land utilization, and increase yield and quality.

Researching seed sources for color customization

Now, the base can produce 12 million fresh-cut chrysanthemums annually, most of which are used for export sales. Ganghong is already the largest chrysanthemum product export enterprise in Asia, with an output value of 20 million yuan.

A flower can unleash huge economic effects, which in Zhou Xue's view is also related to the company's mastery of high-quality seed sources. It is learned that Ganghong currently has over 300 types of chrysanthemum varieties. In addition to the common yellow, white, and pink, there are also purple, green, and even colorful ones. In fact, our current seed source technology is relatively mature, so we can achieve customization of chrysanthemum colors", Zhou told. Some flowers with special colors are usually treated with color absorption. The colors are first mixed, and then slowly absorbed into the body during the planting process. The fresh-cut flower’s color will not fade after it is bought and placed in a bottle. Under technological breakthroughs, the vase life of fresh-cut chrysanthemums has also gradually extended, with a maximum shelf life of 35 days at normal room temperature.

The innovation and development of Ganghong is a vivid epitome of the continuous progress of Chongming's flower industry. An official of the District Agriculture and Rural Committee told that in recent years, Chongming has continuously optimized the structure of the flower industry, eliminated outdated production capacity, focused on variety, quality, and brand development, and innovatively enhanced the core competitiveness of flower seedlings. The flower industry is gradually becoming a new growth point for modern green agriculture in Chongming, and the beauty economy will write a new poem for rural revitalization.