Agricultural Waste Substitute for Coconut Growing Media of Orchid

Abstract

Dendrobium cut orchids have been produced and exported around 90 percent of total Thailand orchid exports. In orchid production, coconut husks were used as a key structure of orchid growing media. However, decrease of coconut planting areas and yield caused lack of coconut husk. This research aimed to fiused a substitute growing media which made from agricultural waste materials. In addition, the project conducted research and development on plant material compressed machine that can be used commercially. The result showed that acacia and oil palm branch were the suitable growing media for orchid when considered their physical and chemical properties. The orchid plants and flowers responded to the new growing medias. The capable production of the media prototype were 30 pieces per hour. The shape of growing media was cube 22x36x8 cm and could be contained 4 orchid plants per cube. The substitute growing media can be used more than 5 years depending on the environment while the coconut growing medias only can used 3 years.