Briefing on Floriculture Laboratory

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Goal：

The vision of the Flower Research Laboratory is "to optimize the competitiveness of flower production through technology; to deepen the happiness of flower life through research and development."

The goal to achieve this vision is to develop a flower industry that is innovative, high-quality, resilient, environmentally friendly, and happy.

Adopt five strategies to promote

1. Diversified breed selection
2. Efficient and precise cultivation
3. Production environmental protection and greening
4. Post-harvest transportation and marketing optimization
5. Use flowers to popularize and educate

Personnel：

• 4 researchers: 1 at doctoral level and 2 at master’s level (1 is AA)
• 1 technicians
• 1 contracted technical personnel
• 2 research/project assistants
• 7 temporary staff

Facilities and Equipments：

There are 1 Liba-type greenhouses,  4 simple greenhouses,  2 nursery room,  1 traction machine, 2 cultivators, 2 carriers, and 1 optical microscope.  1 dissecting microscope, 1distilled water machine,  2 sterile operating table, 1 desktop pH/EC meter...etc.

Ongoing Works：

1. Breeding of Oncidium, Dendrobium and Chrysanthemum.
2. The research of Microbial Materials on Growth and Cut Flower Quality of Eustoma grandiflorum.
3. Technical improvement and diagnosis service for Taiwan's export flower

Future Research Prospect：

1. Breeding of flower in central Taiwan
   1. Chrysanthemums--mainly summer chrysanthemums, followed by autumn and winter chrysanthemums.
   2. Oncidium—potted flower or cut flower, non-yellow color, with strong growth and good vase life.
   3. Dendrobium Orchid—Aiming for small and medium-sized potted flowers without standing wires.
   4. Hibiscus—short nodes, short fertility & long potted flower life.
       
2. Postharvest and storage and transportation technology

1. Develop post-harvest standard operating specifications and quality verification system for flowers sold domestically.
2. Relevant technologies for improving the quality of exported cut flowers, Malabar chestnuts and other crops.

3. Flower production technology based on crop physiology

1. Oncidium: a complete set of production adjustment technology extended by electrophotography technology.
2. Lisianthus: Cultivation technology to solve industrial problems of continuous cropping obstacles.
3. Nobile dendrobium: growth control technology, long-distance shipping maintenance technology.
4. Research on using trace elements to improve weather resistance and postharvest quality of flower crops.

4. Expanded application of horticulture therapy

1. Garden construction mode, group application plant set.
2. Therapeutic devices and auxiliary tools.
3. Therapeutic activity plan.
4. Collaborate with the medical community to confirm health benefits.

Recent Research Results：

The Flower Research Lab's primary breeding projects include chrysanthemums, Dendrobium orchids, Oncidium orchids, and other cut flowers and potted plants. Cultivation research projects encompass methods such as shading to improve quality, the use of chemicals to enhance quality, photoperiod manipulation for production scheduling, and the use of beneficial microorganisms to address issues related to continuous cropping. Post-harvest storage and transportation for freshness have also been addressed through the development of horizontal transportation methods and the use of preservatives to extend the vase life of cut flowers. In recent years, in response to the aging population, there has been a significant focus on horticultural therapy research and promotion.