What is container seedling? What are the advantages of container seedling raising?

Container seedling raising is to cultivate seedlings in containers (plug plates) filled with nutrient soil, which first appeared in the 1960s. In some arid areas, the survival rate of bare-rooted seedlings is low, so this technology can be adopted. Container seedling raising has the following characteristics:

(1) has a high survival rate.

The root system of container seedlings is formed in the container, and the root group develops well and completely, and the root system is not damaged in the process of seedling raising, transportation and planting. After planting, there is no slow seedling stage, and even if there is a short-term drought, the water balance in the seedlings can be maintained. Compared with bare-rooted seedling afforestation, the survival rate of afforestation on dry sunny slope of Shishan Mountain increased by 38% ~ 64%.

(2) the seedling rate is fast

Container seedling raising can shorten seedling raising period and afforestation period. For example, seedlings of Pinus tabulaeformis and Platycladus orientalis can be planted in the nursery 100 days.

(3) preserve the seeds

Only 5 ~ 7 seeds need to be sown in each container for container seedling raising, and the afforestation area of seedlings (Platycladus orientalis and Pinus tabulaeformis) cultivated with 0.5 kg seeds is more than twice that of bare-rooted seedlings cultivated with 0.5 kg seeds.

(4) Extension of afforestation time

Container seedling raising is not controlled by season, and can be produced all year round, which is convenient for management. Afforestation time is much longer than bare-rooted seedlings, which is convenient for reasonable arrangement of labor force and easy to master.

(5) Container seedling raising is also helpful to realize mechanized seedling raising.

(6) Container seedling raising also has its disadvantages, such as high container seedling cost, high seedling transportation cost and complicated seedling raising technology. However, with the development of forestry technology and economy, container seedling will be widely used.