agronom.info agronomy portal
Reference · Crops

Orchidaceae

Orchidaceae is one of the largest and most diverse families of monocot plants. In an agricultural context, the crop is valued for its high aesthetic value and use in industrial floriculture, as well as in the food industry, particularly the genus Vanilla.

Main sections

Ophrys102 Paphiopedilum29 Oncidium23 Maxillaria21 Masdevallia13 Miltonia8 Nervilia8 Mormodes5 Neotinea5 Miltoniopsis4 Oncidium4 Oeceoclades3 Paraphalaenopsis3 Microchilus2 Microtis2 Myrmecophila2 Neocogniauxia2 Octomeria2 Oeoniella2 Oreorchis2
514 sections

What the section contains

Masdevallia Masdevallia 13 items Maxillaria Maxillaria 21 item Mesadenus Mesadenus 1 item Mexican vanilla Vanilla mexicana Microchilus Microchilus 2 items Microcoelia Microcoelia 1 item Microtis Microtis 2 items Military orchid Orchis militaris Miltonia Miltonia Lindl. Miltonia Miltonia 8 items Miltoniopsis Miltoniopsis God.-Leb. Miltoniopsis Miltoniopsis 4 items Monkey orchid Orchis simia Mormodes Mormodes Lindl. Mormodes Mormodes 5 items Mountain lady's slipper Cypripedium montanum Myoxanthus Myoxanthus 1 item Myrmecophila Myrmecophila 2 items Mystacidium Mystacidium 1 item Naked Man Orchid Orchis italica Neobathiea Neobathiea 1 item Neocogniauxia Neocogniauxia 2 items Neomoorea Neomoorea 1 item Neotinea Neotinea 5 items Nervilia Nervilia 8 items Nidema Nidema 1 item Nodding lady's tresses Spiranthes cernua Northern marsh orchid Dactylorhiza purpurella Octomeria Octomeria 2 items Odontochilus Odontochilus 1 item Odontoglossum Odontoglossum Odorless vanilla Vanilla inodora Oeceoclades Oeceoclades 3 items Oeoniella Oeoniella 2 items Oliveriana Oliveriana 1 item Oncidium Oncidium Sw. 4 items Oncidium Oncidium 23 items Ophrys Ophrys 102 items Orchis Orchis L. Orchis hybrids Orchis hybrids Orchis ichnusae Orchis ichnusae Orchis patens Orchis patens Orchis provincialis Orchis provincialis Orchis punctulata Orchis punctulata Orchis scopulorum Orchis scopulorum Oreorchis Oreorchis 2 items Ornithocephalus Ornithocephalus 2 items Pabstia Pabstia 2 items Pale-flowered orchid Orchis pallens Paphiopedilum Paphiopedilum Pfitzer 1 item Paphiopedilum Paphiopedilum 29 items Papilionanthe Papilionanthe 2 items Paradisanthus Paradisanthus 1 item Paraphalaenopsis Paraphalaenopsis 3 items Pecteilis Pecteilis 1 item Pecteilis susannae Pecteilis susannae Pelatantheria Pelatantheria 1 item Pelexia Pelexia 1 item Pennilabium Pennilabium 1 item Peristeria Peristeria 1 item

Orchidaceae

The family has a nearly global distribution, except for permafrost zones and deserts. The primary diversity of species is concentrated in tropical and subtropical belts, where plants grow as epiphytes, lithophytes, or terrestrial forms.

Botanical features include the presence of specialized roots with velamen for moisture absorption from the air, symbiosis with mycorrhizal fungi, and a unique flower structure consisting of three sepals and three petals, one of which is modified into a labellum for pollination.

Agronomic requirements depend on the species, but common needs include high demand for diffused light, maintaining air humidity at 60-80%, and the use of specialized substrates based on coniferous bark, sphagnum, or coconut fiber to ensure root system aeration.

  • Regular irrigation with soft water without moisture stagnation.
  • Temperature regime control based on the species' origin.
  • Timely fertilization with specialized mineral fertilizers.
  • Infection prevention during high humidity conditions.

Major diseases include fusarium wilt, bacterial rot, and anthracnose caused by poor agronomic practices. Among the pests, spider mites, scale insects, mealybugs, and thrips are the most dangerous, requiring the application of systemic insecticides and acaricides to maintain the commercial quality of the produce.