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The productivity and quality of patted Phalaenopsis cultivated with overhead irrigation are poor because of low absorption rates of nutrients and water. In this study, several hydroponic systems were compared in terms of growth and quality of Phalaenopsis. An 1:1 mixture of rockwool and perlite (v/v) were used, and nutrient solution was maintained at 1.2 dS·m^(-1) and pH 8.5. There were six treatments of hand-watering, mini-sprinkler for overhead irrigation, wick irrigation, capillary mat irrigation, nutrient film technique (NFT), and ebb-and-flow (EBB) systems for sub-irrigation. CO₂uptake, Fv/Fm, root activity, fresh weight, and dry weight were higher in the EBB and NFT than the other treatments. The flower stem was longest in the EBB while the number of flower stems, the number of flowers, flower height, and flower width were highest in the EBB. The consumption of nutrient solution in sub-irrigation was less than that in overhead irrigation system by 20-60%. These results showed that sub-irrigation hydroponic systems could produce high quality Phalaenopsis through adequate supply of untrients and water. Besides, environment pollution could be reduced with low production cost by reducing the consumption of water and fertilizers.
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