Soilless culture industry increased rapidly around the world. Vegetable crops like lettuce, cucumber, tomato
were mainly produced by using this technique. For cut flower, there were some successive commercially crops
including rose, gerbera, and anthurium (Van OS et al. 2008). Commercial rose production in substrate with burned
rice husk mixed with coconut fiber in recirculation system had internal rate of return (IRR) of 198% and benefit cost
ratio of 2.08. This system had higher productivity than grown in soil (González et al. 2010). In case of single stem
rose production in substrate, IRR of production was around 77% for average market condition. Break-even costs
range from USD0.20 - 0.25 per stem. The IRR can increase to about 175% for special occasion (Robert and Woods,
1997). Gerbera production in soilless culture system also can improve income of growers and it was more profitable
than soil culture (Grafiadellis et al. 2000).
Chrysanthemum production is possible by soilless culture system. Production of cut chrysanthemum on bench
system had more than 50% higher productivity compared to soil bed production (Morgan et al., 1982). De Visser
and Hendrix (1986) reported that chrysanthemum grown in nutrient film technique system (NFT) had 24% higher
productivity than grown in soil . Buwalda et al. (1994) also stated that growing chrysanthemum in substrate and
irrigated by ebb-and-flow system produced good quality of flower without root diseases infection. Hansen (1999)
tested to produce chrysanthemum on movable bench to reduce labor and material costs. This system can increase the
number of stems by more than 50% of greenhouse area. Numerous studies have revealed that soilless system can
increase yield of chrysanthemum but the investment and production cost were much higher, thus reducing the
economic possibility (Van Os et al. 2008). Pizano (2002) stated that the high investment slowed down the expansion
of flower production in substrate culture in tropical and subtropical countries. Recently, Blok and Vermeulen (2012)
developed chrysanthemum growing system in sand base system, peat base system and cassette base system to
compare with soil grown. They found that all systems were unprofitable.
This experiment was carried out to determine growth and flowering of chrysanthemum grown in the tray system
and the trough system. At the same time, quality of chrysanthemum produced in two soilless systems was evaluated.