Detailed Explanation of Key Points of Yam Suspended Cultivation Technology
AbstractLand preparation and bed building: Loosen and rake flat the saline-alkali plot, then build beds. Making the casing: The casing includes a connector and a straight pipe. Making the substrate: The substrate is made by mixing and fermenting mushroom residue, clam shells, fermentation aids, etc. Placing the casing: Arrange the casings filled with substrate in the beds. Sowing yam: Place the seeds at the open end of the casing connector. Building the trellis: Use yam trellis netting to build a support for the yam vines. Water and fertilizer management: Use drip irrigation with special fertilizer for yam. Pruning and training: Prune side branches and remove yam beans.
I. Land Preparation and Bed Building
Generally, yam can be planted in late March. First, loosen and rake flat the saline-alkali plot to be planted, then build beds. The bed width is 3 m, and the spacing between beds is 0.15 m.
II. Making the Casing
1. The casing is key to soilless suspended cultivation of yam. The casing includes a connector and a straight pipe. The connector is a PVC plastic pipe with an arc of about 100 degrees. One end of the connector is connected to the straight pipe, and the other end is an open port.
2. The straight pipe is formed by joining 2 semi-elliptical plastic pipes. The straight pipe is 1.2 m long, its cross-section is elliptical, and its diameter is 6 cm × 7 cm. Two clips must be fitted on the straight pipe, and the clips are used to clamp the opening edge of the straight pipe tightly.
III. Making the Substrate
The cultivation substrate is made by mixing and fermenting mushroom residue, clam shells, fermentation aids, carbonized rice husks, and Chinese herbal medicine residue in proportions. Place the prepared substrate evenly into the casing. After the casing is filled with substrate, it needs to be clamped tightly with clips, and the connector should be fitted properly.
IV. Placing the Casing
Arrange the casings filled with substrate into the beds, with two neat rows placed in each bed. Leave a small gap between casings, and the connector ends should face each other. The spacing between the two rows is 0.8 m. The straight pipes can be slightly inclined, forming an angle of 17-20 degrees with the ground. The top of the casings should be covered evenly with soil, but the casing ports must not be covered.
V. Sowing Yam
1. Place the yam seeds at the open port of the casing connector, then cover the seeds with sterile soil having a moisture content of 70%-80%, and then cover the plot where the yam has been planted with black plastic mulch film.
2. Build water-fertilizer integrated drip irrigation facilities on top of the mulch film. The main pipe is built at the head of the bed. The drip irrigation pipe can press down the mulch film, and the drip irrigation outlets should align with the ports of each casing, then penetrate the mulch film between the drip irrigation outlets and the casing ports, so that during drip irrigation, water and fertilizer can drip into the casings.
VI. Building the Trellis
1. Place concrete posts at both ends of the bed. The post height is 1.8 m. After the concrete posts are buried deep for fixation, bind and tighten steel wire between the concrete posts at both ends of the bed.
2. Then thread one end of the yam trellis netting onto the steel wire so that the whole sheet hangs down naturally, then pass the bottom line through the lower mesh holes, and fix it after the steel wire is pulled flat, for use as a support for yam vines.
VII. Water and Fertilizer Management
1. Yam grows relatively quickly. During the seedling stage, drip irrigation is needed once every 3 days, 2 hours each time. After 3 drip irrigations, 1 topdressing should be carried out. Special seedling fertilizer (150kg.hm-2) can be dissolved in water for drip irrigation.
2. At about 30 days after emergence, it enters the mid-growth stage. When watering in the mid stage, drip irrigation is once every 3 days, 4 hours each time. After 2 drip irrigations, 1 topdressing should be carried out. Dissolve special fertilizer for yam (300kg.hm-2) in water for drip irrigation.
3. During the vigorous growth period after yam budding, drip irrigation is once every 3 days, 5 hours each time. Topdressing is once every 6 days. Dissolve special fertilizer (600kg.hm-2) in water for drip irrigation, and the water output of the drip outlet is 2-3L.h-1.
VIII. Pruning and Training
During the yam growth period, side branches should be pruned in time and yam beans removed. Keep 5 side branches per plant.
IX. Pest and Disease Control
During the stem and vine growth stage, leaf spot disease and anthracnose are generally prone to occur. Foliar spraying can be applied once every 7 days. For spraying, 50% carbendazim 500-fold solution and 70% mancozeb 500-fold solution, or 75% chlorothalonil 600-fold solution can be used.