How should plastic mulch be laid when planting sweet potatoes?

AbstractWhen planting sweet potatoes, you can choose a rotary tillage, ridging and mulching integrated machine, or you can cover the film manually. Film selection: For sweet potato planting, transparent film is usually chosen for mulching. Pesticide application: Before ridging, to control underground pests, 6% phoxim-phorate granules can be applied; before mulching, to control weeds, 50% pretilachlor emulsifiable concentrate and other agents can be applied diluted with water for spraying. Ridging and film covering: Apply sufficient base fertilizer before land preparation to ensure the soil is moist. When mulching, the film should be stretched tight. After mulching, water thoroughly, and after planting, cover with soil.

I. Mulching forms

1. Sweet potato transplanting seedlings can be divided into two forms: mulching and planting after mulching. Planting after mulching is more commonly used. Usually, after plowing, a herbicide is sprayed and then the film can be applied. After mulching, once the soil temperature rises, planting can be carried out.

2. With the improvement of technology in our country, a rotary tillage, ridging and mulching integrated machine can be used. This facilitates field operations and helps reduce manual labor, especially when the wind is strong, as manual film covering is very laborious.

II. Benefits of mulching sweet potato fields

1. After mulching sweet potatoes, it helps retain moisture and heat, thereby promoting seedling rooting and rapid root growth.

2. Mulching sweet potatoes helps increase yield. After mulching, seedlings recover quickly, plants are more robust, and leaves are relatively larger, thereby improving photosynthesis and oxygen production capacity.

3. It is relatively convenient for weed control, thereby effectively saving labor.

III. How to lay plastic mulch when planting sweet potatoes

1. Film selection

Generally, transparent film is often used for sweet potato mulching, because transparent film helps rapidly increase soil temperature and has a relatively low cost. However, high-quality black film can effectively control weed growth and help increase yield.

2. Pesticide application

(1) Before ridging, about 5-8 kg of 6% phoxim · phorate granules can be used per mu, thereby effectively controlling underground pests such as wireworms, cutworms, and white grubs.

(2) Before mulching, to control grassy weeds and some broadleaf weeds, spray 50% pretilachlor emulsifiable concentrate and other agents before the weeds emerge, at about 220-250 ml per mu, diluted with 40 kg of water for uniform spraying.

3. Land preparation, reasonable water and fertilizer

(1) After mulching sweet potatoes, it is inconvenient to fertilize, so sufficient base fertilizer needs to be applied before land preparation, mainly organic fertilizer. In dry seasons, water should be applied in time to ensure the soil remains moist.

(2) When fertilizing, high-potassium compound fertilizer can be applied together with biological bacterial fertilizer. In this way, the applied fertilizer nutrients are more balanced, which not only improves the soil but also meets the fertilizer needs of sweet potatoes, thereby improving disease resistance and improving the quality and yield of sweet potatoes.

4. Ridging and film covering

For planting after mulching sweet potatoes, high ridges or high beds can generally be used, with the ridge surface arched. When mulching, the film should be stretched tight, the ridge spacing should be about 80-90 cm, and the height should be 30 cm or more.

5. Mulching and planting

After mulching is completed, first water the planting holes thoroughly. When planting, keep three leaves at the top, then cover with soil, and try not to let the seedling tips stick to the soil.

IV. Precautions for mulched cultivation

1. In order to keep the soil moist and prevent water loss, after ridging and pesticide application, mulching must be carried out in time.

2. In order to reduce the pesticide concentration, the film should be covered in time after spraying the herbicide to prevent burning the seedlings.

3. When covering the film, be sure to lay it flat and pull it tight so that it fully adheres to the ridge surface. Wet soil can be used to press the film firmly.