Complete Guide to Chinese Yam Cultivation Techniques and Key Cultivation Management Points

Chinese yam, commonly known as “huaishan,” is a very common food ingredient in daily life. Because it contains a large amount of trace elements and protein, it is very popular among consumers, and there are not a few people in China who eat Chinese yam every year. It is now grown in many places, but to achieve high yields of Chinese yam, you also need to learn some cultivation techniques.

Chinese Yam Cultivation Techniques

1. Site selection and land preparation. Chinese yam requires warm, moist, and sunny environmental conditions, and develops well in deep, fertile, loose, well-drained sandy soil. Several days before planting, apply 5000 kg of mixed fertilizer such as barnyard manure, plant ash, and compost per 667 sq m (? mu) as base fertilizer. After fertilizing, shallow plow and harrow once, and make beds 25-30 cm high and 60-70 cm wide.

2. Planting. The planting of Chinese yam varies with climate conditions in different regions. Generally, planting can begin when the soil temperature at 5 cm below the surface is stably above 9-10 degrees C. Where conditions permit, plastic film mulching can also be used. The general method is: after thoroughly watering the Chinese yam trench, place the seed tubers longitudinally and flat in the center of a pre-prepared 10 cm deep furrow, with a plant spacing of about 25 cm and a density of 4000-4500 plants per 667 sq m, then cover with 5 cm of soil, and fertilize 20 cm on both sides of the yam. Generally apply more than 3000 kg of farmyard manure per 667 sq m, 10-15 kg of urea per 667 sq m, 40-50 kg of potassium sulfate per 667 sq m, 60-75 kg of superphosphate per 667 sq m, and 30-40 kg of decomposed cottonseed cake per 667 sq m. After fertilizing, cover with another 5 cm of soil to form a small high ridge.

Fertilization Techniques for Chinese Yam

For every 1000 kg of yam produced, 4.32 kg of pure nitrogen, 1.07 kg of phosphorus pentoxide, and 5.38 kg of potassium oxide are required. The required ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium is 4:1:5, and the amount and types of fertilizer needed differ at different growth stages. Base fertilizer: according to the fertilization practices of local yam farmers, apply 3 to 5 cubic meters of high-quality decomposed farmyard manure per mu, with decomposed chicken manure being best, 100-150 kg of soybean cake, 75-100 kg of monoammonium phosphate or diammonium phosphate, 100 kg of agricultural potassium sulfate, 25 kg of urea, and 3 to 5 bags of biological bacterial fertilizer (40 kg per bag). Topdressing: during the seedling stage, mainly nitrogen fertilizer, about 15 kg per mu; during the peak period of branch and leaf growth (early July), apply 25-30 kg of high-nitrogen, high-potassium compound fertilizer per mu, and spray 0.3% concentration potassium dihydrogen phosphate, spraying 2-3 times consecutively. In early August, apply 25-30 kg of high-nitrogen, high-potassium compound fertilizer per mu.

Watering Techniques for Chinese Yam

Yam prefers clear weather, lower air humidity, and higher soil temperature, and requires watering 5-7 times throughout its life. When bottom moisture is fully supplied, the first watering is generally done when seedlings have basically emerged, to promote emergence and root development. The second watering should be done sooner rather than later, watering before the first watering has dried. After that, water once every 15 days according to rainfall conditions. During the dog days rainy season, after each heavy rain, accumulated water should be drained promptly and water should be changed for waterlogging irrigation, in order to lower soil temperature, replenish soil air, and prevent disease and seedling death.

Pest Control Techniques for Chinese Yam

1. Short-body nematode disease causes plant stunting, and in severe cases the whole plant turns yellow and dies. When tubers are affected, small tumors of varying sizes appear, affecting yield and quality. Before sowing, treat the soil with chemicals. Use 5 kg of 5% fosthiazate granules per mu mixed with 100 kg of moist fine soil, open furrows and evenly broadcast on both sides of the seed tubers, or evenly broadcast combined with land preparation, incorporating into the soil 25-30 cm deep.

2. Sawflies bite and eat yam leaves, causing severe leaf loss, affecting photosynthesis and leading to reduced tuber yield. Spray stems and leaves with 3000-fold dilution of 2% deltamethrin or 1000-fold dilution of 90% crystalline trichlorfon.

3. White grubs bite and eat tubers, making them impossible to cook soft and giving them a bitter taste. Use soil treatment for control. Apply 250-300 ml of 50% phoxim per mu, mix well with 25 kg of fine soil, and broadcast into the ridges. After application, immediately incorporate into the 20 cm soil layer, then plant the yam seeds.

When planting Chinese yam, we should do a good job in site selection. Chinese yam likes warmth and is not tolerant of water, so drainage work is very important. After planting, timely fertilization and topdressing should also be done, because Chinese yam likes fertilizer, and only then will it grow well. Chinese yam is very susceptible to pest invasion, so pest control work must also be done properly.