Detailed Explanation of Key Techniques and Methods for Buckwheat Cultivation

First, timely sowing. Buckwheat has the characteristic that “if sown three days early it will not set seed, and if sown three days late it will be killed by frost”. Practice has proven that in our county the sowing period for buckwheat is late August to early September. Buckwheat has relatively large cotyledons and fine roots, so the soil clods should be broken up finely, and robust seeds soaked in warm water at 30——40 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes should be sown, with 5 kg sown per mu, and covered with about 3 cm of shallow soil. In this way, the germination rate can be increased, early emergence promoted, and growth made uniform.

Second, increase fertilizer application. Applying more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer to buckwheat can significantly increase yield. According to the characteristics of the buckwheat growth period, base fertilizer should be the main application, with 750——1000 kg of organic fertilizer, 15——20 kg of phosphate fertilizer, and about 30 kg of plant ash applied per mu.

Third, do a good job of field management. Drainage ditches should be well opened in buckwheat fields to prevent seedling death from waterlogging. If drought occurs after sowing, irrigate to keep the soil moist and ensure a full stand; where irrigation conditions are unavailable, water in the morning and evening before emergence to increase soil moisture and nutrients, so as to facilitate uniform and strong seedlings. Buckwheat seedlings grow slowly in the seedling stage and are prone to weeds, so when the seedlings are 6——8 cm tall, cultivate and weed, and remove thin and weak seedlings. Before flowering, carry out a second cultivation and lightly earth up around the base of the plants to promote root development. From flowering to the seed-setting stage, use 0.5 kg of urea and 200 g of potassium dihydrogen phosphate per mu, dissolved in 60 kg of water, and spray 1——2 times to prevent fertilizer deficiency and premature senescence in the later stage.

Fourth, supplementary pollination. Under natural conditions, the seed-setting rate of buckwheat does not exceed 20%. Therefore, where conditions permit, use bees kept during the flowering period to pollinate, or carry out 2——3 rounds of artificial pollination. The method of artificial pollination is to use a nylon rope, with two people each holding one end, and let the rope drag gently over the top of the plants, thereby vibrating the flowering branches, prompting the pollen to drift, thereby vibrating the flowering branches, prompting the pollen to drift, and carrying out pollination.