How to prevent hollow radishes? Mastering these methods is enough

Radish: (luóbo) (Raphanus sativus L.), also known as laifu, belongs to the plant kingdom, Brassicaceae, genus Raphanus. Annual or biennial herb. Root fleshy, oblong, spherical or conical, root skin red, green, white, pink or purple. Stem erect, stout, cylindrical, hollow, branched from the base. Leaves usually lyrate-pinnatifid, covered with coarse hairs, lateral lobes 1-3 pairs, margins serrate or incised; leaves toward the middle of the stem gradually become smaller, unlobed or slightly lobed, not clasping the stem. Raceme, terminal and axillary. Flowers pale pink or white. Silique, indehiscent, nearly conical, straight or slightly curved, constricted between seeds into a bead-like chain, apex with a long beak, beak 2.5-5 cm long, fruit wall spongy. Seeds 1-6, reddish-brown, round, with fine reticulate veins. Native to our country, cultivated everywhere, with extremely many varieties, commonly seen are red radish, green radish, white radish, water radish and xinlimei, etc. Seeds, fresh roots and leaves can all be used as medicine, with the function of lowering qi and reducing food stagnation. Raw radish contains amylase, which can aid digestion. The part we eat is the root.

Radish varieties can be classified according to root shape, root color, use, length of growing period and cultivation conditions. For example, according to root shape they can be divided into long, round, flat-round, oval, spindle-shaped, conical and other shapes; according to skin color they can be divided into red, green, white, purple and other colors; according to use they can be divided into vegetable use, fruit use and processing and pickling types; according to the length of the growing period they can be divided into early-maturing, mid-maturing and late-maturing types; in cultivation they are generally divided according to harvest season into four types: winter radish, spring radish, summer-autumn radish and four-season radish.

Hollow radish seriously affects the production efficiency of radish and brings huge losses to farmers, so hollow radish must be taken very seriously. So how can hollow radish be avoided?

Causes of hollow radish

1. Hollow radish is related to variety. Radish can be roughly divided into three varieties: large, medium and small. Large varieties go deeper into the soil, the flesh is relatively loose, and the fleshy root expands faster; when it exceeds the growth speed of the leaves, it is prone to hollowing; medium and small varieties go into the soil relatively shallowly, the flesh is relatively fine and dense, the fleshy root grows more slowly, and root and leaf growth are relatively balanced, so they are not prone to hollowing.

2. Hollow radish is related to sowing time. Suitable sowing time should be chosen so that radish grows normally in an environment with higher daytime temperature, lower nighttime temperature and a relatively large day-night temperature difference, and is not prone to hollowing; conversely, sowing too early or too late makes hollowing likely.

3. Hollow radish is related to planting density. If planting is too sparse, nutrients are sufficient, the fleshy root expands too quickly, root and leaf growth are unbalanced, and the nutrients produced by the aboveground part cannot meet the nutrients needed for the expansion and growth of the underground fleshy root, making hollowing likely; appropriate close planting should be used.

4. Hollow radish is related to fertilization. Correct application of fertilizer to keep the growth of the aboveground and underground parts balanced is the key to obtaining high-quality and high-yield radish. Unreasonable fertilization, especially too late topdressing at the later stage or applying too much nitrogen fertilizer, makes the leaf cluster grow too vigorously and makes hollowing likely.

5. Hollow radish is related to water management. Radish has different water requirements at different growth stages, and water should be controlled reasonably. Absolutely avoid alternating dry and wet conditions or no watering for a long time. Especially during the peak growth period of the fleshy root, soil water shortage not only increases fibrous roots and makes the texture rough, but also makes hollowing likely.

6. Hollow radish is related to harvest time. Harvesting too early gives too low a yield; harvesting too late easily causes hollowing. In addition, if left for a long time after harvest, it is also prone to hollowing.

Control measures for hollow radish

1. Carefully select varieties. Relatively speaking, medium and small varieties with fine and dense flesh are not prone to hollowing.

2. Sow at the appropriate time and plant at reasonable density. Choose a suitable sowing period, plant at reasonable density, and prevent too sparse or too dense planting, so as to achieve the goal of high quality and high yield.

3. Fertilize reasonably. Radish fertilization should be based mainly on base fertilizer, supplemented by topdressing, and attention should be paid to the combination of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, so as to fertilize reasonably and scientifically. For medium and small varieties with a short growing period, if the base fertilizer is sufficient, less topdressing can be used; for medium and late-maturing large varieties with a long growing period, long growth period, high yield and large fertilizer demand, in addition to applying sufficient base fertilizer, topdressing is also needed in stages. In the early stage of taproot growth, apply light topdressing to promote leaf and root growth; when the fleshy root begins to expand, apply heavy topdressing.

4. Control water. When sowing, water should be sufficient to achieve rapid rooting and neat emergence; from the seedling stage to before the fleshy root expands, water less to make the taproot go deep into the soil layer; during the vigorous leaf growth period, water appropriately to ensure leaf growth; during the peak expansion period of the fleshy root, water supply should be sufficient, and absolutely avoid alternating dry and wet conditions or no watering for a long time; soil moisture should be maintained at 70%-80% to prevent hollowing.

5. Chemical control. In the later stage of growth, spray a 10 mg/kg naphthaleneacetic acid solution once every half a month, which can delay maturity.