Lotus root belongs to the lotus family. Lotus root is slightly sweet and crisp, and can be eaten raw or cooked; it is one of the commonly used table vegetables. Lotus root is also a plant with fairly high medicinal value; its roots, leaves, flowers, stamens, and fruits are all treasures and can all be used as tonics in medicine. Made into powder, lotus root can promote digestion and stop diarrhea, stimulate the appetite and clear heat, nourish and strengthen the constitution, and prevent internal bleeding. It is an excellent liquid food and tonic delicacy for women, children, the elderly, and those who are frail and often ill. Lotus root is rich in vitamin C and minerals, has medicinal effects, benefits the heart, and has the effect of promoting metabolism and preventing rough skin. It is cultivated in Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei, Shandong, Henan, Hebei, and other places in our country. Lotus root is also called lotus lotus root, and because its underground stem is white, it is also named white stem. In the poem "Ode to the Lotus" by Chen Zhisui of Jingjiang in Jiangnan: "Though in the mud, it is not stained by the mud; the white stem buried in the ground is known to no one. In the clear red and green of vitality, before the wind comes, fragrance fills the pond." Lotus root is also an important cash crop for agriculture in cultivation areas.</p><p></p><p>Mulch cultivation of lotus root can increase the planting benefits of lotus root, so how exactly should mulch cultivation of lotus root be carried out?</p><p>Select the field plot. For the lotus field, choose a paddy field with fertile soil, deep soil layer, loose structure and good water retention, and relatively good sunlight and water sources.</p><p>Field disinfection. For fields prone to disease (continuous cropping lotus fields), field disinfection should be carried out when preparing the field. Spread 100-150 kg of lime per mu, release a thin layer of water, and keep it for 3 days. Or use pentachloronitrobenzene, Tubawang, Luheng No. 1, carbendazim, etc. for chemical disinfection.</p><p>Control underground pests. Apply 2 kg of carbofuran per mu.</p><p>Finely prepare the field. Before preparing the field, pick up stones, straw, and other debris in the field that affect mulch quality. Field preparation requires softness but not muddy mushiness (the dried mud surface is soft and not hard, and when making beds, the mud on the bed does not flow back), and the field should be as level as a mirror.</p><p>Formula fertilization. Fertilization amount: generally apply 5000 kg of decomposed farmyard manure per mu. Three-element compound (mixed) fertilizer 150-200 kg. Fertilization method: farmyard manure is applied before field preparation, and chemical fertilizer is applied throughout the whole layer after draining water and before leveling the field.</p><p>Make beds to specifications. After the field is prepared, seize the timing. When the field mud is soft and does not flow back, and the mud is well mixed and easy to level, open the surrounding ditches and bed ditches according to a 1.5 bed width. The depth and width standards of the two ditches generally reach 45 cm × 36 cm and 30 cm × 26 cm respectively. For larger fields, add middle ditches, and the middle ditches should be appropriately deepened. On the premise of not destroying the plow pan, meet the standards of having water in the ditches, no water on the bed surface, easy drainage during waterlogging, and good irrigation during drought.</p><p>Arrange lotus roots and cover with mulch</p><p>Variety selection. For varieties needed for early market listing, choose "Wulian No. 4", "Liuyuebao", etc. For those pursuing high yield, choose "3735" and "Elian No. 4".</p><p>Seed lotus root requirements. Seed lotus root standard: seed lotus roots should have more than two nodes of fully mature lotus root body; large lotus roots, vigorous buds, no damage, no pests or diseases, and fresh parent lotus roots or daughter lotus roots are used as seed lotus roots. The digging of seed lotus roots should be based on the amount to be arranged that day, digging and arranging as you go. If the arrangement cannot be completed that day, sprinkle water and cover to preserve moisture and keep them intact and undamaged. Disinfection of seed lotus roots: before arranging the lotus roots, wash the soil off the seed lotus roots, soak them in 1000-fold carbendazim solution for 10 minutes, take them out and drain them for use as seed.</p><p>Time for arranging lotus roots. Time for arranging lotus roots: finish arranging and planting by late March. Weather selection: when arranging lotus roots, try as much as possible to choose windless conditions and, after frost and snow have melted, seize the time to arrange and plant them into the mud.</p><p>Density of arranging lotus roots. Per mu, the lotus roots are arranged in a "triangular" staggered pattern (plum blossom shape), with 2 rows per bed, and a row spacing of about 80 cm. The center-to-center spacing between lotus roots is adjusted according to density, generally about 1.5 m.</p><p>Amount of lotus roots arranged. The arrangement amount per mu is 400-500 kg.</p><p>Method of arranging lotus roots. Grade the seed lotus roots by size, arrange one lotus per hole, keep the lotus root parallel to the bed, tilt the lotus root head toward the inside of the bed, bury the lotus root head 10-12 cm into the mud, and bury the tail about 5 cm into the mud.</p><p>Cover strictly with mulch. After arranging the lotus roots is completed, clean the ditches and level the beds (the beds are as level as a mirror), make the mulch closely adhere to the mud, and secure the edges all around. For leaking field ridges, mulch should also be laid to prevent seepage. Mulch specifications: 0.005 mm × 1700 mm.</p>
Lotus root belongs to the lotus family. Lotus root is slightly sweet and crisp, can be eaten raw or cooked, and is one of the common table vegetables. Lotus root is also a plant with fairly high medicinal value; its roots, leaves, flower stamens, and fruits are all treasures and can all be used as tonics and medicine. Powder made from lotus root can aid digestion and stop diarrhea, stimulate the appetite and clear heat, nourish and strengthen the constitution, and prevent internal bleeding. It is an excellent liquid food and tonic delicacy for women, children, the elderly, and those who are frail and often ill. Lotus root is rich in vitamin C and minerals, has medicinal effects, benefits the heart, and has the effect of promoting metabolism and preventing rough skin. It is cultivated in Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei, Shandong, Henan, Hebei, and other places in China. Lotus root is also called lotus lotus root, and because its underground stem is white it is also named white stem. The Jiangnan scholar Chen Zhisui wrote in the poem "Ode to the Lotus": “Though in the mud, it is not stained by the mud; the white stem buried in the ground is known by no one. In the clear red and green of vitality, it does not wait for the wind to fill the pond with fragrance.” Lotus root is also an important cash crop for agriculture in cultivation areas.
Mulch cultivation of lotus root can increase the planting benefits of lotus root, so how exactly should mulch cultivation of lotus root be carried out?
Select the field. For the lotus field, choose a paddy field with fertile soil, deep soil layer, loose structure with good water retention, and relatively good sunlight and water sources.
Field disinfection. For fields prone to disease (continuous-cropping lotus fields), field disinfection should be carried out when preparing the field, scattering 100-150 kg of lime per mu, then adding a thin layer of water and maintaining it for 3 days. Or use pentachloronitrobenzene, Tubawang, Luheng No. 1, carbendazim, etc. for chemical disinfection.
Control underground pests. Apply 2 kg of carbofuran per mu.
Carefully prepare the field. Before preparing the field, pick up stones, straw, and other debris in the field that affect the quality of mulching. The field preparation requires it to be soft but not muddy and rotten (after drying, the mud surface is soft but not hard; when making beds, the mud on the bed does not flow back), and the field should be as level as a mirror.
Formula fertilization. Fertilization amount: generally apply 5000 kg of decomposed farmyard manure per mu. 150-200 kg of ternary compound (mixed) fertilizer. Fertilization method: farmyard manure is applied before field preparation, and chemical fertilizer is applied throughout the whole layer after draining water and before leveling the field.
Make beds to specification. After the field is prepared, seize the timing; when the field mud is soft and does not flow back, and the mud is well mixed and easy to push flat, open the surrounding ditches and bed ditches at a bed width of 1.5, with the depth and width standards of the two ditches generally reaching 45 cm × 36 cm and 30 cm × 26 cm respectively. For large fields, add a middle ditch, and the middle ditch should be appropriately deepened. On the premise of not destroying the plow pan, meet the standard of water in the ditches and no water on the bed surface, easy drainage during waterlogging, and easy irrigation during drought.
Planting lotus root and mulching
Variety selection. For varieties needed for early market listing, you may choose “Wulian No. 4”, “Liuyuebao”, etc. For those pursuing high yield, you may choose “3735” and “Elian No. 4”.
Seed lotus root requirements. Seed lotus root standard: the seed lotus root should have more than two nodes of fully mature lotus root body; large lotus roots, vigorous buds, no injury, no pests or diseases, and fresh parent lotus roots or daughter lotus roots are used as seed lotus roots. The digging of seed lotus roots should be based on the amount to be planted that day, digging and planting as you go. If planting cannot be finished that day, sprinkle water and cover them to preserve moisture and keep them intact and uninjured. Disinfection of seed lotus roots: before planting lotus roots, wash the soil off the seed lotus roots, soak them in a 1000-fold carbendazim solution for 10 minutes, remove them, drain them, and use them as seed.
Planting period. Planting time: finish planting by late March. Weather selection: when planting lotus roots, try as much as possible to choose windless conditions and, after frost and snow have melted, seize the time to plant them into the mud.
Planting density. The lotus roots in each mu are arranged in a “triangular” empty-facing (plum blossom) pattern, with 2 rows per bed, a row spacing of about 80 cm, and the center spacing between lotus roots adjusted according to density, generally about 1.5 m.
Planting amount. The planting amount per mu is 400-500 kg.
Planting method. Grade the seed lotus roots by size, plant one lotus per hole, keep the lotus root parallel to the bed, tilt the lotus root head toward the inside of the bed, bury the lotus root head 10-12 cm into the mud, and bury the tail about 5 cm into the mud.
Strict mulching. After planting the lotus roots is completed, clear the ditches and level the beds (the beds level as a mirror), make the film closely adhere to the mud, and seal the edges all around. Field ridges that leak water should also be covered with film to prevent seepage. Film specifications: 0.005 mm × 1700 mm.