Detailed Explanation of Key Techniques for Film-Mulched Spring Peanut Cultivation

Film-mulched cultivation of spring peanuts has the advantages of keeping warmth, preserving moisture and fertilizer, improving the soil environment, ensuring uniform and strong seedlings, promoting growth and development, advancing maturity, and increasing yield and income. It can generally increase yield by 20%-30% and increase net income by 50-100 yuan per mu. 

I. Fine land preparation and full-layer fertilization. For film-mulched peanut cultivation, land preparation must be fine, clods must not be large, and the bed surface must be level. Because topdressing during the growth period is rather troublesome, it is advisable to apply sufficient base fertilizer and more organic fertilizer, which can both promote early vigorous growth and keep steady growth in the mid-to-late stages. Apply 1000-1500 kg of cattle, horse, pig, and sheep manure per mu, plow and harrow it thoroughly, then form beds at 1.4 m spacing by furrow, with a bed surface width of 1.1 m, a furrow width of 30 cm, and a furrow depth of 20-25 cm. In combination with land preparation, mix 50-80 kg of peanut-specific compound fertilizer, 80-100 kg of plant ash, and 1 kg of borax per mu evenly and apply to the bed surface. Open four sowing furrows 3-5 cm deep and uniform in depth on each bed, and also open a surrounding field ditch. 

II. Select good varieties, sow at the right time, and plant at a rational density. All localities should choose the leading improved varieties for cultivation. For example, in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, varieties such as Luhua No. 9, Yuhua No. 7, and Huayu No. 17 can be selected, with a seeding rate of 15 kg per mu. The sowing date should be determined according to the local early spring temperature recovery and rainfall conditions. Generally, sowing can be carried out when the temperature of the 5 cm soil layer stabilizes above 12 degrees C after mulching. For the planting specification, use a plant spacing of 20 cm, dibble two kernels per hole, and sow at a density of 19,000 kernels per mu. After sowing, level the sowing furrow to cover the seed and keep the bed surface level. 

III. Spray herbicide, cover the film carefully, and release seedlings in time. After covering the seed, choose herbicides such as 72% dual, 50% butachlor, or acetochlor, dilute 150 mL per mu in 60 kg of water, and spray evenly on the bed surface. If the soil is dry, wet the bed surface first, then spray the herbicide. This helps form a thicker herbicide film layer and gives better weed control. Then lay plastic film 1.6 m wide and 0.005 mm thick, using 4 kg per mu. The quality requirements for film covering are as follows: First, the surface soil must be fine and broken when covering the film. Soil moisture must be sufficient (soil water content in the top 5 cm above 15%) to favor seed germination. Second, the film must be laid flat, straight, tightened, and closely attached to the bed surface. The bed edges should be pressed tightly with soil and sealed. Every 3-4 m on the bed surface, press a shovel of soil to secure the film, prevent ventilation, and avoid the film being lifted by strong wind or even torn. Third, it should suit a north-south bed direction parallel to the wind direction. At the same time, pay attention to clearing drainage ditches. When peanut seedlings grow to 2.5 leaves, choose a sunny day to punch holes and release the seedlings in time to prevent high-temperature scorching. Specific method: use a blade to cut a film hole of about 5 cm around the seedling, lift the true leaves of the seedling out of the film, and immediately seal the edge of the film opening with soil. In addition, when punching holes, the hole diameter should be as small as possible, just enough for the true leaves to extend out of the film, so as to avoid reducing the warming effect. 

IV. Scientific irrigation and drainage, control seedling growth to prevent lodging, and prevent disease and kill insects. In view of the characteristics that peanuts fear waterlogging in the early and late stages and fear drought in the middle stage, clear ditches and drain water at the seedling stage, irrigate with running water in case of drought during the flowering and pegging stage, and keep the field soil moist in the late stage. Film-mulched peanuts grow vigorously and the plants are relatively tall. About 25 days after flowering, spray 20-25 g of paclobutrazol per mu diluted in 60 kg of water to control growth and prevent lodging. At the pegging stage, apply 40-50 kg of lime per mu to promote more flowers and more pods and increase the full-pod rate. For disease and insect control, after flowering, choose carbendazim, miebingwei, and copper hydroxide pesticides for spraying to control leaf spot, rust, and bacterial wilt. Also use matching pesticides such as imidacloprid and chlorpyrifos to promptly kill aphids and cotton leafworms. 

V. Harvest at the right time and recover residual film. Film-mulched peanuts mature 8-10 days earlier than open-field peanuts and can generally be harvested and marketed in mid-to-late July. At harvest, do a good job of recovering and handling the plastic film, pick up all broken film, and prevent soil pollution.