Key Cultivation Techniques and Management Notes for Purple Sweet Potato

AbstractSeed selection and treatment: Select seed potatoes suited to local planting, dry the seed potatoes, and spray them with 800-fold diluted Xin Gaozhi Mo. Land preparation and ridging: Choose loose, fertile sandy loam rich in organic matter, and deep-plow it to form ridges. Apply sufficient base fertilizer: Base fertilizer mainly consists of organic fertilizer, farmyard manure and compound fertilizer. Reasonable close planting: The row spacing is about 30cm, and the plant spacing is about 20cm. Strengthen management: Carry out intertillage and weeding as needed, and spray targeted pesticides plus Xin Gaozhi Mo.

1. Seed Selection and Treatment

1. Because purple sweet potato is planted over a relatively wide range, and the climate, soil, sunlight and other growing environments differ from region to region, seed potatoes suited to local planting should be selected according to local conditions. Generally, varieties that are tolerant to drought and poor soil, have strong stress resistance and strong resistance to pests and diseases can be chosen.

2. A tuber size of about 150g is preferable. Then dry the seed potatoes and spray them with 800-fold diluted Xin Gaozhi Mo. This not only prevents pests and diseases and isolates viral infection, but also enhances the respiration of the seeds, which helps increase the germination rate.

2. Land Preparation and Ridging

Purple sweet potato is suitable for planting on plots with relatively high terrain and convenient drainage and irrigation. You can choose loose, fertile sandy loam rich in organic matter, then deep-plow it to form ridges. The ridge width is generally about 45cm, the ridge height is about 30cm, and the ridge spacing is about 70cm.

3. Apply Sufficient Base Fertilizer

During land preparation, sufficient base fertilizer needs to be applied. Generally, the base fertilizer mainly consists of organic fertilizer, farmyard manure and compound fertilizer. Farmyard manure is spread before deep plowing, then the land is deep-plowed to promote full weathering of the soil, after which ridges are made. Chemical fertilizer and compound fertilizer should be applied in furrows. While fertilizing, spread some phoxim, which helps prevent underground pests.

4. Reasonable Close Planting

1. Select vigorous, thick and strong potato seedlings for transplanting. Generally, in the Huang-Huai region, the transplanting time is from the end of March to the beginning of April. After transplanting, plastic film needs to be covered, which helps maintain soil temperature and helps the potato seedlings pass through the seedling revival stage smoothly.

2. If cultivating on ridges, generally 2 rows are planted on each ridge, with a row spacing of about 30cm and a plant spacing of about 20cm. The suitable planting density per mu is about 3,000 plants. It is suitable to plant on cloudy days or in the afternoon when the sun is not too strong. The soil should have a certain degree of moisture during planting, and watering should be carried out after planting.

5. Strengthen Management

1. Carry out intertillage and weeding as needed, and at the same time combine intertillage with hilling soil and raising ridges. Water in time according to drought conditions and remove and lift the vines, breaking the root hairs. After lifting the vines, spray Diguo Zhuangdiling, which can promote the growth and expansion of purple sweet potato, give a smooth surface and a better fruit shape.

2. Also pay attention to preventing and controlling pests and diseases such as cutworms and red ants. You can spray targeted pesticides plus Xin Gaozhi Mo. Diseases of purple sweet potato often occur in the hot, rainy summer season. In the early stage of disease onset, fungicides such as carbendazim can be used for control. The growth of purple sweet potato mainly relies on absorbing the nutrients of the base fertilizer. Generally, if no fertilizer deficiency occurs during the growth period, there is no need for topdressing.

6. Timely Harvesting

Purple sweet potato planted in April can generally be harvested in August-September, and purple sweet potato planted in May-June can generally be harvested in October. If purple sweet potato is harvested too early, the tuber yield will be significantly reduced. If purple sweet potato is harvested too late, the storage tolerance of the tuberous roots will be reduced due to the effects of low-temperature chilling injury, making them prone to rotting and deterioration. Therefore, timely harvesting is very important.