What are the cultivation methods for Tiegun yam? A detailed explanation

Tiegun yam is one of the many varieties of yam and is the finest of the Huai yams. It is highly nutritious and has high medicinal value, and originated in Jiaozuo, Henan. So what are its cultivation methods? When should it be planted?

What are the cultivation methods for Tiegun yam?

1. Land preparation and fertilization

Choose loam soil with flat terrain, convenient drainage and irrigation, deep soil layer, loose texture, rich in organic matter, and good water and fertilizer retention, and deep-plow and sun-dry it before planting. When preparing the land in spring, apply 500kg of high-quality decomposed farmyard manure, 100kg of decomposed cake fertilizer, and 50kg of high-quality nitrogen, potassium, and NPK compound fertilizer per mu as base fertilizer, and carry out land preparation.

2. Timely sowing

Planting can be carried out when the soil temperature stabilizes at 10°C, generally from April 10 to April 20 each year. The planting density is 7000-8000 yam plants/mu, with a plant-to-row spacing of l0*70cm. After sowing, cover with 3-5cm of soil and firm it to preserve soil moisture. After planting Tiegun yam, dig drainage ditches around the perimeter and connect them to the outer ditches, especially when planting in furrows, to ensure smooth drainage during the rainy season, prevent the furrows from collapsing, and improve yield and marketable rate.

3. Planting methods

You can select a section with a short neck, plump buds, and a thick, pest- and disease-free upper end of the yam rhizome with a bud and plant it in April; you can also sow and plant from mid-March to mid-April, planting 6000-7000 plants per 667m2.

4. Field management

Trellising: Trellising Tiegun yam is beneficial for ventilation and light penetration, increasing yield, and reducing pest and disease damage. Generally, once the seedlings emerge, insert poles and build a trellis about 1.5 meters high, one per plant, and tie them firmly in a cross at 1-1.2 meters above the ground.

Intertillage and weeding: After each watering or rain, carry out timely intertillage, generally 3 times. The first time is shallow cultivation of about 3cm at the same time as trellising, the second time is in mid-to-late June, and the third time is at the end of July or beginning of August, when only weeds are pulled and no intertillage is done, to avoid damaging the roots.

Fertilization: Applying fully decomposed organic fertilizer can change the soil's aeration and water permeability, make crops grow robustly, and enhance disease and pest resistance.

Watering: Before planting Tiegun yam, moisten the soil. If the soil moisture is insufficient after planting, water once as a supplement, but the amount of water should not be too large, to ensure normal emergence of Tiegun yam. Before July, during the rhizome elongation period, if drought occurs, only a small amount of water can be given, and flood irrigation must not be used. Each watering should not penetrate deeper into the soil than the depth to which the tubers have grown down. In August, as it enters the peak tuber expansion period, to promote tuber thickening, one thorough watering can be given. After heavy rain or watering, accumulated water should be drained promptly.

Pest and disease control: Pay attention to the damage to Tiegun yam from soil insects, leaf blight, brown spot disease, anthracnose, amaranth weeds, and other problems, and take preventive measures in advance.