A Complete Guide to the Key Field Management Techniques for Yacon

When we are at the fruit shop, we will see a kind of fruit that looks like a sweet potato. It is actually yacon, also known as jicama and ground ginseng fruit. It tastes sweet and very crisp, and it can also be eaten as a vegetable. Yacon has a strong ability to adapt to the environment, is relatively easy to cultivate and manage, so in recent years more and more people have been growing it. So what are the key field management techniques for yacon?

I. The economic value of yacon

Yacon is a health fruit with relatively rich nutritional value. Besides being eaten fresh, it can also be used to make stewed soup or stir-fried plain, and the taste is very good either way. Fresh yacon is also very resistant to storage, rarely developing rotten fruit during transport, and it can be kept for a relatively long time.

The peel and leaves of yacon are raw materials for a kind of blood pressure-lowering health drink, and its medicinal components have now been extracted and processed.

The stems of yacon can be processed into relatively good feed. Its fruit can also be processed into various delicious crisps, preserved fruit, fruit tea, jelly, canned goods, and so on.

Yacon is currently grown on not much area in our country, so there is still a certain market for it. In addition, the method of growing yacon is not difficult, and it is also very easy to manage, because it has good adaptability to the environment and rarely suffers from pests and diseases. Generally, after planting in spring, it can be harvested in autumn. As long as it is managed properly, a high yield can usually be obtained.

II. What are the key field management techniques for yacon?

1. Appropriate topdressing

When planting yacon, we have already applied sufficient base fertilizer, but at several key periods we also need to apply appropriate topdressing. For example, about one month after planting, the temperature gradually rises and the growth rate of yacon increases, so its demand for fertilizer is relatively large. During this period, a certain amount of compound fertilizer can be added to help its fruit expand and increase the sugar content of the fruit. During the root expansion period of yacon, fruit-swelling hormone can be used, which helps the yield and quality of yacon. By July and August, the plants grow very quickly, and we can use specialized agents to control their growth rate and prevent excessive vegetative growth.

2. Appropriate watering

Yacon is a fruit that fears both drought and flooding, so we need to pay attention to watering. This is because if the soil remains dry for a long time, it will affect the growth of yacon, while if it remains waterlogged for a long time, root rot will occur. Therefore, after yacon is planted, the soil moisture should be kept at around 60 to 70 percent. In July and August, when the temperature is relatively high, more water can be used to cool it down. If a rainy and flooding period occurs, the accumulated water should be drained in time.

3. Weeding

During the growing period of yacon, weeds are very likely to grow in abundance, so they must be pulled out in time to avoid competing with the plants for nutrients and affecting their growth.

4. Leaf thinning

When the yacon seedlings are about 1.5 m tall, leaf thinning should be carried out, removing all the leaves below 50 cm on the stems. In this way, excessive vegetative growth of stems and leaves can be controlled, so that too many nutrients are not consumed in unnecessary places.