Taro Cultivation Techniques: Key Points and Management Methods Explained

Taro is what we call taro; it tastes sweet, soft and glutinous, is rich in nutrients, and is very popular. How is such a delicious taro grown? Let us learn about taro cultivation techniques together.

Taro cultivation techniques

1. Land preparation and fertilization

Choose land with deep soil, fertile texture, and good water and fertilizer retention for planting taro. Before sowing, plow 35-40 cm deep to help the roots penetrate deeply. After plowing, level and harrow the soil finely. Once the land is prepared, make beds and raise ridges, setting the row spacing, width, and depth of the furrows according to the situation. Then apply fertilizer in the furrows, applying farmyard manure or compost, potassium sulfate compound fertilizer, ammonium bicarbonate, etc. per mu.

2. Planting seed taro

Choose intact, disease-free seed taro, spread them in the sun for 3-4 days first, then arrange them closely indoors, cover with 8-10 cm thick wet sand to promote sprouting, and keep the room temperature at 20-25°C. When the sprouts of the seed taro grow to 3-4 cm and the 5 cm soil temperature steadily reaches 10°C, plant at a reasonable density. Plant 4500-5000 plants per mu. Spraying herbicide for weed control can be done appropriately.

3. Water and fertilizer management

Do not water taro before emergence; keep the soil moist in the middle and late stages, and pay attention to drainage during the rainy season. 80 days after emergence, combine watering with hole fertilization beside the plants, applying diammonium phosphate per mu to promote taro enlargement. The soil must not be too dry or too wet; too dry easily causes yellowing and withering of leaves, while water accumulation hinders smooth root development. Pay attention to drainage during the rainy season.

4. Intertillage and hilling

During the seedling stage of taro, combine topdressing with intertillage to eliminate weeds and warm the soil; at the end of the seedling stage, cultivate so that the planting furrow becomes level ground; afterward, hill up once about every 20 days, 7 cm thick, for a total of two times. The purpose of hilling is to inhibit the sprouting and growth of the terminal buds of daughter taro and granddaughter taro, reduce nutrient consumption, allow the taro to fully expand and produce a large number of adventitious roots, and increase the plant's drought resistance.

5. Timely harvesting

After taro matures, harvest it in time, and finish harvesting before heavy frost to prevent the taro from suffering frost damage.

Taro cultivation methods mainly consist of these few points; it has relatively few pests and diseases, and the main thing is to carefully manage water and soil issues.