When is the planting time for buckwheat?
Buckwheat is a coarse grain with extremely high nutritional value, and can be made into foods such as noodles, hele (pressed buckwheat noodles), and liangfen (cold starch jelly). So, when is buckwheat planted? How is it planted? Below is an introduction to the planting time and methods for buckwheat.
1. Buckwheat planting time
Buckwheat can be sown in spring from late March to early May, or in autumn from late July to early August. Autumn sowing should be done early rather than delayed. In the dry farming areas of the north and in high-cold mountainous areas with one crop per year, spring sowing is suitable. In the winter wheat region of the Yellow River basin, summer sowing is suitable. In the areas south of the Yangtze River and the coastal regions of central and southern China, autumn sowing is suitable. In the highland areas of the southwest, spring sowing or autumn sowing is suitable.
2. Buckwheat planting methods
1. Sowing
The main methods are drilling, dibbling, and broadcasting, with drilling being advocated. This is because broadcasting does not distribute the seeds evenly, and dibbling requires too much labor. According to soil fertility and the branching habit of the variety, narrow-row drilling and wide-row drilling are used, with beds opened at 167-200 cm and a sowing width of 13-17 cm.
2. Seedling stage management
If drought occurs at sowing, compact the soil promptly and firm it down to reduce gaps, so that the soil tillage layer is loose on top and firm below, which helps groundwater rise and seeds germinate and emerge. If rain occurs after sowing or soil moisture content is high, surface crusting may form. Buckwheat has large cotyledons and poor ability to push through the soil, so surface crusting will affect emergence. A nail rake can be used to break up the crust and loosen the surface.
3. Watering
Buckwheat is a typical dryland crop, but its drought resistance during growth is relatively weak, and it needs the most water during the flowering and grain-filling stage. In China, spring buckwheat is mostly planted on dry sloping land, which lacks irrigation conditions, so buckwheat growth depends on natural precipitation. In spring buckwheat areas with irrigation conditions, if drought occurs during the flowering and grain-filling stage, water should be applied to meet buckwheat's water requirements so as to ensure high yields.
4. Fertilization
Buckwheat is a crop that requires relatively large amounts of fertilizer. To obtain high yields, sufficient fertilizer must be supplied. For arid, barren land and high-cold mountainous land, increasing fertilizer application, especially nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer, is the foundation for a bumper buckwheat harvest. Fertilization should be based mainly on base fertilizer, supplemented by seed fertilizer, with topdressing as a supplement; mainly organic fertilizer, supplemented by inorganic fertilizer. The application rate should be scientifically controlled according to the soil fertility base, yield target, fertilizer quality, and climatic characteristics of the planting area.
5. Cultivation and weeding
Cultivation loosens the soil, increases soil aeration, stores water and preserves moisture, raises soil temperature, and promotes seedling growth, while also eliminating weed damage. The number and timing of cultivation and weeding depend on the region, soil, seedling condition, and amount of weeds. The first cultivation and weeding is carried out when the seedlings are 6-7 cm tall, combined with thinning and spacing of seedlings. The second cultivation is carried out before buckwheat closes its rows, combined with topdressing and earthing up, with a cultivation depth of 3-5 cm.