How much is one jin of yacon, and how should it be grown?

Around November each year is the market season for yacon, which has a crisp texture and sweet, juicy flesh. This plant, whose fruit resembles a sweet potato and whose plant resembles Jerusalem artichoke, is best known by the name yacon. So what is its current price per jin? And how should it be grown?

1. What is the price of yacon per jin?

Yacon is also called snow lotus fruit, snow lotus potato, yacón, or yacon, among other names. It is a perennial plant of the Asteraceae family, rich in nutrients and widely adaptable, and it is cultivated in most regions of China. Below is a summary of yacon prices in some regions for everyone's reference.

1. The yacon quote at Wuxi Xicheng Fruit Wholesale Trading Market is 7.8 yuan/jin; the quote from Henan Wanbang International Agricultural Products Logistics Co., Ltd. is 4.5 yuan/jin; the yacon quote at the Hexi Agricultural and Sideline Products Market in Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province, is 4 yuan/jin; the price at the Yunan Nanyang Fruit Wholesale Trading Center is 4.6 yuan/jin;

2. The price of bulk yacon in Guandu District, Kunming City, Yunnan Province, is 11 yuan/jin; the price of yacon of 0.5 kg (inclusive) to 2.5 kg (exclusive) in Nanning City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is 16.8 yuan/jin;

3. Price of yacon seedlings with a height of 15 cm in Nanping, Fujian: 40 yuan/kg for purchases of 1-99 kg, and 30 yuan/kg for purchases of 100 kg;

4. Price of first-grade improved yacon 10 cm tall in Zhangzhou, Fujian: 0.6 yuan/plant for purchases of 50-999 plants, 0.45 yuan/plant for purchases of 1000-99999 plants, and 0.21 yuan/plant for purchases of more than 100000 plants.

2. How should yacon be grown?

Yacon has a relatively long growing period and needs more than 200 days before it can be harvested and sold. It is generally suitable for planting in sandy soil at an altitude of 1000-2300 m with ample sunlight and moisture. The planting methods and timing for yacon are introduced below:

(1) Planting time for yacon

1. The best planting time for yacon in China is spring. If direct sowing is used, it is suitable to do it in early April each year; if seedlings are raised in a greenhouse, it can be moved up to the end of March;

2. If nutrient pots are used for yacon seedling propagation, the sowing time can be moved up to early March. Overall, yacon planting should not be later than May or June, otherwise the yield will be greatly reduced.

(2) Planting methods for yacon

1. In late February each year, after the root buds sprout, cut the root buds apart, with 1-2 buds per piece. Coat the wounds with plant ash, then bag them for seedling raising. After watering thoroughly, cover with film, and remove the film once roots grow and seedlings emerge. During the seedling stage, do not water too much; just keep the soil moist. From late March to early April, when the seedlings grow to about 10 cm tall, they can be transplanted, and at transplanting time water thoroughly to settle the roots. Direct sowing in the field can also be used.

2. The planting period for yacon varies from place to place. Generally, in spring, when the 5 cm soil temperature stabilizes at 14-15°C, it can be planted; protected cultivation can be planted earlier. In addition, the planting density should be determined according to actual conditions, generally 1000-1200 plants/mu, with a plant spacing of 0.6 m and a row spacing of 1 m, planting in a staggered pattern between rows.

3. After transplanting yacon, water it promptly to ensure the survival rate. Once the rainy season arrives, dig drainage ditches well and do not let it be submerged or waterlogged. Carry out intertillage and weeding well, and hill up and form ridges while weeding. In principle, do not apply chemical fertilizers or pesticides throughout the entire growth period; weak seedlings can be watered with clear manure water or biogas fertilizer.

4. In July-August, when yacon enters its peak growth period, pay attention to pruning overly branched stems to control vigorous growth; in October, after the small yellow flower clusters at the stem tips wither, it can be harvested. After harvesting, yacon should be stored indoors or in a cellar.

Generally, the yield of yacon is about 10000 jin per mu, and with scientific and proper management the yield per mu can reach 12000 jin. Therefore, scientific planting and management are very important for the yield and returns of yacon, and growers should pay close attention to this.