How are sweet potato slips cultivated, and how many plants can be planted per mu?

Sweet potatoes are rich in nutrients and have the reputation of being a “longevity food.” Long-term consumption is very beneficial to the human body, and in recent years the market price has gradually increased. So what are the cultivation techniques for sweet potato slips? How many plants can be planted per mu?

1. How many sweet potato slips can be planted per mu?

Generally, in the north, the density for spring sweet potatoes in single-row ridge cultivation is 3000-3300 plants/mu, and for summer sweet potatoes 3300-3500 plants/mu. In the south, the density for autumn and winter sweet potatoes is relatively higher, at 4000-6000 plants/mu over large areas.

At the same time, the planting density of sweet potatoes should be determined according to the variety, soil fertility, fertilization level and planting method. For short-vine vertical planting, the density is generally about 6000 plants per mu; for long-vine slanting planting, it should be thinner, generally 2500-3500 plants. Gengzhongbang recommends a plant spacing of about 33 cm for sweet potatoes.

2. What are the cultivation techniques for sweet potato slips?

1. Land preparation and fertilization

Deep plowing should be carried out before winter or in early spring. During the growing period of film-mulched sweet potatoes, topdressing is not suitable, and moreover, because film-mulched cultivation has high temperature and high humidity, nutrients decompose and are used quickly, making it easy to run out of fertilizer.

Therefore, the base fertilizer should be applied sufficiently in one go. Generally, 45000-60000 kg of high-quality farmyard manure, 600 kg of ammonium bicarbonate, 450 kg of superphosphate and 225 kg of potassium sulfate are applied per hectare, preferably concentrated along the ridges when forming them. Then pick out crop stubble from the ridges, break up clods and level the ridge surface.

2. Timely early planting

In order to give full play to the role of plastic film mulching and effectively use the film-covering effect during early spring low temperatures, timely early planting should be achieved. It is advisable that the seedlings not be harmed by late frost, generally 5-7 days earlier than open-field cultivation.

3. Reasonable close planting

Generally, the ridge spacing is 70-80 cm, the height is 20-30 cm, the ridge surface width is 50-60 cm, the plant spacing is 18-22 cm, and there are 60000-67500 plants per hectare.

4. Planting seedlings and covering with film

After forming the ridges, clods should be removed to make the ridge surface fine, smooth and even, and then planting should be carried out. After planting and before covering with film, it is best to spray herbicide on the ridge surface. Cut a T-shaped opening above the seedlings, use your fingers to pull the seedlings out, let the seedlings show outside the film, and seal the base of the seedlings tightly with soil. Check frequently, and if the film is lifted by wind or damaged, seal it tightly in time.

5. Field management

Early senescence of film-mulched sweet potatoes is an important factor affecting yield, especially drought and lack of fertilizer, which often cause leaves to turn yellow and fall off and hinder growth. Therefore, during drought, lightly irrigate with a small amount of water along the ridge furrows, and drain in time when waterlogging occurs. For early-senescing fields with yellowing leaves, promptly spray on the leaf surface a 1%-2% urea solution, or a 3%-5% superphosphate solution, or a 20% potassium sulfate solution, then according to growth appearance, spray again after an interval of half a month, preferably between 4-6 pm.

Warm reminder: Varieties should be selected according to different uses and local cultivation conditions. Virus-free sweet potato slips come from an organic agriculture system, and their quality must meet standards. According to different uses, choose varieties with high yield, high starch and neat and attractive tuber shape, such as Xushu 18, Ningshu No. 1, Qinshu No. 4, Meiying No. 1 and Qinxiu.