Key points of high-yield sweet potato cultivation technology: choosing the right variety is key

In China, sweet potato is both a food crop and a cash crop. It is rich in nutrients and has a good consumer market. At present, many regions encourage expanding the sweet potato planting area. So what are the high-yield cultivation techniques for sweet potato? Which varieties are relatively high-yielding?

1. What high-yield sweet potato varieties are there?

The sweet potatoes currently widely grown can be roughly divided into 4 major categories: edible sweet potatoes, high-starch sweet potatoes, medicinal sweet potatoes, and feed sweet potatoes.

From the feedback of growers, the yields of edible sweet potatoes and high-starch sweet potatoes are relatively higher. Below, these 2 categories are used as examples to recommend some sweet potato varieties with good quality and considerable yield.

1. Edible-type sweet potatoes

Recommended high-yield edible-type sweet potato varieties: Yanshu No. 25, Shangshu No. 19, Xushu No. 18, Yushu No. 13, Pushu No. 23, Yanzi Shu No. 1, etc. These varieties have stable yields, strong resistance, and a sweet, soft taste. Whether baked, stir-fried, pan-fried, deep-fried, or eaten raw directly, they are all excellent choices.

2. High-starch-type sweet potatoes

Recommended high-starch, high-yield sweet potato varieties: Sushu No. 11, Yushu No. 7, Shangshu No. 9, Sushu No. 8, etc. These varieties have a very high starch content and are very suitable for use specifically as raw material for starch production.

2. Key points of high-yield sweet potato cultivation technology

1. Plot selection

For planting sweet potatoes, it is necessary to choose sandy soil with relatively deep soil layers, loose texture, and fertility and good aeration. Only such soil can allow the nutrients in the soil and the nutrients supplemented by later fertilization to be fully absorbed by the sweet potatoes, thereby ensuring the quality and yield of the sweet potatoes.

2. Ridging and cultivation

Practice has shown that, compared with direct flat cultivation in the field, ridging cultivation of sweet potatoes results in a higher yield. It is not only conducive to drainage and irrigation, but can also make the sweet potato root system more developed, thereby increasing the number of tubers formed.

3. Apply base fertilizer well

The base fertilizer for sweet potatoes should be mainly potassium fertilizer, supplemented by nitrogen fertilizer and phosphate fertilizer. For the approximate ratio, you can refer to phosphate fertilizer:nitrogen fertilizer:potassium fertilizer = 1:2:3.

4. Planting time and density

Sweet potatoes are generally planted by cuttings, which has a relatively high survival rate, and high-yield sweet potato cultivation generally uses the oblique planting method. The best planting time is from the end of April to the first ten days to middle of May each year, and no later than late May. For planting quantity, oblique planting can refer to about 4,000 plants per mu.

In addition, when planting, temperature and weather factors should also be considered. Planting should be carried out on a sunny day at 18°C.

5. Field management

Field management of sweet potatoes mainly includes replanting missing seedlings, intertillage and weeding, vigor control, and pest and disease control.

(1) Replanting missing seedlings

One week after planting, go to the field to check whether there are any dead seedlings after oblique planting, and then replant missing seedlings in time.

(2) Intertillage and weeding

After the sweet potato seedlings survive and sprout, the first intertillage can be carried out. After that, carry out the second intertillage at an interval of half a month. When the sweet potato vines cover the field, carry out the third intertillage. During intertillage, the weeds in the field should also be cleared.

(3) Vigor control

Vigor control in sweet potatoes is a necessary operation for high yield. The first thing to do is not to turn the vines, and then choose a dedicated sweet potato vigor control agent according to the growth condition of the sweet potatoes. Note that sweet potato vigor control should be done as early as possible, and the dosage must be strictly controlled according to the instructions of the selected vigor control agent.

(4) Pest and disease control

Common sweet potato diseases include black spot disease, root rot, and sweet potato blast, while insect pests include white grubs, leaf rollers, and tobacco cutworms. Prevention should be the main approach, with combined prevention and control. Usually check the field more often, and when an outbreak is found, carry out targeted treatment.