What are the latest technical key points for sweet potato field management
Sweet potato originated in our country and is a root crop rich in dietary fiber that strengthens the spleen and nourishes the stomach. It is also an important cash crop and feed crop for farmers and can be processed into various products. At present, most sweet potato cultivation is in the form of small-scale self-sufficiency. Large-scale cultivation is the main way to supply cities and also has huge demand. Below we will discuss the management techniques after planting that everyone is concerned about.
1. Growth measures
1. Three days after cutting and planting, check for survival. If missing plants or dead plants are found, replant in time. If they survive, some diluted fertilizer water can be used to help growth.
2. If herbicide was used at planting, there may be little grass. If it was not used, then when weeds emerge, spray the corresponding herbicide to control weeds. Spraying should be done on a sunny and windless afternoon. At other times, if there is a small amount of grass, it can also be pulled by hand. For seed-shedding grass, it must be pulled before the seeds drop.
3. During the growth period, for good growth, during the seedling recovery period, a certain amount of water-diluted quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer can be applied as a topdressing; during the root tuber expansion period, apply a measured amount of compound fertilizer as a topdressing once every week.
4. In summer there is a lot of rainfall. If the plant has sufficient nutrients and water, excessive growth will occur, which is not conducive to the enlargement of root tubers. Therefore, one to two vine liftings can be carried out to break some fibrous roots and avoid consumption. But the vines must not be turned over.
2. Water management
Sweet potato prefers a dry, deep, and breathable soil environment. If there is excessive rainfall and too much standing water, the underground root tubers suffocate and rot, or become woody and stiff, and forking occurs. Therefore, after heavy rain, check in time whether the ditches drain well. Sometimes the ditches need to be deepened and ditches blocked by weeds need to be cleared so that standing water drains quickly. If summer drought occurs, artificial irrigation must be carried out every day after the sun goes down, and it must be watered thoroughly, not alternately dry and wet.
3. Pest and disease control
Sweet potato has very few pest and disease problems. The main one is damage by the sweet potato hawk moth. Applying pyrethroid pesticide granules can control the young moths. If black spot disease occurs, carbendazim can be used as a root drench for control. Generally, it can be used as a preventive treatment after planting.
Doing the above management methods well after sweet potato planting is very important, especially for large-scale planting, where these measures are even more needed to maintain increased yield. Once you understand the general field management methods, you will know how to apply them better in combination with actual conditions.