The Latest Sorghum Seedling Raising Techniques and Methods Tutorial
Sorghum is one of the important grain crops in our country and is planted all over the country. When planting, the strength of sorghum seedlings determines the yield and quality of sorghum. It also determines the economic returns of farmers. So how can strong sorghum seedlings be cultivated? Let us take a look below at the seedling raising techniques for sorghum.
1. Select good seed
To cultivate strong seedlings, good seed must first be selected according to the local planting environment, soil and temperature. For example, in areas with lower altitude, varieties with short plants, high first-season yield and strong ratooning ability should be selected, such as Hongyingzi and Qingkeyang. If double harvest is not used and ratooning is not retained, varieties with strong stress resistance can also be selected, while for brewing, Hongyingzi and Qingkeyang varieties are chosen.
2. Choose the seedling raising site
Sorghum has a well-developed root system and extremely strong adaptability to soil, so it has low requirements for soil and can tolerate salinity-alkalinity and poor fertility. However, in order to cultivate strong seedlings, the soil of the seedling raising site should be selected as sandy loam with loose texture, deep soil layer and rich organic matter. In addition, seedlings are relatively sensitive to salinity-alkalinity, so it is not suitable to raise seedlings on saline-alkali land. Acidic soil should be planted after appropriate improvement.
3. Seed treatment
Before sowing, the seeds should first be screened to eliminate small grains, shriveled grains and diseased grains, and select large, plump seeds as production seed. Then choose a sunny day and sun-dry the selected seeds for 2-3 days to increase their germination rate. Before sowing, dress the seeds with chemicals to prevent diseases, deficiency symptoms and underground pests.
4. Sow at the right time
Sowing at the right time is the prerequisite for improving seedling germination, uniform seedlings and strong seedlings. Sorghum is not tolerant of low temperatures during germination. If sown too early, germination will be poor and it will be highly susceptible to diseases, affecting yield, while sowing too late will affect the growth period. At sowing, the soil moisture content is preferably about 20%. Late-maturing varieties should be sown early at the right time, and early-maturing varieties should be sown late at the right time. Sow reasonably and control density. Generally, the plant and row spacing is about 15×20cm, the sowing depth is best at 3-5cm, and the soil cover is 2-3cm.
5. Seedling stage management
After sowing, plastic film should be used to cover the soil for heat-preserving seedling raising. When the seedlings grow to 3-4 leaves, thin them once, and when they have 5-6 true leaves, finalize the seedlings. When finalizing the seedlings, keep strong seedlings and remove weak seedlings and mixed plants. During the seedling stage, 2-3 cultivations should also be carried out, the first at the time of finalizing the seedlings, the first again 10-15 days after finalizing the seedlings, and the third before the jointing stage. Cultivation can be combined with weeding and topdressing so that the seedlings grow strong and healthy. The water requirement of sorghum at the seedling stage is 10% of the water requirement of the entire growth period, so during this period attention should be paid to changes in moisture, and it should not be too much or too little.
The above are the seedling raising techniques for sorghum. We hope they can help you. To learn more about sorghum planting knowledge, please stay tuned to us.