Latest Techniques for Late-Stage Management of Spring Potatoes Under Plastic Mulch

Nowadays, planting techniques in our country are becoming more and more advanced, and most vegetable crops can be grown out of season. Potatoes are certainly no exception, and many people now plant potatoes in spring. Spring potato planting is mostly based on plastic mulch cultivation, and the management of spring potatoes under plastic mulch is very important, especially in the late stage. So today, the editor brings you the late-stage management of spring potatoes under plastic mulch. Let's take a look!

1. Removing the mulch and earthing up

When planting potatoes under plastic mulch in early spring, once the above-ground part of the potato plant has grown to about 30cm tall, then around the bud stage of the potatoes and when the underground tubers begin to swell and the surrounding average temperature has stabilized at around 25 degrees, the covering plastic mulch should be removed in good time. After removing the plastic mulch, we should also do a good job of weeding, and then earth up around the base of the potato plants about twice. Proper earthing up is very beneficial to potato yield, and can also prevent diseases such as potato green-skin disease.

2. Water and fertilizer management

When potatoes enter the late growth stage, this is generally the tuber swelling stage. At this time, the swelling of potato tubers requires a large amount of nutrients and water. So we should pay attention to doing a good job of water and fertilizer management. When the potato tubers have grown to about the size of a ping-pong ball, they can be watered and fertilized. Potato growth has a relatively large demand for potassium, so when topdressing, we should pay attention to appropriately increasing the amount of nitrogen and potassium fertilizer. Topdress about once every ten days, and topdress twice. If there is continuous dry weather, then a good job of watering should be done to prevent potatoes from lacking water and hindering tuber swelling.

3. Pest control

In the late growth stage of potatoes, pest control work is also very important. The main pests include white grubs and aphids. Aphids harm the growth of potato leaves, and also very easily carry the pathogen of viral disease, causing serious effects on potato yield. We can use imidacloprid for control, spraying once a week, and spraying twice is enough. White grubs mainly harm potato tubers, and likewise cause yield decline and insufficient commercial value. To control white grubs, agents such as phoxim can be used for root drenching, and the control effect is very good.

4. Pay attention to controlling excessive growth

⟦NL>The work of controlling excessive growth in the late growth stage of potatoes also requires our special attention. If potatoes grow excessively, then the above-ground part will consume a large amount of nutrients, causing the underground tubers to lack nutrients and be unable to swell. Therefore, when the potato plants close the rows, the horizontally growing flower clusters on the plants should be removed. Then at the time of the second flowering, remove the upper and lower flower clusters, and also pay attention to breaking off the growing points on the main stems. We can also appropriately spray agents and fertilizers to control excessive growth. For example, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, zineb, and others for foliar spraying.

The above is a brief introduction to the late-stage management of spring potatoes under plastic mulch. That's all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and we hope it can help everyone!