The Latest Solutions for Low Potato Yields
Potato, also known as the Irish potato, is a common vegetable in our daily lives and one of China's important food crops. Its price is low, but it can be prepared in many ways and tastes delicious, so its market has always been strong. However, farmers' potato yields have remained low. What should be done about this? Follow the editor to see how to increase potato yields.
1. Sprouting and cutting seed pieces
Start sprouting the seed potatoes one month before planting. Before sprouting, spread a layer of sand about 5 cm thick on the ground, then place the seed potatoes being sprouted on the sand and cover them with sand. Lay them out in 4 layers in this way. The sprouting temperature should be kept at 15-20 degrees, so frequent watering is needed. However, the humidity should not be too high. During sprouting, promptly remove rotten and diseased seed potatoes. This is a key point: if rotten or diseased potatoes are present, they will cause the spread of pathogens and affect the whole batch. Generally, sprouts emerge after about half a month of sprouting. Once the young sprouts grow to about 2 cm, the seed potatoes can be cut into pieces. The cut pieces should be of a suitable size, ensuring each seed piece weighs about 40 grams. The cutting tools must be disinfected before use, and each cut piece must have at least two eyes. After cutting, coat the cut surfaces with plant ash to prevent infection by pathogens, then place them in a cool, ventilated place so the wounds air-dry naturally.
2. Land preparation
Soil conditions have a relatively large impact on potato yields. Potatoes are suitable for planting in sandy loam and loam. Generally, plots that are slightly acidic, loose and fertile, well aerated, and rich in organic matter can all be used for planting. However, it is best not to choose land whose previous crop was sunflower, tomato, or eggplant, or land where fruit-promoting agents were sprayed, to avoid carrying pathogens in the field. This should be avoided. It is best to choose plots whose previous crop was rice, corn, or soybean. Before planting, deeply plow the land, generally in late autumn, to a depth of about 20-25 cm. Apply 2500-3000 kg of decomposed farmyard manure per mu as base fertilizer, and it can also be appropriately combined with 4-5 kg of phosphorus fertilizer, 10 kg of potassium fertilizer, and 7 kg of nitrogen fertilizer. Land preparation should ensure the ground is level with no hard clods on the surface.
3. Sowing
The sowing time for potatoes is also quite important. The sowing time must be appropriate. Sowing too early can lead to seed rot and dead seedlings. Sowing too late will shorten the potato's growth cycle and cause reduced yields. In general, the sowing time for potatoes should be determined according to temperature. The best sowing time for potatoes is generally when the soil temperature at a depth of about 10 cm remains around 5-7 degrees. For spring sowing, in order to improve the soil's moisture-holding capacity and raise soil temperature, ridges should be made and furrows opened to a depth of 3-4 cm. When sowing, the young sprouts should face upward, with row spacing kept at 55-60 cm and plant spacing kept at 25-30 cm. After placing them, spray herbicide to prevent weeds.
4. Field management
Potatoes are generally topdressed during the flowering period. During the bud stage, mainly nitrogen fertilizer is applied. During full bloom, a second topdressing is mainly applied, primarily potassium fertilizer. When the tubers reach about 2 cm in length, irrigation should be carried out reasonably according to soil and climate conditions. In the later stage of tuber growth, irrigation should be stopped to avoid excessive water causing root rot. The main potato diseases are blackleg, leaf blight, late blight, and so on. In addition to choosing varieties with strong disease resistance when planting, chemical agents should also be used for control when disease occurs. During the flowering period, sprays can be applied 3 times continuously with agents such as Shuangkong, metalaxyl mancozeb, Dasheng, and mancozeb for control. If diseased plants are found, they must be promptly removed from the field to avoid large-scale spread later and to prevent effects on the next crop.
The above is an introduction to what to do when potato yields are low. We hope it can help you. To learn more related knowledge, please keep following us.