How to Grow Mustard Tubers? Latest Technical Method Tutorial

Mustard tubers are a commonly cultivated vegetable across the country. In both the north and south, autumn sowing is the main practice. In the Yangtze River Basin, the southwest, and south China, they are harvested in winter or early the following spring, while in the north they are harvested before frost. Leaf mustard, which is grown for its young plants as a food crop, can be spring-sown or summer-sown in the south. It has relatively high cultivation value. Let us take a look at mustard tuber cultivation techniques below!

Growth Habits of Mustard Tubers

Mustard tubers generally have a short growth period of 50 to 60 days. They prefer a cool and moist climate, are not tolerant of frost, and are also not tolerant of heat. Above 25°C, growth becomes slow and the quality is poor, especially for large heading-type mustard varieties. They are shallow-rooted crops, and their roots grow shallowly into the soil, so their drought and waterlogging tolerance is poor. Soil that is too warm or too dry is not good for growth. Nitrogen nutrition is the main requirement, with a ratio of about 1:1 for the two. They also like calcium and boron. If the supply is insufficient, various disorders will appear. The needed nitrogen is best supplied as ordinary nitrogen fertilizer, which can be converted by soil bacteria. Keep the soil loose, and do not waterlog it. At the same time, when the temperature is low, these bacteria...

Seedling Raising Techniques for Mustard Tubers

1. Seed selection: After mustard seeds are purchased, they should first be carefully selected. In addition to removing mixed impurities, plump seeds should also be selected. Because mustard seeds are small, they are generally selected by washing with water, that is, soaking the seeds in water and stirring continuously, removing the shriveled seeds and debris, while those that sink to the bottom are plump seeds.

2. Sun-drying and disinfection: After mustard seeds are selected with water, spread them out immediately in the sun to reduce their internal moisture content, and stir them from time to time so that all the seeds can evenly receive sunlight, promote their internal material transformation, end dormancy, increase the germination rate, and make emergence more uniform. For disinfection, use a fungicide such as a carbendazim solution to soak the seeds for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring continuously, so that the seeds are fully exposed to the liquid and all pathogens are killed.

4. Seed soaking and germination: Mustard seeds absorbing enough water is beneficial to the internal transformation of the seeds and softening of the seed coat, promoting sprouting. Soak them in warm water for 3 to 4 hours. At this time, a comprehensive foliar fertilizer can be added for them to absorb, in order to increase nutrition, increase the germination rate, and help produce strong seedlings. For seed germination, in addition to air and moisture, temperature is also needed. Therefore, place the soaked seeds in an environment of 25 to 30°C to ensure early and neat, uniform germination, which helps with management during the seedling stage.

Cultivation Techniques for Mustard Tubers

1. Transplanting technique: Mustard tubers have a wide range of adaptability to soil, but in order to achieve high yields for heading mustard, choose sandy loam soil whose previous crop was rice, apply enough base fertilizer, and make holes for transplanting, with two rows planted, and a plant spacing of 40 cm to 50 cm. Later-maturing varieties should be planted appropriately more sparsely. Mustard roots develop slowly, so when transplanting, carry as much soil as possible and avoid damaging the roots, and make sure the roots do not bend when entering the soil, so as to increase the survival rate.

2. Reasonable fertilization: Mustard generally emerges 3 to 4 days after autumn sowing, and spring-sown mustard generally emerges 6 to 15 days after sowing. When mustard seedlings have 2 true leaves, carry out the first topdressing, applying 1000 kg of 0.3% urea solution per mu. The second topdressing is carried out 7 to 10 days before harvest, and after that, topdress once after each harvest.

3. Watering and weeding: Mustard seeds are small and easily affected by soil moisture. Before emergence, pay attention to watering to keep moisture, and watering is best done in the morning and evening. Grasp the principle of light watering and frequent watering, and do not water thoroughly all at once. Mustard plants are short, and are usually broadcast-sown. Weeds and mustard grow mixed together, making weeding relatively difficult and labor-intensive. Weeds should be pulled out along with harvesting.

4. Pest and disease control: There are not many infectious diseases of mustard. The main one on leaf mustard is viral disease, mostly during the hot and dry seedling period and the early growth stage after transplanting, spread by aphids. For thorough control, spray once every 7 to 10 days, and at the same time water promptly, keeping the soil moist and lowering the climate, which is also very useful. Besides aphid damage, there are also yellow-striped flea beetles, which mainly harm mustard roots, so promptly spray pesticides such as phoxim.

5. Timely harvesting: Mustard is harvested in stages. Each harvest should take the large ones and leave the small ones, and the remaining plants should be even and appropriate. For early autumn-sown shepherd's purse, harvest at 10 to 13 true leaves, 30 to 35 days after sowing, then harvest in stages 4 to 5 times, ending in late March of the following year, with a total yield per mu of 2500 to 3000 kg. For autumn shepherd's purse sown in early October, it takes 45 to 60 days before harvesting can begin. Shepherd's purse sown in late February is harvested and marketed in early April. Spring sowing generally allows 1 to 2 harvests, with a yield per mu of about 1000 kg.