How to manage Chinese yam well? A detailed explanation of the latest management methods

Chinese yam, also commonly known as huai shan, has effects such as nourishing the body, aiding digestion and improving sleep. There are now quite a few ways to prepare Chinese yam, and it tastes both crisp and starchy, suitable for most people to eat. The yield from Chinese yam cultivation cannot be considered very high, and it even cannot meet market demand. A large part of the reason is that growers do not fully grasp the management techniques for cultivating Chinese yam. Below, let Qinnongwang tell everyone how to manage Chinese yam in the field well.

1. Intertillage and weeding

During the growth process of Chinese yam, we need to carry out intertillage and weeding multiple times. One purpose is to remove all the weeds in the field and reduce nutrient loss, and the second is to enhance soil permeability, which can promote tuber growth. At least four rounds of intertillage and weeding are needed each year. First, we can weed according to the growth of the weeds, and second, we need to weed according to the growth of the Chinese yam seedlings.

2. Trellising management

Although the usable part of Chinese yam is its tuber, and the tuber is located in the soil, many growers neglect the management of the Chinese yam seedlings and let them creep along the ground. In fact, this has a huge impact on the growth of the Chinese yam tuber. First, the dense covering over the soil makes the soil less permeable, and second, it very easily triggers various diseases, causing the plants to wither or rot. Therefore, we need to set up trellises for Chinese yam. Generally, trellising begins when the Chinese yam seedlings have just grown about 10 cm. A support needs to be set up beside each plant. When the plants grow to a certain extent, if they do not grow along the support, then we also need to manually lift the seedlings onto it. Finally, the supports must not be reused, because they very likely carry pathogens that affect plant growth.

3. Water and fertilizer management

Chinese yam has extremely strong drought resistance, but is extremely intolerant of waterlogging, so basically it does not need much watering throughout the year. At most, it only needs watering once or twice. If there is a dry year, then two additional waterings are needed on top of that. Finally, for example, in the Hunan area, whenever summer comes there is relatively more rain, so we must drain the water in time, otherwise it will lead to various fungal diseases such as anthracnose, phytophthora blight, leaf blight and soft rot. As for fertilization, apart from the base fertilizer each year, two to three topdressings are still needed. Among them, the most important thing is that potassium fertilizer and boron fertilizer, which promote tuber growth, must be applied in the right amount. On average, about 100 jin of potassium fertilizer and about 30 jin of boron fertilizer are needed per mu.

4. Disease control

The prevention and control of diseases and insect pests in Chinese yam is mainly based on prevention. The peak period for the occurrence of diseases and insect pests is around June and July in summer. Due to high temperature and high humidity, fungal diseases spread relatively quickly, so at least three to four applications of insecticides and fungicides are needed. However, note that spraying should stop about one month before harvest. Even if spraying is necessary, only low-toxicity pesticides may be used, and absolutely no spraying may be done ten days before harvest.