What varieties of jicama are there and what are the seedling-raising methods?

Jicama is also called yam bean. It is a vegetable fruit with a crisp and refreshing taste and an excellent flavor in soup. It is now grown in many regions. Spring has arrived, and it is once again the season for planting and raising jicama seedlings, but do you know where jicama seeds are sold? What varieties are there? What are the seedling-raising methods? Let us learn about them together.

What varieties of jicama are there?

Jicama seeds are sold in many regions, such as agricultural supply stores, local farmers' markets, and online. Jicama varieties are divided by root shape into flat-round, flat-spherical, and spindle-shaped (or conical), among others. By maturity period, they are divided into early-maturing and late-maturing types.

1. Early-maturing varieties

The plants have moderate vigor, the leaves are relatively small, the roots swell earlier, and the growing period is relatively short. The roots are flat-round or spindle-shaped, with thin skin and little fiber. Currently used varieties include: Guizhou Huangping yam bean, Sichuan Suining yam bean, Chengdu Muma Mountain yam bean, Taiwan Malay variety, Guangdong Shunde jicama, and others.

2. Late-maturing varieties

The plants have strong vigor, a long growing period, and the roots mature relatively late. The roots are flat spindle-shaped or conical, with thicker skin, more fiber, high starch content, and less moisture. Commonly used varieties include: Guangdong Zhanjiang large jicama, Guangzhou suburban late jicama, Taiwan conical variety, and others.

What are the seedling-raising methods for jicama?

1. Sprouting

Yam bean seeds are hard, and sowing dry seeds germinates slowly and unevenly, so sprouting before sowing is mostly used in production. Before sprouting, the seeds should be carefully selected, choosing old, plump, and fresh ones as seed. When sprouting, first soak the seeds for 10-12 hours, and after they absorb water and swell, place them in an incubator at 25-28°C to sprout, taking them out to rinse once each day. After 4-5 days, select the seeds that have already sprouted and sow them, finishing in 2-3 batches.

2. Sowing

Yam bean is generally sown directly, and the sowing methods can be divided into ground-trailing planting and trellis planting. Ground-trailing planting generally uses a row spacing of 50 cm, plant spacing of 33 cm, and 1-2 seeds per hole. Trellis planting uses deep furrows and high beds, with a bed height of 20-25 cm, furrow width of 50 cm, and bed surface of 90 cm, planting 2 rows per bed, with 50 cm between rows and 33 cm between plants, placing 3-4 seeds per hole. Seedlings emerge 15 days after sowing.

3. Thinning and replanting

Yam bean seedlings emerge 15 days after sowing. After the first pair of basal leaves appears, thin and replant the seedlings, leaving 1-2 plants per hole, and finally keeping 1 plant. Replanting should be done promptly, and on cloudy days seedlings should be transplanted with a soil ball.

4. Cultivation and weeding

For yam bean, from when the seedlings are 7 cm tall until the side vines spread on the ground, promptly carry out cultivation and weeding. Cultivation should be shallow, and it is important not to damage the roots. During cultivation, earth can be hilled up 4-7 cm to prevent the fleshy roots from being exposed outside the soil, turning green in color, and deteriorating in quality, but it is also important not to hill up too deeply, as the roots easily become elongated.

5. Water and fertilizer management

During the seedling stage of yam bean, loosen the soil and apply topdressing in time. Each time the soil is loosened, water once with human manure and urine to promote early growth. In early to mid-June, when the roots swell, apply a heavy topdressing once. If drought occurs, pay attention to watering. If heavy rain occurs, drain water in time.

6. Removing flowers and pinching

Yam bean begins to produce flower clusters at 5-6 nodes, and afterward, as the vine extends, flower clusters form at almost every node. If allowed to bloom freely, it will bear pods abundantly and waste nutrients, and the roots will not easily become thick. Therefore, except for those intended for seed, as soon as flower clusters appear, they should be cut off immediately, keeping the leaves for photosynthesis, and this should be done roughly 2-3 times. When the main vine has 18-24 leaves, pinch the growing tip; after pinching, the vine stops growing.

7. Pruning and trellising

When the yam bean seedlings grow to 30 cm tall, insert 1 small bamboo stick or cotton stalk per hole, build a human-shaped trellis, and tie adjacent yam bean seedlings together to let the vines climb onto the trellis.

The above is an introduction to jicama varieties and seedling-raising and planting methods. To grow high-quality and high-yield yam bean, you must understand and master the selection of varieties and their seedling-raising techniques. As long as you follow the steps introduced in this article, the yam bean will surely be large and sweet.

For wonderful pictures and text and popular comments about jicama, you may be interested in the following recommendations from Nongxun Network. Welcome to read.

Agricultural products you may be interested in: High-quality jicama seeds supplied nationwide