What are the key steps in the cultivation and management of the Chinese medicinal herb Chinese yam?
Chinese yamIn cultivation and management, the key points are to apply base fertilizer well, loosen the soil, treat the Chinese yam seed, apply topdressing at the right time, prevent and control diseases, and take measures to promote the growth of the rhizome as much as possible. As long as these main aspects of production management are handled well, the planting benefits of Chinese yam will be greatly improved.
1. Good soil loosening, tubers expand easily.
Loosening the soil is crucial for the elongation and expansion of the rhizome. The planting trench should be dug to a depth of about 1 m. Sandy loam is loose and breathable, warms up quickly, and produces good seedlings early, which is conducive to tuber elongation; heavy clay soil is cold and hard with poor aeration, which is not conducive to tuberous root elongation, but it has good fertility and lasting power. Regardless of the soil type, more than 1000 kg per mu of cow or horse manure or crushed crop straw (wheat straw or rice husks also work) can be mixed in, which both increases soil organic matter and improves soil permeability. Large stones, bricks and tiles, and gravel in the soil should be removed to avoid damaging the rhizome. Digging the trench is best done as early as before the freeze, which helps weather the soil and form a good soil structure. Irrigation should be done as early as possible to help raise the ground temperature sooner.
2. Base fertilizer must be applied adequately, and plastic film should be used as mulch.
Apply more than 3000 kg per mu of fully decomposed chicken or duck manure or pig or sheep manure as base fertilizer, more than 50 kg of potassium sulfate compound fertilizer, and about 50 kg of diammonium phosphate. If conditions permit, add 100 kg of microbial fertilizer and soybean cake fertilizer, and 1 kg each of boron, zinc, and iron micronutrient fertilizers, mix thoroughly with the soil, and fill it into the planting trench. After irrigating thoroughly, sow only when the ground temperature rises to 15 degrees. After sowing, cover with plastic film to raise temperature and preserve moisture. The film should be removed at the end of May to facilitate the tuberous roots growing downward.
3. Seedlings must be treated to prevent both disease and insects.
After sowing, Chinese yam is prone to infection by root rot and damping-off. The simplest method is to treat the Chinese yam seed. You can soak the Chinese yam seed in 1000 times fludioxonil (Celest) or 1500 times azoxystrobin, and spray the trench before sowing to ensure the Chinese yam seedlings do not die during the seedling stage.
There are many underground pests in spring, mainly mole crickets, wireworms, white grubs, and cutworms. A relatively effective method is to spray 1500 times phoxim along the trench. Or use high-concentration thiamethoxam to spray the trench to control underground pests, with better results and higher safety.
4. Protect stems and leaves in the mid-term, and pay attention to three things.
In the mid-growth stage of Chinese yam, there are many rainy days and high humidity, which easily triggers anthracnose, brown spot disease, Alternaria leaf spot, brown rot, and viral disease. You can spray 1500 times azoxystrobin plus 600 times copper hydroxide, once every 15 days, for a total of 2-3 sprays. Brown rot can be controlled by drenching the roots with the above method, especially after heavy rain. For viral disease, the key is to control whiteflies and mites well. Pay attention to topdressing chemical fertilizer; in the mid-growth stage, topdress 2-3 times, applying about 25 kg per mu each time of potassium sulfate compound fertilizer. Pay attention to removing Chinese yam beans in time to reduce nutrient consumption.