Tips for Increasing Potato Yield
Tips for Increasing Potato Yield
1. Discard the tail buds
Tests have shown that after the tail buds of potatoes grow into plants, their yield is only 34% of that of plants grown from top buds or side buds. Therefore, when selecting and cutting seed potatoes, growers should use top buds or side buds and discard the tail buds.
2. High-ridge cultivation
High-ridge cultivation with soil hilled up on both sides can increase the looseness of the soil in the root and stem zone of the active soil layer, help the stolons extend, and also raise the soil temperature to meet the temperature needed for early root and stem development. Compared with ordinary cultivation, it can increase yield by 11%-23%.
3. Remove flower buds
The usable part of the potato is the underground tuber, which does not need nutrients obtained through flowering and pollination, while budding and flowering consume a large amount of nutrients. Therefore, to obtain high yield, buds must be removed as soon as they appear, so as to save nutrients and promote tuber growth. This method can increase yield by 8%-17%.
4. Formula fertilization
Potatoes must have sufficient nutrients throughout their entire growth and development period. In poor soil and fields with low nutrient content, formula fertilization must be carried out to meet the potato's demand for nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and micronutrient fertilizers during growth and development. Especially when formula fertilizer is applied during the tuber bulking stage, the yield can be greatly increased.
5. Foliar spraying of fertilizer
On the basis of applying sufficient base fertilizer, starting from leaf expansion, spray the leaves once every 10 days with a mixture of 0.1% magnesium sulfate, 0.3% monopotassium phosphate, and 1000-fold triacontanol, for 3-5 consecutive sprays. This can increase the total yield by 21%-31%.
6. Less hoeing, more ridging
The fleshy roots of potatoes grow horizontally in the soil, and deep hoeing often cuts off the extending fleshy roots, which artificially causes a reduction in yield. Therefore, after the first hoeing is completed, only ridge without hoeing. By combining ridging soil to suppress weeds with manual pulling, weed infestation can be prevented, and the yield can be significantly increased.
7. Supplementary application of magnesium fertilizer
During the growth and development of potatoes, especially during the tuber bulking stage, if magnesium fertilizer is sufficient, the yield will increase and starch accumulation will increase, meaning high yield and good quality. Therefore, when the plants are 45 cm tall, magnesium sulfate should be dissolved in water and applied as a topdressing. This can increase yield by 20% and increase starch content by 2%-4%.
Tests have shown that after the tail buds of potatoes grow into plants, their yield is only 34% of that of plants grown from top buds or side buds. Therefore, when selecting and cutting seed potatoes, growers should use top buds or side buds and discard the tail buds.
2. High-ridge cultivation
High-ridge cultivation with soil hilled up on both sides can increase the looseness of the soil in the root and stem zone of the active soil layer, help the stolons extend, and also raise the soil temperature to meet the temperature needed for early root and stem development. Compared with ordinary cultivation, it can increase yield by 11%-23%.
3. Remove flower buds
The usable part of the potato is the underground tuber, which does not need nutrients obtained through flowering and pollination, while budding and flowering consume a large amount of nutrients. Therefore, to obtain high yield, buds must be removed as soon as they appear, so as to save nutrients and promote tuber growth. This method can increase yield by 8%-17%.
4. Formula fertilization
Potatoes must have sufficient nutrients throughout their entire growth and development period. In poor soil and fields with low nutrient content, formula fertilization must be carried out to meet the potato's demand for nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and micronutrient fertilizers during growth and development. Especially when formula fertilizer is applied during the tuber bulking stage, the yield can be greatly increased.
5. Foliar spraying of fertilizer
On the basis of applying sufficient base fertilizer, starting from leaf expansion, spray the leaves once every 10 days with a mixture of 0.1% magnesium sulfate, 0.3% monopotassium phosphate, and 1000-fold triacontanol, for 3-5 consecutive sprays. This can increase the total yield by 21%-31%.
6. Less hoeing, more ridging
The fleshy roots of potatoes grow horizontally in the soil, and deep hoeing often cuts off the extending fleshy roots, which artificially causes a reduction in yield. Therefore, after the first hoeing is completed, only ridge without hoeing. By combining ridging soil to suppress weeds with manual pulling, weed infestation can be prevented, and the yield can be significantly increased.
7. Supplementary application of magnesium fertilizer
During the growth and development of potatoes, especially during the tuber bulking stage, if magnesium fertilizer is sufficient, the yield will increase and starch accumulation will increase, meaning high yield and good quality. Therefore, when the plants are 45 cm tall, magnesium sulfate should be dissolved in water and applied as a topdressing. This can increase yield by 20% and increase starch content by 2%-4%.