How to Fertilize Chinese Yam? A Complete Guide to Methods and Key Points
How do you fertilize Chinese yam? Please explain the fertilization methods. The following two approaches can be used to fertilize when growing Chinese yam: The first type, in places such as Hebei and Henan, some farmers have grown Chinese yam continuously for many years and can achieve yields of more than 4000 kg per mu. Their approach is based mainly on organic fertilizer, with an appropriate amount of chemical fertilizer as a supplement...
How do you fertilize Chinese yam? Please explain the fertilization methods.
The following two approaches can be used to fertilize when growing Chinese yam:
The first type, in places such as Hebei and Henan, some farmers have grown Chinese yam continuously for many years and can achieve yields of more than 4000 kg per mu. Their approach is based mainly on organic fertilizer, with an appropriate amount of chemical fertilizer as a supplement. First, before planting, deep-plow the soil and sun the clods, and apply plenty of base fertilizer. Apply 5 cubic meters of decomposed organic fertilizer per mu, mixed with 25 kg of ordinary superphosphate and 10 kg of potassium sulfate, so that the 30 cm deep soil layer is loose and fertile. For just over a month after planting, control water and do not apply topdressing either. When the vines grow to 30-40 cm long, according to the growth of the seedlings, apply a small amount of nitrogen fertilizer as appropriate and give one light watering. The first nitrogen fertilizer and watering must not be used liberally; if used excessively, they will promote aboveground vine growth and delay underground rhizome growth, causing "vine running" and resulting in difficulty in later management and reduced yield. The second topdressing should wait until after the vines climb the trellis and the growth advantage of the vines has basically formed, then apply nitrogen fertilizer again, such as 15-20 kg/mu of urea, or 30 kg/mu of ammonium bicarbonate. This time it is to meet the need during the aboveground growth transition period to promote stem, leaf and root growth. The third topdressing is in the middle stage of root tuber enlargement, adding 10-15 kg/mu of urea. These last two topdressings are both in the rainy season, when soil moisture is good and fertilizer effects are clearly expressed. Last year, an agricultural science extension worker in Wen County, Henan Province, suggested that at the second topdressing, in addition to applying 15 kg/mu of urea, 10 kg of potassium fertilizer should also be added, and the effect was quite good. This set of experience in fertilizing Chinese yam has been widely cited locally.
The key to this type, with large amounts of organic fertilizer and a moderate amount of chemical fertilizer, is to grasp the techniques for using chemical fertilizer. In the middle growth stage, through 2-3 topdressings of nitrogen and potassium fertilizer, obtain high Chinese yam yields steadily and safely. The key technique for nitrogen topdressing is to grasp the timing of nitrogen topdressing well, especially the timing and amount of the first nitrogen application, which must be just right and not excessive. Otherwise, the problem of "vine running" will occur. At present, with the expansion of the planting area of Tiegun Chinese yam, in new production areas where the amount of organic fertilizer applied is not large and chemical fertilizer supply is the main approach, the problem of balanced fertilization for Tiegun Chinese yam has become even more prominent.
The second type: when there is not enough organic fertilizer, chemical fertilizer accounts for a relatively large proportion in Chinese yam fertilization. The key technical points of balanced fertilization should note the following:
The base fertilizer for Chinese yam should be applied deeply below 25-30 cm. The types of base fertilizer should combine organic fertilizer with chemical fertilizer, and loosening the soil and sunning the clods should be arranged. The chemical fertilizer in the base fertilizer should be mainly phosphorus and potassium, with nitrogen as a supplement and following the principle of stable nitrogen application. Generally, nitrogen in the base fertilizer should not use the nitrate form, only ammonium or amide.
The topdressing for Chinese yam should be mainly quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer, appropriately combined with potassium fertilizer. For nitrogen, some nitrate and ammonium compound types can be used, either solid or liquid.
Regarding the topdressing period, Chinese yam is characterized by mainly growing vines in the early growth stage and mainly growing roots in the later stage. In terms of topdressing timing, nitrogen and water should be controlled in the early stage, appropriate and timely topdressing and irrigation should be done in the middle stage, and nitrogen and potassium fertilizer should be combined for topdressing during the root tuber enlargement stage. The number of topdressings is 2-3 times, namely applying fertilizer to strengthen the vines, appropriately applying nitrogen and potassium fertilizer at the transition stage, and applying nitrogen fertilizer at the root tuber enlargement stage.
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