How to Grow Leaf Mustard for High Yield? Key Cultivation Techniques Explained
How to grow leaf mustard for high yield? Please advise. Leaf mustard is the most diverse and varied variety among mustard types; apart from a few that can be eaten fresh, most are pickled vegetables. In recent years, with the adjustment of the agricultural industrial structure, the area planted and processed for leaf mustard has gradually increased, but to do a good job in leaf mustard production...
How to grow leaf mustard for high yield? Please advise.
Leaf mustard is the most diverse and varied variety among mustard types; apart from a few that can be eaten fresh, most are pickled vegetables. In recent years, with the adjustment of the agricultural industrial structure, the area planted and processed for leaf mustard has gradually increased, but to do a good job in leaf mustard production and improve yield and commercial quality, the following key points must be grasped.
1. Choose the sowing period. Leaf mustard requires a cool, moist, and mild climate, with an optimum growth temperature of 15-20°C. Large or hearting varieties with stricter cool-temperature requirements are mainly sown in autumn, that is, sown in early September and harvested around December; varieties with stronger tolerance to high temperatures can be sown in early autumn, that is, sown in August and harvested around November; varieties with late bolting can be sown in late autumn, that is, sown in October and harvested around March of the following year; varieties susceptible to viral disease can be sown appropriately later, and varieties not easily infected by viruses can be sown appropriately earlier; varieties that do not bolt easily, have stronger tolerance to high temperatures, and are used for food as smaller plants can be sown from February to September and harvested 30-60 days later; in cool areas or mountainous regions, sowing can be earlier, and in warm areas or as a late rice succeeding crop, the sowing period can be postponed; early-maturing varieties can be sown appropriately earlier, while late-maturing varieties can be sown appropriately later.
2. Cultivate strong seedlings. Most are first raised as seedlings and then transplanted, though varieties used for food as smaller plants can also be directly sown. For early autumn sowing, it is best to choose soil with good water and fertilizer retention as the seedbed; for late autumn sowing, drainage work should be done well. After the seedbed land is plowed, expose it fully to the sun, apply sufficient organic fertilizer, and prepare the soil finely. Sow 50 grams per 67 sq m of seedbed, which can plant 1333 sq m of field. After sowing, cover with soil 1-2 cm deep. For early autumn sowing, mulch should also be applied to retain moisture and removed promptly after sprouting. Before emergence, pay attention to watering in the morning and evening. Thin the seedlings when there are 2-3 true leaves, with a seedling spacing of 3-6 cm, and apply decomposed dilute human manure. During the seedling stage, pay attention to controlling aphids.
3. Transplant at the right time. Soil that retains water and fertilizer and is moist loam is best, with a bed width of 1.2-1.4 m. Before soil preparation, apply manure or barnyard manure. When seedlings are 12-15 cm tall and have 5-6 true leaves, transplant them. For early-sown seedlings, the seedling age is about 25 days, for autumn sowing 30 days, and for late autumn sowing 40 days. For early-maturing varieties, the row and plant spacing is 33-40 cm x 33 cm; for mid- and late-maturing varieties, 40-45 cm x 33-30 cm. During transplanting, prevent root damage, twisted root masses, and suspended roots.
4. Field management. Water 2-3 days after transplanting. For early autumn sowing, prevent autumn drought; for late autumn sowing, do a good job of drainage. Fertilization is mainly nitrogen fertilizer, and at the seedling stage and in the field, appropriately increase phosphorus and potassium fertilizer to improve disease resistance. After transplanting and survival, apply human and livestock manure 4-5 times, from dilute to concentrated. For early autumn sowing, topdress promptly; for late autumn sowing, do not fertilize before spring, otherwise the plants will grow tender and, in colder areas, are prone to frost damage. After spring begins, growth is especially fast, so apply more nitrogen fertilizer to promote leaf growth and improve quality. If nitrogen fertilizer is insufficient and the soil is dry, the plants will weaken and bolt early. Therefore, management after overwintering should start early, with timely watering and fertilization to make vegetative growth vigorous, which is an effective measure to increase yield and quality. For mustard used for processing, stop topdressing half a month before harvest. When watering and topdressing, combine with intertillage and weeding.
Mustard bolting and flowering do not necessarily require low temperatures, but they do require a certain long-day photoperiod. Autumn mustard generally does not bolt under short days, while spring-sown mustard bolts very easily. Through vernalization, there are types with relatively high low-temperature requirements and types with less strict low-temperature requirements. Although some varieties pass through vernalization, due to low temperatures, flower bud development is slow, and even if they bolt, they cannot flower. However, for pickled vegetables, harvesting at the bolting stage does not affect processing quality and instead increases yield. At the same time, mustard flower stalks are generally relatively thick and sturdy, and before flowering are soft and fleshy, also serving as excellent processing material.
The main disease is viral disease. Thoroughly control aphids during the seedling period and the early growth stage after transplanting, spraying once every 7-10 days with 40% dimethoate 1000-fold solution. Yellow-striped flea beetle larvae damage the roots; apply 20-25 kg of ammonia water per mu.
5. Harvest in time. Those sown in early autumn are generally harvested around December; early-maturing varieties sown in autumn and late autumn are harvested in March; late-maturing varieties are harvested in April, or leaf-stripping harvest can be used at the 5-6 leaf stage. After leaf stripping, combine with topdressing. For seedlings used as food, harvest at any time 40 days after transplanting. Early autumn sowing yields 1500-2000 kg per mu; autumn sowing 2000-2500 kg; late autumn sowing more than 3500 kg. Spring and summer sowing about 1000 kg.
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