Detailed Explanation of Key Points for High-Yield Chinese Yam Cultivation Techniques

Hello! I am a farmer from Heyuan City, Guangdong Province. I want to grow Chinese yam in my hometown. Online information says that growing Chinese yam requires a machine to drill holes in order to achieve high yields. Besides that, what other methods can make Chinese yam high-yielding? Thank you? Name: Huang Yanke Unit: Contact phone: 13829300466

Answer: Comrade Huang Yanke:
    Hello. Chinese yam, also known as shan yao, is grown for its thick, fleshy tuberous roots, which are used as food or medicine; the flesh is thick and rich in starch. Chinese yam has a distinctive flavor and is a valuable vegetable; in tropical regions it is often used as a staple food, and it is also a tonic and a good raw material for brewing wine. Chinese yam is a perennial herbaceous climbing plant with persistent roots. It likes warmth and cannot tolerate cold. The tuberous roots begin to sprout above 10°C. Stem and leaf growth is optimal at 25°C-28°C, and tuber enlargement is fastest at 20°C-24°C. To achieve high and stable yields, the following cultivation points must be carried out well:
    1. Site selection and land preparation:
    Chinese yam produces underground fleshy tuberous roots, and its fibrous roots are fine, so it has relatively strict soil requirements. Chinese yam is afraid of both drought and waterlogging (waterlogged soil). It generally requires deep soil, good aeration, rich organic matter, drainage and irrigation capability, and slightly acidic to neutral sandy soil, preferably yellow mud sandy soil, which is favorable for the Chinese yam roots to take root and grow. After selecting the site, plow more than 40 cm deep in winter, expose the soil to white and let it weather. After spring begins, prepare the land and form beds with a bed height of about 50 cm and a bed width of 1.4 m (including ditches), plant in double rows, and dig field perimeter drainage ditches. If the field is longer than 20 m, also open waist ditches to ensure rapid drainage during the rainy season. Chinese yam cannot be continuously cropped, and generally should be rotated once every 3 years.
    2. Seed treatment:
    20-25 days before planting, select the upper end of disease-free tuberous roots, the root head (about 10 cm), which is harder and rarely eaten, as seed. Dip the cut end in slaked lime powder to sterilize it, and store it in a cool, ventilated place. However, because the number of root heads is limited and continuous planting year after year easily causes degeneration, they cannot meet the needs of large-scale planting. To increase the propagation coefficient, most growers use the aerial tubers (bulbils) of Chinese yam for planting. Bulbils should be uniform in size and balanced in growth, which is conducive to management and achieving high yields. Bulbils that are too large cost more, while those that are too small do not produce strong buds, making it difficult to achieve high yields. In addition, to ensure uniform emergence, 15-20 days before sowing, the bulbils can be pre-germinated by burying them in moist sand and maintaining 20°C-30°C. When the germination rate reaches more than 80%, the stronger seedlings can be selected and transplanted to the field.
    3. Apply sufficient base fertilizer and sow at the right time:
    Applying sufficient base fertilizer is one of the key technical measures. Per mu, use 1500-2000 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer (or 40-50 kg of imported compound fertilizer) and 50 kg of superphosphate as base fertilizer. In March-April, when the temperature rises above 12°C and the soil temperature steadily reaches above 10°C, choose a sunny or cloudy day for planting (rainy days are not suitable). Before planting, first open planting furrows at a row spacing of 50 cm, then open furrows between the two planting rows, apply the base fertilizer, and immediately cover with soil. Then place the root heads upright in the planting furrows at a plant spacing of 25-30 cm, being careful not to place them upside down, one piece per hole (if using bulbils for planting, one bulbil per hole; to benefit root growth, the bulbil should be placed horizontally in the planting furrow), and then cover with 3-5 cm of soil.