How to Grow Konjac for High Yield? A Detailed Guide to Cultivation Methods
What Are the High-Yield Cultivation Methods for Konjac?
The high-yield konjac cultivation techniques are as follows:
1. Select high-yield varieties
At present, the two varieties most widely cultivated in China are the flower konjac (Amorphophallus konjac) and the white konjac (Amorphophallus albus). The flower konjac has a broad adaptive range and can be cultivated from Shaanxi and Ningxia all the way to various parts of Jiangnan; it is the main cultivated variety in China, with a seeding rate of 750 kg to 1000 kg per mu, and it readily achieves high yields under good water and fertilizer conditions. The white konjac has better quality but lower yield.
2. Seed treatment
① Seed selection: Good konjac seed corms are required to have a shallow upper end and small eyes, with the whole konjac shaped like a stone mortar.
② Pre-sprouting: 15 to 20 days before sowing, place the seed corms in a greenhouse or a sunny cold frame, spread wet sand on the bed, arrange the seed corms on it, then spread another layer of wet sand on top; at most only three layers of seed corms may be placed this way. For the first 10 days, keep the temperature at 20°C to 25°C, then keep it at 15°C for the next 10 days, with humidity maintained at 75%. Special care must be taken to prevent the seed corms from shriveling.
3. Planting
① Apply sufficient base fertilizer: Konjac prefers soil rich in organic matter, with a soil pH of 6-7, that is, neutral to slightly acidic sandy loam is best; applying more decomposed organic fertilizer helps improve the soil's physical and chemical properties and adjust the soil pH toward the ideal value. Therefore, more than 2500 kg of organic fertilizer is needed per mu, with the total fertilization level reaching 30 kg of pure nitrogen, 20 kg of phosphorus and 20 kg of potassium, and the base fertilizer amount is about 50% of the total amount.
② Planting spacing: Prepare the beds, open furrows or dig holes for sowing, with a row spacing of 0.5 m to 0.6 m and a plant spacing of 0.3 m to 0.5 m; the specifics depend on the size of the seed corms, with large corms planted sparsely and small corms planted densely. The general principle is that appropriate dense planting favors high yield, and the depth should be such that the upper part of the corm is 3 cm to 6 cm below the soil surface.
4. Field management
① Mulching: Konjac roots are concentrated in the surface layer of the soil, so deep tillage and loosening of the soil are not advisable. To prevent soil compaction and drought, the bed surface must be covered with straw after sowing; if weeds still grow in the field after mulching, they should be pulled out promptly. When growing konjac in low-altitude plains, not only should straw mulching be done, but shade plants should also be planted in the field or a certain light-transmitting shade shed should be built.
② Topdressing: Topdressing should mainly use neutral chemical fertilizers, and can be applied twice throughout the konjac growth period: the first topdressing in mid-June, at 30% of the total amount; the second topdressing in mid-August, at 20% of the total amount.
1. Select high-yield varieties
At present, the two varieties most widely cultivated in China are the flower konjac (Amorphophallus konjac) and the white konjac (Amorphophallus albus). The flower konjac has a broad adaptive range and can be cultivated from Shaanxi and Ningxia all the way to various parts of Jiangnan; it is the main cultivated variety in China, with a seeding rate of 750 kg to 1000 kg per mu, and it readily achieves high yields under good water and fertilizer conditions. The white konjac has better quality but lower yield.
2. Seed treatment
① Seed selection: Good konjac seed corms are required to have a shallow upper end and small eyes, with the whole konjac shaped like a stone mortar.
② Pre-sprouting: 15 to 20 days before sowing, place the seed corms in a greenhouse or a sunny cold frame, spread wet sand on the bed, arrange the seed corms on it, then spread another layer of wet sand on top; at most only three layers of seed corms may be placed this way. For the first 10 days, keep the temperature at 20°C to 25°C, then keep it at 15°C for the next 10 days, with humidity maintained at 75%. Special care must be taken to prevent the seed corms from shriveling.
3. Planting
① Apply sufficient base fertilizer: Konjac prefers soil rich in organic matter, with a soil pH of 6-7, that is, neutral to slightly acidic sandy loam is best; applying more decomposed organic fertilizer helps improve the soil's physical and chemical properties and adjust the soil pH toward the ideal value. Therefore, more than 2500 kg of organic fertilizer is needed per mu, with the total fertilization level reaching 30 kg of pure nitrogen, 20 kg of phosphorus and 20 kg of potassium, and the base fertilizer amount is about 50% of the total amount.
② Planting spacing: Prepare the beds, open furrows or dig holes for sowing, with a row spacing of 0.5 m to 0.6 m and a plant spacing of 0.3 m to 0.5 m; the specifics depend on the size of the seed corms, with large corms planted sparsely and small corms planted densely. The general principle is that appropriate dense planting favors high yield, and the depth should be such that the upper part of the corm is 3 cm to 6 cm below the soil surface.
4. Field management
① Mulching: Konjac roots are concentrated in the surface layer of the soil, so deep tillage and loosening of the soil are not advisable. To prevent soil compaction and drought, the bed surface must be covered with straw after sowing; if weeds still grow in the field after mulching, they should be pulled out promptly. When growing konjac in low-altitude plains, not only should straw mulching be done, but shade plants should also be planted in the field or a certain light-transmitting shade shed should be built.
② Topdressing: Topdressing should mainly use neutral chemical fertilizers, and can be applied twice throughout the konjac growth period: the first topdressing in mid-June, at 30% of the total amount; the second topdressing in mid-August, at 20% of the total amount.