A Detailed Guide to Konjac Seed Prices and Planting Methods
Konjac is also known as konnyaku, moyu, ruotou, etc. It is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Amorphophallus in the Araceae family, and has a cultivation history of more than two thousand years in China. In ancient China it was called "demon taro," and since ancient times it has been known as "intestinal sand remover." It is now commonly cultivated in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, southern Shaanxi and western Hubei. Let us take a look below at konjac seed prices and planting methods!
How much does a jin of konjac seeds cost?
The price of konjac seeds is about 4 to 6 yuan per jin, but prices vary depending on seed quality, variety, place of origin and market. In fact, the "seed" of konjac is not a botanical seed; its formation process is very special. The konjac "seed" reproduced through sexual reproduction is morphologically a typical asexual organ——a small corm. The prices of first-generation and second-generation seeds differ, prices differ from place to place, and the price fluctuations are relatively large.
Konjac Growing Conditions
1. Soil: Konjac requires deep, loose and fertile neutral to slightly acidic sandy loam rich in organic matter and humus. The most suitable pH (acidity and alkalinity) is 6.5 to 7.5. Generally, it can grow at pH 5.5 to 6.5 or pH 7.5 to 8.
2. Humidity: Konjac requires sandy loam with good soil drainage, a low groundwater table and a soil moisture content of 50 to 65%, a relative air humidity of 55 to 70%, and annual rainfall of 1000 to 1500 mm.
3. Temperature: The suitable temperature during the growth period of konjac is 15 to 25°C. Growth is inhibited above 35°C, and the aboveground part naturally lodges below 12°C. During dormancy it can tolerate -5°C, and below -8°C the underground tubers suffer freeze damage.
4. Light: Konjac is a shade-tolerant crop and is most afraid of direct light. It requires low sunlight intensity and short sunshine hours. The optimum light intensity for the development of the aboveground part is 1/3 of sunlight, and root development requires dim light.
How are konjac seeds planted?
1. Land preparation and fertilization: After choosing a good planting site for konjac, deeply plow the land once in autumn and winter. During deep plowing, farmyard manure can be applied according to actual conditions. Before sowing, choose fine weather to prepare the soil and make beds, using deep furrows and high beds for planting, with a bed width of 1 m including the furrow and a bed height of 15 to 25 cm.
2. Seed taro selection: For konjac seeds, choose ones with small and shallow bud pits, plump corms, thick and strong terminal buds, a ring of traces on the upper part of the tuber where fibrous roots have broken off or fallen, smooth lower and bottom surfaces, no fibrous roots, no cracks, no scars, no injury or rot, and a weight of 300 g.
3. Seed taro disinfection: Before sowing, soak the konjac seed taro in 10 million units of agricultural streptomycin soluble powder mixed with 20 kg of water (1000 PPM) for 0.5 to 1 hour, then take them out to dry in the air for 1 to 2 days. This can reduce the occurrence of diseases.
4. Planting time: Konjac seeds are generally sown only when the soil temperature at 10 cm has stabilized above 12°C. Depending on the climate in each place, this is usually suitable from early March to late April, no later than early [month omitted in source], and can also be planted before winter.
5. Sowing method: When planting konjac, adjacent rows should be placed in a staggered manner. Place the seed taro diagonally at 45 degrees in the furrow; on sloped land, place the terminal bud upward. For seed taro that are rhizomes, place the terminal buds continuously in one direction, then cover with soil, apply fertilizer on top of the soil, and cover with soil again over the fertilizer.
Konjac Planting Management
1. Mulching management: After sowing konjac, vigorously collect various crop straw, pod shells, dead leaves and other mulch materials to meet the standard of "no clumps of grass, no bare ground." Generally about 2000 jin of mulch is needed per mu. After September, be careful to remove mulch that has not decomposed.
2. Weed removal: The root system of konjac is shallow. To prevent intertillage and hoeing from cutting and injuring the developing young roots and underground stems and affecting normal plant growth, weeds can be pulled by hand, but you can only squat in the furrow to pull weeds. Do not step on the bed surface, to prevent crushing and injuring the underground rhizomes.
3. Clearing furrows and earthing up: Konjac is afraid of both drought and waterlogging, so during the rainy season, especially after heavy rain, go to the field to inspect planted plots, dredge the furrows and drain water, and ensure the water channels are unobstructed. While clearing the furrows, place the fine soil from the furrows onto the bed surface.
4. Scientific topdressing: Topdressing konjac mainly involves applying decomposed clear manure water when seedlings emerge and leaves unfold. Dry pig manure residue can also be applied between plants, allowing rainwater to carry it into the soil for absorption and use by konjac roots. To avoid burning roots, it is best to use clear manure for topdressing. If the base fertilizer is insufficient, compound fertilizer can be applied as topdressing.
Konjac Pest and Disease Control
1. Soft rot
[Symptoms] It affects leaf stalks, corms and leaves. After being damaged, the tissues turn black and soften and give off a foul odor, and the fruits may even rot and lodge in patches.
[Control] Strengthen cultivation management, regularly deep plow and prepare the land, drain water and improve ventilation. When selecting seeds, carefully choose seed taro that are free of rot and wounds. Before sowing, they can be soaked in an appropriately proportioned agricultural streptomycin solution.
2. Southern blight
[Symptoms] It affects the base of the leaf stalk, thereby causing damage to the leaf stalk or corm.
[Control] Strengthen management and promptly drain accumulated water. Do not carry out continuous cropping or intercropping with peanuts, Solanaceae crops or soybeans. An appropriately proportioned Bordeaux mixture can be used to spray and disinfect the area around where the leaf stalks contact the soil surface during the period from corm change to corm expansion.
3. Leaf blight
[Symptoms] It harms leaves. The pathogen has a very strong infective capacity, causing konjac to wither and die in patches.
[Control] The prevention and treatment measures for leaf blight are basically the same as those for soft rot.
4. Insect pests
[Symptoms] The main insect pests affecting konjac growth are sweet potato hornworms, konjac nematodes, bean hornworms, etc.
[Control] During winter and spring, remove weeds and dead leaves, use intercropping of konjac and corn in the field, and also remove pests manually or with insecticides. Also pay attention to choosing decomposed farmyard manure when using it.