Why Do Sweet Potatoes Grow Deformed? Causes and Preventive Measures Explained

Sweet potato, also known as fan shu or di gua, is an annual herbaceous plant rich in protein, starch, vitamins and minerals, and it also has anti-cancer, diabetes-preventing and weight-loss benefits, combining edible and medicinal value in one. However, deformed growth can occur during sweet potato cultivation, causing certain losses for farmers. So what causes deformed sweet potatoes? Let's take a look with Qinongwang.

Causes of Deformation

1. Continuous cropping and nutrient deficiency: If sweet potatoes are grown continuously on the same land for a long time, pests and diseases become more severe, resulting in deformation. In addition, when planting, many farmers habitually apply the three fertilizers nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, especially large amounts of nitrogen fertilizer, causing vigorous vine growth, which affects the plant's absorption of other trace nutrients. Elements such as calcium and boron are essential substances for plant growth; a lack of these trace elements causes the sweet potato skin to become thin and lose elasticity, so it splits open and becomes deformed.

2. Pesticide residues: During sweet potato cultivation, excessive use of pesticides on the previous crop leaves certain pesticide residues in the soil when sweet potatoes are planted. These pesticides affect the growth of sweet potatoes and, over time, cause deformed growth.

3. Organic fertilizer not fully decomposed: As mentioned above, trace elements are lacking, and organic fertilizer or farmyard manure is rich in these elements and can meet the growth needs of sweet potatoes. However, some farmers apply these organic fertilizers before they are fully decomposed, so after application the organic fertilizer releases a large amount of heat during decomposition, causing root burn and leading to deformed growth of the sweet potato tubers.

4. Pests and diseases: Sweet potatoes suffer from many pests and diseases during cultivation, and these can all cause damage, for example stem nematodes, black spot disease, wireworms, white grubs and other pests and diseases can all cause deformation.

There are many other causes of deformed sweet potatoes, such as variety, heavy clay soil or soil with large amounts of stones, rocks and other hard objects, improper water and fertilizer management, or weeds in the field competing for nutrients.

Preventive Measures

In response to the above causes of deformation, take the appropriate measures to prevent deformation.

1. Continuous cropping causes severe pests and diseases and leads to deformation, so we should practice rational crop rotation, rotating with other crops, to avoid the losses caused by continuous cropping. In addition, fertilization should be reasonably balanced, and not single or biased, so as to prevent the plants from growing excessively and affecting the absorption of trace elements.

2. Pay attention to pesticide dosage and concentration, check the pesticide residue situation when planting, and try to avoid plots with excessive pesticide residues.

3. When applying organic fertilizer and farmyard manure, be sure to fully decompose them before application.

4. Great importance must be attached to the prevention and control of pests and diseases. When pests and diseases are found, deal with them promptly and take the corresponding measures for prevention and control.

5. When planting, choose varieties with high yield, good quality and strong disease resistance. After planting, strengthen water and fertilizer management, and water and fertilize in a planned way according to the plant's growth conditions and climate changes, so as to prevent cracked skin and deformation when the sweet potato roots are about to expand.

The above are the causes of deformed sweet potatoes and preventive measures brought to you by Qinongwang. We hope it can help you. To learn more about sweet potato cultivation, please keep following Qinongwang.