How to grow fennel for high yield? Detailed cultivation techniques
Fennel, also called cumin, is a common seasoning in our daily lives. It can be used in medicine and cosmetics, and is also a premium spice and health product. It has fairly wide applications and good planting prospects. So how should it be grown to achieve high fennel yields? Let's take a look below at the high-yield cultivation techniques for fennel.
1. Land selection and fertilization
Fennel prefers a moist, cool environment. In addition, fennel seeds are relatively small, so their ability to break through the soil is poor and their root system is shallow. Therefore, choose flat terrain with deep soil, loose and fertile soil, and good drainage, such as sandy loam. Practice rational crop rotation; the previous crop is best wheat, corn, rice, or similar. After selecting the plot, fertilize in combination with land preparation. Generally, apply 3000-4000 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer or farmyard manure per mu, plus 20-30 kg of ternary compound fertilizer, and plow it deeply into the soil. Before planting, in order to reduce the harm of pests and diseases, weeding and disinfection can be carried out along with land preparation. A lower concentration of acetochlor can be sprayed on the ground, then harrowed fine and mixed evenly with the soil, then leveled, or sow after one week.
2. Make good sowing preparations
First, select good seeds. Choose seeds that are plump, yellow-green in color, disease-free, and undamaged. In order to improve the germination rate and reduce disease damage, seed treatment should be done before sowing. Before sowing, choose a sunny day and sun the seeds for one to two days. When sunning the seeds, be careful to turn them so they are heated evenly. Soak and select the seeds with 10% salt water, remove those floating on top, select those sinking to the bottom for sowing, then dress the seeds with 0.3% dexon to eliminate pathogens carried on the surface. Before sowing, zinc fertilizer is generally also used for seed dressing, which helps fennel emerge uniformly.
3. Sowing
Fennel prefers cool conditions, so sowing is generally carried out when the soil temperature is about 5 degrees, and mid-March is suitable. Sowing can be done by drilling or hole sowing, with a plant-row spacing of 15×30cm and a sowing depth of 3-5cm. Generally, drilling requires 2-3 kg of seed per mu, while hole sowing requires 1-1.5 kg per mu.
4. Field management
After fennel seedlings emerge uniformly, timely intertillage and weeding should be carried out to eliminate weeds and promote early seedling growth. Generally, during the seedling stage, intertillage and weeding should be done 2-3 times, and the depth of each intertillage should gradually increase. When the seedlings grow 3-4 true leaves, thin them in time, controlling the plant spacing at about 5cm and the density at 50,000-80,000 plants per mu. During thinning, do a good job of fertilizer and water management. Fennel is a plant that prefers dryness and fears moisture, so pay attention to field water management. Especially after rain, field humidity is relatively high, which can easily cause large-scale death. Therefore, when planting, watering is generally chosen in the evening or on cloudy days. Do not water before rain, and drain promptly after rain. Generally, topdressing should be done 2-3 times throughout the growth period. The first time is before flowering, applying 5-10 kg of nitrogen fertilizer per mu; the second time is from flowering to the grain-filling stage, generally applying phosphorus and potassium fertilizer as a foliar spray; the third time is before harvest, applying boron fertilizer and calcium fertilizer, which can increase yield.
5. Pest and disease control
The main disease of fennel is root rot, the pest is cutworm, and there are also weeds. All of them can affect the growth and development of fennel, and in severe cases cause reduced yield or total crop failure. Pest and disease control measures should not be underestimated. Agricultural and chemical methods can be combined for control. Choose disease-free and pest-free seeds and plots for planting. After discovering diseased plants, pull them out promptly and take them out of the field to burn, so as to prevent the pathogen from infecting again. Apply more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer to improve disease resistance. When pests and diseases are found, spray chemicals for control.
The above are high-yield cultivation techniques for fennel. I hope they can help you. If you want to learn more about vegetable cultivation, please follow us.