Detailed Explanation of Sorghum Seedling Cultivation Techniques: Master the Key Points to Grow Strong Seedlings
Sorghum is one of the important food crops in China and is grown all over the country. When planting, the strength of sorghum seedlings determines the yield and quality of sorghum. It also determines the economic returns of farmers. So how can strong sorghum seedlings be cultivated? Let us take a look below at the seedling cultivation techniques for sorghum.
1. Select improved varieties
To cultivate strong seedlings, you must first select improved varieties according to the local planting environment, soil and temperature. For example, in areas with lower altitude, choose varieties that are short in plant height, have high first-season yield per unit area and strong ratooning ability, such as Hongyingzi and Qingkeyang. If you do not want double harvest and do not keep ratoons, you can also choose ones with strong stress resistance, while for brewing, choose the Hongyingzi and Qingkeyang varieties.
2. Choose the seedling cultivation site
Sorghum has a well-developed root system and extremely strong adaptability to soil, so it has low soil requirements and can tolerate salinity-alkalinity and poor soil. However, in order to cultivate strong seedlings, the soil of the seedling cultivation site should be selected as sandy loam with loose texture, deep soil layers and rich organic matter. In addition, seedlings are relatively sensitive to salinity-alkalinity, so it is not suitable to raise seedlings on saline-alkaline land. Acidic soil should be planted after proper improvement.
3. Seed treatment
Before sowing, the seeds must first be screened to eliminate small grains, shriveled grains and diseased grains, and select large, plump seeds as production seeds. Then choose a sunny day and expose the selected seeds to the sun for 2-3 days to increase their germination rate. Before sowing, dress the seeds with chemicals to prevent diseases, nutrient deficiency disorders and underground pests.
4. Sow at the right time
Sowing at the right time is the prerequisite for improving seedling germination, uniform seedlings and strong seedlings. Sorghum is not tolerant of low temperatures during germination. If sown too early, germination will be poor and it will be highly susceptible to disease, affecting yield; if sown too late, it will affect the growth period. When sowing, the soil moisture content is preferably around 20%. Late-maturing varieties should be sown early at the right time, and early-maturing varieties should be sown late at the right time. Sow reasonably and control density. Generally, the plant spacing and row spacing are about 15×20cm, the sowing depth is best at 3-5cm, and the soil cover is 2-3cm.
5. Seedling stage management
After sowing, cover with plastic film for heat preservation and seedling cultivation. When the seedlings grow to 3-4 leaves, thin them once; when they have 5-6 true leaves, finalize the seedlings. When finalizing the seedlings, keep strong seedlings and remove weak seedlings and off-type plants. During the seedling stage, carry out 2-3 cultivations: the first when finalizing the seedlings, the second 10-15 days after finalizing the seedlings, and the third before the jointing stage. Cultivation can be combined with weeding and topdressing to make the seedlings grow robustly. The water requirement of sorghum during the seedling stage is 10% of the water requirement of the entire growth period, so during this period attention should be paid to changes in moisture, and it should not be too much or too little.
The above are the seedling cultivation techniques for sorghum. We hope they can help you. If you want to learn more about sorghum cultivation knowledge, please stay tuned to us.