How to cultivate lotus in shallow ponds using straw? Detailed explanation of the new technique

Lotus cultivation with straw in shallow ponds gives high yields, is easy to harvest, saves water and labor, and the planting area is expanding year by year, with an average yield of 4,000 kg of lotus roots per mu, more than 30% higher than ordinary shallow-pond lotus.

1. Choose suitable varieties. For planting stock, choose early-maturing varieties with thick, round roots, white skin, crisp and tender flesh, sweet taste, good quality and high yield, such as "Elian No. 4", "Elian No. 5", "Jinan White Lotus Root", etc.

2. Build the lotus pond

1. @#@185@#@Material preparation: The lotus pond should be located in a sunny place without shade from trees, such as wasteland at the edge of the village, abandoned homesteads, disused pits and ponds, low-lying abandoned land, etc. Building one mu of lotus pond requires 5 tons of lime, 5 tons of cement, 30 tons of sand, 800 sq m of 8-silk polyethylene plastic film, and 230 cement precast blocks measuring 70 cm x 50 cm x 5 cm (length x width x thickness). The total cost per mu is about 5,000 yuan.

2. Build the pond: The pond is 60 cm deep, and the slope of the pond walls is 60 degrees. Spread lime on the pond bottom, rotary-till it 2-3 times to a depth of 20 cm, and after the soil and lime are mixed evenly, level and compact the pond bottom with a tamping machine. Tamp the pond walls firm with 3:7 lime soil, lay the film smoothly over the pond bottom and walls, then apply a 2-3 cm thick layer of concrete. Stand the prepared slanted boards against the pond walls and seal the seams with cement. The completed lotus pond can be used for 15 years.

3. Land preparation and fertilization. Spread rice straw, wheat straw, corn stalks or weeds into the pond to a thickness of 30-40 cm; each mu requires 15,000 kg of straw. Mix 5,000 kg of farmyard manure, 50 kg of diammonium phosphate and 50 kg of potassium sulfate evenly with the covering soil, then cover the straw with it to a thickness of 12-15 cm.

4. Selection of planting stock and arranging the roots. Dig up the planting stock just before planting, and select whole roots that match the characteristics of the variety and have attached daughter roots as seed roots; the daughter roots must grow in the same direction. Cut the planting stock 1.5 cm after the second node, spray the roots with a 500-fold solution of 50% carbendazim or a 600-fold solution of chlorothalonil, and let them sit for 1 day before use; alternatively, soak the seeds for 30 minutes in a 500-fold solution of 50% carbendazim for disinfection.

Arrange the roots from Qingming to Guyu. Use 300 kg of planting stock per mu, with a row spacing of 1.5-2 m and a plant spacing of 0.6-1 m. When arranging the roots, bury the lotus tips 12-15 cm deep in the straw, with the rear node slightly raised above the water surface to use sunlight to promote sprouting. Arrange the plants in a triangular pattern facing the gaps so that the lotus rhizomes are distributed evenly. On the four sides, point the lotus tips toward the inside of the pond so the rhizomes do not extend beyond the banks. After arranging the roots, fill with water to a depth of 4-5 cm.

5. Field management

1. Weeding, leaf removal and flower removal: Weed when floating leaves appear half a month after planting. One month after planting, when the floating leaves gradually wither, remove them so sunlight can penetrate the water and raise the water temperature. Once the standing leaves cover the water surface, do not enter the field to weed, to avoid bruising the lotus roots. After buds appear, bend the flower stalks and insert them into the mud.

2. Topdressing: Topdress twice during the growing period. The first topdressing is when the lotus has produced 5-7 standing leaves and enters the vigorous growth stage; apply 1,000-1,500 kg of manure per mu, or 10 kg of diammonium phosphate and 10 kg of potassium sulfate. The second topdressing is at the root-forming stage; apply 50 kg of NPK compound fertilizer per mu. Topdressing should be done on a windless, sunny day. Lower the water before fertilizing, and once the fertilizer has been fully absorbed into the soil, refill to the original water level. After topdressing, splash clean water to rinse the lotus leaves.

3. Water level regulation: In the early planting period, keep shallow water of 4-7 cm; during the vigorous growth period, as the standing leaves and branches grow vigorously, gradually deepen the water layer to 12-15 cm; at the root-forming stage, it is best to keep shallow water of 4-7 cm.

4. Turning the lotus tips: When the curled leaves are 1 m from the pond edge, turn the lotus tips near the pond edge back toward the inside of the pond at any time so the roots are distributed evenly. During the peak growth period, turn them once every 2-3 days; during the slow growth period, turn them once every 7-8 days, for a total of 5-6 turns. Turning is best done at noon when the stems and leaves are soft; simply lift the tip and bury it in the soil in the direction of the turn.

5. Pest and disease control: The main disease of lotus is rot disease, which mainly attacks the underground stem of the lotus, causing it to turn brown and rot, and leading to wilting of the aboveground parts.

Control methods: (1) Disinfect with lime before arranging the roots; place 50-70 kg of quicklime lumps per mu of lotus pond; (2) If disease occurs during the growing period, promptly pull out the diseased plants and spray the whole field with a mixed solution of 600-fold 50% carbendazim plus 600-fold 75% chlorothalonil, or mix equal amounts of the above two fungicides, use 500 g per mu mixed with 25 kg of fine soil, pile and cover for 4 hours, then scatter it into the pond, once every 5-7 days, for 2-3 consecutive treatments. The main pests are aphids and cotton leafworms. Aphids can be controlled with imidacloprid, pirimicarb, etc., and cotton leafworms can be controlled with pyrethroid pesticides, chlorfluazuron, flufenoxuron, etc.

6. Harvesting. After October, lotus roots can be harvested at any time as needed. Because this straw-based shallow-pond lotus cultivation is used, harvesting is convenient; you only need to grasp the roots and slowly pull them out.