High-yield and high-benefit "garlic with beans" planting achieves two plantings and three harvests

Interplanting garlic with soybeans is one of the resource-saving agricultural cultivation models currently promoted by the Fujin City Agricultural Technology Extension Center. It rationally matches and combines crops according to their growth patterns and habits, forming a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship: the nitrogen fixation by soybean rhizobia increases the soil's nitrogen content, so the garlic does not suffer nutrient deficiency, which benefits the garlic's later growth and bulb enlargement. The garlic plants, especially the garlic roots, have a strong pungent taste in the soil, which strongly inhibits and kills various soybean pests, viruses and pathogens. Therefore, planting soybeans in garlic fields requires no various insecticides or herbicides, making it an important pathway for producing green food.

Autumn land preparation and autumn fertilization: For planting garlic, autumn land preparation must be carried out. During the suitable tillage period, plow deep 25-28 cm, and combine with land preparation to apply 3-4 cubic meters of organic fertilizer per mu, then harrow fine and level. If the autumn is dry, carry out compaction to preserve soil moisture.

Planting garlic: After Qingming, when the soil has thawed 15-20 cm, garlic can be planted; after planting, it freezes at night and thaws during the day, which will not cause frost damage to the garlic cloves. Method: Make furrows 5-7 cm deep, with row spacing of 60-65 cm, broadcast seed fertilizer along the rows, applying 20 kg of compound fertilizer per mu. After fertilizing, use a hoe to turn the original V-shaped furrow into a U-shaped ridge furrow, with furrow width of 15-18 cm, furrow depth of 3-4 cm, and plant spacing of 9-11 cm. When planting, it must be shallow, so that after covering with soil the garlic tips are not exposed. If not planting upright, be sure to broadcast evenly, without leaving gaps or clustering, and try to sow along the edges of the furrow. The seeding rate should be somewhat higher than for upright planting, and thinning and seedling spacing will be needed, covering with 2-3 cm of soil. After sowing, ridges can be formed, which has the advantages of raising soil temperature and promoting early emergence, but it adds one more field operation, and if not done well, it is easy to cover the soil too deep. Ridging can also be omitted, and should be applied flexibly.

First cultivation of garlic sprouts: When the seedlings emerge evenly and the first leaf unfolds, carry out one plowing before hoeing, with deep loosening and little soil carried, the purpose being to loosen the soil, raise soil temperature, and encourage the garlic sprouts to root quickly and deeply. When there are two leaves and one heart, carry out hoeing to remove weeds, eliminating weeds in the seedling row and on the ridge sides. Where upright planting was not used, thinning and spacing of seedlings should be carried out; the principle is to pull the small and keep the large, pull the inner and keep the outer, and set the seedlings according to the rationally required number of plants to be retained. After setting the seedlings, form ridges.

Sowing soybeans: After Beginning of Summer and before Grain Full (May 20), when the garlic sprouts have grown to 25-30 cm tall, open furrows and plant soybeans, applying 15-20 kg per mu of compound fertilizer or soybean special fertilizer, then cover with soil and press firm after sowing.

Hoeing and weeding: When the soybean seedlings have two true leaves, all surface weeds have emerged, and weeding must be done early, when small, and thoroughly. In particular, at this time the beans and garlic are in a "four-ridge" symbiotic state, which is unfavorable for operations. A small hoe blade should be used, and the garlic roots must not be injured, to avoid horizontal splitting of the garlic bulbs during the enlargement period.

Pulling garlic scapes: When the garlic scapes and garlic leaves straighten together, and the scapes stand about 10 cm above the top leaves, it is the best harvest time for garlic scapes. Too early affects scape yield, too late affects scape quality, and once they age they are hard to pull out. Garlic scapes are best pulled at noon on a sunny day; the pulled scapes are long and unbroken. To make the product uniform and consistent, a toothpick can be used to prick the scape stem 10-15 cm above the ground, and the pulled scape breaks off at the prick hole, which can increase yield. In Heilongjiang Province, the portion of the garlic scape outside the leaf sheath makes up two-thirds, and the portion inside the leaf sheath makes up one-third. Experiments have shown that pulling garlic scapes results in larger bulbs and higher yield than not pulling them. By pulling garlic scapes, not only is income increased, but it also plays a role in controlling the top and promoting the bottom.

Exposing the bulbs: After the garlic bolts, the bulbs begin to enlarge and divide into cloves. If the soil cover is too deep and the soil is compacted, it will affect bulb enlargement. At this time, remove excess covering soil and bank it around the soybean roots, achieving two benefits at once. Generally, it is best when one-third to one-half of the garlic bulb is exposed above the ground. Do not injure the roots or bruise the bulbs.

Harvesting garlic: When most of the garlic leaves turn yellow, the garlic scapes soften, and the garlic clove skins harden, harvesting begins. Pull them up along the rows, tie into small bundles and carry out of the field to dry. They can be laid flat to dry with bulbs facing up and leaves down; or stacked to dry in a north-south direction with bulbs facing outward and leaves facing inward. When the garlic bulb skins become soft and the garlic leaves are half-dry, braid them. Braid 50 bulbs per braid, hang two braids together, and place them on a wooden rack to dry. After the garlic stems are completely dry, store in a ventilated and dry place.

Soybean intertillage, hilling and topdressing: After the garlic is harvested, if the soybean seedlings show symptoms of nutrient deficiency, topdressing can be carried out. After topdressing, carry out deep plowing and hilling, using a large plowshare to carry more soil, forming "meeting ridges"; deep furrows and high ridges are beneficial for drought resistance and drainage. For foliar topdressing at the early and middle flowering stages of soybeans, a mixed solution of 0.3% ammonium molybdate plus 0.2%-0.3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate can be sprayed, or 0.5% urea plus 0.2%-0.3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate can be mixed and sprayed 1-2 times.

Pests, diseases and soybean harvest: In garlic with beans, basically no pests or diseases occur, and generally no control is needed, but in special disaster years attention should still be paid to observation and prevention. Soybean harvest is the same as with other planting methods.