Production Technology for Grade A Green Food Garlic in Dongping County

Green food refers to safe, high-quality, nutritious foods that follow the principles of sustainable development, are produced according to specific production methods, are certified by a specialized agency, and are permitted to use the green food label, being free from pollution.

Grade A green food refers to products whose production site environmental quality meets the requirements of NY/T391-2000, which are produced in strict accordance with the green food production material use guidelines and production operating procedures, with limited use of restricted chemically synthesized production materials, whose product quality meets green food standards, and which are certified by a specialized agency and permitted to use the Grade A green food label.

Standards for the production site environmental conditions, variety selection, yield indicators, cultivation techniques, pest and disease control, and pesticide and fertilizer use for Grade A green food garlic cultivation:

GB8079-1987 Vegetable Seeds

GB8172-1987 Control Standards for Agricultural Use of Municipal Refuse

NY/T391-2000 Technical Conditions for Green Food Production Site Environment

NY/T393-2000 Guidelines for Pesticide Use in Green Food

NY/T394-2000 Guidelines for Fertilizer Use in Green Food

I. Production Site Environment

1. Site conditions: select plots with fresh air and no industrial or mining pollution. The production site environment shall comply with the Green Food Production Site Environmental Quality Standard (NY/T391-2000).

2. Soil conditions: select sandy loam, loam or Shajiang black soil rich in organic matter, with good aeration, good water retention and drainage performance; the terrain is required to be relatively high and level, with a low groundwater table, and a pH value of 6 is preferable. For example, the Shajiang black soil in eastern Cangshan County is an ideal soil for garlic cultivation.

II. Variety Selection: select varieties that are disease-resistant, high-yielding, high-quality, good in marketability, resistant to pests and diseases, and strong in stress resistance. Seed quality shall comply with national standards, and genetically modified varieties shall be rejected. Examples include Cangshan rough garlic, Puke, and Gaojiazi.

Before sowing, garlic seed must be strictly selected: choose representative garlic bulbs that are large in bulb size, large in clove size, and uniform in cloves. Any that are moldy, insect-damaged, or root-rotted must be removed, and then the cloves are separated and graded. Generally they are divided into three grades: large, medium and small. Sow the first-grade seed first (about 500g per 100 cloves), then the second-grade seed (about 400g per 100 cloves); in principle, do not sow third-grade seed.

III. Apply Sufficient Base Fertilizer, Prepare the Land and Make Beds. Garlic requires relatively large amounts of fertilizer; follow the fertilization principle of giving priority to organic fertilizers with chemical fertilizers as a supplement, and giving priority to base fertilizer with topdressing as a supplement. Before plowing the land, apply 4-5 cubic meters of decomposed organic fertilizer per 667 sq m. After leveling and harrowing finely (soil clod diameter should be less than 3cm), make beds. After leveling the bed surface, apply quick-acting chemical fertilizers; the application rate depends on soil fertility and can be determined through soil testing and formula fertilization. For soil of medium fertility, apply 70kg of compound fertilizer (15-15-15), 40kg of bio-organic fertilizer (applied in concentrated form), and 15kg of urea per 667 sq m, while also supplementing medium and trace element fertilizers such as boron, zinc and sulfur. After fertilizing, carry out fine plowing and fine harrowing, and make beds. The bed surface must be leveled; otherwise, it will be difficult to cover the plastic film well, and the garlic seedlings will be difficult to emerge uniformly. The bed width is 1.80m, and the ditch between beds is 20cm wide and 10cm deep.

IV. Sowing. Plastic-film garlic must not be sown too early. The suitable germination temperature for garlic is 15-20°C. If sown too early, garlic emergence is slow and the cloves are prone to rotting. The sowing period is September 20 to October 15. The sowing density is preferably 30,000-35,000 plants per mu, that is, row spacing 20cm and plant spacing 8-10cm. Plastic-film garlic should not be planted too deep, so as to facilitate bulb expansion. The planting depth is 2.5-3.0cm, then cover with soil and plastic film. When covering with film, pull the film flat and tight, press the two sides firmly with soil, and make the film cling closely to the ground to facilitate garlic emergence.

V. Field Management

1. Seedling stage management: 7 days after sowing, young shoots begin to emerge. Before the shoots release leaves, gently pat the plastic film with a broom or similar tool, and the garlic shoots can then penetrate the film. Where the ground is level, sowing quality is high, and the film is pulled tight, 70%-90% of garlic shoots can penetrate the film through patting. A small number of young shoots cannot push through the film, and a small iron hook can be used to break the film in time and lift the seedlings out; otherwise, seedling growth will be seriously affected, and the film will also be prone to tearing.

2. Management before winter and during the overwintering period: after emergence, depending on soil moisture and emergence uniformity, a light watering may be given to promote full stands and lay a good foundation for overwintering. Loam or light clay loam may be watered before covering with plastic film, while clay soil may be watered after covering with plastic film or not watered. If garlic maggot (seed corn maggot) damage is found, promptly drench the roots with phoxim or abamectin. According to soil moisture, winter water may be applied in early to mid-November; it must be thoroughly watered, and winter water must never be irrigated when the soil is frozen. During the overwintering period, special attention should be paid to keeping the plastic film intact and preventing it from being blown up by wind; if any such problem is found, it should be pressed down promptly.

3. Management at the greening stage: in the Cangshan garlic area, in mid-February of the following year, that is, before "Jingzhe," the temperature rises and garlic seedlings resume green growth. Before and after greening, a plant cold-resistance agent may be sprayed once to prevent damage to garlic from a late spring cold spell. After the Spring Equinox, garlic is at the "mother bulb rotting stage," during which garlic maggot is likely to occur, so attention should be paid to strengthening control.