How to grow spring potatoes? Remember these cultivation key points

In some regions, the sowing period for spring potatoes (potatoes) has begun one after another. All localities should combine local actual conditions, adapt to the time and place, and do a good job in production.

Implement crop rotation

Potatoes are suitable for crop rotation, not continuous cropping, and should not be continuously cropped with Solanaceae crops such as eggplant, tomato, tobacco, chili pepper, and other crops. It is best to rotate with gramineous and leguminous crops, otherwise it will aggravate the harm of bacterial wilt, late blight, viral diseases, aphids, and other pests and diseases, seriously affecting potato yield. In terms of soil selection, light loam and sandy loam with deep cultivated layers, loose structure, and strong drainage and permeability are the best.

Sow early at the right time

Sowing at the right time is the prerequisite for achieving high yield and increased income in spring potatoes. Depending on the altitude and climate characteristics, the sowing time for spring potatoes in Sichuan is generally from January to March. Flat dam and shallow hilly areas mainly plant small spring potatoes, which should be sown before the Beginning of Spring; higher-altitude mountainous areas mainly plant large spring potatoes, generally sown after thawing. Some higher-altitude cool plateau mountainous areas can sow in April.

Select good varieties

All localities should select good varieties according to local conditions and vigorously promote virus-free seed potatoes. To plant potatoes, first select varieties with high quality, high yield, disease resistance, and suitability for local cultivation according to the planting season, climate conditions, production needs, and so on. At present, Sichuan Province mainly promotes high-quality, high-yield, disease-resistant varieties such as Mira, the Chuanyu series (Chuanyu No. 4, Chuanyu No. 5, Chuanyu No. 6, Chuanyu Early, etc.), the Liangshu series (Liangshu 97, Liangshu 14, etc.), Zhongshu No. 2, and Zhongshu No. 3.

While selecting suitable varieties, those with conditions should vigorously promote virus-free seed potatoes. The use of virus-free seed potatoes in production can generally increase yield by about 30%. In the absence of virus-free seed potatoes, seed potatoes should be purchased from nearby high-altitude areas. This is a key measure to ensure high yield of spring potatoes.

Reasonable close planting

The planting modes of spring potatoes include pure cropping and intercropping/relay intercropping. Among them, strip intercropping of potatoes with corn and other crops is the main mode. Whether pure cropping or intercropping/relay intercropping of potatoes, the quality of land preparation should be improved, ridges should be raised and beds formed, and cold-protection measures such as appropriate deep sowing, thick soil covering, and plastic film mulching should be adopted to ensure full emergence in one pass. Attention should be paid to reasonable close planting. For strip planting, 3000-4500 hills per mu; for pure cropping, 4500-6000 hills per mu. Appropriate adjustments can be made according to climate conditions, soil fertility, production purposes, and cultivation methods.

Scientific fertilization

The growth period of potatoes is relatively short. Fertilization should adhere to the principles of mainly organic fertilizer, supplemented by chemical fertilizer, applying heavy base fertilizer, increasing phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, and not applying or applying little and early topdressing, so as to avoid excessive stem and leaf growth in the later stage without tuber formation.

Generally speaking, more than 80% of the fertilizer should be used as base fertilizer, mainly farmyard manure, barnyard manure, and so on, combined with mixed application of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium inorganic fertilizers. Combined with land preparation, generally apply about 2000 kg of organic residue fertilizer per mu as base fertilizer, together with 25-50 kg of calcium superphosphate and an appropriate amount of nitrogen and potassium fertilizer (100 kg plant ash, 5-10 kg urea) as base fertilizer, and use about 2000 kg of human and livestock manure water to soak the hills before sowing.

Topdressing should depend on the seedling condition. Generally, topdressing should be applied early rather than late to promote strong seedlings and early growth. Topdressing should be less rather than more. That is, after full emergence, lightly apply a seedling-promoting fertilizer mainly based on nitrogen fertilizer once, and cultivate soil once more (when the seedlings are 10-15 cm high, apply 1500 kg of human and livestock manure and 10 kg of potassium sulfate per mu). Within 20 days before harvest, after the plants close rows or after flowering, topdressing should no longer be carried out.

Pest and disease control

In field management, spring potatoes should strengthen the control of pests and diseases, mainly late blight, bacterial wilt, and aphids.

Potato late blight is similar to a fungal disease. When central diseased plants are found in the field, they should be immediately pulled out or the diseased leaves picked off and destroyed, and 25% metalaxyl mancozeb 600-fold solution, or 72% Kelu 700-800-fold solution, etc. should be sprayed on the plants for control, once every 7-10 days, for 2-3 consecutive sprays.

Potato bacterial wilt is a bacterial disease. Pay attention to preventing and controlling bacterial wilt at the seedling stage. When diseased plants are found in the field, pull them out in time, and be careful to dig out diseased tubers completely. In the early stage of the disease, use 14-28 grams per mu of 72% agricultural streptomycin soluble powder 4000-fold solution, or 3% zhongshengmycin wettable powder 800-1000-fold solution, or 0.15-0.2 kg of 77% copper hydroxide wettable fine powder 400-500-fold solution for root irrigation.