Growing potatoes in idle winter fields yields good returns

1. Choose good field plots and sow at the right time. Choose double-cropping rice areas below 100 m altitude, with little or no frost in winter and an average annual temperature above 19°C, requiring paddy fields with deep topsoil, loose texture, medium-to-upper fertility, and convenient drainage and irrigation; at the same time, arrange the sowing period reasonably. After the double late rice is harvested in mid-November, immediately plow deep and sun-bleach the soil, sow in early to mid-December, and harvest from late March to early April the following year.

2. Prepare the land finely and make deep furrows and high ridges. Potatoes grown in paddy fields in winter are most afraid of waterlogging, so fine land preparation should be advocated, with deep plowing and high-ridge cultivation. Before planting, first harrow and break up the soil and level it, clear away rice stubble, open deep furrows and build high ridges. The ridges are 35-40 cm high and 90-100 cm wide, with furrows 30-40 cm wide.

3. Use good varieties and plant at a reasonable density. For winter-planted potatoes, early and medium-maturing varieties should be selected, such as Chunshu No. 4, Zhongshu No. 3, Kexin No. 3, Chunshu No. 2, Kexin No. 2, and other varieties. To increase yield, it is best to use virus-free seed potatoes and adopt double-row hole sowing, with a plant-to-row spacing of 30 cm x 30 cm, sowing one seed potato per hole, and sowing 3000-4000 holes per mu.

4. Sow whole tubers and sprout seeds according to the seed condition. Select disease-free whole small tubers and soak them in a 10 ppm gibberellin solution for 15 minutes 15-20 days before sowing, then place them in moist sand to sprout; or spray them with a mixed solution of 5 ppm gibberellin and 1% thiourea to sprout; or about 40 days before sowing, place the seed potatoes under scattered light at room temperature of 15-18°C to sprout, and at any time remove rotten, diseased potatoes and tubers with long thin sprouts. When the sprouts of the tubers are about 1 cm long and white root points appear at the base of the sprouts, they can be sown.

5. Focus on base fertilizer and apply topdressing early. Winter fertilization should be based mainly on base fertilizer, with topdressing as a supplement; apply topdressing early, apply more farmyard manure, and apply nitrogen fertilizer appropriately. For base fertilizer, use 1000 kg of human excrement and urine per mu plus 20 kg of superphosphate and 15 kg of potassium sulfate, or use 50 kg of ternary compound fertilizer per mu. After covering with soil, the seed potatoes can be planted, and 1500 kg of soil and miscellaneous fertilizer per mu should be used as covering fertilizer for the seeds, then cover with another 2 cm of soil. At the full seedling stage, carry out the first topdressing together with checking and replanting seedlings and intertillage weeding, using 1000 kg of human excrement and urine per mu plus 15 kg of urea. 30 days after emergence, carry out the second topdressing, applying 1000 kg of decomposed human excrement and urine per mu.

6. Carry out timely intertillage and build up soil thickly. During the potato growing period, carry out timely intertillage weeding and earthing up twice together with topdressing. The first time is at the full seedling stage, and the second time is before the plants close the rows, combining topdressing with clearing the furrows and building up soil thickly, so as to reduce deformed tubers and prevent late blight. Before frost in winter, cover with rice straw or crop stalks 2-3 cm thick to keep warm and prevent freezing.

7. Manage water scientifically and control diseases and pests. In the early stage, irrigate in time during drought, and in the later stage pay attention to drainage. Keep the soil moist throughout the growing period, and promptly control the main potato diseases.