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Detailed Explanation of Key Points of Potato Intercropping and Relay Cropping Techniques

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Intercropping and relay cropping of potatoes with grain, cotton and vegetable crops can greatly improve the utilization of light energy and land, and increase the economic benefit per unit area. Test results from Zhangqiu City, Shandong Province show that cotton-potato relay cropping can yield more than 260 kg of lint cotton and more than 2,100 kg of potatoes per mu; spring potato - corn - autumn potato intercropping and relay cropping can yield 2,100 kg of spring potatoes, 590 kg of corn and 1,300 kg of autumn potatoes per mu. The net benefit of these two cultivation models can be 100 percent higher than that of monoculture cotton or corn.

Intercropping and relay cropping of potatoes with grain, cotton and vegetable crops can greatly improve the utilization of light energy and land, and increase the economic benefit per unit area. Test results from Zhangqiu City, Shandong Province show that cotton-potato relay cropping can yield more than 260 kg of lint cotton and more than 2,100 kg of potatoes per mu; spring potato - corn - autumn potato intercropping and relay cropping can yield 2,100 kg of spring potatoes, 590 kg of corn and 1,300 kg of autumn potatoes per mu. The net benefit of these two cultivation models can be 100 percent higher than that of monoculture cotton or corn. The following points should be noted in potato intercropping and relay cropping cultivation:

I. Variety combination must be suitable: In two-crop regions, early-maturing potato varieties should be selected for intercropping and relay cropping of potatoes. Plastic film mulching should be used for spring potato cultivation to shorten the symbiotic period with other crops as much as possible and ease the conflicts in water, fertilizer and cultivation management during the symbiotic period of the two crops.

II. Select the correct cultivation method:

1. For potato-corn intercropping, to solve the problem of corn shading, a two-to-two planting method can be used, that is, two rows of potatoes and two rows of corn, with a row spacing of 30 cm for both, each strip 120 cm wide, potato plant spacing 20 cm, and a density of 3,700 plants per mu for potatoes and corn. For tall-stalk corn, a three-to-two planting method can be used, that is, three rows of corn and two rows of potatoes, with corn row spacing 40 cm and plant spacing 30 cm, potato row spacing 60 cm and plant spacing 20 cm, the distance between potato and corn rows 30 cm, each strip 200 cm wide, and a density of 3,333 plants per mu for potatoes and corn.

2. For potato-cotton intercropping, potatoes are generally sown about one month earlier than cotton, and the symbiotic period is short, making it a very good combination. A two-to-two cultivation method is suitable, with potato row spacing 60 cm and plant spacing 20 cm, the distance between potatoes and cotton 40 cm, each strip 180 cm wide, and a density of 3,700 plants per mu for potatoes and cotton.

III. In spring cultivation, attention should be paid to resolving the conflict in water demand. Potatoes are more cold-tolerant than other crops and are sown earlier than other crops. After emergence, they need watering. In this way, early watering of potatoes will lower the soil temperature and affect the emergence and seedling-stage growth of intercropped crops such as cotton and corn. Therefore, when watering is necessary, small amounts of water should be applied between two rows of potatoes.

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