Detailed Explanation of Key Points for Green Potato Cultivation Techniques

Green, pollution-free, high-quality potato cultivation techniques are based on traditional potato cultivation techniques, through applying more organic fertilizer, less chemical fertilizer, selecting varieties with strong disease resistance and excellent quality, and using physical means to kill insects and sterilize. The specific key points are as follows:

1. Timely deep plowing and sun-drying of soil to kill insects and sterilize. After harvesting summer grain crops such as peas and @#@245@#@, promptly deep plow and sun-dry the soil, taking advantage of the strong sunlight during the 3 fu days to sun-kill underground pests such as white grubs in the soil and kill low-temperature-tolerant pathogens in the soil, so as to provide a relatively safe soil environment for potato growth the following year.

2. Increase organic fertilizer application and improve fertilizer use efficiency. The heavy application of chemical fertilizers such as ammonium bicarbonate is the main factor causing potato rot and affecting potato quality and marketable rate, and it also easily leads to soil compaction. Applying more organic fertilizer can not only improve the soil but also enhance potato quality. Generally, apply 6000 kg of plant ash and 5000 kg of decomposed human and livestock urine and manure per mu. When storing organic fertilizer, store plant ash and human and livestock urine and manure separately to avoid nutrient loss caused by mixing. In combination with organic fertilizer, apply 10 kg of phosphate fertilizer and 5 kg of urea per mu. Fertilization is carried out together with sowing; generally, organic fertilizer is applied in the seed potato rows, and chemical fertilizer is applied in the empty rows.

3. Select high-quality seed potatoes. Excellent varieties are not only a prerequisite for ensuring stable and high potato yields, but also the main factor in ensuring potato quality and improving resistance to pests and diseases. For starch-processing potatoes, varieties such as Qingshu No. 2, Ningshu No. 8, Alpha, and Longshu No. 3 are generally selected; for late-maturing export-oriented types, storage-tolerant varieties such as Qingshu 168 and Ningshu No. 4 are generally selected.

4. Advocate planting small whole seed potatoes and strictly disinfect cutting knives. Small whole seed potatoes have the characteristics of strong vitality, strong drought resistance, easy sprouting, robust seedlings, and avoiding cross-infection by pathogens. In production, priority should be given to using small whole seed potatoes as seed potatoes. In practice, the number of small whole seed potatoes is small and cannot meet the seed requirement. When cutting seed potatoes, prepare multiple cutting knives and disinfect the cutting knives with boiling water, potassium permanganate, or alcohol. When a cutting knife cuts into a diseased potato, immediately disinfect the cutting knife again to avoid pathogen transmission through the cutting knife.

5. Reasonably select the planting pattern and scientifically determine the planting density. Selecting a suitable planting method and determining an appropriate density is not only beneficial to field management, ventilation and light transmission, and reducing pathogen infection, but can also stabilize and increase yield. Through many years of field trials, the "double-row close planting" pattern is simple for field management and significantly increases yield, and the suitable planting density is 3800 plants to 4500 plants.

6. Manual field weeding, intertillage, and hilling. After the potato seedlings emerge evenly, carry out manual intertillage and weeding to increase soil temperature, avoid competition for water and fertilizer between crops and weeds, and improve drought and cold resistance. Before potato budding, carry out hilling; in combination with hilling, apply 3000 kg of decomposed human manure organic fertilizer and 5 kg of urea per mu.

7. Control potato pests and diseases. Potato pests and diseases are mainly diseases. The main ones include ring rot, late blight, blackleg, and viral diseases. Ring rot is mainly spread through diseased seed potatoes, and disinfecting cutting knives is one way to eliminate the transmission route. Comprehensive measures should be adopted, combining the use of disease-resistant varieties, removal of diseased plants in the field, and application of low-toxicity pesticides. In addition, during the seedling stage and adult plant stage, dig out diseased plants and treat them centrally. For late blight control, first, select disease-resistant varieties such as Ningshu No. 4 and Qingshu 168; second, select disease-free seed potatoes; third, select 64% Duofun [Shaduofan] 400-times solution, spray 50 kg per mu, once a week, for 3 consecutive sprays. For blackleg control, first, select disease-resistant varieties; second, adopt small whole seed potato planting and cutting knife disinfection; third, mix seeds with plant ash; fourth, sow appropriately early; fifth, dig out diseased plants. For viral disease control, first, promote virus-free varieties such as virus-free Alpha and Zhongxin 24; second, prevent aphids to control the disease, spraying aphids with 40% omethoate 1000-times solution to 2000-times solution. In the early stage of viral disease occurrence, spray with 1.5% Kubingling emulsifiable concentrate 1000-times solution and 20% Virus A wettable powder 500-times solution.

8. Advocate mixing seeds with plant ash. After cutting seed potatoes, mix them with plant ash, which has the functions of supplementing potassium, resisting drought, resisting cold, and controlling pests and diseases.