Key Points of No-Till Potato Cultivation Technology and Detailed Planting Methods

1 Application situation: This technology is mainly applied on 5000 mu of land in Enshi Prefecture in western Hubei, Zhijiang, Xiangfan City and the suburban areas near Wuhan City, saving about 50 yuan per mu in tillage and land preparation costs. Fresh potatoes are brought to market early in April to May, and the price can increase by more than 50%.

2 Key technical parameters

2.1 Choose middle-season rice fields near suburban areas. After the rice harvest, uniformly spray 200-250 ml of Gramoxone per mu onto the rice stubble and field weeds. After 24 hours, fertilizer can be applied and furrows opened to form beds.

2.2 Choose early-maturing potato varieties such as Nanzhong 552.

2.3 In mountainous areas, sprout the seeds and sow in mid-September; in northern Hubei and the Jianghan Plain, sprout the seeds and sow in mid-to-late December. The density is about 4000 plants per mu. After sowing is completed, cover the bed surface with 15 cm of thick rice straw, then water the rice straw thoroughly.

2.4 Keep the field moist until emergence. If drought occurs, water can be poured into the furrows to fill most of the furrow, then allowed to drain naturally to ensure the field soil remains moist. During the period of potato emergence and growth, if nutrient deficiency appears, additional fertilizer can be applied.

2.5 The potatoes grow between the bed surface and the rice straw. At harvest, lift off the rice straw and harvest in stages according to size for market. The potatoes are free of soil and have good appearance quality.