Potato cultivation under small arch shelters can bring an earlier harvest to market

When potatoes are grown under small arch shelters, harvesting can generally begin around late March of the following year, about 20 days earlier for market than potatoes grown in open fields, with a net income of 800-1200 yuan per mu.

Choose extra-early-maturing varieties such as Dongnong 303. From emergence to the point when they can be dug, Dongnong 303 generally needs only about 80 days. It has strong growth vigor, oblong tubers, yellow skin and yellow flesh, smooth skin, dense tissue, shallow eyes, medium-sized tubers that are fairly uniform, concentrated tuber set, and good quality, making it suitable for cultivation as an extra-early vegetable potato.

Site selection and land preparation: Choose rice fields with good drainage (dry land can also be used). After the late rice harvest, plow and do a preliminary leveling. On a sunny day, stretch a line and mark with ash, open ditches and divide into beds. The bed surface is 1.3 m wide and the ditch is 0.5 m wide, and the beds and ditches should be neat and uniform. Then open sowing furrows at a row spacing of 45 cm, with a furrow depth of 12 cm.

Sow early at the right time: In mid-to-late November, choose a sunny day when the soil is dry and sow. Place seed potatoes in the sowing furrows at a plant spacing of 20 cm, keeping about 7,000 hills per mu. Apply sufficient basal fertilizer: per mu, use 2,000-2,500 kg of decomposed pig and cattle pen manure or farmyard manure, plus 20 kg each of urea and superphosphate and 15 kg of potassium sulfate. Apply the organic fertilizer in a band in the sowing furrow on top of the seed potatoes, and apply the chemical fertilizer in a band between the hills without touching the seed potatoes. Take fine soil from between the rows to cover and level the sowing furrows, making sure the bed is level and the soil is fine.

Cover with plastic film on arched frames: Use bamboo strips to make an arch about every 2 m, then cover with plastic film. The center of the small arch shelter is about 60 cm high. Use soil clods from the bed ditches to press down the film around the edges, pressing it firm and tight to prevent the wind from blowing the film away.

Strengthen field management: Generally do not remove the film after sowing and before emergence. After emergence, if hot weather occurs, pay attention to opening both ends of the film to lower the temperature, but under normal conditions do not remove the film. If frosty weather occurs, cover the small arch shelter with straw curtains in the evening to keep it warm, and remove the film the next day during the daytime. If freezing weather occurs, cover both sides of the arch film with straw curtains during the day, exposing the top of the film to let light through, and at night cover the entire arch film with straw curtains. During drought, use furrow irrigation, irrigating to 2/3 of the ditch depth and letting the water soak into the soil. Prevent flood irrigation, soaking irrigation, and prolonged irrigation. Pay attention to controlling aphids and 28-spotted ladybird beetles and others. To control aphids, choose targeted pesticides such as yashijing (Yibianjing, Dagongchen, Kangfuduo, imidacloprid, etc.). To control 28-spotted ladybird beetles, choose targeted pesticides such as 2.5% Decis.

Harvest and market in a timely manner: Generally, harvesting can begin in mid-to-late March for early market sale to obtain a good price.