High-Quality, High-Yield Cultivation Techniques for the New Potato Variety Kexin No. 18

The new potato variety Kexin No. 18 is a robust, high-yielding variety with strong resistance to late blight, developed through years of breeding by the Keshan Potato Research Institute of the Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences. This variety has extremely strong adaptability and a wide planting range. The average yield is around 3000 kg per mu, and high yields can exceed 5000 kg. Calculated at the average price of 0.70 yuan/kg in recent years, the output value per mu can reach 2100 to 3500, making it an ideal high-yield, high-efficiency cash crop for adjusting the planting structure. Through multi-point trial and demonstration research, we have now summarized a complete set of simple and practical high-yield cultivation techniques as follows.

1 Autumn Plowing and Land Preparation

For Kexin No. 18, it is best to choose loose, fertile land that drains easily and can be irrigated. The best preceding crops are @#@245@#@ and soybean. After selecting the plot, generally require deep autumn plowing of more than 25 cm, achieving deep tillage and fine harrowing, so that the field surface is level and uniform, preserving soil moisture for sowing the following spring. In areas with irrigation conditions, irrigate after the Start of Winter, then after the soil thaws in spring, harrow and roll to conserve moisture; in spring-drought areas, spring irrigation can be carried out to build up soil moisture before sowing.

2 Rational Fertilization

In spring, while preparing the land, apply organic fertilizer and base fertilizer in a single banded application into the 15 to 20 cm soil layer. The fertilizer amount can be appropriately increased to ensure nutrient supply at each stage of growth. Generally, apply 2500 to 4000 kg of organic fertilizer per mu, 20 kg of urea, 15 to 20 kg of diammonium phosphate, and 25 kg of potassium sulfate.

For growers with the means, spray monopotassium phosphate or Fuwan potassium on the leaves 1 to 2 times at the bud stage to prevent nutrient deficiency.

3 Careful Selection of Seed Potatoes

When storing seed potatoes in the cellar, remove misshapen tubers, cracked tubers, those with protruding eyes, dull skin color, or rough, aged skin, as well as diseased, rotten, or mechanically damaged tubers. When the seed potatoes are taken out of the cellar the following spring, strictly discard moldy, rotten tubers and those with slender, densely clustered sprouts. Tubers with slight disease symptoms should not be kept either.

4 Seed Potato Treatment

After selection, the tubers are sprouted before sowing. The sprouting method is to dig a pit 33 to 50 cm wide and 50 to 65 cm deep in a sheltered, sunny spot, with the length as convenient. Spread a 10 cm layer of pure horse manure or fine sand at the bottom of the pit, place 3 to 4 layers of tubers on top, and cover the pit opening at ground level with a layer of plastic film. When the sprouts reach 2.0 to 2.5 cm, the tubers are dark green, the young sprouts are dark green or purple-green, and young roots have emerged, cut the tubers into pieces or sow whole tubers. When cutting, once again discard undesirable tubers whose eyes do not sprout or whose flesh has discolored. Cut pieces should not be smaller than 30 g, and must not be cut into thin slices. It is best not to use the eyes at the very tail end.

The cut sprout pieces can be treated with fungicides such as thiophanate-methyl and talcum powder to dry the cut surfaces as quickly as possible and prevent infection by pathogens.

5 Timely Sowing

The sowing period should be determined according to local climatic conditions. In Keshan in normal years, sowing is completed around May 5. Sowing should be done at a uniform depth. If sown too deep, emergence is hindered and yield is affected; if sown too shallow, the rate of green heads is high.

6 Rational Close Planting

According to our trials, with 4000 plants per mu, the yield was 9893.4 kg; with 6000 plants per mu, the yield was 1333.4 kg. Generally, keep 3500 to 5000 plants per mu. Plots with good soil fertility are suitable for sparser planting, and vice versa for denser planting. To facilitate hilling and air and light penetration, the row spacing should be wide and the plant spacing appropriately reduced. Generally, plant spacing x row spacing is 15 to 30 cm x 65 to 80 cm.

7 Cultivation and Hilling

When the seedlings are fully emerged, weed and loosen the soil, with the loosened soil layer above 5 cm. Hilling should be done early. Cultivate and hill twice before flowering: the first hilling when the seedlings are about 10 cm tall; the second hilling at the bud stage and before the rows close. Practice shows that cultivation and hilling have an obvious yield-increasing effect.

8 Field Management

If early-spring drought occurs, areas with watering conditions should irrigate. Usually, winter water, full-emergence water, bud-stage water, and flowering water can be applied. The specific number and amount of irrigations should be determined by the soil water-holding capacity.

During the tuber-setting stage, combine promotion, control, and protection. That is, control aboveground growth while promoting underground tuber formation. Spray promptly to prevent and control late blight and aphids. In early July, spray metalaxyl or 25% carbendazim to prevent the occurrence of late blight. If central diseased plants are found in the field, pull them out and destroy them promptly. Spray once every 7 to 10 days, generally 2 to 3 times. In years with high late blight incidence, appropriately increase the number of sprays and the dosage, or alternate multiple agents to avoid resistance. For aphids, use 40% omethoate at 1800 to 2000 times dilution for control.

This variety is disease-resistant, and it is best to harvest after more than 90% of the field plants have naturally withered.