Autumn potato planting is a good choice for disaster areas

Since July, some areas of our city have experienced continuous heavy to torrential rain, with severe torrential rain in localized areas, causing waterlogging in some farmlands and total crop failure. Autumn potato has a short growing period, high yield and good returns, making it a good crop for post-disaster self-rescue production. The main cultivation techniques are introduced as follows:

1. Select good varieties

For autumn-planted potatoes, choose early-maturing virus-free varieties with a short dormancy period, early tuber formation, rapid tuber bulking, good quality, high yield and a high marketable rate, such as virus-free Yupotato No. 1 and Yupotato No. 2.

2. Seed tuber selection and sprouting

The seed potatoes used for autumn planting are newly harvested spring potatoes from the seed field. Select small tubers that are disease-free, undamaged, bright-skinned and about 50g. Plant whole tubers. About 25 days before planting, carry out sand bed sprouting in a cool, ventilated place. The sprouting bed should be 100-120 cm wide, with a 5 cm layer of sandy soil; the length depends on the quantity of tubers and the sprouting site. Soak the seed potatoes briefly in clean well water, remove them and immediately spread them on the moist sand bed in a layer about 20 cm thick, then cover the top and all sides with 5-6 cm of moist sandy soil. Spray water once every two days to keep the sandy soil moist. When the sprouts reach 2-3 cm, they are ready for planting.

3. Apply sufficient base fertilizer. Potato is a fertilizer-loving crop with a short growth period. To obtain high yield, sufficient base fertilizer must be applied. The base fertilizer should be mainly farmyard manure, supplemented with some chemical fertilizer. In combination with land preparation, apply 5000 kg of high-quality decomposed farmyard manure, 50 kg each of ammonium bicarbonate and calcium superphosphate, and 30 kg of potassium sulfate per mu.

4. Sow at the appropriate time

The suitable sowing time for autumn potato is around August 20. If sown too early, the hot and rainy weather causes severe tuber rot and missing plants; if sown too late, the growth period is short and the yield is low. Sowing is best done on cloudy days; on sunny days, sow before 10 a.m. or after 3 p.m. Before sowing, open furrows on level ground to a depth of 10 cm, opening furrows, sowing and covering with soil to form ridges as you proceed.

5. Reasonable close planting

Autumn-planted potatoes generally have a row spacing of 60 cm and 4500-5000 plants per mu. If the planting density is too sparse or too dense, high yield cannot be obtained.

6. Strengthen field management

1. Scientific topdressing. After the seedlings emerge fully, apply a heavy quick-acting seedling-promoting fertilizer in combination with intertillage, applying 40 kg of ammonium bicarbonate per mu; before budding, when the seedlings are about 20 cm tall, apply another tuber-setting fertilizer in combination with earthing up, applying 10 kg of urea per mu. Combine topdressing with watering so that the fertilizer dissolves as early as possible and is absorbed by the roots.

2. Intertillage and earthing up. After emergence, carry out intertillage and weeding early. After heavy rain, shallow intertillage should be done promptly to loosen the surface soil. When the seedlings are about 20 cm tall, carry out the first earthing up in combination with intertillage; carry out the second earthing up at the beginning of flowering. When earthing up, be careful not to bury the lower leaves, so as not to affect photosynthesis and cause reduced yield. Carry out the third earthing up in late October before frost to protect the tubers and prevent frost damage.

3. Timely drainage and irrigation. Potatoes are afraid of both drought and waterlogging. Water promptly in drought to keep the soil layer moist and meet the water needs of potato growth; drain field water promptly after rain.

4. Pest and disease control. For underground pests such as white grubs, apply 2-3 kg of 3% phoxim granules mixed with 15-20 kg of fine soil per mu, broadcast evenly along the furrows. For aphids, spray with 20% fenvalerate emulsifiable concentrate or 50% pirimicarb wettable powder at 2000 times dilution. For late blight, spray promptly when diseased plants are found, using 25% metalaxyl wettable powder at 800 times dilution or 72% Kelu wettable powder at 700 times dilution, spraying once every 7-10 days for 2-3 consecutive sprays.

7. Harvest at the appropriate time

Potato is mainly a vegetative-growth plant; as long as the stems and leaves are not withered, the tubers can still enlarge. Therefore, harvesting can wait until the stems and leaves are killed by frost (early to mid-November), which gives the maximum yield. If the market price for potatoes is good, harvest can also be appropriately advanced. During harvest, prevent bruising the tubers and scratching the skin to facilitate storage. (Wu Tianming, Huaiyang County Agriculture Bureau)