Field management and harvesting of broccoli cultivation, and key points of topdressing methods for edible fungi

Field management and harvesting of broccoli cultivation

① Fertilizer and water management: The land is required to be high and dry. Within two weeks after planting, keep it alternately dry and wet to promote root development; after two weeks, keep the field moist and use water to regulate fertilizer; after budding, sufficient water must be ensured, and furrow irrigation may be used when necessary; clear the ditch system to ensure that water does not accumulate in the ditches after rain during the rainy season.

Export broccoli requires firm and robust plants, with tight, round and upright heads, and no hollowing, so fertilizer and water must not be excessive. More organic fertilizer should be applied as base fertilizer, and topdressing should combine nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, using compound fertilizer, with an appropriate amount of urea. Do not apply excessive nitrogen fertilizer one-sidedly in the later stage to prevent hollowing. Seedling-promoting fertilizer: After planting and seedling establishment, apply 0.5% ammonium bicarbonate plus 1% superphosphate by watering, and topdress again after about 5 days, with the principle of keeping the planting hole soil moist. Plant-developing fertilizer: At about 10 leaves, apply 1% urea as plant-developing fertilizer; apply more when the plants are small and less when the plants are large; apply lightly on sunny days and strongly on rainy days, and water frequently to keep the soil moist. Head fertilizer: Apply head fertilizer heavily. When the head appears, apply 30 kg of ternary compound fertilizer per mu, and at the head enlargement stage apply another 15 kg of urea to promote stem enlargement.

② Intertillage and earthing up: Generally 5 to 6 days after planting, when the soil surface begins to harden due to operations or rain impact and weeds begin to germinate, carry out the first intertillage. After that, depending on the situation, carry out intertillage 1 to 2 times after rain when the soil is appropriately dry and wet. Broccoli plants are tall, and the stem base is also high, making them prone to lodging, so earth up once before the plants close the rows to promote adventitious root formation and thicken the stems, preventing lodging. Do not earth up too much during the rainy season and high-temperature period to avoid root rot.

③ Bud removal: Export broccoli only harvests the terminal head, so side buds that appear must be removed in time to reduce nutrient consumption.

④ Harvesting: Standards for fresh-keeping export broccoli heads: diameter 11 to 14.5 cm, head firm, round and upright, buds small. A single head weighs more than 300 g (including the main stem), so it must be harvested at the right time. When harvesting, cut off together with the upper 6 to 7 leaves. After harvesting, transport to the processing plant promptly and do not stack or press them. During periods when the temperature is above 15°C, the transport time after harvest must not exceed 8 hours, and harvesting should be done in the morning or evening.