Tackling the Core Challenges: High-Yield, High-Efficiency Sweet Potato Cultivation Techniques
Release Date:
2021-03-05
Select varieties based on soil characteristics and market demand. On sandy soils, use sweet potato cultivars that are tolerant of poor fertility; on high-fertility plots, choose varieties such as Shangshu 19 and Longshu 9.
The seedbed is prepared by mixing topsoil with well‑decomposed organic fertilizer or lignin‑based microbial fertilizer; the use of a bio‑organic fertilizer (e.g., Yidingsan) at 80–160 kg per mu is recommended. Compared with seedbeds treated solely with urea, this approach allows for an additional harvest of sweet potato seedlings every 3–4 cycles. When the seedbed temperature drops below 10°C, supplemental heating is required, and nighttime temperatures should be maintained at no less than 15°C both before and after emergence.
Spring plowing and harrowing have been replaced by winter plowing followed by spring harrowing; winter plowing can freeze and kill underground pests and pathogens.
Use scissors disinfected with an 800-fold dilution of potassium permanganate to cut the seedlings 3–4 cm above the soil surface. After cutting, place the seedlings on a plastic sheet or in a woven bag to prevent disease transmission.
Plant when the soil temperature at a depth of 5–10 cm remains stable at 16–17°C. For fresh‑eating spring potatoes, planting can be delayed by 10–15 days; planting too early increases susceptibility to black scurf. Although later planting results in a slight yield reduction, it enhances marketable quality. For summer potatoes, prioritize early planting to avoid an excessive proportion of small tubers and maintain high commercial value. For fresh‑eating spring potatoes, increase planting density to at least 4,000 plants per mu; for summer potatoes, reduce density to around 3,500 plants per mu to improve marketability.
Three days after planting, promptly inspect the seedlings and replant any that have died. When replanting, apply a small amount of quick‑acting fertilizer and water lightly to encourage rapid seedling growth.
High fertilizer application and adequate water promote vigorous aboveground growth; chemical control should be applied when the vine length reaches approximately 40 cm after transplanting, or when the potato leaves have covered about two-thirds of the field.
Taking uniconazole application as an example, mix 36–50 grams of 5% uniconazole per mu with 30 kilograms of water and 80 grams of potassium dihydrogen phosphate, then apply it by foliar spray, focusing on the growth point at the tip of the sweet potato stems. (Using plastic mulch can help avoid ground‑level spraying, which might otherwise inhibit the growth of the subsequent crop.)
With plastic mulch cultivation, the harvest can be brought to market 10–15 days earlier than in conventional farming. Harvesting should begin when temperatures drop to 17–18°C and be completed by the time they reach 12°C. Avoid watering during the 20 days preceding harvest to prevent a decline in tuber storability.
During the initial stage of storage, high temperature and high humidity are the primary causes of black spot and rot in potato tubers. Upon entering the storage facility, strive to ventilate promptly, reduce temperature, and dissipate moisture, bringing the cellar temperature down rapidly to 14–15°C. As ambient temperatures decline, gradually stabilize the cellar temperature at 9–12°C, while maintaining relative humidity within the range of 80–85%.
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