Planting potatoes with plastic film covering in early spring can generally be harvested and marketed in mid to late May, with high market prices and good sales, leading to high economic benefits. Many farmers are involved in this cultivation. Below are some techniques for early spring potato cultivation:
Techniques for Early Spring Potato Cultivation
-
Selection of Good Seeds: Choose early-maturing varieties with rapid tuber enlargement, short dormancy period, high yield, good quality, and disease resistance, such as "Holland 15," "Lu Yin 1," "Holland 7," and other Freyburg series varieties.
-
Cutting and Sprouting: About 150 kilograms of seed potatoes per acre are needed for cutting and sprouting. Place the seed potatoes in a warm, sunny place for 2-3 days about 20-25 days before planting, remove rotten or diseased potatoes, and then cut them into pieces. Cut the potatoes diagonally with the top bud as an advantage, then cut them into quarters or halves, with each piece weighing 25-30 grams and having 1-2 sprouts. After drying the cut surfaces, place them indoors at a temperature of 18°C to 20°C for sprouting. When the sprouts grow to about 2 centimeters, expose them to scattered light until the sprouts turn green and thicken before planting.
-
Seed Treatment: Mix 50 grams of metalaxyl 50% suspension concentrate with 60% high quinone 20 milliliters of seed coating agent in 1 liter of water, then spray it onto 100 kilograms of cut seed potatoes, dry them, and then plant them to prevent pests and diseases during the seedling stage and ensure strong and uniform seedlings.
-
Double or Triple Mulch Covering: Generally, in late January to early February on sunny mornings, implement single-row double-row planting in large hoop houses. Using small hoop houses inside large hoop houses can further advance the market. Plant spacing is 25-30 centimeters, with double rows, ridge spacing is 80 centimeters, and planting density is 5500-6000 plants per acre. When planting, dig a 20-centimeter-wide and 8-10-centimeter-deep trench, apply pesticides and fertilizers to prevent and control underground pests, mix them with the soil, water, then plant at an oblique angle with the sprouts facing upward, cover the sprouts with a small amount of fine soil, and then cover the ridges with soil, with a ridge height of about 15 centimeters. Spray herbicides, and then cover with 90-centimeter-wide plastic film.
-
Soil Testing and Formulating: Use soil testing and fertilization techniques to develop a fertilization plan based on target yields. Generally, apply 150 kilograms of commercial organic fertilizer or 5000 kilograms of mixed organic fertilizer, 180 kilograms of NPK compound fertilizer (15-10-20), 1 kilogram of borax, and 1.2 kilograms of zinc sulfate per acre. Apply mixed organic fertilizer when plowing the land, and apply other fertilizers in the planting holes at the time of planting.
-
Field Management: Maintain nighttime temperatures at 12°C to 14°C and daytime temperatures at 20°C to 26°C after planting. Water three times during the bud, tuber, and seedling stages. When the plant height reaches 40-50 centimeters, spray 15 grams of difenoconazole or 20 milliliters of growth-promoting agent per acre to prevent excessive elongation.
-
Pest and Disease Control: Start spraying pesticides for late blight prevention from the tuber stage, spraying once every 7 days. Later, focus on preventing late blight. When diseased plants are found, remove them immediately, bury them deep away from the field, and sprinkle lime around them.
-
Timely Harvest: In the mid-to-late stages of potato growth, strengthen management, increase potassium fertilizer according to tuber enlargement, and spray boron fertilizer 2-3 times at 50 grams per acre to increase yields. Harvest timely based on market conditions, grade, package, and sell to increase income.
The above are the techniques for early spring potato cultivation. Early spring potato cultivation is a cultivation technique that is against the season and can greatly improve the economic benefits of planting households.
