Summer sweet potatoes are cultivated after the main harvest season, and they have a relatively short growing period of about 120 days. This makes proper cultivation techniques essential for successful production. Effective management during each growth stage is crucial to maximize yield and quality.
When selecting varieties, it's best to go for early-maturing and high-quality types such as Beijing 553, Red Heart King, and Shanchuan Purple. The seedlings used for summer planting are typically cut from spring-grown plants. These cuttings should be 20–30 cm long, with 6–8 nodes and an apical bud. The apical bud ensures strong growth potential, allowing the vines to spread quickly and the tubers to develop faster.
Soil preparation involves creating ridges that are 70–75 cm long and 25 cm high. The ridges must be flat and straight, free of debris. For each acre, apply 2000–3000 kg of high-quality organic manure and 40–50 kg of 30% sweet potato fertilizer. It’s recommended to apply the fertilizer on one side of the ridge to save resources and improve efficiency.
Planting is done by digging small holes at the top of the ridges—about 5–6 cm deep and 8–10 cm in diameter. The seedlings are then placed horizontally into the hole, watered immediately after, and all leaves are buried in the soil. This helps the leaves return moisture to the stems, promoting better root development. After planting, check the seedlings every 2–3 days and ensure a density of 4000–5000 plants per mu. A herbicide mixture of 0.2–0.3 kg of acetochlor and 100 kg of water is sprayed in the furrows for weed control. Later, manual weeding is also performed using a cultivator.
During the rainy season, sweet potato vines tend to produce more adventitious roots, which can divert nutrients away from the tubers. Farmers often turn the vines, but this practice can reduce photosynthesis and lower yields by 1–2%. Instead, it’s better to place the vines back in their original position. When the vines reach 12 nodes, topping them encourages lateral branching. Once the lateral branches grow to 12 nodes, they help accelerate tuber development.
If the plants show signs of weakness or yellowing leaves during the mid-to-late growth stages, a foliar spray of 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate and 0.5% urea can be applied every 7–10 days, up to 2–3 times. This helps prevent premature aging and boosts overall yield.
Harvesting should occur when the air temperature drops to 15–20°C and the soil temperature falls below 5°C and above 16°C, indicating that the tubers have stopped growing. Care must be taken during harvesting to avoid damaging the skin, and the tubers should be sorted and packed properly for storage.
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