How to make sweet potatoes grow better (what fertilizer to use to grow sweet potatoes so that they are big and smooth)

Whenever we go to buy sweet potatoes, we will definitely pick those with smooth skin, without worm holes, rotten scars, and relatively straight.

People certainly don't like those sweet potatoes that are crooked, rough-skinned, worm-eaten and rotten. Why do these deformed potatoes appear?

First, the key factors affecting the appearance characteristics of sweet potatoes (smoothness, etc.)

There are many factors that affect the appearance characteristics of sweet potatoes, such as variety, cultivation area, cultivation pattern, cultivation technology, cultivation environment, pests and diseases, etc.

Different sweet potato varieties have different genetic characteristics, which determine the yield, appearance quality and disease resistance of the sweet potatoes.

my country has a vast territory, and different cultivation areas should choose sweet potato varieties suitable for local cultivation.

How to comprehensively consider the objective climate and environmental characteristics of the local area, make the best use of its strengths and avoid its weaknesses, adapt to local conditions, and select special sweet potato varieties suitable for local production is an important issue in improving the appearance quality and yield of sweet potatoes.

Since cultivation technology and environmental management will directly affect the yield, appearance, quality and other characteristics of sweet potatoes, cultivation technology and environmental management have always been a concern of growers, and are also an important guarantee for improving the appearance quality of sweet potatoes in cultivation.

Excellent varieties and efficient cultivation models cannot fully demonstrate their excellent quality without scientific cultivation techniques, appropriate fertilizer and water and other environmental management measures, and cannot effectively guarantee and improve the appearance quality of sweet potatoes.

During the entire growing period of sweet potatoes, they will be threatened by many diseases and pests, some of which are even devastating to sweet potatoes.

Since pests and diseases will directly affect the yield, appearance, quality characteristics, etc. of sweet potatoes, the prevention and control of pests and diseases is another important factor that cannot be ignored in improving and ensuring the appearance characteristics of sweet potatoes.

Second, how to improve the appearance characteristics of sweet potatoes and make them smooth

From the above questions, we can see that there are many key factors that affect the appearance characteristics of sweet potatoes. It should be noted that these factors are not independent but interrelated.

Therefore, in order to ensure and improve the appearance characteristics and yield of sweet potatoes, we must comprehensively consider the influence of each factor in production technology and formulate scientific and feasible cultivation technology and management plans . These include:

First, choose the correct variety based on the characteristics of the cultivation area, such as virus-free seed potatoes .

Second, determine reasonable cultivation methods based on variety and regional characteristics .

Direct planting of seedlings is mainly suitable for areas with thin and dry soil. However, this method often fails to produce sweet potatoes because the depth of each node in the soil is different. The lowest node is in the sticky soil with poor air permeability. Instead, the sweet potatoes are mostly produced near the ground, and the sweet potatoes are small and few, with rough skin or green heads.

Obliquely planted seedlings have strong adaptability, are drought-resistant and easy to survive, save labor and are easy to plant, but the sweet potatoes close to the soil surface are large, while the lower part is small and easy to bend and are not smooth.

For example , horizontal shallow planting produces more fruits in the ground, with uniform size and smoother skin. Areas with good conditions and high management levels can give full play to its advantages and have great potential for increasing production . However, varieties with poor drought resistance are prone to seedling shortages under drought or extensive management conditions.

Insert the base into the soil first, and then cultivate it using the horizontal shallow insertion method. Although it is more labor-intensive, it improves its drought resistance and the sweet potatoes produced are smoother.

The hook insertion method can penetrate deeper into the soil and has stronger drought resistance, so it is a better method to use in arid areas.

Third, scientific management should be carried out according to the characteristics of the variety and the cultivation area, such as ridge cultivation, watering, fertilizing and weeding.

When sweet potatoes are grown in ridges, the soil is loose and breathable, and the sweet potatoes are smoother.

When weeding, the principle of "deep in front and shallow in back, shallow in the upper part and deep in the waist, and do not break the soil with your feet" should be followed. Otherwise, the potato skin will be easily scratched, resulting in roughness and even disease and rot. A farmer's proverb says "If the weeds grow in the bag, don't hoe it", which means that it is better to pull out the weeds under the bag by hand.

When applying fertilizer, you should add organic fertilizer to loosen the soil, which will help the tubers to become larger and smoother.

At the same time, pay attention to the application of potassium fertilizer, "sweet potatoes like potassium, the potatoes are big and smooth", which can improve the yield and quality. If conditions permit, topdressing fertilizers can be applied, such as seedling fertilizer, potato fertilizer, potato growth fertilizer, foliar fertilizer, etc.

Although sweet potatoes are relatively drought-resistant, if they encounter drought, the leaves are still wilting in the evening on a sunny day, so they should be watered in time, but they should not be watered within 20 days before harvest, and they should be drained in time during the rainy season. Otherwise, the sweet potatoes will have high water content, black spots and black spots, and they will be rough and not smooth, or even rot.

Fourth, focus on prevention and strengthen the integrated control of diseases and pests.

There are many kinds of diseases and pests of sweet potatoes, such as black spot, soft rot, root rot, blight, nematode disease, scab, wireworm, etc. We should "focus on prevention and combine prevention and control".

For example, strict quarantine can be implemented to prevent the spread of diseases and pests; reasonable crop rotation can reduce the damage caused by underground pests; and the selection of disease-resistant varieties can reduce the effects of root rot, black spot and other diseases that affect the smoothness of the surface.

At the same time, we should strengthen cultivation management, select disease-free and insect-free seedlings, irrigate and fertilize reasonably, and carry out inter-cultivation in time to reduce diseases and insect pests. If diseased plants or tubers are found, they should be treated in a centralized manner.

In order to prevent and control diseases and insect pests, we have to mention the use of medicines, such as mancozeb, carbendazim, chlorpyrifos and other agents for seed soaking, and phoxim, avermectin and other agents for preventing and controlling underground pests.

In general, there are many reasons why the sweet potato skin is not smooth. We should start from many aspects such as land selection, variety selection, water management, fertilizer application, pest and disease control, etc., and try our best to produce high-quality and high-yield sweet potatoes.