Yacon planting time and technical methods (how to propagate and cultivate to achieve high yield per mu)

At present, yacon has only been successfully introduced and cultivated in Yunnan, Fujian, Hainan, Guizhou, Hunan, Hubei, Shandong, Henan and Hebei.

Yacon is a long-day crop that promotes growth and flowering under long-day conditions, but does not produce seeds. It mainly reproduces asexually in tubers . Today we will learn in detail how to plant yacon to get a higher yield per mu.

Yacon planting time

In terms of planting time, spring is the most suitable. We usually choose mid-February to sow yacon seeds . Around late March, we start transplanting and planting .

However, during field management, we need to be careful not to delay transplanting too late, because transplanting too late will lead to less flowering and lower fruit setting rate.

Planting Method and Cultivation Management of Yacon

Regarding the planting method of yacon, first of all, we need to understand the growth environment of yacon. Secondly, understand the seedling transplanting and planting of yacon. Thirdly, understand the disease and pest control of yacon.

① The growing environment of Yacon

Yacon generally grows at an altitude of about 1200m . The soil should be fertile and loose, with a thickness of more than 50cm. Sandy loam is recommended. In addition, the irrigation conditions should be good , and flat land and gently sloping land that will not be flooded are better.

② Seedling cultivation and transplanting of yacon

(1) Generally , you can start raising seedlings after the yacon seed heads sprout . We can use two methods: nutrient bags or isolation layers.

(2) If we choose to grow seedlings in an isolation layer, then we should first prepare a 5m² seedbed and 0.5m³ seedling soil. The seedling soil is a mixture of 3 parts of vegetable garden soil and 1 part of fully decomposed fine manure.

(3) In addition, when raising seedlings, it is necessary to spread the perforated mulch on the flat seedbed and spread the seedling soil to a thickness of 8 cm.

(4) Then sow the prepared seed blocks in a size of 5cm x 10cm, and then cover with 3cm of seedling soil. Finally, water thoroughly and cover the surface with a layer of grass to keep it moist.

(5) It should be noted that the buds should be planted half a day in advance, and each bud should be cut open. The cuts should be dried or coated with wood ash before sowing.

(6) When the seedlings grow out of the soil, remove the grass in time. Keep the soil moist during the seedling stage and use a combination of dry and wet hardening to prevent the seedlings from growing too tall and to cultivate strong seedlings.

(7) Finally, when the yacon seedlings grow to about 12 cm, you can start transplanting them.

③ Yacon planting

(1) Fertilization : When we planted yacon, we first applied 2.5 tons of decomposed farmyard manure per mu of land. When applying fertilizer, we also applied 20 kilograms of phosphorus fertilizer and 2 kilograms of biological potash fertilizer per ton.

(2) Planting density : about 680 plants per mu, with row spacing of 0.9 m and plant spacing of 1.1 m, and open space between rows.

(3) The size of the planting pit is 50cmx50cmx40cm. Apply enough basal fertilizer at the bottom of the pit. When the plant reaches the budding stage and the plant height is about 80cm, ridges can be made. When digging the pit and making ridges, the soil should be disinfected and treated with insecticides. It is best to use biological pesticides to kill insects.

④ Prevention and control of yacon diseases and pests

The main pests of yacon are underground pests such as silkworms, cutworms and leaf-eating beetles.

It is best for us to choose biological pesticides for pest control. For example, to kill insects, water the soil around the roots of yacon with 200-300 times diluted neem. Beetles can be killed with a frequency-vibration insecticidal lamp.

⑤ Harvest and yield per mu

Yacon looks like sweet potato, and each plant can produce 2-8 kg of fruit . Generally, the harvest time of yacon is from November to late January of the following year , when the soil is slightly dry and the tubers lose water naturally, which can reduce the cracking rate of the fruit.

Under scientific management, the yield of yacon per mu reaches about 4,000-6,000 kilograms . However, the planting terrain, planting conditions, maturity speed, and management technology will affect the actual yield of yacon per mu in that year.