How to plant Lipu taro

The Lipu taro is shaped like an olive, with a rough outer skin. When cut open, the inside shows betel nut patterns, so it is also called betel nut taro. This kind of taro is rich in nutrients, has soft texture and fragrant taste. It is the best taro and one of the main ingredients for making Guilin's famous dish, taro braised pork. Many people like to eat this kind of taro. Let's talk about the cultivation method of Lipu taro .

1. Site selection and land preparation

Site selection: Lipu taro prefers a warm and humid environment and is suitable for growing in well-drained, fertile and loose soil. Therefore, you should choose a plot with higher terrain, sufficient sunlight, loose and fertile soil, sufficient water source and where taro has not been planted before for planting.

Land preparation: This should be done half a month before sowing. Deeply plow the soil, remove weeds and stones, and make the soil fine and uniform. At the same time, apply 2000-3000 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer (or 6000 kg of soil and fertilizer with high organic matter content) and 50-100 kg of compound fertilizer per mu as base fertilizer. After fertilization, deep plowing is carried out to fully mix the fertilizer with the soil.

2. Seed selection and germination

Seed selection: Choose sun taro and vine taro with large and round heads and small and strong tails as seed taro, and avoid choosing taro seeds without main buds, rotten tails or too small. Seed selection should be done on a sunny day, taking care not to damage the seeds. After being picked and carried back to the room, they should be placed on wooden boards to dry the skin for 3 to 5 days, and then stored in a tall, cool and ventilated room or upstairs.

Germination: Germination treatment before sowing can improve the germination rate and uniformity of seeds. Germination methods include field cellar germination and indoor cellar germination. Generally, the selected taro seeds are placed in a pit or indoors at a certain distance, covered with soil or moisture-retaining materials such as straw, and a certain temperature and humidity are maintained. The taro seeds can be sown when they grow to about 3 to 5 cm.

3. Sowing and Planting Density

Sowing time: The sowing time of Lipu taro is generally in spring, and sowing can begin when the temperature is stable above 15℃. The specific sowing time can be adjusted according to local climatic conditions and planting experience.

Sowing method: bury the germinated taro seeds in the soil according to a certain spacing between plants and rows. The spacing between plants is generally 30~40 cm, and the row spacing is 60~80 cm (or 1.3~1.5 meters for single-row planting, 2~2.2 meters wide for double-row planting, and 30 cm for row spacing). The depth should be 2~3 times the diameter of the seeds. Water in time after sowing to keep the soil moist.

Planting density: Planting density can be adjusted appropriately according to the fertility of the land and the purpose of planting. Generally, for plots of land that are planted in the early stage and interplanted with other crops in the later stage, about 700-800 plants are planted per mu; for plots of land that are not interplanted with other crops, 1000-1500 plants can be planted per mu.

4. Field Management

Watering: The soil of Lipu taro needs to be kept moderately moist during its growth period, but it should not be watered too much to avoid soil compaction and root diseases. Watering should be done in time during the dry season, and attention should be paid to drainage and waterlogging prevention during the rainy season.

Weeding: Weeds in the field will compete with Lipu taro for nutrients and water, affecting its growth. Therefore, weeding should be done regularly during the growing period to keep the field clean. Weeding can be combined with tillage, or chemical weeding can be carried out using herbicides .

Soil cultivation: Soil cultivation is required during the growth period of Lipu taro to promote the formation and expansion of tubers. When adding soil, the soil between the rows should be gradually moved toward the base of the plants so that the taro tubers are buried in the soil. Generally, the soil is added 2 to 3 times, and the thickness of each addition is about 7 cm.

Fertilization: During the growth period, nitrogen fertilizer, phosphorus fertilizer and potassium fertilizer should be applied in time according to the growth conditions to ensure the healthy growth of the plants and increase the yield. Top dressing should be applied in batches, 2 to 3 times during the seedling stage, plant growth stage and the peak bulb growth period, and phosphorus and potassium fertilizers should be used as the main ingredients.

5. Pest and disease control

Lipu taro is susceptible to some diseases and pests, such as taro blight, soft rot, taro aphids, etc. During the growth period, the growth of the plants should be checked regularly, and if diseases and pests are found, preventive measures should be taken in a timely manner, such as spraying pesticides, removing diseased plants, etc. At the same time, attention should be paid to agricultural prevention and control measures such as crop rotation and soil disinfection to reduce the occurrence of diseases and insect pests.

6. Harvest and Storage

Lipu taro can usually be harvested 8-10 months after planting. When harvesting, the taro tubers should be dug out of the soil, the soil and fibrous roots should be removed, and they should be dried in the sun for 12 days to dry the skin. The taro is then graded, packaged, stored or sold. When storing, choose a ventilated, dry, cool and humid place to avoid direct sunlight and high temperature and humidity to avoid rotting and deterioration.

That’s it