How to grow potatoes for high yield?

Potato is an important food and vegetable crop and is widely cultivated around the world. In the process of planting potatoes, scientific and reasonable cultivation and management techniques are the key to obtaining high yields of potatoes. So how can potatoes be cultivated to achieve high yields? Let’s learn more about it below.

1. Variety selection

Choose varieties with strong stress resistance, high yield and good commercial quality, such as "Qingshu No. 9" and "Linshu No. 18".

2. Land preparation and fertilization

Potatoes are suitable for growing in sandy loam with good drainage, fertile soil, deep soil layer, loose and breathable soil. Before sowing, the land should be deep plowed and an appropriate amount of decomposed organic fertilizer and compound fertilizer should be applied.

3. Germination treatment

20 to 25 days before sowing, place the seed potatoes in a sunny and dry place for 2 to 3 days, and then remove diseased and rotten potatoes. When slicing, you can divide it into two or four parts according to the leaf buds. Each seed potato should have 1 to 2 bud points and weigh between 25 and 30 grams. After drying the wound, place it in a room with an ambient temperature of 18 to 20 degrees Celsius for germination.

4. Sow seeds at the right time

Potatoes are mostly planted in March-April in spring and October-December in autumn. When sowing, you can use row sowing or hole sowing. After sowing, the soil needs to be kept moist to facilitate germination of the seed potatoes.

5. Control spacing

Potatoes grow very fast, so the spacing between plants needs to be properly controlled to ensure sufficient light and ventilation. Generally speaking, the distance between plants can be controlled at around 25-30 cm.

6. Field management

Water less before flowering (unless there is drought), water every 7-10 days from the initial flowering period until before picking, avoid flooding to prevent diseases; increase the application of potassium fertilizer, and use nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in combination when topdressing. Spray potassium dihydrogen phosphate and urea water on the leaves after buds appear; cultivate the soil multiple times in time to increase soil permeability and promote tuber formation, and at the same time, cultivate and weed to keep the soil loose.

7. Pest and disease control

Focus on preventing and controlling late blight, aphids and underground pests, using a combination of physical, chemical and biological control methods. For example, yellow sticky boards are set up to kill aphids, and high-efficiency and low-toxic pesticides are used in rotation to prevent the development of pesticide resistance.

The above is an introduction to high-yield potato cultivation technology. Through the application of the above series of careful management and methods, the yield and quality of potatoes can be greatly improved, creating higher economic benefits for farmers.