How to grow taro to get high yield?

Taro, also known as green taro, taro, hairy taro, etc., is the underground fleshy bulb of the perennial herb taro belonging to the Araceae family. Taro prefers hot and humid climatic conditions, and the large temperature difference between day and night is conducive to the formation of bulbs. The ideal temperature for bulb formation is 28-30℃ during the day and 18-20℃ at night. Let’s learn how to grow taro to get high yield.

1. Land preparation and fertilization

Taro is highly adaptable, but prefers fertile, deep clay soil. After tillage, dig furrows with a row spacing of 80 to 100 cm, a width of 50 cm and a depth of 35 cm, and then apply base fertilizer. Taro requires a large amount of fertilizer and has a long growing period, so sufficient base fertilizer should be applied. 2,000 kg of high-quality organic fertilizer and 60 kg of 48% potassium sulfate compound fertilizer should be applied per mu, and applied in furrows according to the row spacing.

2. Sowing method

Select disease- and insect-free, undamaged seed taro, spread them out to dry for 3 to 4 days, then densely arrange them indoors, cover them with 8 to 10 cm thick wet sand for germination, and keep the room temperature at 20 to 25 degrees Celsius. After 20 to 30 days, when the buds are 3 to 4 cm long and the ground temperature is stable at 10°C, planting is carried out. Dig two seed furrows on the bed, with a distance of 30 cm and a depth of 7 cm. After watering sufficiently, plant taro with a distance of 33 to 40 cm between plants, and plant 4,500 to 5,000 plants per mu.

3. Irrigation management

Do not water the taro before it sprouts, keep the soil moist in the middle and late stages, and pay attention to drainage during the rainy season. 80 days after germination, fertilize by drilling holes next to the plants in combination with irrigation. Taro cannot tolerate dry soil. Drought will cause yellow and withered leaves, but excessively wet soil and waterlogging are also not conducive to root growth. During the seedling stage, the soil should be kept sufficiently moist and frequent watering should be avoided. The soil should be kept moist during the seedling stage, and attention should be paid to drainage when it rains.

4. Cultivation and soil cultivation

During the taro seedling stage, inter-row cultivation and weeding should be carried out in combination with topdressing. After the seedlings are finished, inter-row cultivation should be carried out and the cultivation ditch should be leveled. Thereafter, the soil should be added every 20 days or so, with a thickness of about 7 cm, for a total of two times. Soil cultivation helps to inhibit the germination and growth of the terminal buds of taro and grandson taro, reduce nutrient consumption, allow the taro to fully swell and produce a large number of adventitious roots, and enhance the plant's drought resistance.

5. Harvest time

Taro should be harvested in time after it matures. Early-maturing varieties sown early in the Yangtze River Basin are usually harvested from early September to early October, late-maturing varieties are harvested from late September to late October, and mid- and late-maturing varieties are harvested from late September to early November. Harvesting can be advanced or delayed according to market demand, but it should usually be completed before the Descent of Frost to prevent taro from being damaged by frost.

6. Seed saving techniques

Select plots with neat growth and high yield for seed preservation, and choose plants with varietal characteristics as seed plants. Seed bulbs should be harvested on a sunny day when the above-ground parts are yellow and the taro seeds are fully grown. The size of seed taro varies according to the variety. The appropriate weight for multi-seed taro is 25 to 50 grams, and the minimum should not be less than 15 grams; the size of large taro should be more than 25 grams.

7. Disease and pest control of taro

Taro blight: Prevention is the main approach. Start using medication in mid-May. You can choose protective fungicides such as mancozeb, and alternately use thiophanate-methyl, metalaxyl, and anke, spraying once every 7 to 10 days. Pay attention to the weather when applying pesticides, choose to spray before the rain, and make sure the pesticide solution evenly covers the back of the leaves, the leaf surface, and the petiole.

Soft rot: Strengthen fertilizer and water management. Once diseased plants are found, they should be pulled out and taken away immediately, and lime should be spread around the diseased holes. Agricultural streptomycin and thiophanate-methyl can be used for root irrigation, once before fertilizing, after soil cultivation, and after harvesting taro. In areas where the disease is severe all year round, agricultural streptomycin should be added to each application of the drug to prevent underground pests and control moisture.

Taro spot disease: Use thiophanate-methyl and methyl-thiophanate for prevention and control in the early stage of the disease, and spray again every 7 to 10 days.

Aphids: Aphids will suck sap from the back of leaves or young leaves. They can be killed by spraying with pesticides such as dimethoate or imidacloprid.

Spodoptera litura: Generally, use Kung Fu, Lorsban, Imidacloprid, and Fipronil to spray before the larvae reach the third instar.

Underground pests: When combined with two applications of heavy fertilizers, you can choose chlorpyrifos, migral or trichlorfon for prevention and control.

Red spider mites: Spray 1500 times of monocrotophos or 800 times of 40% omethoate or 800 times of trichloronate.

The above is an introduction to the key points of high-yield taro cultivation. Many people grow taro, but if you want to achieve high-yield goals, it is very important to master comprehensive planting techniques.