Planting technology and management of taro

Taro is a nutritious, high-grade and rare health-care vegetable with a long history of cultivation in China. It is widely planted in Haimen and other places on the northern branch of the Yangtze River estuary. It is also planted in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and other areas in East China. It is one of China's specialty vegetables. Let's talk about the planting technology and management of taro.

1. Sowing at the right time

The suitable growth temperature for taro is 15-35℃. When the temperature is below 15℃, seedlings need to be raised and transplanted when the temperature stabilizes above 15℃. The planting period in the Dabie Mountain area in southwestern Anhui is mid-April, and the plant growth and taro expansion periods are from mid-June to late September when there is sufficient light and heat.

2. Reasonable density planting

Choose a field with good light and ventilation conditions, high organic matter content, convenient drainage and irrigation, and preferably no shade around it. Deeply plow the soil once before the New Year to allow it to fully freeze, and make 2-meter-wide beds. Dig planting holes on both sides and in the middle of the bed, with 3 rows per bed, a hole depth of 20 cm, and a plant spacing of 50-60 cm. Apply a small amount of compound fertilizer at the bottom of the hole before sowing, and apply decomposed organic fertilizer as base fertilizer. Cover with a thin layer of soil as a seed and fertilizer layer, and then you can sow, sowing one taro seedling in each hole.

3. Field Management

1. Fertilization: Taro requires little fertilizer. Apply fertilizer 1-2 times during the seedling stage; during the taro expansion stage, make a small hole between two plants, apply 25 grams of compound fertilizer and 15 grams of urea, cover with soil and water.

2. Water control: Taro likes moisture and is afraid of drought. Water accumulation in the hole should be avoided during the germination period. At this time, there is too much rain, so ditches should be dug as soon as possible to drain the water. During the taro period, the plant grows vigorously and requires a lot of water. If the temperature is high and the drought is severe, water can be irrigated during the day and drained at night. The maturity period is mainly moist.

3. Soil cultivation: Soil cultivation is an important measure to increase taro yield. In May and June, taro grows vigorously and starts to form young taro. You should ditch the soil or cover the roots with soil in time.

4. Weed and insect pest control: After sowing and before emergence, spray sethoxydim or dole herbicide once, and weed once before stems and leaves close the rows. After that, the stems and leaves cover the ground and weeds cannot survive. There are very few insect pests on taro. When the leaves are tender in May and June, only cabbage loopers are found to damage the leaves, which can be controlled with dimethoate.

4. Harvest and Storage

In mid-October, its stems and leaves will naturally wither and can be harvested and put on the market; those left for seed should be dug up in early November, a few days before the first frost. After harvesting the taro, if the quantity is small, you can put it in bags and store it between rice husks indoors. If the quantity is large, you can choose to dig a cellar outdoors on a high ground facing the sun and sheltered from the wind, and place a layer of dry rice straw and a layer of taro on the ground. After storing, seal the hole, cover it with soil in a convex shape, and cover it with straw for waterproofing.

That’s it