How to grow lotus root to achieve high yield?

Nowadays, people have a wide variety of food in their lives. No matter which category, there are many types. For example, vegetables include leafy vegetables, root vegetables, nightshade vegetables, etc. The lotus root that many friends like to eat is a root vegetable. Lotus root is rich in nutrients and is an aquatic vegetable. So how can we grow lotus root to achieve high yield?

1. Efficient cultivation technology of lotus root

1. Site selection and land preparation

The lotus root field needs to be irrigated and leveled before planting, and base fertilizer should be applied, usually 15 days before planting. When planting in spring, more base fertilizer is needed, 2000-2500 kg of decomposed farmyard manure, 40-50 kg of triple compound fertilizer and 20-25 kg of potassium sulfate per mu. When planting in autumn, the base fertilizer can be reduced appropriately, and 1000-2000 kg of decomposed farmyard manure, 15-20 kg of compound fertilizer and 10-15 kg of potassium sulfate can be applied per mu. Three days before planting, disinfect the lotus field with quicklime, applying 40-50 kg per mu, spreading it evenly and then raking it flat. Before planting the spring lotus roots in continuous lotus fields, apply 50-60 kg of quicklime powder per mu. Then deep plow 20-30 cm and harrow it flat, harrow it again 1-2 days before planting, keep the water depth at 3-5 cm, and remove weeds on the edge of the field.

2. Variety selection

According to market demand and planting environment, lotus roots are divided into field lotus roots, pond lotus roots, lotus lotus roots, pink lotus roots, etc. Field lotus root is suitable for planting in shallow water areas and grows shallowly in the soil, making it a popular variety. When choosing lotus root seeds, you should select complete lotus roots with smooth, mature skin, thick nodes at the back, plump lotus buds, and consistent direction of the sub-roots. There is a saying in the countryside: "Big webbed lotus roots - three pairs - one straight up", which means the bud sheath is thick, there are three complete lotus roots, and the lotus buds are slightly upturned.

3. Planting at the right time

Lotus root planting is generally carried out in late March. If planting is too early, the soil temperature will be low, which is not conducive to germination and is prone to rot; if planting is too late, the stems and buds will be long and easily damaged. The planting density is 2 meters between rows and 1.5 meters between holes, and the seed rate is 125-200 kg per mu. The planting depth is 10-15 cm, and cover with 10 cm of soil after planting to facilitate rooting. When planting, the lotus root heads should face into the field. Check frequently after planting. If there are floating seedlings, they need to be replanted.

4. Reasonable topdressing

In addition to basal fertilizer, topdressing should be applied in small amounts and multiple times during the growth period. When the lotus root has grown 2-3 new upright leaves, start applying top dressing fertilizer, mainly quick-acting fertilizer, and apply 10 kg each of ammonium urea and superphosphate per mu. The second fertilization should be done 15-20 days after the first one, with 15 kg each of ammonium urea and superphosphate applied per mu, plus 5-10 kg of urea. The third fertilization is when the upright leaves are basically fully grown, and potassium fertilizer is applied heavily, with 15-20 kg of urea and potassium chloride per mu, and applied again after 15 days. Before applying fertilizer, keep the water level shallow to avoid fertilizer being spilled on the leaves.

5. Scientific water management

The growth of lotus root is divided into the germination growth period, the vigorous growth period and the lotus root formation period. During the budding growth period, the water level is shallow to promote germination; during the vigorous growth period, the water level is deep to promote stem and leaf growth; during the lotus root formation period, the water level is lowered to promote the fullness of the new lotus roots. Grasp the principle of "shallow-deep-shallow", maintain 3-6 cm shallow water before the erect leaves appear, then increase to 16-19 cm, deepen to 26-30 cm in July-August, and drop to 3-6 cm after the terminal leaves appear.

6. Adjust the plants

In early to mid-May, adjust the growth direction of lotus roots and guide the lotus whips into the field, performing this operation several times. Turn over at noon and adjust the dense lotus roots to sparse ones. After 30 days of planting, pick off the floating lotus leaves to reduce nutrient consumption.

7. Intertillage and weeding

Before covering the rows with lotus leaves, pull out weeds and fertilize them, stuff them into the mud as fertilizer, and till the soil to loosen it. One month after planting, remove the withered floating leaves to promote sunlight penetration and increase soil temperature. After the lotus leaves are lush, avoid working in the fields to prevent damaging the lotus roots.

2. Lotus root disease and pest control

1. Agricultural prevention and control

Select highly disease-resistant and early-maturing varieties, implement reasonable crop rotation, select disease-free fields for seeds, clean the fields, intensify weeding, and reduce the sources of diseases and insect pests.

2. Physical prevention

The egg masses and larval leaves of Spodoptera litura were removed manually, the adult insects were lured and killed with frequency-vibrating insecticidal lamps, and the winged aphids were lured and killed with yellow boards.

3. Biological control

Use biological pesticides such as agricultural streptomycin, phytosporin, and Bacillus thuringiensis preparations for prevention and control.

4. Chemical control

For lotus root rot disease and brown spot disease, soak the seed lotus root with carbendazim and methyl thiophanate wettable powder . In the early stage of the disease, mix chlorothalonil and methyl thiophanate with fine soil and spread them. For brown spot disease, spray methyl thiophanate and thiophanate-methyl wettable powder alternately for 2-3 times with an interval of 10-15 days. Aphids can be controlled by spraying imidacloprid and cypermethrin emulsifiable concentrate, and Spodoptera litura can be controlled by spraying acetamiprid emulsifiable concentrate and Bacillus thuringiensis wettable powder.

In general, lotus root has high nutritional value and great added value, but its low yield is mostly due to unscientific cultivation measures and unreasonable fertilization. It is crucial for farmers to learn high-yield cultivation techniques to increase yields.