Potatoes are a very popular crop in China, both for sale and for daily family consumption. Because potatoes are rich in starch, vitamins, and protein, many people in Jiangxi province plant them in early winter. So, how are potatoes planted in Jiangxi during winter? Let's take a look.
1. Select high-quality varieties
Choose suitable varieties based on the planting season, crop rotation, and market demand. Generally, early-maturing varieties such as Zhongshu No. 5, Huashu No. 1, Zaodabai, and Feiwurui are suitable for plains, hills, and low mountain areas, while mid-to-late-maturing varieties such as Emashu No. 5 and No. 10, Emashu No. 13 and No. 14, Mila, and Qingshu No. 9 are suitable for high mountain and mid-altitude areas.
2. Sow at the appropriate time
In plains, hills, and low-mountain areas, the optimal winter planting period for potatoes is from late December to early February of the following year (to avoid post-emergence frost damage, planting should be delayed as much as possible). Planting should be done on sunny days, with approximately 5500 holes per acre for early-maturing varieties. In high-mountain areas, the planting period may be adjusted earlier or later depending on snowfall. The planting depth should be 8-12 cm, with varieties such as Feurita recommended at a depth of 15 cm to prevent shallow planting and the resulting green skin .
3. Apply sufficient base fertilizer
Potatoes consume the most potassium fertilizer, followed by nitrogen, and the least phosphorus. A yield of 3000 kg of fresh potatoes per mu (approximately 0.067 hectares) requires the absorption of 16 kg of nitrogen, 6.5 kg of phosphorus, and 32 kg of potassium. Topdressing is difficult after covering winter potatoes with mulch; therefore, a sufficient amount of base fertilizer must be applied at once. Approximately 2000 kg of well-rotted farmyard manure can be applied per mu. For chemical fertilizers, generally apply 100 kg of specialized compound fertilizer (16:13:16 or 17:6:22), 15 kg of urea, and 20 kg of potassium sulfate per mu. Farmyard manure and urea should be applied during tilling and land preparation, thoroughly mixing them with the topsoil. Appropriate supplementation of trace elements is also necessary.
4. Ridge cultivation
In areas suitable for mechanized operations, it is recommended to adopt mechanized operations for the entire process of plowing, planting, management, and harvesting in the raised-ridge cultivation technique. In plains, hills, and low mountains, double-film (arched greenhouse + mulch film) or triple-film (large arched greenhouse + small arched greenhouse + mulch film) covering for potato cultivation can be appropriately developed to advance the maturity period to mid-to-late April, thereby capturing higher prices and obtaining higher profits.
5. Disease, pest, and weed control
Adhere to the control strategy of "prevention first, comprehensive control," focusing on the prevention and control of potato late blight. For preventative treatment, 70% mancozeb wettable powder can be used at a dosage of 175-225 grams per acre per application. For fields already infected, therapeutic agents should be selected. At the initial stage of disease, spray with 60-75 ml of 68.75% cymoxanil (fluopyram·cymoxanil) or 100 grams of 76% chlorothalonil (cymoxanil·mancozeb).
