How to grow sweet potatoes to get high yield?

Sweet potato, also known as yams, is cultivated throughout my country. Sweet potato is a root crop that grows well when planted in soil with deep, loose, fertile, breathable and fresh water. So how can we grow sweet potatoes to get high yields? Let’s take a look with the editor below.

1. Site selection and land preparation

Sweet potatoes prefer to be planted in loose, breathable, water-retaining, fertilizer-retaining, and well-drained sandy loam. Such soil is conducive to the growth of sweet potatoes and the expansion of tubers. Avoid planting sweet potatoes in continuous cropping areas to avoid diseases and pests. Before planting, the land should be plowed more than 30 cm deep to break up soil compaction and improve soil permeability. At the same time, apply decomposed organic fertilizer and appropriate amount of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer as base fertilizer to improve soil fertility.

2. Variety selection

Choose sweet potato varieties suitable for local climate and soil conditions, such as Shangshu 19, Yanshu 25, Longshu 9, Hami, Xiguahong, etc. These varieties generally have better adaptability and high yield potential. When selecting seed potatoes, you should ensure that the tubers are healthy, free of pests and diseases, and of moderate size to ensure uniform emergence and the cultivation of strong seedlings.

3. Reasonable fertilization

Sweet potato is a fertilizer-loving crop, and adequate fertilizer supply is the key to ensuring high yield. Apply sufficient base fertilizer before planting. Generally, 2000-3000 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer and 30-50 kg of potassium sulfate can be applied per mu. During the growth period, apply top dressing and foliar fertilizer in a timely manner according to the growth conditions to meet the needs of sweet potatoes at different growth stages. Be careful not to apply too much nitrogen fertilizer, which can cause the stems and leaves to grow vigorously without forming tubers.

4. Water at the right time

Sweet potatoes need sufficient water to grow, but they should also avoid waterlogging caused by excessive water. After the sweet potatoes are planted, keep the soil moist to accelerate the rooting of the seedlings. During the tuber expansion period, water should be applied in time according to weather and soil conditions to avoid adverse effects of drought or waterlogging on tuber expansion.

5. Field management

After sweet potatoes are planted, herbicides should be sprayed in time to remove weeds in the field. During the tuber formation period, pay attention to spraying growth control agents to prevent excessive growth of stems and vines. Spray tuber enlargement agents during the tuber enlargement period to promote tuber enlargement. When the temperature is high in summer and autumn, diseases and insect pests occur seriously, so we must pay attention to preventing and controlling them. Adopt a plant protection policy of focusing on prevention and integrating prevention and control to detect and deal with pests and diseases in a timely manner.

The above is an introduction to how to grow sweet potatoes for high yields. Sweet potatoes have many diseases and pests, so timely measures must be taken to prevent and control them. The harvest time of sweet potatoes is generally before the Descent of Frost, and the specific time can be determined according to the sweet potato variety and growth conditions.