What fertilizer is best for sweet potatoes?

Sweet potato is a popular crop. Not only are its roots and stems edible, but its leaves are also rich in nutrients, making it suitable for family cultivation to meet self-sufficiency needs. However, for profit-making farmers, how to increase sweet potato yields through proper fertilization is a key issue they need to consider. So what is the best fertilizer for sweet potatoes?

1. Fertilizer selection

Sweet potato cultivation mainly relies on two types of fertilizers: chemical fertilizers and farmyard manure. Chemical fertilizers are characterized by high nutrient content and rapid effects, but long-term application may lead to soil nutrient imbalance and quality degradation. In contrast, farmyard manure not only has long-lasting fertilizer effects and comprehensive nutrients, but also can improve soil structure and enhance the quality of agricultural products .

2. Advantages of farmyard manure

Farmyard manure such as human and animal manure, pig manure, sheep manure, wood ash and cake fertilizer can not only provide comprehensive nutrients, but also promote the formation of soil aggregate structure and increase the soil's heat preservation, water retention and fertilizer retention capabilities. In particular, wood ash, which is a natural potassium fertilizer, contains a variety of minerals and can significantly improve the yield and quality of sweet potatoes.

3. Rational use of fertilizers

Sweet potato is a potassium-loving crop, and potassium fertilizer is particularly important for increasing yield. Potassium sulfate or potassium sulfate-type compound fertilizer is a good choice. At the same time, an appropriate amount of nitrogen fertilizer can promote the growth of stems and leaves, but excessive application should be avoided to prevent excessive growth of the plants.

4. Fertilization method

Base fertilizer: Mainly farmyard manure, combined with land preparation and ridge forming to ensure that the fertilizer is fully mixed with the soil.

Seedling stage: 15 days after cutting, apply diluted manure or urea in combination with tillage to promote seedling growth.

Swelling period: In August, sweet potatoes enter the swelling period. Potassium sulfate can be applied through crack fertilization to promote rapid swelling of tubers.

5. Foliar Fertilization

During the tuber swelling period, foliar spraying of calcium glycosides and potassium dihydrogen phosphate can improve the disease resistance and sugar accumulation of sweet potatoes, thereby increasing yield and quality.

6. Precautions for fertilization

Avoid applying uncomposted farmyard manure to prevent root burn and pests and diseases.

Avoid applying too much nitrogen fertilizer to prevent excessive growth of the plants and affect tuber formation.

Avoid applying chlorine-containing fertilizers because sweet potatoes are sensitive to chlorine and a high-chloride environment will affect starch synthesis and transport.

In general, scientific fertilization methods can stimulate the yield potential of sweet potatoes. The base fertilizer should be sufficient, with nitrogen applied in moderation during the seedling stage, potassium fertilizer should be focused on during the swelling period, supplemented with calcium fertilizer, which can effectively improve the yield and quality of sweet potatoes.