What fertilizer is best for growing yam?

Yam is an increasingly popular health food, and there are many ways to cook it. It can be stewed in soup or braised, and each has different flavors. However, many aspects of growing yam require attention, such as fertilization. Let’s learn together what fertilizer is best for yam cultivation ?

What fertilizer is best for growing yam ?

1. Base fertilizer

Before planting, it is crucial to apply sufficient base fertilizer, which is usually mainly organic fertilizer , to increase soil fertility and improve soil structure. Generally, 2000-3000 kg is applied per mu.

2. Fertilizer

When sowing, some compound fertilizer can be applied as seed fertilizer to provide the nutrients needed in the seedling stage and promote the growth of seedlings.

3. Topdressing

Top dressing during the seedling stage: After the yam seedlings emerge, top dressing should be carried out in a timely manner according to its growth, mainly with nitrogen fertilizer, to promote the growth of stems and leaves.

Tuber growth period: When yam enters the tuber growth period, the application of potassium fertilizer and phosphorus fertilizer should be increased to promote the expansion and fullness of the tubers.

Foliar spraying: During the growing season, you can spray fertilizer on the leaves, using potassium dihydrogen phosphate, urea or other trace element fertilizers to supplement the nutrients needed for yam growth.

What are the diseases and pests of yam?

1. Underground pests

White grubs: The larvae of scarab beetles of the order Coleoptera , mainly harm the root system and underground tubers of yam, especially when the soil temperature is 13~18℃, the damage is serious, and the occurrence is more serious in plots with high organic matter content.

2. Ground pests

Above-ground pests mainly harm the leaves of yam, and common ones may include aphids, red spiders, etc.

3. Diseases

Root rot: May be caused by soil-borne pathogens that cause yam roots to rot.

Anthracnose: Mainly harms leaves. At the beginning of the disease, brown sunken spots appear on the leaf veins, and when it is moist, pink sticky spots appear in a whorled pattern.

Gray spot disease: It mainly harms the leaves, initially producing small light yellow spots.

4. Prevention and control methods

Avoid continuous cropping and implement a 2-3 year crop rotation system to reduce the accumulation of pathogens in the soil.

In winter, deep plow the soil, clean up dead branches and diseased leaves, and burn them in a concentrated manner to reduce pathogens.

Disinfect the soil before planting.

Apply more phosphorus and potassium fertilizers to improve the plant's disease resistance.

When the disease occurs, use appropriate pesticides for prevention and control, such as thiophanate-methyl, mancozeb, and thiophanate-methyl wettable powder .

Prune diseased and insect-infested branches and leaves promptly to reduce the spread of bacteria.

Use physical and biological methods for green control, such as using natural enemies to control pests.

To sum up, when planting yam, organic fertilizer should be the main fertilizer, supplemented by chemical fertilizer. Reasonable fertilization should be carried out according to the growth stage of yam and soil fertility to ensure the healthy growth and high yield of yam.