1. Soil requirements for potato cultivation in the South

What are the soil requirements for potato cultivation? The root system of potatoes is generally distributed in the shallow layer of the soil and is easily affected by changes in the external environment. The most suitable soil for growing potatoes is loam or sandy loam with high organic matter content, deep soil, loose and breathable slopes, and sufficient moisture. However, potatoes have a wide adaptability. Some effective cultivation methods and measures can be adopted when planting on other soils, and high yields can also be obtained.

1. Light loam: good air permeability, good water storage and fertilizer retention capacity. This loam soil is conducive to rapid germination and neat emergence of tubers, and is conducive to the development of root systems, so that tubers can expand smoothly. The grown tubers have normal shape, clean skin and good marketability. Tubers are high in starch. It is convenient for field management, easy to harvest and saves labor. Light loam is the soil of choice for efficient, high-quality potato production.

2. Sandy soil: The disadvantage of sandy soil is the leakage of water and fertilizer. When planting potatoes, attention should be paid to water and fertilizer management. Farmyard manure and chemical fertilizers should be applied in stages, paying attention to the fertilization method and period, and paying special attention to watering.

3. Heavy clay soil: Heavy clay soil has strong water and fertility retention but poor air permeability. High ridge and large ridge cultivation methods should be used to avoid late potato rot due to poor drainage. Potato tubers grown on heavy clay soil are easily deformed and formed into irregular tubers. The starch content of potatoes of the same variety is lower than that of sandy soil. This type of soil has high fertility and can easily achieve high yields through intensive farming.

4. When planting potatoes, try to choose plots of land that can be watered and drained during drought, and do not plant in waterlogged lowlands; in places with a lot of rain, adopt the method of planting in high ridges, and leave them well when sowing. Drainage ditches; in arid areas, it is necessary to gradually add watering facilities, repair wells and canals, and purchase irrigation machinery to ensure that potatoes are irrigated when they need water. Light loam and sandy loam are best for potato growth. For heavy clay soil, high ridge cultivation can be used. The ridges should be larger and direct drainage should be provided. During cultivating, cultivating and weeding, the moisture should be controlled and managed in a timely manner. The sandy soil is prone to leakage of water and fertilizer, so when planting potatoes, it is necessary to control the moisture content. Apply more farmyard manure and apply chemical fertilizers in stages to maintain moisture, and at the same time plant deeply and cultivate deeply, etc. Potatoes like slightly acidic and neutral soil: if planted in alkaline soil, potato tubers are prone to scab. Potatoes cannot be grown in soil that is too alkaline or too acidic.

2. When potatoes were planted in the south

Potato cultivation techniques around the world vary due to different geographical and climatic conditions. Mainly use tubers for vegetative reproduction. In order to avoid the infection of viruses (spindle tuber, X and S mosaic virus) and ring rot by the cutter, healthy seed potatoes with a diameter of 3 to 3.5 cm should be selected for whole potato sowing.

Seed potatoes can germinate and grow when the soil temperature is 5-8℃, and the optimal temperature is 15-20℃. The temperature suitable for the growth and flowering of plant stems and leaves is 16 to 22°C. The most suitable temperature for tuber formation at night is 10-13°C (soil temperature 16-18°C). When it is higher than 20°C, the formation will be slow. During the unearthed and seedling stages, they suffer freezing damage when the temperature drops to -2°C.

To propagate with tubers, cut the potatoes into pieces according to the bud eyes, sow them in ridges, and sow them in March. When the average temperature exceeds 25°C, the underground tubers will stop expanding. It will mature in about three months. Timely and early sowing: It is necessary to prepare the land and fertilize the soil early and sow at a timely manner so that the entire growth period of potatoes is in a relatively cool and low-temperature season, so that the formation and expansion of potato tubers can avoid the high-temperature period.

Note that the soil thickness is generally not less than 12 cm. If the covering soil thickness is insufficient when sowing, cover the soil 1 to 2 times after emergence as the seedlings grow. If the covering soil is too thin, the ground temperature will change drastically, and the stolons will easily jump out of the ground.