High-quality and efficient cultivation technology of taro pumpkin in Shaoguan City
Shaoguan City is located in northern Guangdong, located in the east longitude 112 ° 50 '~ 114 ° 45 ', north latitude 23 ° 5 '~ 25 ° 31 ', known as the north gate of Guangdong, unique geographical advantages and convenient transportation conditions for the development of agricultural economy to provide a guarantee. In recent years, a number of family farms, professional cooperatives, import and export vegetable industry bases in Shaoguan City have come into being, and the scale of the vegetable industry has continued to grow, of which the nutritional value of pumpkins has been continuously affirmed by consumers, and the planting area has been expanding. Sweet potato pumpkin is a gourd family pumpkin plant, young melon and old melon can be edible, this kind of pumpkin with taro flavor, rich in nutrition, unique taste, delicious meat, strong adaptability, resistant to storage and transportation, but also a major feature of the vegetable market, welcomed by the majority of consumers. In 2015, Shaoguan Agricultural Science and Technology Promotion Center successfully introduced the trial planting of sweet potato pumpkin; from 2016 to 2017, the vegetable planting professional cooperatives and family farms in Shaoguan City have accumulated more than 500 mu of demonstration and promotion, with an output of more than 2,500 kg per mu and an output value of more than 10,000 yuan per mu, which has driven farmers to increase their income.
1 Characteristics of sweet potato pumpkin
Sweet potato pumpkin is a medium and early maturing variety, temperature-loving short-day plant, heat-tolerant, moisture-tolerant, suitable for planting in fertile, neutral or slightly acidic sandy loam soils. Strong disease resistance, strong plant growth, strong branching ability, easy to melon. Melon gourd-shaped, 22 to 25 cm long, 13 to 15 cm transverse diameter. Female flowers can be harvested about a month after opening, and a single plant can bear 2 to 5 finished melons at the same time, the single melon weighs 1.5 to 2.0 kg, the growth cycle is 90 to 100 days, and it is appropriate to plant 400 to 450 plants per mu. The ripe melon skin is orange-yellow with a dark green pattern, and the flesh is dense and fragrant, with a strong taro flavor.
2 Cultivation techniques
2.1 Select the land for base fertilizer selection, choose a plot or hillside land with convenient drainage and irrigation, deep soil layer, and it is better to use fertile, neutral or slightly acidic sandy loam soil. 3 000-3 500 kg of farm manure, 15 kg of compound fertilizer, 10 kg of calcium superphosphate and 10 kg of potassium sulfate were applied as base fertilizers. The fertilizer is deeply applied after digging holes or trenches, and the fertilizer is covered with black mulch film to prevent grass.
2.2 Sowing
2.2.1 Sowing period. Sweet potato pumpkin is suitable for open and protected cultivation. Shaoguan City spring sowing in February to March, autumn sowing from July to mid-August. Spring sowing is best to concentrate on seedling transplanting, and autumn sowing mostly uses direct broadcast (seedling transplanting can also be planted).
2.2.2 Sowing methods.
1) Live streaming. Autumn sowing of taro pumpkin is mostly sown by direct broadcasting, generally 2 to 3 seeds per hole. If the seed germination rate is less than 85%, the amount of seeds can be appropriately increased, and 3 to 4 seeds are sown per hole. Before sowing, soak the seeds in clean water for 1 to 2 hours, then fish out the seeds and soak them in hot water at about 55 °C for about 15 minutes, then fish out the seeds and rinse them, dry them slightly, and then dig the pit directly. Cover the soil for 5 to 8 cm after sowing, and then water appropriately.
2) Seedling transplanting. Spring sowing of taro pumpkin mostly adopts the method of centralized seedling transplanting for sowing, which is convenient for seedling management and ensures the number of seedlings. Seeds and seedbeds are disinfected prior to seedlings. Seedbeds can be fully disinfected with broad-spectrum agents such as methylthiopramine or carbendazim. The seeds were soaked in water for 1 to 2 hours, then drained and soaked in 10% trisodium phosphate solution for 15 minutes, and then the seeds were washed and placed in an incubator for germination. During the germination process, the temperature of the incubator is maintained at 25 ~ 28 °C; the seeds should be covered with a wet towel, and the seeds should be checked and turned frequently, and washed with water 1 to 2 times a day to update the air and maintain humidity. After the seeds germinate, they are sown uniformly into the nursery tray and sow one seed per hole. Cover the mulch film after sowing and keep warm and water properly. In general, seedlings can emerge 2 to 3 days after sowing. Before the emergence of seedlings, the film is generally not revealed, and the window is not opened to let the wind blow. Transplant when the seedlings have grown 3 to 5 leaves.
2.3 Transplanting and colonization Need to be transplanted by means of seedling transplanting. Sweet potato pumpkin can be cultivated from ridges or mounds. Generally, flat land and fertile fields can be cultivated according to ridges, and hillsides or terraces can be cultivated on mounds. When transplanting, the plant spacing is 50 cm, the row spacing is 2 m, and 1 to 2 plants are transplanted per hole, and 400 to 450 plants per mu are appropriate. After transplanting, water enough fixed root water.
2.4 Field management
2.4.1 Seedlings. After the seedlings have grown to 5 leaves, if there are more than 2 seedlings per hole, the excess weak plants are removed.
2.4.2 Whole branches. Taro pumpkin vines can be crossed or trellised to lead vines to the shelves, or they can be spread on the ground to grow. The former plant climbs the vine in time to set up a whole branch, generally growing to 7 to 10 leaves when the top, leaving 3 to 4 side vines. The latter should be sown on the ground to do a good job of trenching and drainage to prevent waterlogging from causing rotten melons and the breeding of diseases and insect pests.
2.4.3 Pollination, flower preservation and fruit preservation. Pumpkin is a typical cross-pollination crop, the natural pollination result rate is relatively low, coupled with the current taro pumpkin seed suppliers more, seed purity is uneven, relying only on natural pollination is often ineffective, so the need for artificial assisted pollination, especially in protected area cultivation must be artificially assisted pollination. When the male and female flowers bloom, they should be artificially pollinated at 6 to 7 o'clock every morning, teach 3 to 4 female flowers, select 2 to 3 melons per vine, and remove the rest as soon as possible. After leaving the melon, top the melon at a distance of 5 to 7 leaves, and remove the side branches as soon as possible.
2.4.4 Water and fertilizer management. Sweet potato pumpkin is resistant to moisture, drought and fertilizer, and should be reasonably fertilized according to soil moisture and plant growth and watering. There is generally no watering before sitting on the melon, and there are 3 to 4 times of watering after sitting on the melon, generally once every 7 days. Combined with watering, compound fertilizer 15-20 kg, calcium- magnesium and phosphorus fertilizer 2-5 kg, potassium sulfate 2-5 kg per mu.
2.4.5 Pest control.
1) Powdery mildew. White mold appears on the leaves or young stems when damaged, and in severe cases, the entire leaf is covered with white powder. It can be used 500 times liquid with 25% triazolone wettable powder, 500 times liquid with 50% dented special wettable powder, and 600 times liquid with 75% bacillus Qing wettable powder, and sprayed alternately for prevention and control, once every 7 days, 3 to 4 times continuously.
2) Viral diseases. The affected plant has macular or dark and dark mottled leaves on the leaf surface, uneven leaf surface, and twisted stems and apical leaves. The more effective measure to prevent and control viral diseases is to control the vector, and we must do a good job in the prevention and control of aphids. If a diseased strain is found, it should be removed early and burned in time, and at the same time sprayed with 20% morphoguanidine copper acetate wettable powder 500 times liquid or 1.5% plant disease spirit water emulsion 1 000 times liquid sprayed, once every 7 to 10 days, for 3 consecutive times.
3) Spot disease. The leaf spots of the affected plant are round to nearly round, and when the humidity is high, the spots are densely covered with small black spots, and in severe cases, the spots are fused, resulting in local leaf death. It can be controlled by spraying 70% methylthiophilitrix wettable powder 800 times liquid or 50% isobacterium urea wettable powder 1 500 times liquid spray once every half a month for 2 consecutive times.
4) Insect pests. The main insect pests are aphids, locusts, melon flies, nocturnal moths, etc., which can be controlled by spraying 3% acetamidine emulsion 2,000 times liquid, 48% chlorpyrifos emulsion 800 to 1,000 times liquid, l0% imidacloprid wettable powder 3 000 to 4 000 times liquid spray control.
2.5 Harvesting and storage
2.5.1 Harvesting. Sweet potato pumpkin can be harvested both tender melon and old ripe melon. Early fruiting melons are better to pick tender melons, so that the young melons that grow later can have sufficient nutrients and grow well. Tender melons should be harvested 10 to 15 days after flowering. Old ripe melons are harvested 35 to 60 days after flowering. Old melons should be harvested after full ripening, thick wax powder, unmoving, and yellowish skin. The taro pumpkin to be stored should be cut off with 5 to 10 cm long melon vines on the melon stalk, and it is advisable to choose the live vine melon that is old, harmless and disease-free, and pay attention to holding it gently, and harvest it in the morning after a few days of sunny days. [Yoshiyama Huayao]
2.5.2 Storage. Storage should be selected in a ventilated and cool place, under the pad of wood, layered storage, and timely picking of rotten melons, generally can be stored for 3 to 6 months.