Now that the autumn radishes have been planted, many farmers are wondering how to cultivate them properly in order to achieve high quality and high yield. Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with Zhao Wenjun, a senior agronomist and head of agricultural technology at Yilong County's Agriculture Bureau. He shared valuable insights on best practices for growing autumn radishes effectively.
Soil preparation is crucial for successful radish cultivation. It’s best to select sandy loam soil that is deep, fertile, and has good aeration. Avoid planting in areas where cruciferous vegetables were previously grown. Radishes benefit from a combination of base fertilizer and top dressing. Before planting, it’s recommended to incorporate 3,000 kg of well-rotted farmyard manure per acre, along with appropriate amounts of chemical fertilizer. The field should be thoroughly tilled, broken up, and leveled to ensure good soil structure and drainage.
Sowing should take place between late August and early September. Raised beds are ideal for planting, with each ridge being 30 cm wide and 15 cm high, and ditches about 20 cm wide. Transplanting is not recommended due to low survival rates, so direct seeding is preferred. Seeds should be sown 1.5 cm deep, with 3–5 seeds per hole, spaced 50 cm apart in rows and 25 cm between plants. When the seedlings have two true leaves, thinning should be done to leave 2–3 strong seedlings per hole.
Field management during the early growth stage is important, especially during hot and rainy periods. Cultivation should be done carefully, following the principle of shallow, then deeper, and then shallow again. The first cultivation should be light to break up the soil surface, and subsequent cultivations can be slightly deeper. Be careful not to damage the roots, as this can lead to rot or cracking. Top dressing with irrigation is also essential—apply 15–20 kg of ammonium sulfate per acre, placing it 10 cm away from the seedlings. After 15 days, apply 1–2 times of diluted human urine, around 1,000 kg per mu. When the seedlings have 4–5 true leaves, reduce watering to encourage straight root development. When the root diameter reaches nearly 2 cm, increase fertilization and irrigation. Lack of water at this stage can result in hollow, hard, and spicy roots, which reduces yield and quality.
Pest and disease control is another critical aspect. For root maggots, use 90% trichlorfon at a 500-times dilution. For vegetable caterpillars and cabbage worms, 50% phoxim EC at 1,000 times or 20% triazophos EC at 700 times can be effective. For leaf spot diseases, 70% quercetin WP at 2,000 times is recommended. Downy mildew can be controlled using 65% mancozeb WP at 500–600 times dilution.
Harvesting should occur when the fleshy roots are fully developed. For storage, autumn radishes should be harvested before the first frost to maintain their quality and shelf life.
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