Effect of Size of Stem Segment and Plug on Overwintering Seedlings of Leaf-vegetable Sweet Potato in North China
In order to explore the overwintering plug seedlings of leaf-vegetable sweet potato in North China,4 stem sizes(D1,D2,D3,D4 for 4,6,8,10 cm)and 5 plug sizes(32,50,72,105,128 holes)were set to match 14 treatments,to study the effects of different combinations on seedling survival rate,growth(stem diameter,plant height,etc.)and fresh weight,etc.The results indicated that under the same plug,with the increase of stem segment,the survival rate of seedlings,the number of leaves,stem diameter of the base region and plant height of seedlings showed an increasing trend,and then the fresh weight of the aboveground part and the whole plant also increased,and the highest value was under the treatment of D4.Under the same stem segment,as the number of holes in the plug increased,the number of leaves,stem diameter of the base region,plant height,fresh weight above the ground and fresh weight of the whole plant decreased,due to the effect of the plug size on the underground part,with the treatment of 32 holes being the highest.Under different stem segments and plug sizes,the growth of D4-32 treatment was the best.In mid-March,for the fresh weight of the aboveground part,the treatment of D2-72 achieved the same effect as the treatment of D4-32(no significant difference between the two treatments),with the number of leaves,stem diameter of the base region,plant height and other indexs of seedlings meeting the transplanting conditions;for the fresh weight of the whole plant,the treatment of D2-105 treatment(10.21 g)achieved the same effect as the treatment of D4-32,which could save 228.1%of the seedling area.According to its weight,in mid-January,the fresh weight of the aboveground part and the whole plant under the treatment of D3-72 was close to the level of the above two treatments,which could save 125.0%of the seedling area.Considering the growth and economic benefits of seedlings,D2-105 is recommended when transplanted in mid-March,that is,the combination of stem segment with 2 axillary buds and 105-hole plug.If there is condition for transplanting in mid-January,D3-72 is recommended,that is,the combination of stem segment with 3 axillary buds and 72-hole plug.