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Chinese Agricultural Science Bulletin ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (36): 21-27.doi: 10.11924/j.issn.1000-6850.casb2025-0439

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Effects of Plastic Film Mulching and Planting Density on Agronomic Trait and Tuber-setting Habits of Purple Sweet Potato Variety ‘Funingzi No.4’ in Ningde Hilly Area

JIANG Yuanbin()   

  1. Institute of Agricultural Sciences in Ningde City, Ningde, Fujian 355017
  • Received:2025-05-30 Revised:2025-11-20 Online:2025-12-25 Published:2025-12-25

Abstract:

To explore the effects of different yield-increasing cultivation measures on the growth and development of sweet potato, a two-factor randomized block design was used to study the effects of plastic film mulching and planting density on the agronomic trait and tuber-setting habits of purple sweet potato variety ‘Funingzi No.4’ in Ningde hilly area. The results showed that plastic film mulching could promote the growth of the aboveground part of sweet potato, and then improve the yield, commodity potato rate and quality of sweet potato. Under the condition of planting density of 52500 plant/hm2, the average number of tubers per plant increased by 1.65, the fresh weight per plant increased by 34.62%, the large potato rate increased by 10.45 percentage points, the fresh potato yield per unit area increased by 33.87%, the commodity potato rate increased by 7.72 percentage points, the anthocyanin content increased by 7.2%, and the dry rate increased by 2.01 percentage points. Excessive or insufficient planting density was not conducive to the improvement of commercial tuberous root rate, fresh potato yield and quality. There were significant interactions between plastic film mulching and planting density on the number of branches, the longest vine length, the fresh weight of stems and leaves per plant, the number of tubers per plant, the fresh weight per plant, the fresh yield per unit area, the rate of large tubers, the rate of small tubers and the rate of commercial tubers of ‘Funingzi No.4’. The combination of plastic film mulching and suitable planting density measures could better promote the yield, commercial tuberous root rate and quality of ‘Funingzi No.4’. Based on the characteristics of agronomic trait and tuber habits of ‘Funingzi No.4’ in the growth process in Ningde hilly and mountainous areas, plastic film mulching should be selected in spring cultivation and production, and the planting density of 52500 plants/hm2 is more suitable.

Key words: film mulching, planting density, Funingzi No.4, agronomic trait, purple sweet potato, Ningde hilly area