Ubi is a tuber root crop. Already grown as commercial crops. Its tuber is used in different food preparation. It contains vitamins and minerals and other essential nutrients.
It grows best in well-drained sandy loam soil and silt loam soil or clay loam soil especially if it has high organic properties. It can be planted in lowland or highland with an elevation of 2,500 meters above sea level. For good normal growth best temperatures for the plants is 26 to 30’C.
As ubi needs enough moisture for its development throughout the planting stage up to maturity period, irrigate the field. It is only applicable to those planted in lowland areas. Not applicable in high elevation. Even without the supply of enough water for the highland varieties, it can still grow well from the moisture around the field. But if it has a long season of drought, growth and yield are affected.
Plow and harrow the field deep twice to loosen the soil. The grass taken during land cultivation can be used as alternative fertilizer when it become compost.
The planting materials to use is setts taken from the large tubers. Tubers can be sliced into several setts by utilizing its head, middle and tail. Treat setts by applying wood ash or fungicides to keep away free from fungal infection. If planted, ubi is best suited in a flat or ridge seedbed. Construct ridges 60 centimeters apart. In a sloping or rolling areas, contour the ridges. This is to minimize soil erosion.
In a mound method, draw top soil first into piles. Use a hoe to break the soil for better root development. Planting of the setts can be done anytime for as long as the tuber dormancy is broken. It is best to plant during rainy days. Plant setts in the seedbed. The distance should be 1 meter x 50 centimeters or an ideal 60 cm x 60 cm. Plant the setts at the deep of 10 cm. The sprouts should be in upward position.
The purpose of mulching is important to the life of ubi. It conserves soil moisture, increases temperature of the soil for possible dryness, and can control weeds development. Using rice straw is best mulching materials to use. See to it that rice straw is free from insect infestation. Mulch the areas right after the planting.
In the absence of a pre-sprouted setts without mulching materials, you have to do weeding 3 to 4 times or even more as necessary. But those with protection from weeds, you can do weeding 2 times in 2 months interval.
Through experience, a setts that is planted without doing pre-sprouting is mostly has high mortality rate. It is necessary to plant the setts with enough sprouts.
Hill-up the ridges once every 2-3 months after planting. It is important to allow tubers to develop properly. Hand tools maybe used.
As ubi is a clinging vines, installing stakes is a must especially if the plants started to crawl looking for something to hold. Provide stakes (trellis) with measurement of 2 meters high to support density of leaves.
Before doing planting, it is best if you have a soil analysis of the area in order to apply the right rate of fertilizer application and to know the deficiency of the soil.
You need 4 bags of complete fertilizer (14-14-14) per hectare before planting. Additional 4 bags of complete fertilizer 2 months after the first application. Apply nitrogen fertilizer one month after planting at the rate of 2 bags/hectare. During tuber formation apply 3 bags of potassium fertilizer.
Prevent fungal diseases. If the infection is severe, uproot the plants and bury them. Apply regular application of fungicides to control or minimize infection every 2 weeks.
Remove rotten tubers to prevent spreading to other plants. Have a regular check on the plants to determine its condition for immediate prevention.
Harvest tubers when the leaves turn yellow and beginning to die.
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