A green potato planting method

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of agricultural planting technology, and in particular to a green planting method for potatoes. Based on the research group's previous study on the occurrence and damage patterns of underground pests of potatoes, this invention summarizes a set of green planting strategies targeting underground pests of potatoes. The main focus is on planting management and control, combined with the application of appropriate biological control agents to minimize or prevent the formation of underground voids, achieving the goal of using little or no chemical pesticides. This not only effectively controls the damage caused by the narrow-edged cutworm, but also prevents damage from other underground pests such as grubs and cutworms, resulting in significant yield increases. It is a green, efficient, and cost-saving method. The combined use of biological control agents and black mulch effectively increases potato yield, reduces the formation of green-headed potatoes, and improves the marketability of potatoes. Simultaneously, the highest control efficiency against underground pests reaches 97.64%, achieving highly efficient green planting.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to the field of agricultural planting technology, and in particular to a green planting method for potatoes. [Background Technology]

[0002] Potatoes are one of my country's four major grain crops, and their planting area and yield have consistently ranked among the world's highest. Compared to traditional staple crops such as corn, rice, and wheat, potatoes have advantages such as high economic benefits, drought resistance, tolerance to poor soil, and high water use efficiency. Since the potato staple food strategy was proposed in 2015, the country has paid close attention to potato production, gradually making it a pillar industry for accelerating agricultural restructuring, increasing farmers' income, ensuring food security, and promoting regional economic development. Winter potato cultivation in southern China has flourished since the potato staple food strategy was implemented. Utilizing fallow winter fields for potato cultivation is an effective way to improve soil fertility and increase farmers' income.

[0003] For a long time, underground pests, mainly grubs and cutworms, have been feeding on potato tubers and roots, causing disease infection. Mild cases affect appearance, while severe cases render potatoes inedible, seriously impacting potato yield and quality. These underground pests complete most or all of their life cycle in the soil, making them highly concealed and difficult to detect and predict. They can cause damage throughout the entire potato growing season. Surveys show that these pests can feed on potato seed tubers, roots, and tubers. Wounds from these bites can lead to disease infection and rot. Since 2015, a new potato pest—the narrow-edged cutworm (Schrankia costaestrigalis)—has been discovered, causing severe damage in some potato planting areas, with infestation rates reaching 60-80%. Affected potato tubers develop single or multiple holes; severely damaged tubers exhibit a honeycomb-like pattern of holes, significantly impacting potato yield and quality.

[0004] Mulching is a common planting method in potato cultivation. However, while mulching helps retain moisture and increase temperature, playing a significant role in increasing potato yield, it also creates a dark underground environment. During potato enlargement, gaps gradually form between tubers, providing a habitat for underground pests such as the narrow-rimmed cutworm, grubs, and cutworms. This darkness is particularly suitable for the larvae of these pests, which feed day and night, exacerbating potato damage. Our research paper, "The Demonstration Effect of Different Agricultural Control Measures on the Control of the New Potato Pest Narrow-rimmed Cutworm," found that the damage caused by pests, especially the narrow-rimmed cutworm, was significantly higher in mulched potato cultivation than in open-field cultivation. Even with the addition of toxic soil (38% chlorpyrifos-carbendazim granules 2000g / 667m³), the damage was more severe. 2The treatments did not show good results, and the damage was still significantly higher than that of open-field cultivation. The study also found that drip irrigation combined with film covering can effectively improve the control of the underground pest, the narrow-edged cutworm. However, in actual planting by farmers, we found that drip irrigation requires pipe laying and maintenance, which increases management costs. This makes it difficult and costly for farmers to manage and is not suitable for widespread adoption. Therefore, it is necessary to find a simple and convenient green planting method that can effectively reduce the damage of the narrow-edged cutworm, grubs, cutworms, etc. to potatoes, while also effectively improving potato yield and quality, based on the growth habits of underground potato pests and the cultivation needs of potatoes. [Summary of the Invention]

[0005] In view of the above, it is necessary to find a simple and convenient green planting method that can effectively reduce the damage caused by potato underground pests and effectively improve potato yield and marketability, taking into account the growth habits of potato underground pests and the cultivation requirements of potatoes.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0007] An agent for controlling underground pests of potatoes, the agent being composed of tea seed cake, Beauveria bassiana, and Bacillus thuringiensis, wherein the mass ratio of tea seed cake, Beauveria bassiana, and Bacillus thuringiensis is 30-40:1-3:1-3.

[0008] Furthermore, the mass ratio of tea seed cake, Beauveria bassiana, and Bacillus thuringiensis is 40:2-3:1-3.

[0009] This invention also includes a method for green potato cultivation using the aforementioned control agent. The method is as follows: potato seeds are selected, cut into seed sections, and planted. Loose, well-drained sandy soil is selected for planting. The soil is deeply plowed and finely harrowed to break up and level the land, and the soil clods are crushed to less than 2 cm. Weeds are removed, base fertilizer is applied, ridges are formed, the aforementioned control agent is applied, and the seeds are planted. Conventional planting methods are used for planting management, and the potatoes are harvested after maturity.

[0010] Furthermore, the application rate of the control agent is 25 kg / mu.

[0011] Furthermore, during conventional planting, plastic film is used to cover the planting area.

[0012] Furthermore, the planting method of mulching is as follows: after placing the potato seeds, select a good quality mulch film for mulching. When laying the film, pull it tight, lay it flat, and cover it tightly so that the film adheres closely to the soil surface. Then, use a soil splitter to split the soil or manually back the soil, and evenly cover the mulch film with a layer of fine soil about 7cm thick.

[0013] Furthermore, the mulch film is a black mulch film.

[0014] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0015] Based on previous research by our research group on the occurrence and damage patterns of underground pests such as the narrow-rimmed cutworm, white grubs, and cutworms, this invention reveals that these pests prefer to live in dark and damp underground environments. White grub activity is closely related to soil moisture, and they prefer warm and humid underground environments. Cutworms also prefer warm and humid environments. Damage from these underground pests is significantly aggravated in loamy soils with large pores, good granular structure, and high water retention. A green control planting strategy for underground pests such as the narrow-rimmed cutworm, white grubs, and cutworms has been summarized. This strategy primarily focuses on planting management and control measures, supplemented by the application of appropriate biological control agents. Through several key agricultural measures—site selection, cultivation, biological control agents, and mulching—the strategy synergistically disrupts the underground habitat of these pests, minimizing or preventing the formation of underground voids, reducing soil moisture and warmth, and ultimately achieving the goal of using little or no chemical pesticides. This method not only effectively controls the damage caused by the narrow-edged cutworm, but also prevents damage from underground pests such as grubs and cutworms, resulting in a significant increase in yield. Its green, efficient, and cost-saving effects are achieved through the combined use of biological control agents and black mulch, which effectively increases potato yield, reduces the formation of green-headed potatoes, and improves potato marketability. Simultaneously, the control efficiency against underground pests reaches up to 97.64%, achieving highly efficient green planting. Furthermore, this planting method eliminates the need for drip irrigation, saving on the cost of laying and maintaining drip irrigation pipes, making it more convenient and faster. [Attached Image Description]

[0016] Figure 1 A diagram showing the potato harvest in the experimental group planted under black plastic film mulching.

[0017] Figure 2 A diagram showing the potato harvest in the experimental group that used straw mulching.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a picture of the potatoes grown under straw mulch at harvest time.

Detailed Implementation Methods

[0019] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can be practiced in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0020] Example 1:

[0021] We conducted extensive practical research on green potato cultivation methods in the early stages:

[0022] Based on our years of observation of the occurrence and damage patterns of underground pests such as the narrow-rimmed cutworm, white grubs, and cutworms, we have found that the narrow-rimmed cutworm prefers to live in dark and damp underground environments; the activity of white grubs is closely related to soil moisture, and they prefer to live in warm and humid underground environments; cutworms prefer warm and humid environments. The damage caused by these underground pests is significantly aggravated in loamy soils with large pores, good granular structure, and strong water retention. Poor land preparation, inadequate soil pulverization, large gaps between soil clods, and high soil moisture, especially in potato fields covered with black plastic film, often result in severe pest infestations. This is because the large gaps allow adult cutworms and narrow-edged moths to burrow into the soil and lay their eggs on the clods. The larvae then move within these gaps or in the spaces between the soil and the potato tubers, feeding on the stolons and tubers. Therefore, the control strategy should focus on controlling field moisture and minimizing the formation of these gaps to reduce the number of underground pests that can enter the soil to lay eggs. This will prevent larvae from using these gaps to burrow into the soil and damage the potato tubers. Simultaneously, it will prevent the pupae from emerging and causing adults to be unable to escape the soil and migrate to other fields or plants to reproduce, thus reducing the pest population. In addition, the narrow-edged cutworm usually inhabits dense grass in damp areas, and the adults migrate to potato fields shortly after potato planting; the cutworm adults hide in soil cracks, weeds and other concealed places. Therefore, when selecting a site, it is necessary to stay away from damp areas with weeds or remove the surrounding weeds.

[0023] By improving the planting process and implementing several key agricultural measures, the suitable underground habitats of underground pests such as the narrow-edged cutworm, grubs, and cutworms can be disrupted, the formation of underground voids can be prevented to the greatest extent or the degree of voids can be reduced, and field humidity can be reduced. This achieves the goal of controlling underground pests effectively without or with minimal pesticide use, resulting in significant yield increases, and is a green, efficient, and cost-saving approach.

[0024] After years of research, it has been found that the following aspects need to be considered to effectively control underground pests in potato cultivation:

[0025] 1. Avoid or reduce sources of pests: When selecting a site, stay away from damp areas overgrown with weeds, or use chemical herbicides to kill surrounding weeds before planting potatoes to reduce sources of pests.

[0026] 2. Choose deep sandy loam or loam soil with convenient irrigation and drainage for planting: This type of soil is easy to rake and has small gaps in the soil layer, so it is less susceptible to pests than clay soil.

[0027] 3. Fine land preparation: Before sowing, the land should be finely prepared by rotary tilling to level and break up the soil, achieving the requirements of fineness, uniformity, and looseness, ensuring that the soil has minimal voids after ridging. If the soil is clayey, the field moisture must be reduced before land preparation. For bases with poor drainage, ditches should be cleared, silt removed, and the water level lowered. After rice harvest, the soil should be sun-dried for 3-5 days to reduce soil stickiness, and then the land should be finely prepared for raised bed cultivation.

[0028] 4. Choose one of the following cultivation methods according to local conditions: The commonly used cultivation and management method is "mulching with plastic film or straw". During the mulching process, the following mulching methods are typically selected: white plastic film mulching, straw mulching, and black plastic film mulching.

[0029] Through long-term observation and experimentation, it was discovered that:

[0030] (1) The planting method using straw mulch is generally not easy to form a dark and damp underground environment, and the gaps for pests to move are small, resulting in less damage; however, due to the large ventilation and poor light protection, green-headed potatoes are easily formed, resulting in poor marketability and low yield of potatoes.

[0031] (2) The yield of planting using plastic film mulching is slightly higher than that of straw planting. However, because plastic film mulching easily creates a warm and humid environment, which is a suitable habitat for underground pests such as cutworms, grubs, and pests, the potatoes are more susceptible to damage from these pests, resulting in more wormholes. Furthermore, white film allows more light to pass through than black film, leading to a much more severe problem of green-headed potatoes with white film. Black film, on the other hand, creates a dark underground environment, resulting in even more severe damage from underground pests. For details, please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 1-3 As shown, Figure 1 The experimental group covered with plastic film shows that the clay soil in the figure has high moisture content, large soil clods, obvious insect holes, and serious insect infestation. Figure 2 The experimental group using straw mulch had lower soil moisture, less soil compaction, smaller clods, and fewer pests. Although straw mulch reduced pests in potatoes, it also increased the likelihood of green-headed potatoes, leading to a decrease in marketability (e.g., ...). Figure 3 As shown, Figure 3 The area within the frame represents the green-headed tuber area of ​​the potato. To reduce pests, the research team compared a treatment group using plastic film mulching combined with toxic soil, specifically using 2000g / 667m² of 38% chlorpyrifos-carbendazim granules at planting time. 2 The mixture of fine sand and soil was applied in planting holes. A control group (CK) was established using black plastic film mulching, and the results were compared with several other treatments. Table 1 shows the observation results.

[0032] Table 1. Effects of several different planting patterns (Note: Method for investigating the effectiveness of prevention and control: Randomly sample 3-5 points in each field, with each point in a row of 3.3 meters.) 2 ~5.5 meters 2 Tubers weighing less than 50 grams each, as well as diseased, rotten, or green-skinned tubers, are considered non-commercial tubers; all others are commercial tubers. 1.5% of impurities are removed when calculating weight.

[0033] The calculation methods for pest infestation rate, control effectiveness, and marketable potato loss rate are as follows:

[0034] ① Insect infestation rate (%) = Number of tubers infested with insects / Total number of tubers × 100%

[0035] ② Control efficacy (%) = (Pest rate in control or demonstration area - Pest rate in treatment or non-demonstration area) / Pest rate in control area × 100

[0036] ③ Percentage of green-headed sweet potatoes (%) = (Weight of green-headed sweet potatoes / Total yield of sweet potatoes) × 100. (The same applies below)

[0037] As shown in Table 1, the group covered with black plastic film had the highest pest rate, and therefore it was designated as the control group (CK). In terms of humidity, the humidity of the straw-covered group was comparable to that of the open-field cultivation group, while the humidity of all the film-covered groups was higher than that of the straw-covered group. The pest rate was correlated with soil moisture; the higher the soil moisture, the more pronounced the pest infestation. This aligns with the growth habits of underground pests. Among the film-covered groups, the pest rate of the black film group was slightly higher than that of the white film group, but the difference was not statistically significant, indicating that the underground environment of the black film group was more suitable for the growth of underground pests than that of the white film group. The group treated with toxic soil still had a significantly higher pest rate than the straw-covered and open-field cultivation groups, indicating that the toxic soil group was still ineffective in controlling underground pests and could not improve the serious pest problem caused by plastic film mulching.

[0038] In terms of yield, the yields of the experimental groups were comparable. However, due to severe insect damage, the yield of marketable potatoes in the plastic film mulching group was significantly lower than that in the straw mulching group and the open-field cultivation group. The yield of marketable potatoes under white plastic film mulching was slightly lower than that under black plastic film mulching, indicating that green-headed potatoes were also an important factor affecting the marketable potato yield. The proportion of green-headed potatoes in the white plastic film mulching group was higher than that in the black plastic film mulching group, which led to the decrease in marketable potato yield.

[0039] However, based on long-term planting and management experience, we have found that although straw mulching reduces the pest rate, it does not significantly improve the situation compared to open-field cultivation. Moreover, the proportion of green-headed potatoes remains high. In addition, straw mulching requires a large amount of straw, which is troublesome to collect, resulting in high labor costs. Straw mulching is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and slow, making it unsuitable for widespread adoption. Therefore, to address the issue of the high proportion of green-headed potatoes in open-field cultivation, we have prioritized the black plastic film mulching method for in-depth research and improvement. However, black plastic film mulching is the method that causes the most severe damage from underground pests among several planting methods. Therefore, how to reduce the damage from underground pests under black plastic film mulching and improve potato yield and marketability is the focus of this research.

[0040] Example 2:

[0041] In actual planting, compared with open-field cultivation, straw cultivation, and white mulch cultivation, potatoes grown under black mulch have a very low green potato rate. If pest infestation can be effectively controlled, potato yield and quality will be greatly improved. Therefore, to effectively improve potato yield, marketability, and ease of planting operations, the research team believes that black mulch cultivation is the preferred method suitable for farmers to promote. How to solve the serious problem of underground potato pests caused by black mulch is the focus of this study. This example investigates the control of underground potato pests using different agricultural control measures and pesticides, as detailed below:

[0042] 1. Seed Selection and Cutting: Select healthy, undamaged, medium-early maturing virus-free potato varieties that have passed their dormancy period to ensure early market availability and reduce severe damage from underground pests later in the season. Cut the potatoes into small pieces of 25-40g each, ensuring each piece retains at least 1-2 buds. Within one hour of cutting, treat the potato pieces with a mixture of talcum powder, 70% thiophanate-methyl, and 3% thiamethoxam. After treatment, place the potatoes indoors for two days, ensuring good ventilation. Plant the potatoes only after the wounds have healed and dried.

[0043] 2. Site Selection: Choose sandy loam or loam soil that is loose, deep, flat, and has convenient irrigation and drainage. Avoid low-lying areas or wetlands with poor drainage. Planting plots should be kept away from areas with abundant weeds. If water resources are plentiful, it is best to plant in dry land.

[0044] 3. Land preparation: Before sowing, prepare the land meticulously by rotary tilling to level and break up the soil. If it is clay soil, it should be plowed and left to dry for more than a week after harvesting the previous crop. For bases with poor drainage, dredge ditches around the land, remove silt, lower the water level, and let the soil dry for 3-5 days to reduce soil stickiness. Then, prepare the land meticulously by using a rotary tiller to turn and harrow 2-3 times, ensuring deep plowing and fine harrowing. The land should be broken up and leveled, and soil clods should be crushed to less than 2cm to achieve the requirements of fineness, uniformity, and looseness. This will ensure that the soil has small gaps after ridging, reducing the environment for underground pests to inhabit.

[0045] 4. Weed control: Remove weeds around the planting base and use non-selective herbicides such as glufosinate to remove weeds on nearby ditches and damp wastelands to reduce the migration of underground pests from their habitats to potatoes to lay eggs and reproduce.

[0046] 5. Fertilization: Apply enough fertilizer for the entire growing season in one go. When tilling and harrowing the land for the first time, apply more than 1000 kg of well-rotted farmyard manure or 150 kg of commercial organic fertilizer and 100-150 kg of NPK compound fertilizer per acre, spreading them evenly.

[0047] 6. Ridging: Dig deep furrows to make raised beds. The bottom width of the ridge (including the furrow) should be 110cm, the ridge width should be 0.7-0.8cm, the ridge height should be 30cm, and the furrow width should be 30cm. The ridge surface and the bottom of the furrow should be flat and straight, and the soil clods should be fine and broken.

[0048] 7. Application of pesticides: Based on the applicant's previous research results, pesticides were applied to the raised beds after ridging. The pesticides for each group are shown in Table 2.

[0049] Table 2. Pesticides for pest control in potato cultivation

[0050] Group Drug and dosage Group 1 Tea seed cake, application rate: 25 kg / mu Group 2 Beauveria bassiana at a concentration of 50,000 IU / mg was applied at a rate of 0.5 kg / mu. Group 3 Bacillus thuringiensis at a concentration of 50,000 IU / mg was applied at a rate of 0.5 kg / mu. Group 4 0.5% thiamethoxam GR, application rate: 5 kg / mu Group 5 0.5% thiamethoxam GR, application rate: 3.5 kg / mu CK No medicine was applied

[0051] 8. Sowing: Winter potato sowing should begin in mid-October and be completed by mid-November at the latest. The earlier the sowing, the earlier the harvest and the less pest damage. Aim to complete the harvest before mid-February to greatly reduce underground pest damage. Planting should be done in a double-row, triangular pattern with a plant spacing of 20-30cm. The seed potato should be planted at a depth of 8-12cm.

[0052] 9. Planting method: Planting is carried out by covering with black plastic film. Cover with black plastic film after sowing.

[0053] 10. Field Management: After planting, seal the soil surface of the seedbed. Irrigate after planting to promote seed potato sprouting. Simultaneously, the water penetrates into the soil, causing soil settling and further reducing porosity. The water depth should be approximately 5cm to prevent soaking the seed potatoes and maintain soil moisture. After emergence, control field humidity throughout the process to prevent waterlogging or excessive moisture. From emergence to the budding stage, use sprinkler irrigation to maintain soil moisture content at 70%–75% of maximum field capacity. During tuber enlargement, maintain soil moisture content at 60%–70% of maximum field capacity. 15–20 days before harvest, drain the field water, keeping the soil moist but not waterlogged.

[0054] 11. Harvesting: Harvest as soon as possible after maturity, and strive to complete the harvest before the beginning of March.

[0055] The control effect was investigated in different groups of plots. The specific method was as follows: 3-5 points were randomly sampled from each plot, with each point in a row of 3.3 meters. 2 ~5.5 meters 2 Tubers weighing less than 50 grams each, as well as diseased, rotten, or green-skinned tubers, are considered non-commercial tubers; all others are commercial tubers. 1.5% of impurities are removed when calculating weight.

[0056] Method for calculating control effectiveness: ① Insect infestation rate (%) = Number of tubers infested with insects / Total number of tubers × 100%

[0057] ② Control efficacy (%) = (Pest rate in control or demonstration area - Pest rate in treatment or non-demonstration area) / Pest rate in control area × 100

[0058] The results are shown in Table 3:

[0059] Table 3. Effects of different pesticides on potato pests.

[0060] Test Items Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5 CK Infestation rate (%) 23.65 24.35 18.25 5.27 6.33 89.22 Prevention and control efficacy (%) 73.49 72.71 79.54 94.09 92.91 ——

[0061] As shown in Table 3, compared with the CK group, the pesticides in groups 1-5 all had varying degrees of control effects on potato underground pests. The control effects of groups 4 and 5 were better than those of groups 1-3. However, groups 4 and 5 are chemical pesticides, which are prone to chemical residues after use and cannot effectively achieve green potato cultivation. Therefore, in order to effectively achieve green potato cultivation, the research group still chose experimental groups 1-3, which had lower control effects than groups 4-5, for the next planting experiment.

[0062] Example 3:

[0063] Based on the control effect of Example 2, biological agents with lower control effects than chemical agents but less harmful chemical residues were selected and mixed for efficacy experiments. The specific agents were: tea seed cake, Beauveria bassiana, and Bacillus thuringiensis. To improve the marketability of the potatoes, a planting method using black plastic film covering was chosen, with the planting method consistent with Example 2. The difference was that step 7, the application step, used a mixture of tea seed cake, Beauveria bassiana, and Bacillus thuringiensis. Considering factors such as cost, the total amount of agents applied was fixed at 25 kg / mu (based on the application rate of tea seed cake). The mass of each agent is shown in Tables 4 and 5.

[0064] Table 4. Factor levels in the orthogonal experiment for the three drugs.

[0065]

[0066] Table 5. Results of orthogonal experiments and range analysis

[0067]

[0068]

[0069] In summary, as shown in Table 5, the pesticide ratios in experiments 1-6 demonstrated good control effects against underground potato pests, reducing their damage. Therefore, a ratio of tea seed cake: Beauveria bassiana: Bacillus thuringiensis of 30-40:1-3:1-3 under black plastic film mulching conditions effectively controlled underground potato pests, achieving a control efficacy of over 90%. The optimal control effect, exceeding 97%, was achieved at a ratio of 40:2-3:1-3. However, experiments 7-9 showed lower control efficacy compared to the use of Beauveria bassiana alone (Group 2 in Table 5). This indicates that, with a fixed application rate, the ratio of different pesticides significantly impacted the control effect. The order of factors influencing control efficacy from highest to lowest, based on the range, was: tea seed cake ratio > Beauveria bassiana ratio > Bacillus thuringiensis ratio.

[0070] Example 4:

[0071] Based on the control effect of Example 3, experimental group 5 in Table 7 was selected for planting to study the effects of combined control of pesticides, straw mulching, and plastic film mulching on underground pests of potatoes and the marketability of potatoes. The specific methods are as follows:

[0072] Steps 1-6 are the same as in Example 2, except that steps 7-9 are processed using the following processing groups:

[0073] Treatment group 1: The planting method adopted was the same as that used in experimental group 5, which involved the application of pesticides and the covering of rice straw.

[0074] Treatment group 2: The planting method adopted was the same as that used in experimental group 5, combined with black plastic film mulching.

[0075] Treatment group 3: The planting method adopted was the same as that used in experimental group 5, combined with white plastic film mulching.

[0076] CK group: The control agent used in experimental group 5 was combined with open-field cultivation.

[0077] The control agent consists of the following components: tea seed cake: Beauveria bassiana: Bacillus thuringiensis in a mass ratio of 40:2:3; the addition amount of the control agent mixture is 25 kg / mu.

[0078] The method of covering with straw is as follows: after placing the seeds, cover them evenly with straw, with a thickness of 6-7cm, and then cover the straw with 2-3cm of soil using a soil-building machine or manually.

[0079] The method of mulching is as follows: After placing the potato seeds, select a good quality black or transparent mulch film to cover them. When laying the film, try to pull it tight, lay it flat and cover it tightly so that the film is close to the soil surface (bed surface and edges). Then, use a soil splitter to split the soil or manually back the soil, and evenly cover the mulch film with a layer of fine soil about 7cm thick.

[0080] Steps 10-11 are the same as the planting method in Example 2.

[0081] Calculate the corresponding pest rate, control effect, and loss rate using the above formulas. Additionally, calculate the green potato percentage using the following formula:

[0082] Percentage of green-headed potatoes (%) = (Weight of green-headed potatoes / Total potato yield) × 100. (The same applies below)

[0083] The results are shown in Table 6:

[0084] Table 6. Effects of different planting methods on potato cultivation

[0085] Group Infestation rate (%) Prevention and control efficacy (%) Loss rate (%) Yield per mu (kg / mu) Green potato yield (%) Processing Group 1 1.86 98.14％ 1.77 1898.88 15.36 Processing Group 2 2.35 97.65％ 2.06 2087.32 0.00 Processing Group 3 2.89 97.11％ 2.35 1765.64 8.36 CK group 19.33 80.67 18.97 1422.31 12.00

[0086] Table 6 shows that treatment groups 1-3 achieved over 97% control efficacy against underground pests, while the control efficacy of the CK group (open-field cultivation) was only 80.67%. This indicates that the pesticide applied in this application needs to be covered with straw or mulch after application to effectively control underground pests. Without covering with straw or mulch, the pesticide's efficacy will eventually wear off, making it easier for underground pests to cause damage. In terms of yield, after the pests were controlled, the potato yield per mu (a Chinese unit of area, approximately 0.067 hectares) of treatment group 2 (covered with black mulch) was much higher than that of treatments using straw and white mulch. This indicates that the underground environment created by black mulch promotes potato growth and increases yield. Regarding the green potato rate, treatment groups 1 and 3 (covered with straw) and the CK group (without any covering) all produced green potatoes, while treatment group 2 (covered with black mulch) did not produce green potatoes. This shows that covering potatoes with black mulch, an opaque material, effectively reduces the green potato rate and further improves the marketability of the potatoes.

[0087] Based on the above experiments, the optimal planting model for green potato cultivation to reduce underground pest damage is as follows:

[0088] Seed selection and cutting, site selection, land preparation, weeding, fertilization, and ridging (specific methods are as described in steps 1-6 of Example 2).

[0089] Application of pesticide: Apply the pesticide to the raised bed surface at a rate of 25 kg / mu. The pesticide is composed of tea seed cake, Beauveria bassiana, and Bacillus thuringiensis in a mass ratio of 40:2-3:1-3.

[0090] Sowing (the specific method is as described in step 8 of Example 2).

[0091] Planting method: Planting is carried out by covering with black plastic film.

[0092] Field management and harvesting (specific methods are as described in steps 10-11 of Example 2).

[0093] The Beauveria bassiana used in this application was purchased from Shanxi Lvhai Pesticide Technology Co., Ltd., with a total active ingredient content of 40 billion spores / gram; Bacillus thuringiensis was purchased from Shandong Donghe Biotechnology Co., Ltd., with a total active ingredient content of 8000 IU / mL.

[0094] In summary, based on the life habits of underground pests, this application summarizes a set of green control planting strategies for underground pests. The main focus is on strengthening field management and improving each planting stage by applying appropriate biological control agents. Through several key agricultural measures—site selection, cultivation, biological control agents, and mulching—the strategy synergistically disrupts the suitable underground habitat for pests, minimizing or preventing the formation of underground voids. This achieves the goal of using little or no chemical pesticides, effectively controlling underground pest damage, significantly increasing yield, and demonstrating green, efficient, and cost-effective results. The combined use of biological control agents and black mulch effectively increases potato yield, reduces the formation of green potatoes, and improves potato marketability. Simultaneously, the control efficiency against underground pests reaches up to 97.64%, achieving highly efficient green planting.

[0095] The examples described above are merely illustrative of several embodiments of the present invention, and while the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for green potato cultivation using pesticides, characterized in that, The method is as follows: after selecting and cutting the potato seeds, plant them in loose, well-drained sandy soil. Deeply plow and harrow the soil to break it up and level it. Crush the soil clods to less than 2cm. Remove weeds, apply base fertilizer, make ridges, apply the aforementioned pesticide, plant the seeds, and manage the planting using conventional methods. Harvest the potatoes after they mature. The control agent is composed of tea seed cake, Beauveria bassiana and Bacillus thuringiensis, and the mass ratio of tea seed cake, Beauveria bassiana and Bacillus thuringiensis is 30-40:1-3:1-3; The application rate of the control agent is 25 kg / mu; In conventional planting, plastic film is used to cover the planting area; The planting method with plastic film covering is as follows: after placing the potato seeds, select a good quality plastic film for covering. When laying the film, pull it tight, flatten it, and cover it tightly so that the film is close to the soil surface. Then, use a soil splitter to split the soil or manually back the soil, and evenly cover the plastic film with a layer of fine soil about 7cm thick. The mulch film is black.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mass ratio of tea seed cake, Beauveria bassiana, and Bacillus thuringiensis is 40:2-3:1-3.

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