International Journal of Horticulture, 2024, Vol.14, No.6, 426-437 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/ijh 432 5.3 Weeding and soil management Weed growth in the field competes with Akebia trifoliata for nutrients, water, and light, making weeding an important aspect of its field management. Generally, weeding is done manually, avoiding the use of herbicides to prevent contamination of the environment and crops. Weeding should be performed before the seedlings sprout after planting, with the initial weeding thoroughly removing all weeds to prevent them from overgrowing and affecting the normal development of seedlings. Two weeks later, the second weeding can be carried out in combination with cultivation and fertilization to ensure that no new weeds are present on the beds. In the field management process, pulled weeds can be placed around the plant roots as green manure, which helps to maintain soil moisture and increase organic matter content (Das et al., 2020). Regular cultivation helps to effectively loosen the soil, improving its aeration and water retention, which promotes healthy root growth. Additionally, during management, soil pH and fertility should be monitored, and soil nutrients should be adjusted in a timely manner to meet the growth needs of Akebia trifoliata. Scientific weeding and soil management help optimize the growing environment of Akebia trifoliata, further improving yield and fruit quality. 6 Vine Training, Pruning, and Fruit Thinning Techniques 6.1 Support system setup and vine training Since Akebia trifoliata is a climbing plant, it requires the installation of a support system during cultivation to guide vine growth. The support system is typically built using cement posts, bamboo, or wood, with prefabricated cement posts being widely used due to their stability and durability (Pan et al., 2020). Standard cement posts are 220 cm in length, with a width and thickness of 10 cm and 8 cm, respectively, and must be embedded 50 cm into the soil to ensure stability. The spacing between posts is set at 400 cm, and wires are left at the top of each post to form a net with horizontal and vertical steel cables. The height of the net is about 170 cm from the ground, allowing for easy vine attachment as well as convenient field management and harvesting (Figure 2). Figure 2 Concrete support system for Akebia trifoliatacultivation When the seedlings of Akebia trifoliata develop new shoots and reach a height of over 30 cm, vine training should be carried out promptly. During vine training, an artificial trellis can be built using branches or ropes to form a fence-like support, guiding the vines to distribute evenly along the support and ensuring that each plant has
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ4ODYzNA==