Ⅰ. Product Details

Variety Characteristics

White Radish is a biennial root vegetable of the Brassicaceae family with a growth cycle of 50-70 days for spring sowing and 70-90 days for autumn sowing. The roots are cylindrical or oblong with white skin and flesh, 20-40cm in length and 5-10cm in diameter, weighing 0.5-2kg per root. It has strong adaptability, cold-resistant and suitable for cultivation in most regions of China.

Quality Advantages

• Roots are crisp and juicy with slightly sweet taste, rich in vitamin C, vitamin B complex, dietary fiber, potassium, calcium and digestive enzymes (amylase), with functions of promoting digestion and clearing heat.
• Multiple edible methods: Suitable for raw eating, stir-frying, soup cooking, pickling and drying, with high nutritional and economic value.
• Good storage performance: Mature roots can be stored in cellar or sand for 2-3 months, maintaining good quality and taste.

High-Yield Characteristics

Under proper cultivation management, the yield per mu can reach 4000-6000kg. The variety has strong disease resistance to downy mildew and black rot, suitable for dense planting with 8000-10000 plants per mu, and can be planted in rotation with other crops to improve soil fertility.

Escenarios de aplicación

• Fresh food market: As a common vegetable in daily diet, widely sold in supermarkets and farmers’ markets;
• Processing industry: Used for making pickled radish, dried radish, radish sauce and other processed products;
• Livestock feed: Leaves and old roots can be used as green feed for pigs, cattle and sheep, with high utilization rate;
• Traditional Chinese medicine: Roots and seeds have medicinal value, used for relieving cough and reducing phlegm.

Selection & Storage Suggestions

• Selection skills: Choose roots with straight shape, smooth skin, firm texture, no cracks, no insect damage and fresh leaves;
• Storage method:
  • Short-term storage: Wrap with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator crisper for 7-10 days;
  • Long-term storage: Store in sand in a cool and ventilated cellar, or cut into strips and dry for storage;
  • Pickling: Can be made into pickled radish for long-term preservation.

Ⅱ. Planting Methods

Planting Preparation

1. Soil Selection

White Radish prefers loose, fertile, well-drained sandy loam or loam with pH value of 6.0-7.5. Avoid heavy clay soil and low-lying waterlogged land, and do not plant in soil with too much residual fertilizer or fresh manure to prevent root bifurcation. Deep plow the land 25-30cm before planting, apply base fertilizer: 2000-3000kg of decomposed organic fertilizer, 30kg of compound fertilizer per mu. Mix evenly and make flat ridges with width of 1-1.2m.

2. Seed Treatment

• Seed selection: Choose full, plump seeds with high germination rate, with seed consumption of 300-500g per mu;
• Seed soaking: Soak seeds in 20-25℃ warm water for 2-4 hours to promote germination, or sow dry seeds directly;
• Germination acceleration: Wrap soaked seeds with wet gauze and place at 20-25℃ for 12-24 hours, sow when seeds show white buds.

Sowing & Field Arrangement

1. Sowing Time

• Spring sowing: March to April, harvest in May to June, avoid late sowing to prevent bolting;
• Summer sowing: June to July, harvest in August to September, need shade in hot areas;
• Autumn sowing: August to September, harvest in October to November, the best planting season with high yield and good quality;
• Winter sowing: October to November in southern China, harvest in December to January next year.

2. Sowing Methods

• Drill sowing: Make shallow furrows 1-2cm deep on ridges with row spacing of 25-30cm, sow seeds evenly in the furrows, cover with 1cm fine soil, water thoroughly;
• Hole sowing: Dig holes with row spacing of 25-30cm and plant spacing of 20-25cm, sow 3-4 seeds per hole, cover with soil and water;
• Broadcast sowing: Suitable for small-area planting, mix seeds with fine soil and broadcast evenly, then rake lightly and water.

3. Thinning & Final Singling

• First thinning: When seedlings have 1-2 true leaves, thin out weak seedlings, keep plant spacing of 3-5cm;
• Second thinning: When seedlings have 3-4 true leaves, keep plant spacing of 10-15cm;
• Final singling: When seedlings have 5-6 true leaves, fix plant spacing at 20-25cm to ensure sufficient growth space for roots.

Field Management

1. Water Management

• Seedling stage: Keep soil moist to promote emergence, water frequently with small amount;
• Leaf growth period: Control watering properly to promote root down growth, water in time when soil is dry;
• Root expansion period: Ensure adequate water supply, water once every 5-7 days, keep soil moisture stable to prevent root cracking;
• Before harvest: Reduce watering 5-7 days before harvest to improve root quality and storage resistance.

2. Fertilizer Management

• Seedling fertilizer: Apply 5-8kg of urea per mu 10-15 days after emergence to promote seedling growth;
• Leaf fertilizer: Apply 10-15kg of compound fertilizer per mu at vigorous leaf growth stage;
• Root fertilizer: Apply 20-25kg of compound fertilizer + 10kg of potassium sulfate per mu at initial root expansion stage, focus on phosphorus and potassium fertilizer to promote root expansion;
• Avoid excessive nitrogen fertilizer to prevent excessive leaf growth and poor root development.

3. Soil Loosening & Weeding

• Loosen soil in time after rain or watering to keep soil loose and breathable, which is conducive to root growth;
• Remove weeds in time during seedling stage to avoid competition for nutrients, shallow tillage to prevent damaging roots;
• When roots begin to expand, soil can be hilled around roots to prevent roots from protruding and greening.

4. Disease & Pest Control

• Downy mildew and black rot: Use 75% chlorothalonil wettable powder 600x solution or 50% carbendazim wettable powder 800x solution for spray control;
• Clubroot: Use lime to adjust soil pH to 7.0-7.5, or use 50% fenaminosulf wettable powder 500x solution for root irrigation;
• Aphids and flea beetles: Control with 10% imidacloprid wettable powder 1500x solution or yellow sticky traps;
• Cabbage caterpillars and diamondback moth: Use Bt emulsion 500x solution or 2.5% deltamethrin emulsifiable concentrate 2000x solution for spray control.

Harvesting

• Harvest time:
  • Spring-sown radishes: Harvest when roots are 0.5-1kg in weight (50-70 days after sowing), harvest in time to prevent bolting;
  • Autumn-sown radishes: Harvest when roots are fully expanded and leaves turn yellow (70-90 days after sowing);
  • Harvest before severe frost in northern China to prevent freezing damage.
• Harvesting method: Pull out radishes by hand or dig them out with a shovel, cut off leaves (retain 2-3cm petioles), clean soil on roots;
• Post-harvest treatment:
  • Fresh sale: Sort by size, remove damaged roots, wash and package;
  • Storage: Store in sand in a cellar with temperature of 0-5℃ and relative humidity of 80-90%;
  • Processing: Cut into strips for drying or make pickled radish.