Where does konjac grow? Konjac's growing environment and temperature

Konjac is mostly grown in mountainous areas with an altitude of 300 to 2,500 meters south of 35 degrees north latitude in my country. This basically covers all areas south of 35 degrees north latitude in my country. Of course, the southern slope and eastern mountainous areas of the Himalayas are excluded. Next, let's take a look at the growth environment and temperature of konjac, hoping to help everyone.

Where does konjac grow?

The low-latitude and high-altitude mountainous areas have a subtropical humid monsoon climate, with less sunshine, abundant rainfall, and high humidity, making them the most suitable areas for konjac cultivation.

my country began to cultivate and utilize konjac as early as 3,000 years ago. There are abundant konjac resources in the hilly areas of southern provinces, the Qinling Mountains and Daba Mountains, the Sichuan Basin, the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, southern Yunnan and Taiwan.

What temperature does konjac need to grow?

Konjac loves temperature and is particularly sensitive to it. When the average temperature outside is stable above 12℃, new roots grow from the tubers; when the average temperature is stable above 18℃, konjac begins to sprout and the underground root system stretches faster. The optimum temperature for the growth of the aboveground part is 25~32℃. When it exceeds 35℃, the growth of the aboveground part of konjac is inhibited, metabolism is blocked, transpiration is intensified, and photosynthesis is weakened, which directly affects the accumulation of nutrients and the expansion of tubers, resulting in a reduction in yield. The temperature that is conducive to the development and expansion of tubers is 22~28℃; the temperature difference that is conducive to the expansion of tubers and the accumulation of starch is 10~12℃. When the average temperature is below 18℃, the aboveground part will stop physiological activities; when the average temperature is below 15℃, the aboveground part will naturally fall over; when the average temperature is below 10℃, the tubers will enter dormancy. The tubers are left in the ground to overwinter, the temperature is minus 5℃, the ground temperature is minus 2℃, and the terminal buds can be protected from frost damage.

What are the requirements of konjac for light?

Konjac likes shade and is a semi-shade plant. It likes to grow under the shade of trees, but it does not mean that it does not need sunlight. It likes weak light and scattered light. Strong direct sunlight and no direct sunlight are both not conducive to the growth of konjac. From the long-term experience of konjac cultivation, the best state of light for konjac is hidden or visible. Experiments have been conducted in the Qinba Mountain area of ​​Shaanxi Province. When konjac was planted alone, the disease rate was as high as 25.7%. When konjac was interplanted with crops such as corn, the disease rate was greatly reduced. When the shade degree was 55-60%, the disease rate was below 10%, and the lower the shade degree, the higher the disease rate; the higher the shade degree, the lower the disease rate, but the weaker the growth of konjac. This shows that konjac needs a certain amount of light.

Konjac is not adapted to strong light. When the temperature exceeds 40℃ and strong light is directly exposed, the leaves will appear burnt and shrunken, and it is also easy to cause diseases. Therefore, when planting konjac, intercropping is usually adopted, and intercropping with crops such as corn can provide shade and protect the konjac.