ISHS Acta Horticulturae 318: II International Symposium on Specialty and Exotic Vegetable Crops
EXPERIMENTS WITH THE CULTIVATION OF RED LEAFED CHICORY - "RADICCHIO ROSSO" - UNDER NORTH EUROPEAN CONDITIONS. |
| Author: | K. Grevsen |
| Abstract:
Red leafed chicory (Cichorium intybus L. var foliosum Hegi, type Radicchio Rosso) is a head forming non-forcing leaf vegetable normally grown in Italy and mainly in the province of Venice. Research was carried out to examine the possibility to introduce red leafed chicory as a speciality crop in North Europe. The main problems of cultivation are bolting under cool and long day conditions, tipburn, and lack of uniformity in the existing cultivars. Experiments were made in 1988 and 1989 with three plant raising temperatures (15°C, 20°C, and 25°C), three planting times (mid April, mid May, and mid June) and five cultivars (Augusto, Elios, Giulio, Medusa, and Palla Rossa Roma). In one year covering with polypropylene material was included together with 20°C for plant raising. Plant raising temperature 25°C gave 30% less bolting in early production compared to 15°C. Covering gave 35% less bolting compared to no covering. The combination of covering and 20°C plant raising temperature gave the best result in respect to reduced bolting. The cultivars Medusa and Elios produced the highest percentage of marketable heads but only the May and June planting times are recommendable. Experiments in 1990 and 1991 were made with four nitrogen fertilizer levels (50, 100, 150, and 200 kg N/ha) and two cultivars (Medusa and Palla Rossa Roma). The nitrogen fertilizer level did not affect the incidence of tipburn injuries nor the percentage of marketable heads. The developmental stage at harvest (early or late head stage) was highly correlated (R2=0.71) with the incidence of tipburn in 1990 but not in 1991 (R2=0.01). Further investigation of tipburn in red leafed chicory is needed. Red leafed chicory is a possible speciality crop for Northern Europe considering the results mentioned above but better performing and more uniform cultivars are needed. | |
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files) | |
