ISHS Acta Horticulturae 479: IX International Asparagus Symposium
THE EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON ASPARAGUS SPEAR GROWTH AND CORRELATION OF HEAT UNITS ACCUMULATED IN THE FIELD WITH SPEAR YIELD |
| Author: | Bill B. Dean |
| Abstract:
Asparagus seedlings were grown under controlled environmental conditions to determine the cardinal growth temperature and rates of spear elongation at 18°C, 24°C, 30°C, and 36°C. An asparagus cultivar trial was used as the source of daily yield data to compare heat unit values for the purpose of assessing temperature and growth relationships under filed conditions. The cardinal growth temperature was established to be 10°C. The optimal temperature for asparagus spear emergence was between 24.5°C and 33°C. No spears emerged above 35°C. Maximum spear elongation occurred at 30°C (0.51 cm/h). The pattern of daily asparagus spear yield closely followed the pattern of daily heat unit accumulation although no quantitative relationship was found. Asparagus spear growth is affected by temperatures during harvest but is also influenced significantly by physiological factors not measured in this study. | |
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