ISHS Acta Horticulturae 479: IX International Asparagus Symposium
PLANT SPACING EFFECTS ON YIELD AND SIZE OF ASPARAGUS |
| Authors: | John F. Kelly, J. Bakker, Hugh C. Price, Norman L. Myers |
| Keywords: | plant population, high-density planting, cost of production, economic analysis |
| Abstract:
Eleven years of yield measurements comparing in-row plant spacings of 15.2, 30.5, 45.7 and 61.0 cm resulted in a significantly higher yield at the 15.2-cm spacing. Differences among the wider spacings were minor. The closest spacing yielded a slightly smaller harvest of large spears, and the average spear weight was slightly lower. The smaller size minimally affected marketable yield. Economic analysis indicated that the increased returns, needed to compensate for the added cost of the high-density planting compared to the standard 30.5-cm spacing, would be realized early in the third year of harvest. The cumulative increased net return after 11 years of harvest would be approximately $12,500 per hectare. | |
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