ISHS Acta Horticulturae 533: VIII International Symposium on Timing Field Production in Vegetable Crops
YIELD FORMATION IN BRUSSELS SPROUTS: EFFECTS OF NITROGEN |
| Author: | R. Booij |
| Keywords: | biomass, Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera, Brussels sprouts, dry matter concentration, dry matter partitioning, marketable yield, nitrogen |
| Abstract:
Data of two field experiments, in which the nitrogen application rate was varied between 0 and 300 kg/ha, were used to analyze the factors that affect marketable yield in Brussels sprouts. Marketable yield (Y) is a function of radiation use efficiency (RUE), cumulative intercepted radiation (IPAR), partitioning of biomass (P) and the dry matter concentration in the buds (DMC): Y=RUE*IPAR*P/DMC. The effect of nitrogen application rate on marketable yield was analyzed in these terms. RUE was not affected by nitrogen application rate. Nitrogen application rate had also only a small effect on P and DMC. The effect of nitrogen availability on IPAR was the key factor in determining marketable yield. It had a strong effect on canopy development resulting in increasing interception of incoming radiation at higher nitrogen application rates. Consequences for cultural measures to obtain maximum yield are discussed. | |
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