ISHS Acta Horticulturae 589: X International Asparagus Symposium
RESULTS OF INVESTIGATIONS ON TIMING ASPARAGUS PRODUCTION IN A TEMPERATE CLIMATE |
| Authors: | M. Knaflewski, W. Krzesiński |
| Keywords: | Asparagus officinalis L., off-season production, cultivars, yield potential |
| Abstract:
Investigations were undertaken to determine if the normal harvest period lasting in Poland from late April or early May until 20 June could be extended. Plastic covers were applied to hasten the harvest, and during winter the soil was covered with a layer of pine bark to prolong the harvest season by delaying its start. The mother stalk method and a twice-yearly harvest as well as harvest in July were also used to extend the harvest period off the traditional season. Two all-male cultivars were included in the experiment: 'Gynlim', the early one; and 'Backlim', the late one. This paper presents results from the period of five years. Results showed that it was possible to advance the start of production by 4 to 15 days and to delay it by 0 to 13 days depending on the year and on the cultivar. Hastening harvest increased the yield but delaying and prolonging it decreased the yield in the last years of the experiment. By applying the mother stalk method harvest could be prolonged till July 15. In this treatment the yield and spear quality were low in the first two years of the experiment and markedly increased in the next years. Twice-yearly harvest gave a lower yield than the traditional one because of poor spear production in autumn due to low temperature. The lowest yield and mean spear weight in each year of the experiment were obtained when harvest was forced in July. | |
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