Articles
Effects of growing methods on rootstock growth and spear yield in “Fusekomi” asparagus forcing culture
Article number
1129_13
Pages
95 – 98
Language
English
Abstract
In Japan, a unique cropping type of asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.), Fusekomi forcing culture, has been developed.
In the forcing culture, rootstocks grown in an open field for one year or so are transplanted into a greenhouse with multiple coverings in late autumn or early winter, and spears are generally harvested for two or three months, from winter to early spring, when the amount of Japanese domestic asparagus production is very limited.
We investigated effective methods for rootstock growth, i.e., rootstock weight and Brix degree in storage roots at the time of transplanting into a plastic house, and spear yield after transplanting.
Asparagus nursery plants were planted in an open field in spring, mid-April, and were grown until early winter, mid-December, followed by transplanting of rootstocks into a plastic house and harvesting spears.
As experimental plots, sowing time (January or February), compost application to the open field (2 kg m-2 or none), mulching on ridges in the open field (black polyethylene film or none) and support of stems at the open field (steel pipes and polyethylene nets or none) were arranged and combined.
Earlier sowing, compost application, mulching and supporting of stems appeared to be effective for producing bigger rootstocks.
Spear yield was strongly correlated with rootstock weight at the time of transplanting, but not stem and cladophyll dry weight and Brix value of storage roots.
As spear yield was well linearly regressed from rootstock weight at the time of transplanting, practical prediction of spear yield with rootstock weight was suggested.
In the forcing culture, rootstocks grown in an open field for one year or so are transplanted into a greenhouse with multiple coverings in late autumn or early winter, and spears are generally harvested for two or three months, from winter to early spring, when the amount of Japanese domestic asparagus production is very limited.
We investigated effective methods for rootstock growth, i.e., rootstock weight and Brix degree in storage roots at the time of transplanting into a plastic house, and spear yield after transplanting.
Asparagus nursery plants were planted in an open field in spring, mid-April, and were grown until early winter, mid-December, followed by transplanting of rootstocks into a plastic house and harvesting spears.
As experimental plots, sowing time (January or February), compost application to the open field (2 kg m-2 or none), mulching on ridges in the open field (black polyethylene film or none) and support of stems at the open field (steel pipes and polyethylene nets or none) were arranged and combined.
Earlier sowing, compost application, mulching and supporting of stems appeared to be effective for producing bigger rootstocks.
Spear yield was strongly correlated with rootstock weight at the time of transplanting, but not stem and cladophyll dry weight and Brix value of storage roots.
As spear yield was well linearly regressed from rootstock weight at the time of transplanting, practical prediction of spear yield with rootstock weight was suggested.
Authors
S. Watanabe, S. Furuya, K. Inoue, Y. Araki
Keywords
Asparagus officinalis L., Brix, mulching, rootstock weight, sowing time, storage root, stem supporting
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