Articles
Growth and yield of one-year-old asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) plants by two cropping types in Japan
Article number
1376_16
Pages
111 – 118
Language
English
Abstract
In this study, 15 commercial asparagus cultivars and new hybrids from the United States, Canada, and the Netherlands were cultivated for green asparagus production by two different cropping types, the whole harvest cultivation method for one-year-old plants (WHCM) and the rootstock-planting forcing culture (RPFC). The differences in growth and yield among the commercial cultivars and new hybrids were examined in the first year of cultivation.
The experiments were conducted in 2020 and 2021 in Kanagawa and Gunma Prefectures in Japan.
We developed the WHCM system as a new cultivation method in the open field, to increase the yield in the first year of harvest and to minimize the risk of disease infection.
In the study, three-month-old seedlings were planted in the middle of April in both test years.
The height of plants, the number of effective stems (diameter larger than 3 mm), and the maximum stem diameter were measured as growth factors in September.
In the RPFC system, crowns were dug up and the weight of crowns, the number, and the Brix of the storage roots were examined in November.
Green spears cultivated by the RPFC method were harvested once daily, and were evaluated at the length of 26 cm.
For the WHCM, green spears were cut three times a week.
The harvested spears were trimmed to 25 cm for yield evaluation.
The diameter of the remaining stem after harvest was measured and the estimated yield value was determined using a yield estimation program.
There were significant differences in some above-ground characteristics among the commercial cultivars and new hybrids.
Some of them performed better and yielded higher than UC157 F1, the standard cultivar in Japan.
In particular, WB212, WB230, and WB270 were determined to be better yielders than UC157 F1 because of their higher values than UC157 F1 for all measured variables: marketable yield, total spear number, and the percentage of thick spears (>15 g).
The experiments were conducted in 2020 and 2021 in Kanagawa and Gunma Prefectures in Japan.
We developed the WHCM system as a new cultivation method in the open field, to increase the yield in the first year of harvest and to minimize the risk of disease infection.
In the study, three-month-old seedlings were planted in the middle of April in both test years.
The height of plants, the number of effective stems (diameter larger than 3 mm), and the maximum stem diameter were measured as growth factors in September.
In the RPFC system, crowns were dug up and the weight of crowns, the number, and the Brix of the storage roots were examined in November.
Green spears cultivated by the RPFC method were harvested once daily, and were evaluated at the length of 26 cm.
For the WHCM, green spears were cut three times a week.
The harvested spears were trimmed to 25 cm for yield evaluation.
The diameter of the remaining stem after harvest was measured and the estimated yield value was determined using a yield estimation program.
There were significant differences in some above-ground characteristics among the commercial cultivars and new hybrids.
Some of them performed better and yielded higher than UC157 F1, the standard cultivar in Japan.
In particular, WB212, WB230, and WB270 were determined to be better yielders than UC157 F1 because of their higher values than UC157 F1 for all measured variables: marketable yield, total spear number, and the percentage of thick spears (>15 g).
Publication
Authors
T. Taguchi, R. Saruya, W. Chen, S. Walker, M. Walker, S. Yamashita, S. Motoki
Keywords
Brix of the storage roots, cultivar, field culture, forcing culture, crown, spear, yield, whole harvest cultivation method
Groups involved
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