THE INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE, CULTIVAR, SOIL-TYPE AND STALK-DIAMETER ON THE LIGNIFICATION OF WHITE ASPARAGUS

In the years 1983 and 1984 13 different (white) asparagus cultivars were tested for lignification with force-to-cut measurements (scalpel-method). The measurements were made at different locations of the stalks.
The following factors influenced lignification significantly (a=0,05): Soil-temperature, length of spears and stalk-diameter.
Significant differences were also found between the group of french cultivars and the group of german cultivars.
The two soil-types (sand and loamy sand) showed only slight differences in the lignification of the stalks grown in them.

The higher the soil-temperature, the lower were the force-to-cut readings.
With growing length of spear the lignification increased at locations in defined distance from the base, but decreased at locations in defined distance from the apex.
The stalk-diameter showed an inverse relation to lignification.
French cultivars were less lignified than german cultivars.
The influence of temperature on lignification was much greater at german cultivars.
At french cultivars there were only weak differences in the force-to-cut measurements of different stalk-diameters, but at german cultivars this effect was more severe.

VII International Asparagus Symposium

W. Billau, G. Buchloh, H.D. Hartmann

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1990.271.22