EFFECT OF ASPARAGUS VIRUS 2 ON YIELD OF ASPARAGUS OFFICINALIS

A field trial was established at Lincoln University to measure the long-term effects of asparagus virus 2 (AV2) on asparagus yield and the contribution of AV2 to asparagus decline syndrome.
Prior to planting all plants were tested for AV2 using Indirect ELISA. To ensure infection 45 plants were inoculated on 4 occasions with AV2; an equal number were kept as AV2-free control plants.

The one-year plants were set out in the field in November 1990 in 3 plant x 3 plant plots, separated from each other on all sides by 2 AV2-free seedlings.
Spears were harvested for 6 weeks in 1992 and 1993 and yields recorded for individual plants.
AV2-free plants gave significantly (P=0.05 and P=0.005) greater (18% and 30%) marketable yields than AV2-infected plants in 1992 and 1993 respectively.
Other stress factors implicated in asparagus decline were excluded in the experiment.

VIII International Asparagus Symposium

M.V. Jaspers

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1996.415.54