ASPARAGUS CULTIVAR EVALUATION TRIALS IN THE NORTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY OF CALIFORNIA

For the past four harvest seasons, data on asparagus yield, spear number and average spear weight have been collected from two replicated asparagus cultivar trials in the Northern San Joaquin Valley of California.
Thirteen lines from the University of California at Riverside, Rutgers University and a private breeder occupy the trial locations at Solari Farms (Clements, California) and Speckman Farms (Roberts Island west of Stockton, California). Highest yield of marketable 23 cm spears at Solari Farms was attained by F189 x HS104 (4,620 kg/ha) followed by F608 x M138 (4,520 kg/ha), Apollo (4,510 kg/ha) and Jersey Giant (4,282 kg/ha). Average spear weight of the leading asparagus lines ranged from Jersey Giant (21.4 g) to F189 x HS104 (26.5 g). Best spear quality belonged to F189 x HS104, F609 x M138, UC 157_F1 and F597 x M138. At Speckman Farms, highest yield occurred with Greenwich (5,012 kg/ha), F609 x M138 (4,165 kg/ha), F597 x M138 (3,459 kg/ha), Ida Lea (3,412 kg/ha) and Apollo (3,406 kg/ha). Highest spear quality was achieved by F609 x M138, F597 x M138, UC 157_F1, Apollo and RF110 x M138. Average spear weight of the top cultivars ranged from F597 x M138 (22.1 g) to F189 x HS185 (29.8 g). Fourteen observation lines at Speckman Farms show that highest yield occurred with Jersey Gem (6,969 kg/ha) and Jersey King (6,379 kg/ha), best spear quality with UC 157_F1 and Jersey King, and average spear weight ranging from 20.5 g (Jersey Titan) to 33.8 g (Jersey King).

A new International Asparagus Cultivar Evaluation trial, established at Augusta Bixler Farms on Roberts Island in 1995, has 18 replicated lines and 18 observation lines.
In two years of limited season harvest, highest yield in the replicated block has been attained by UC 157_F1 (1,931 kg/ha) followed closely by UCR 8 (F189 x HS104) at 1,859 kg/ha, UC 157_F1 crowns (1,816 kg/ha), UCR 7 (F609 x M138) at 1,663 kg/ha and UCR 5 (F597 x M138) at 1,648 kg/ha.
Excellent spear quality occurred with all these lines.
Average spear weight ranged from 18.8 g (Jersey Giant) to 26.8 g (Grande) in the best producing lines.
In the observation block, best yield occurred with UCR 65 (F141 x M256) at 2,216 kg/ha, followed by UCR 115 (F600 x M256) at 1,922 kg/ha, Golia (1,724 kg/ha) and UCR 84 (F184 x M256) at 1,635 kg/ha.
Average spear weight ranged from 17.0 g (Tainan #2) to 24.6 g (Golia). Best spear quality also occurred with the afore mentioned cultivars.

IX International Asparagus Symposium

Robert J. Mullen, T.C. Viss, R.S. Whitely

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1999.479.23