SOIL WATER DEFICITS REDUCE GROWTH AND YIELD OF ASPARAGUS

A study on asparagus growth and water use was initiated in 1992. The objectives were to assess the long-term effects of water stress on asparagus performance.
Asparagus (Syn 4-56) crowns were planted in 1992 and maintained at soil moisture levels near field capacity for the first year.
In 1993 and continuing through 1997, irrigation treatments based on percentages of evapotranspiration (0%, 40%, 80% ET) were applied during the fern growing period of each year.
Soil water was monitored with a neutron probe and irrigation scheduled when the water budget (soil storage + rainfall – daily evapotranspiration) indicated that 50% of the available soil water was depleted.
As irrigation rate decreased from 80% ET to 0% ET, there was a linear decrease in fern, root, and bud number and root fresh weight.
This resulted in a significant reduction in plant size as the experiment progressed.
Decreasing the amount of irrigation to asparagus in the previous year resulted in a linear decreased the spear yield (number and weight) the following spring.
Irrigation levels below 50% ET significantly reduce asparagus growth and performance.

IX International Asparagus Symposium

D.T. Drost

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1999.479.52