Impact of Cutting Pressure on Yield, Quality, Root Carbohydrates, and Survival of Spring-harvested or Summer-forced Asparagus

Excessive cutting pressure (CP) early in the lifespan of an asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) plantation may weaken and reduce yields and quality. The objective of this research was to determine how increasing CP affects yield, quality, and survival of spring-harvested and summer-forced asparagus. `Jersey Gem' asparagus was harvested for 4 years (1999–2002) in spring or summer-forced on 1 Aug. using the following CP (weeks/year from 1st to 4th years, respectively): 2, 3, 4, 6 (low), 3, 4, 5, 7 (medium), and 4, 5, 8, 10 (high). In all harvest years, as CP increased, marketable number and weight increased. Yield in spring harvest seasons significantly increased with each increase in CP. In summer, yield significantly increased only when high CP was used with equivalent yields at low and medium CP. With summer forcing, there were 48% and 55% fewer large spears at medium and high CP, respectively, compared to the same CP used during spring harvest seasons. Stands tended to decrease with CP from 1997 to 2003, but these differences were not significant and not severe enough to kill the plants. Yearly root fructose concentrations (RFC) with all CP increased yearly from 1999 to 2001 and plateaued from 2002 to 2003. From 1999 to 2002, RFC increased 53%, 27%, 13%, and 13% in unharvested control, low, medium, and high CP, respectively, indicating that with a greater CP, RFC decreased. RFC in summer-forced asparagus was significantly less than spring-harvested in 83% of all sample months. RFC in spring-harvested asparagus was similar to unharvested asparagus in February, March, April, November, and December; however, in all other sample months, spring-harvested RFC was significantly lower than unharvested control plants. The highest CP scheme is appropriate for spring-harvested asparagus based on greatest marketable yields and acceptable cull losses. For summer-forced asparagus, the lowest CP scheme is more appropriate based on acceptable marketable yields and to avoid undue plant stress verified by unacceptably large cull losses mostly attributed to spindly spear size and lower RFC.

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Influence of Planting Depth and Interval to Initial Harvest on Yield and Plant Response of Asparagus

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.25.7.754 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 25 (7) ◽

pp. 754-755 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Dale T. Lindgren

Keyword(s):

Plant Response ◽

Harvest Date ◽

Asparagus Officinalis ◽

Time Intervals ◽

Planting Depth ◽

Spring Frost ◽

Frost Injury ◽

Spring Harvest

Four planting depths and two time intervals (1 or 2 years) between transplanting and initial year of harvest of asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) yield were compared for 4 years. Spear emergence and initial spring harvest date were delayed and susceptibility to spring frost injury was decreased with increasing planting depth (from 5.0 to 20.0 cm). Over years, crown depth increased for the shallowest planting and decreased for the deepest planting. Harvesting after 1 year vs. 2 years from planting reduced yield. There were no significant interactions between year of initial harvest and depth of planting.

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Impact of Forcing Summer Asparagus in Coastal South Carolina on Yield, Quality, and Recovery from Harvest Pressure

Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science ◽

10.21273/jashs.119.3.396 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 119 (3) ◽

pp. 396-402 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Robert J. Dufault

Keyword(s):

South Carolina ◽

Harvest Time ◽

Market Prices ◽

Yield And Quality ◽

June July August ◽

Yield Quality ◽

June July ◽

Spring Harvest ◽

First Time ◽

July August September

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of forcing summer asparagus (May to October) and age at first harvest after transplanting on yield and quality. Ten-week-old `UC 157 F1' asparagus seedlings were field-planted on Sept. 1986 and forced to emerge from 1988 to 1992 by mowing fern in separate replicated plots in May, June, July, August, September, or October. Forcing treatments were not spring-harvested. Forced yields were compared to normal spring harvests (emerging from January to April). Harvesting began for the first time ≈18 or 30 months after transplanting. Spring 1988 yields were greatest of all, but declined yearly for 5 years. Summer forcing in either July or August maintained acceptable yields through 1992. The warmer climate during summer forcing caused most plants to reach the prescribed cutting pressure (eight spears per plant) within a standard 6-week harvest season. Cooler temperatures during spring harvest seasons slowed spear emergence and prevented the plants from reaching prescribed cutting pressure. Forcing in May and June was too stressful to plant recovery after the harvest season by reducing fern regrowth and increasing plant death. Cooler temperatures during October forcing inhibited spear emergence. Forcing in September yielded less than forcing in July and August, but September asparagus would command higher market prices. There was no advantage at any harvest time to delay first harvests from 18 to 30 months after transplanting. Forcing in July through September has potential as an alternative enterprise in coastal South Carolina.

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ASPARAGUS HARVEST DURATION, STORAGE CARBOHYDRATES AND YIELD

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.25.9.1119e ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 25 (9) ◽

pp. 1119e-1119

Author(s):

John McGrady ◽

Phil Tilt

Keyword(s):

Asparagus Officinalis ◽

Storage Root ◽

The Third ◽

Optimum Duration ◽

Harvest Data ◽

Desert Areas ◽

One Year ◽

Cutting Regimes ◽

Spring Harvest ◽

Storage Carbohydrates

Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) has great potential for production in the southwestern desert areas. Light, moderate and heavy harvest regimes were imposed on a one year old planting of `Mellowland Select' to determine the optimum duration of Spring harvest. There were no differences in mean spear weight or number of spears per plant in response to cutting pressure in 1987 or 1988. In 1989 both the light and heavy cutting regimes resulted in spears weighing 2.0 and 1. 5 grams less, respectively, than the moderate treatment and in fewer spears per plant. Consequently, 587 and 670 fewer kg/ha were produced in the lightly and heavily harvested plots in the third year. Total storage root carbohydrates were higher in the moderately harvested plots prior to harvest and again after fern production resumed in the third year. 1990 harvest data and implications for fall harvested or double-harvested asparagus will be discussed.

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Yield and growth responses of asparagus to between-row spacing and planting depth

Canadian Journal of Plant Science ◽

10.4141/cjps96-142 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 76 (4) ◽

pp. 841-847 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Arthur Loughton ◽

Randy Baker ◽

O. Brian Allen

Keyword(s):

Total Yield ◽

Asparagus Officinalis ◽

Growth Responses ◽

Planting Depth ◽

Row Width ◽

Interactive Nature ◽

Yield Quality ◽

The Individual ◽

The Cost ◽

Green Asparagus

Recommendations for commercial production of green asparagus, Asparagus officinalis L., advocate planting crowns as deep as 30 cm in rows as wide as 1.8 m. The studies reported were designed to test the individual and interactive nature of these two variables and their effects on crop yield, quality and ultimate position of the crowns in the soil relative to the original planting depths. Five between-row spacings of asparagus, ranging from 60 to 120 cm were combined with five planting depths ranging from 15 to 30 cm, in a central composite rotatable design. After seven harvest seasons, the accumulated yields declined linearly by 756 (± 126.1) kg ha−1 for each increase of 1 cm depth. Accumulated yield also declined linearly by 46.5 (± 31.5) kg ha−1 with each increase of 1 cm between rows. Effects of treatment on early yield (first one-third of the harvest season) paralleled the effects on total yield. Effects of the treatments on average spear weight were negligible. Depth and row width did not interact. Based on economic analysis, the cost of the extra plants was more than offset by the greater yields obtained from the higher populations. Nine years after planting, the final depth of all crowns, regardless of original planting depth, had floated to about 11.3 (± 0.18) cm. Key words: Green asparagus, Asparagus officinalis L., spacing, crown depth, yield, quality

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NITROGEN APPLICATION RATE INFLUENCE ON YIELD, QUALITY, AND CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS OF FLUE-CURED TOBACCO, PART I: APPLICATION TIMING

Tobacco Science ◽

10.3381/14-041r.1 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 52 ◽

pp. 11-17 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

M.P. Drake ◽

M.C. Vann ◽

L.R. Fisher

Keyword(s):

Chemical Constituents ◽

Application Rate ◽

Nitrogen Application ◽

Application Timing ◽

Yield Quality ◽

Nitrogen Application Rate

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Impact of water availability on winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) yield characteristics

Agrokémia és Talajtan ◽

10.1556/agrokem.59.2010.1.18 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 59 (1) ◽

pp. 151-156 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

H. Klupács ◽

Á. Tarnawa ◽

I. Balla ◽

M. Jolánkai

Keyword(s):

Winter Wheat ◽

Water Supply ◽

Water Availability ◽

Grain Quality ◽

Physiological Condition ◽

Triticum Aestivum L ◽

Annual Precipitation ◽

Average Depth ◽

Experimental Site ◽

Yield Quality

Water supply of crop plants is the most essential physiological condition influencing quality and quantity performance of grain yield. In a 12-year experimental series of winter wheat agronomic trials run at the Nagygombos experimental site (Hungary) the effect of water availability has been studied. The location represents the typical average lowland conditions of the country, the annual precipitation of the experimental site belonging to the 550–600 mm belt of the Northern edges of the Great Hungarian Plain, while the average depth of groundwater varies between 2 to 3 metres. Crop years with various precipitation patterns have had different impacts on crop yield quality and quantity. Yield figures were in positive correlation with annual precipitation in general. Water availability had diverse influence on quality manifestation. Good water supply has often resulted in poorer grain quality, especially wet gluten and Hagberg values have been affected by that. Drought reduced the amount of yield in general, but contributed to a better quality manifestation in some of the crop years.

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