AsparagusBotanical Name: Asparagus officinalis Linn. var. altilis

Family: Liliaceae

Origin: Europe and Asia

Importance◘ The plant is cultivated for its tender young shoots, which has

an agreeable flavour after boiling.

◘ Once establish, will produce for many years (Perennial crop).

◘ Used in cuisines and five star hotels and served as soups and curries.

◘ Used as fresh vegetable.

◘ Preserved in cans and bottles.

Soil╬ Deep preferably 8ft (2.4 m) or more.╬ Well drained and friable to accommodate the plants excessive

root system.╬ Loams, sandy loams╬ Clay soils with poof permeability should be avoided.╬ pH 6.0-6.8.

Temperature

╬ A cool season crop ╬ 75-85oF (24-29oC) day and 55-66oF (13-19oC) night

temperature favouring productivity and longevity.

Varieties

H.P.Selection-841PerfectionUC-72DPA-1

Other most important varietiesPalmettsArgentilMary WashingtonHybrid INDA-HD-8German Federal

Time of nursery raising (H.P.)

◘ Asparagus is raised through seed as well as crowns.

◘ On commercial basis, cultivation through crowns is recommended.

Mid hills High hills

March-June April-May

Seed Rate

◘ 600g/ha to raise the nursery.

The first method is the quickest way to start a good crop in a bed and also the most easily disposed off.

Asparagus crowns are raised from seed planted in a well-prepared seed bed.

The plants are allowed to grow for one full growing season before being planted in permanent bed

Only one year old shoots will produce more and large spears and yield profitable crops for a longer period.

Propagation

The two methods by which plants can be procured and propagated

By purchasing the plants from a seeds man or some grower.

By Purchasing or sowing the seed from which to raise them.

20-30 cm (25 cm most common). Density of plants 30000/ha.

Depth of planting

Time of planting

Mid hills High hills

January March-April

Planting Distance

150cm X 45 cm. Crown is planted in furrows of 30cm width and 25 cm deep.

Fertilizer Recommendation (H.P.)

FYM (q/ha)

N (kg/ha)

P2O5

(kg/ha)K2O

(kg/ha)

200 100 120 150

♠ Half of FYM + half NPK should be applied in spring season before growth of the plant.

♠ Remaining half of the fertilizers should be applied after cutting of spears.

Irrigation╬ Asparagus beds should be well drained by means of open

furrows. ╬ Water logging would be harmful.╬ Irrigating asparagus with 25 mm water per week during the

fern growing stage as a continuing operation is recommended to obtain high yield.

Weed Control╬ Most of the grassy and perennial weeds in H.P. are controlled

by the use of Paraquat @ 2-3 kg a.i./ha before emergence of spears

╬ 2,4-D @ 2 kg a.i./ha after the harvesting of spearsand╬ Glyphosate @ 2 l/ha is used before the emergence of spears

and again at the end of harvesting.

Blanching

♠ Mounting the soil over the rows in asparagus beds is practiced to blanch the young spears.

♠ With a disc harrow, hilling is done in case of large scale plantations before the commencement of growth or where blanching is required.

♠ It is also a common practice that after harvesting the green asparagus for fresh market, mounding the row with soil is done to bleach the asparagus for canning.

Harvesting and Market Preparation

☻The normal harvest period for a fully developed asparagus bed is 8 weeks.

☻Harvest the spears from 3 or more years of plant growth otherwise affect the plant growth.

☻After 7-8 years of planting a fully developed asparagus fields yield 40-50 q/ha.

☻The spear length should be approximately 8-10 inches (20-25 cm) at cutting with spear tips tightly closed.

☻Once spears have been harvested they must be cooled immediately to 32-36oF (0-2oC).

☻Cooling preserves the sugar content which alongwith fiber content is important in quality.

☻Harvested spears are prepared for market by grading, sizing and bunching.

☻Grades are based on freshness, length and diameter of the stalk, colour of the spear, tightness of spear tip and extent of bruising.

☻Spears of large diameter are considered to be superior in quality.

☻Asparagus is a very perishable crop and storage is not recommended.

☻ If market conditions demand, spears may be held at 0-2 oC and 95% RH for no longer than 2-3 weeks.

Disease and Insect Pests

The major diseases of asparagus are Rust, Fusarium root rot, Fusarium crown rot, Phytopthora spear rot, Botrytis blight and Virus.

Diseases

Asparagus rust can be controlled through:☻ Tolerant cultivars.☻ Proper management practices.☻ Clean cutting and burning old canes each year.☻ Use of fungicides like zineb when fern growth resumes after

harvest.☻ Fusarium crown and root rot can be controlled through:1. Selecting tolerant (vigorous) cultivars.2. Growing plants from treated seed on sterilized medium.3. Using field locations not previously planted with asparagus.4. Use of fungicides.5. Avoid stress (drought,, poor drainage, poor fertility etc.).

Damage from insect infestation is confined to asparagus beetles, Tarnished plant bug, Alfalfa plant bug, Asparagus miner, Aphids and several soil larvae.

Insects

Asparagus beetle can be controlled through:☻ Maintenance of clean bed.☻ Elimination of over-watering debris and any wild asparagus near

the production area.☻ Use pf insecticides like Malathion@0.05%.

Aphids can be controlled through:Maintenance of clean bed during the cutting season will prevent first generation females from reproducing.Disyston is effective as a control for asparagus aphid.Insecticides like Malathion@ 0.05% is also effective in controlling the aphids.No insecticide provide certain control to the asparagus miner, however several insecticides like triazophos@0.15% /deltamethrin@0.0028% may help.

◘ Cutworms cause damage to spears prior to emerge and cause spears to curl and stunt.

◘ It is also thought that damage may encourage disease infection.◘ Wireworms and grubs feed on the roots of grasses, and

asparagus planted in the field previously in sod may suffer some damage.

◘ Any insecticide like malathion, disyston etc. should be applied in advance of planting not after the plants are established.

Soil Insects

Globe artichoke

Botanical name : Cynara scolymus L.

Family : Asteraceae

Vernacular name : Hathichok

Origin : Mediterranean region

Botanical Description

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz))

Carbohydrates    11.95 g- Phosphorus 73

Sugars   -  0.99 g

 Potassium 76

Dietary fiber   8.6 g Zinc 0.4

Fat 0.34 g Manganese 0.225

Protein 2.89 g Iron 0.61

    Thiamine(Vit.B1) 0.05

 Riboflavin(Vit.B2) 0.089

Niacin (Vit. B3) 0.111

  Pantothenic acid 0.240

Vitamin B6 0.08

Vitamin C 7.4

  Calcium   21

VARIETIES/HYBRIDS

• Traditional cultivars (Vegetative multiplication)

– Green color, big size: Camus de Bretagne, Castel (France), Green

globe (USA).

– Green color, medium size: Blanca de Tudela (Spain), Argentina,

Española (Chile), Blanc d'Oran (Algeria), Sakiz, Bayrampsha

(Turkey).

– Purple color, big size: Romanesco, C3 (Italy).

– Purple color, medium size: Violet de Provence (France),

Brindisino, Catanese (Italy), Violet d'Algerie (Algeria), Baladi

(Egypt).

– Spined: Spinoso sardo (Italy), Criolla (Peru).

• Varieties multiplied by seeds

– For Industry: Madrigal, Lorca, A-106, Imperial Star

– Green: Symphony, Harmony

– Purple: Concerto, Opal, Tempo.

Soil

• Sandy well draind soil having adequate amount of

organic matter is ideal.

• The optimum soil PH is 6.0-7.5

Climate

It is cool season crop & can be grown

Successfully at a temperature of 12 to 18°C.

Propagation

• primarily by using basal stem pieces with

attached root sections called stumps or crown

pieces.

• Buds at the base of these stumps develop roots

and shoots.

Sowing Time • For Plains:- August-October• For Hills:- March-May

Spacing

120 x 90cm at the time of translating

Fertilizer application

Whole dose of P & K should be applied at Planting.

However the application of N should be done into

three split doses during the season.

FYM 200-300 q/ha

N 120-140 q/ha

P 80-100 q/ha

K 300-400 q/ha

Irrigation

• Require a constant supply of water.

• In commercial production, frequent

irrigations are often necessary.

• Furrow irrigation is commonly practiced

when fields are flat.

Harvesting

• The harvest season starts from Sept-October.

• A native plant produce 12 or more stem and

40-50 edible buds.

• Harvest continues throughout the winter.

Yield

– Average yield is 10-12ton/ha

Name of disease Symptoms Control

Curly dwarf leaf curl a dwarfing of the plants and reduced production of the buds, many of them misshapen.

The virus is transplanted easily during the replanting process , disease is carefully managed from using healthy propogative material. Prevent the attack of Insect because they help in transmission of the disease.

Botrytis It appears as a broconisk fungus growth and decay on tissue damaged by insect or frost, when the weather becomes warm and moist.

Best control for botrytis is low humidity and good air circulation, factors that do not enhance quality of the crop.

Diseases

Name of insect Symptoms Control

Artichoke plume moth (Platyptilia carduidactyla)

Brown buff moth with narrow wing. The yellowish larvae with black head feed on leaves, stem and developing buds. It is the later feeding that can cause serious losses.

Control is enhanced by sanitation by elimination of infected plant material, and by chemicals eg. methyl parathion

Aphids (Myzus braggii ,Myzus fabae )

Both cause serious damage by sucking sap from the underside of leaves

effectively with parathion or thiodan.

Diseases

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