Slide 1

Asparagus
Botanical Name:

Asparagus officinalis Linn. var. altilis

Family:

Liliaceae

Origin:

Europe and Asia


Slide 2

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 as fresh vegetable.

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

Preserved in cans and bottles.


Slide 3

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.


Slide 4

Varieties
H.P.
Selection-841
Perfection
UC-72
DPA-1

Other most important varieties
Palmetts
Argentil
Mary Washington
Hybrid INDA-HD-8
German Federal


Slide 5

Time of nursery raising (H.P.)
◘ Asparagus is raised through seed as well as crowns.
◘ On commercial basis, cultivation through

crowns

recommended.

Mid hills
March-June

High hills
April-May

Seed Rate
◘

600g/ha to raise the nursery.

is


Slide 6

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.

 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 wellprepared 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.


Slide 7

Time of planting
Mid hills
January

High hills
March-April

Depth of planting



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

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


Slide 8


Slide 9

Fertilizer Recommendation (H.P.)

FYM
(q/ha)
200
♠
♠

N
(kg/ha)
100

P2O5
(kg/ha)
120

K2O
(kg/ha)
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.


Slide 10

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.


Slide 11

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.


Slide 12

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.


Slide 13


Slide 14

Disease and Insect Pests


Slide 15

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

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.).


Slide 16

Insects
Damage from insect infestation is confined to asparagus beetles,
Tarnished plant bug, Alfalfa plant bug, Asparagus miner, Aphids
and several soil larvae.
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 [email protected]%.

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
[email protected]%


Slide 17

Soil Insects

◘ 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.


Slide 18

Globe
artichoke


Slide 19

Botanical Description
Botanical name

:

Cynara scolymus L.

Family

:

Asteraceae

Vernacular name

:

Hathichok

Origin

:

Mediterranean region


Slide 20


Slide 21


Slide 22


Slide 23


Slide 24


Slide 25

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz))
Carbohydrates
Sugars -

11.95 g-

Phosphorus

73

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


Slide 26

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).


Slide 27

• Varieties multiplied by seeds
– For Industry: Madrigal, Lorca, A-106, Imperial Star
– Green: Symphony, Harmony
– Purple: Concerto, Opal, Tempo.


Slide 28

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.


Slide 29

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.


Slide 30

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

Spacing
120 x 90cm at the time of translating


Slide 31

Fertilizer application
FYM

200-300 q/ha

N

120-140 q/ha

P

80-100 q/ha

K

300-400 q/ha

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.


Slide 32

Irrigation
•

Require a constant supply of water.

•

In

commercial

production,

frequent

irrigations are often necessary.
•

Furrow irrigation is commonly practiced

when fields are flat.


Slide 33

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


Slide 34

Diseases
Name of disease

Symptoms

Control

Curly dwarf

leaf curl a dwarfing of the plants The virus is transplanted
and reduced production of the easily during the replanting
buds, many of them misshapen. 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.


Slide 35

Diseases
Name of insect

Artichoke plume
moth
(Platyptilia
carduidactyla)

Symptoms

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.
Aphids
Both
cause
serious
(Myzus braggii , damage by sucking sap
from the underside of
Myzus fabae )
leaves

Control

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


Slide 36

Thanks…