PERFORMANCE OF GREEN AND WHITE ASPARAGUS CULTIVARS IN SOUTHERN SPAIN

Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) is a major crop in Andalusia (southern Spain), having a surface coverage 10,000 ha. The International Asparagus Cultivar Trial III (IACT III) has been planted in 2002 on a plot adjacent to the Guadalquivir River (Seville). Twenty nine green and 12 white cultivars were compared in this trial. The experimental plot's proximity to the Guadalquivir has led to high relative humidity, which resulted in damage due to fungal diseases. The incidence of the diseases Puccinia and Stemphylium was observed on the test varieties. At the end of the second year the following morphological parameters concerning spear yield and quality were recorded: stem height, first ramification height, number of stems per plant, and stem diameter. Marketable spear yield and spear quality were reordered in the first year of harvest (2004). 'NJ 953', 'Ercole', 'Atlas' and 'Jersey Deluxe' were the highest yielding green cultivars. 'Purple Passion', 'Dulce Verde', 'Atlas', 'Pacific Purple', 'Grande' and 'NJ 1016' were the cultivars with the biggest spear diameters. 'Ravel', 'NJ 953', 'Ercole', 'Jersey Giant', 'Jersey Deluxe' and 'JWC1' were the cultivars with the highest number of spears per plant. 'Rapsody', 'Ramada', 'Ravel', 'Rally', 'Cípres' and 'Orane' were the highest yielding white cultivars. 'Vil 12', 'Rally', 'Atlas', 'Cípres', 'Orane' and 'Rapsody' were the cultivars with the biggest spear diameter. 'Rapsody', 'Ramada', 'Cípres', 'Rambo', 'Rally' and 'Grande' were the cultivars with the highest number of spears per plant.