ASPARAGUS PRODUCTION IN SLOVENIA

In Slovenia, asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) was until 1998 only cultivated in the Littoral part by a few growers. Since then, cultivation has rapidly increased and today we estimate that asparagus occupies 2 % of land under vegetable market production. Spears are marketed only in fresh markets or directly at producers’ homes. In 1997, five trials with 9 cultivars ('Boonlim', 'Cipres', 'Dariana', 'Franklim', 'Steline', 'Andreas', 'Cito', 'Dartagnan' and 'Horlim') were set up in different regions in Slovenia (2 with a mediterranean climate and 3 with a more continental climate). Trials were not irrigated. After 4 years of harvesting (from 2000 to 2003), good results were achieved with the cultivars 'Franklim', 'Dariana’ and 'Boonlim', where the average yield was 6.0-6.3 t/ha, while 'Steline' and 'Andreas' were estimated to be unsuitable cultivars for the Slovenian climate, with a lower yield (3.5-3.8 t/ha), thinner spears and greater susceptibility to Puccinia asparagi D.C. Harvesting was 1-3 weeks earlier in the Littoral part, but the yield was more variable and dependent on temperature and rainfall conditions. Covering rows with polyethylene (PE) black mulch resulted in a 22% higher average yield, due to larger and more spears. The average weight of a single spear increased from 35.8 g to 41.0 g. The PE black mulch had a low influence on the earliness of the yield.