FIELD EVALUATION OF ASPARAGUS CULTIVARS HARVESTED DURING SPRING AND SUMMER-FALL SEASONS

The objective of the current study was to evaluate yield, spear number and spear quality of seven asparagus cultivars ('UC 157', 'AM 822', 'Eros', 'Gijnlim', 'Grande', 'Boonlim' and 'Mary Washington') harvested during the spring and summer-fall period. The trials were planted in 1996 at the Agricultural Experiment Station of Arsial-Cerveteri, located in Central Italy. The results of this study are obtained from a five-year period of cutting (1999-2004). 'UC 157' exhibited the highest total marketable yield during spring harvest period followed by 'AM 822', 'Eros' and 'Gijnlim', while the lowest yield was observed for ‘Grande’, 'Boonlim' and 'Mary Washington'. The biggest spears were produced by cultivar 'Grande' followed by 'Mary Washington', 'UC 157', 'Eros' and finally 'AM 822'. The marketable spear quantity, harvested during the summer-fall season, was on average reduced by 50% in comparison to marketable spear yield of spring harvest. 'UC 157', 'Grande' and 'Gijnlim' exhibited higher yields in comparison to the four remaining hybrids. We can conclude that 'UC 157' appeared to be the most adapted for the spring harvest, while during the summer-fall harvest period 'UC 157', 'Grande' and 'Gijnlim' could best be utilized. Since spear yields during the summer-fall season were significantly lower than recorded in the spring harvesting, asparagus harvesting during the summer-fall period, should only be applied upon request of national and international markets with consequently a good price for the farmers.