BAP Spray and Plastic Container Responses on Asparagus officinalis L. Crown Growth

Abstract

The aims of this work were to study the effect of two different plastic containers on asparagus growth and the effect of early applied 6-benzilaminepurine (BAP) on crown growth during the first two years after seed germination. Although there was not found a root restriction effect with the use of plastic containers, there were significant differences between plants grown in plastic seedbed or single pots which suggesting an unusual and unexpected asparagus autotoxicity. The results showed that crown fresh weight, total dry weight, relative growth ratio (RGRroot), root:shoot ratio and photosynthetic shoot number increased in BAP-sprayed plants over the controls without treatment as a result of a change in photosynthate partitioning towards the root system. The BAP sprays seem to be a greater effect under conditions with favor autotoxicity such as the seedbed than in single pot crown-grown.