Production and Quality of White Asparagus Grown under Opaque Rowcovers

Abstract

Black and white plastic rowcovers were established over field-grown `Jersey Giant' asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.). Spears were cut for 7 weeks. Season soil temperatures were lowest under white plastic and highest without plastic covering. Night air temperature under plastic covers was ≈ 1.4C higher than without plastic covering (control), but day air temperature was typically 10C higher under black plastic, with temperatures under white plastic intermediate. Marketable yield (t·ha-1) was improved with the use of plastics as was total yield (P = 0.05), but spear number/ha was similar in all treatments. There was no consistent treatment effect on spear diameter. Average spear weight was higher when under plastic, whereas spear length was reduced compared with uncovered spears. There were no differences among treatments in spear fiber content, but spears grown under plastic covers were higher in soluble solids content, titratable acidity, and nitrate and lower in protein, ascorbic acid, and total phenolics than uncovered spears. Quantitative differences in these constituents were also a function of whether they were from the upper, middle, or lower spear segment. Very little chlorophyll and carotenoids were produced in the absence of light, but there was a chroma (color intensity) difference between spears grown under the two plastics.