Temperature effects on dormancy, bud break and spear growth in asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.)

Abstract

SummaryThe effects of the length of chilling, chilling temperature and growing temperature on dormancy of asparagus crown buds and subsequent rates of spear growth were examined. The results showed that prior chilling enhanced bud break at low growing temperatures and stimulated the growth of spears.Thus, chilling should facilitate commercial production by hastening bud break and spear growth rates at lower temperatures. If sufficient chilling was given, the minimum temperature for rapid bud break was approx. 12.5°C for ‘Rutgers Beacon’ and ‘Jersey Giant’, and around 10°C for ‘UC 157’ and ‘Apollo’. The optimum chilling temperature appeared to be closer to 5°C than to 10°C or 2°C for ‘Rutgers Beacon’ plants grown at 12.5°C. Increasing the growing temperature had a significant effect on the relative spear growth rate (RSGR) in all cultivars. Prior chilling had no effect on the RSGR for ‘Dariana’ and ‘Apollo’; but, for ‘UC 157’, chilling plants at 5°C for 5 or 10 weeks increased growth rates at 12.5°C and at 20°C. These results demonstrate that release of bud dormancy and spear growth rates depended not only on the growing temperature, but also, at least in some cultivars at some temperatures, on the duration and temperature of chilling during the previous Winter.