Difference between Male and Female Plant in Growth of One-year-old Asparagus, Yield and Quality in Forcing Culture

Abstract

The differences between male and female plants in the growth of one-year-old asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.), yield and quality of spear in forcing culture were investigated. Female plants had higher stalks and longer length to primary branch than male plants. One-year-old female plants produced a few or no fruits. There was no difference in the number of stalks between one-year-old male and female plants. One-year-old female plants grew more vigorously and produced larger stalks than males. The difference between one-year-old male and female plants in the number of spears was not significant. However, the size of individual spears of one-year-old female plants was larger than that of male plants. Thus, one-year-old female plants have a capacity for a higher spear yield than male plants in forcing culture. The spear top of female plants was tighter than that of male plants. Female plants developed less anthocyanin pigments in the scaly leaves of spear than male plants. These results suggested that female plants were more desirable than male plants in one-year-old asparagus forcing culture.