Growing conditions on growth and yield of one-year-old asparagus plants of the cultivars ‘Early California’, ‘UC157’, and ‘Taiho-wase’

ABSTRACT One-year-old asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) plants are cultivated in temperate regions, but effects of climatic conditions on them are not clear. More producers are growing 1-year plants, and it is necessary to establish appropriate cultivar selection and cultivation practices to stabilize yields in response to fluctuating weather conditions. The relationship between weather conditions and growth and yield of asparagus “Taiho-wase,” “Early California,” and “UC157,” grown using the whole harvest cultivation method for 1-year-old plants over 5 years, was assessed. Yields were reduced when weather conditions included low duration of sunshine in summer, high precipitation in fall, and low temperature during early harvest. “Early California” was highly susceptible to weather conditions, although it is a high-yielding cultivar when appropriate cultivation practices are used. “Taiho-wase” had little annual variation. The field trials conducted over multiple years clarified effects of weather conditions on cultivars.