ABSTRACT
Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) nutritional response to water stress

Raúl Ferreyra E.1, Gabriel Sellés van S.1, José Maria Peralta A.1, Norbert Fritsch F.2, Felipe Contador F.2 y Alejandro Rublo F.2
 

During 1987/88 and 1988/89 seasons two asparagus irrigation field was sudied stablished at La Platina Regional Research Center, on UC-157 F1 cultivar during the first two seasons.
Watering treatments consisted of decreasing applications from Oto 1.1 times the evapotranspiration based on the Hanks et al.(1980) method.
A prospect of the asparagus nutritional response was done when different growth levels were cause by varying degrees of water stress. The aerial and total dry matter yield was positively related to the soil moisture level. Nutrients concentrations showed medium to low correlations when watering level increased. Zn and P concentrations particularly low.
For nitrogen there is a second degree response to increase its concentration, as water level increased while Mg and Cu showed a lineal decrease trend. Ca and K status showed an antagonistic behaviour at high soil moisture levels.
Nutrient extraction was linearly related to dry matter yield. The concentration of elements that suggest a good nutritional condition were arround 3.42% N, 0.21 % P and 2.05% K.

Keywords: asparagus, water stress, irrigation, nutrients.
1 Centro Regional de Investigación La Platina (INIA), Casilla 439, Correo 3, Santiago, Chile.
2 Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 1004, Santiago, Chile.