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THE RELATECNSHP OF THE MWUM
CF FERTIUZER
AND “ME OF APDLICATIQN TU
TOTAL YIELD OF ASPARAGUS
THESIS FOR THE DEGREE OF M. S:
Lewis Pou W'atsoh

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m RELATIONSHIP OF ‘IHE AMOUNT OF FERTILT‘ZER
AND TIME OF APPLICATION To TOTAL
YIELD OF ASPARAGUS.

Thesis

Presented to the faculty or the Michigan State
College of Agriculture and Applied Sci-
ence as partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the
degree or

Meeter of Science

a” M/ by
Q i Levis Pou WateOn

ET I Inna 1930

INTRODUCTION

During the past ten to twenty years the asparagus
industry in the United States has developed considerably.
Asparagus has become one of the principal market garden
and truck crops.

Both the canning acreage and acreage for fresh con-
sumption show marked increases. The 1923 acreage of the
commercial crop used for fresh consumption was estimated at
21,400. By 1925 these figures had.nounted to 29,850 acres.
The principal states showing a very large increase during
this period were South Carolina, which more than doubled
her acreage, Delaware, and New Jersey. California was the
only state that showed an actual decrease in acreage for
fresh consumption. In 1926, the acreage was 38,330. This
is a little less than a 10,000 acre increase from.1925 to
1926. The 1929 estimate for fresh consumption was 49,300
acres. The canning acreage shows approximately the same
increase as does the acreage for fresh consumption. Cali-
fornia is the only state with an appreciable canning acreage.
New York is the only other state listed by the Year Book of
Agriculture as having asparagus for canning purposes and she
is barely holding her own with 100 acres. California in
1923 had 20,480 acres. By 1929 this had increased to 49,400.
While the price for fresh asparagus has varied from.$2.30 to
$4.29 gar crate from 1923 through 1929, the average for this
period was $3.21. The average price for the canning crOp

over this same period was $82.24 per ton.

ӣ03659

-3-

This remarkable rise in importance of asparagus as a
vegetable crop has given origin to many problems connected
with its culture, nutritive value and marketing. Among these
questions is that of the use of fertilizers. What fertilizer
mixtures are best for different localities; what amounts per
acre should be applied; and, in particular, at what times
during the year can fertilizer treatments be made to the
greatest advantage? The investigations reported herein were
designed to obtain information on the relationship of the
applied amounts of fertilizer mixtures and the seasonal

periods of fertilizer applications to the tdal yields.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Nightingale and Schermerhorn (7) in their study of the
ability of the asparagus plant to assimilate nitrates in the
absence of light, found the plant was capable of utilizing
nitrate nitrogen in the darkness and that the assimilation
of nitrates in the absence of light by plants not already
high in organic nitrogen and containing an abundant supply
of carbohydrate material in the storage roots, resulted in
an increase in yield of spears which was due chiefly to an
increase in their size.

DeBaun and Schermerhorn (2) state that in addition to
1000 or 1800 pounds of a mixture of fertilizer especially
high in nitrogen and phosphoric acid, many successful growers
make an application of nitrate of soda, (150 pounds per acre)
about the middle of the cutting season. Theoretically, the
plants cannot make use of plant nutrients until their top
growth develops, but in actual practice the quick acting nitrate
helps to maintain.production and quality, especially where green
asparagus is produced.

Brooks and mores (1) in 1919 found that over a period of
seven years there was a slight advantage in applying the nitrate
in the summer, at the end of the cutting season. The difference,
however, is not enough to make it a rule to apply the nitrate only
in the summer. They also state that the season of application of
nitrate of soda does not appear to affect the relative yield of
commercial asparagus in successive ten day periods throughout

the season. In other words, the cut of commercial asparagus

during the early part of the summer is not increased by either
small or large applications of nitrate of soda made as early as
the soil can be worked. Morse (6) in a chemical study of the
asparagus plant found evidence of a small.intake of nitrogen
during the cropping season.

Jenes and Robbins (4) quite Close as saying that appli-

cations of sodium nitrate to asparagus beds during the cutting
season in order to increase yields during the season of appli-
cation could not be recommended. They also make the following
statement frmm Rousseaux and Brioux (France): "The nitrate should
be applied at three different times; one-third in march; one-
third at beginning of cutting season and one~third in May."
It is recommended from.experiments conducted in the Cote d'Or,
France, that all the fertilizer, except the nitrate, be plowed
under in the late fall.“ The nitrate should be put on in early
spring at the time the beds are pulled up.

unpublished results from.the sceperative asparagus ferti-
lizer experiments conducted by Clemson Agricultural Bollege at
Mbnetta, S. 0., over a period of five years (1925-29) show that
in addition to 2000 pounds of 7-5-5 mixture, 200 pounds of
nitrate of soda applied in the spring gave an increase of an
average of 127 bunches of asparagus per acre over the check
plot which received no nitrate of soda.

From.the foregoing review of literature it is obvious that
although both opinions and experimental results vary, the
weight of evidence seems to be in favor of applying nitrogenous
fertilizers to asparagus in the spring shortly before the

cutting season.

"

 

 

Fig. l.- Representative two-year-old crowns used in greenhouse
experiment.

 

-5...
GREENHOUSE EXPERIMENT

Strong two-year-old asparagus crowns cf the Mary Wash-
ington variety were used (Fig. 1). The plants were removed
from a field which had been planted for commercial use. The
soil in which the crowns were growing was a uniform.sandy loam.
After the tops were removed, the crowns were packed in moist
sphagnum moss and shipped to the college greenhouse. They re-
mained in the moss for about fourteen hours. Immediately upon
arrival, the plants were unpacked and washed entirely free of
foreign material. They were then subjected to a brief period
of air drying to remove surface moisture.

Due to the fact that the tops had Just begun to die when
the crowns were removed from the field, the plants had not passed
through the usual rest period. To avoid forcing the crowns back
into active growth before they had passed through a stage of
dormancy, they were packed in barrels of dry sand and placed in
a storage room where the temperature remained around 36°F. for a
period of a few_weeks.

One hundred crowns were used in the experiment. They were
planted on October 20 in the center bench of a greenhouse where
temperature conditions would be uniform.throughout the plot.

The bench was divided into two sections, each section containing
fifty crowns. These crowns were planted 12 inches apart and 3
inches deep in garden loam.soil. The two plots were separated

by a partition in order to prevent any passage of nutrient materiab
from.one plot to the other at time of watering. The plots were

watered every few days as conditions demanded. The water used

was the same that was used for general watering in the greenhouse.

"llllJ 1'

 

Five root samples were taken from each plot at the time
the crowns were set in the greenhouse bench. These samples
were taken by cutting a uniform.amount of storage root from
each crown. This was done in order that the nitrogen content
of the roots might be determined before the treatment was
applied. _Table 1 gives the percentage of total nitrogen, as
determined by the KJeldahl method, in the ten samples. Sample
1 to 5 were from crowns in the plot which was to receive the
treatment. Samples 6 to 10 were from those which were not to

be treated with nitrate.

Table 1.- Total Nitrogen Content of Asparagus Crown Samples
from.Different Plots.

 

.§ggples . Total Nitrogen Samples Total Nitrogen
1 1.83 6 2.79
2 2.22 7 2.23
3 3.03 8 1.99
4 2.20 9 2.25
5 1.98 10 2.38

 

The treatment which the plots received was nitrate of
soda applied at the rate of 400 pounds per acre. Two appli-
cations were made. The first, six days after the crowns were
set in the bench. The second was made six weeks later. This
second application was made to replace the nitrate which had
been removed by leaching.

The first spears appeared in about seven days after the

crowns had been set in the greenhouse and the first cutting

was made three days later. For the first two days, the plots

yielded about the same number of spears, but after that the
spears from the plot which received the nitrate of soda were
more numerous and larger and of a better marketable quality,
as is shown in Figure II.

On November 2, 6 and 25 the spears from the plots were
kept separately and dried, and the total nitrogen and nitrate
nitrogen were determined by the Kjeldahl method. The data

are shown in Table II.

Table II.- Total Nitrogen and Nitrate Nitrogen Found in Spears
of Treated and Untreated Plots on Three Different

 

 

 

, Aen-
TREATED UNTREATED
76 Total Nitrate % Total Nitrate
Date Nitrogen Nitrogen,ppm. Datefifi Nitrogen Nitrggg
Nov. 2 4.99 2 Nov. 2 5.78 A»
Noy. 6 5.71 1 Nov. 6 5.50 &
Nov. 25 5.56 1 Nov. 25 5.37 .3

 

At the end of the cutting season, which lasted from October
9 until January 17, the total yield of each plot was determined.
Table III gives the total yield from.the two plots.

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Fig. 2.- Sample cutting from nitrated and non-nitrated greenhouse
plots.

 

Table III.- Total Yield in Grams, Number of Spears, and Average
Weight of Spears from Plots.

Plot 1
Treated with nitrate of adds
at rate of 400_pounds per acre

Plot 2

Oeeeee

No nitrate treatment

t.

Totalweight in grams-- 715.909 Total weight in grams-~316.80

Total no. spears 137 Total no.spears 75

Average weight per
spear 5.22

Average weight per
spear 4.22

.9 9'. O. .0 O. O. O. O.

 

The plot receiving the treatment showed an increase over the
untreated plot of 409.10 grams or 129.13%. The total number of
spears out from the treated plot was not only greater, but the
average size was also larger.

From the material submitted in the review of literature and
the results obtained in the foregoing experiment, it is evident
that the asparagus plant is capable of utilizing nitrate nitrogen
during the cutting season. Since it is customary to out the spears
every morning during the cutting season, the spears are exposed to
the light only a short time. Under ordunary temperature and moistun
conditions, a spear that is Just beginning to come through one
morning will be tall enough to out the following morning. In
the South where the temperature ranges between 85° and 95°F.,
the fields are out twice on some days. In this case the spears
are above ground for only six or eight hours. When cutting
takes place only once each say, the spears are partly above ground
for twenty-four hours. However, only about twelve hourse are

spent in the light.

-9-

Analyses of the spears out at intervals during the cutting
season show an increase of total nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen
in the treated plot in all cases except one. The analysis made
on November 2 showed the total nitrogen to be greater in the
spears from the untreated plot. samples taken on this date
were inconsistent throughout all tests made and it is possible
that some errOr was made in labeling the samples. On this date,
the nitrate nitrogen showed the same in both the treated and
untreated plots, namely, one-half part per million.

After the experiment was completed and the crowns were
being removed from.the bench, the difference in the condition of
the crowns from.the two plots was very noticeable. The crowns
from.the untreated plot (Figs. 4 and 5) were apparently thoroughly
exhausted and only in one or two cases were there any fibrous
roots which were firm, and where these were found there were only
two or three on each crown. The crowns from the treated plot
showed only slight traces of exhaustion (Fig.3), but practically
all the buds had produced sprouts. Bwo buds can be seen in the

crown shown in Figure 3. As a rule, such buds were rare.

FIELD TRIAL
The field trial in this experiment was conducted in South

Carolina. TWO fields of asparagus grown for commercial purposes
in the production of fresh asparagus were used. The soil was a
rich sandy loam.and the fields were uniform throughout. The rows
in both fields were 250 yards long and six rows were used in each
plot with a buffer row between the plots. Both fields were out
daily, and the asparagus from each plot kept separate and packed

at end of cutting

Compare with Figures 4 and 5.

season.

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-10 ..

into standard bunches which are 8% inches long, 4 inches in di-
ameter and weigh not less than 2 pounds.

Field No. 1 had 1000 pounds of a 7-5-5 mixture applied
after cutting in 1928. Field.No. 2 had no fertilizer after
the 1928 cutting season. There were three plots in field No.1
and six plots in field No. 2. It was impossible to use six
plots in field No. 1 because of the fact that the lower edge
of this field had been covered by water from a nearby high-

land pond.

METHOD

The first three plots in each of the two fields received
the same treatments except that plot No. 1 in field No. 2 had
a lime treatment of 1000 pounds per acre about two weeks after
the fertilizer was put on. On field No. 2, plot No. 4 received
1000 pounds of 7-5-5; plot No. 5, 2000 pounds of 7-5-5; and
plot No. 6, 1000 pounds of 7-5-5 and 300 pounds of nitrate of
soda. All fertilizer was put out three weeks before the
cutting season began, with the exception of the nitrate of
soda. This was applied a week before cutting commenced. The
buffer rows between the plots received two treatments, one on
each side to correspond with the treatment of the adjoining
plots. The results are presented in Table IV.

Fig. 4.- Crown from non-nitrated greenhouse plot at end of cutting
season. Compare with Figure 3.

 

-11-

Table IV.- Yield ig_Bunches from.Plgts No. l and No. 2.

Field No. l
(1000 lbs. applied after
1928 cutting season

Field No. 2
(No. Fertilizer applied
after cutting season 19281

 

 

Treatment Treatment
Plot lbs.per acre Bunches Plot lbs.per acre Bunches
l 1000 (7-5-5) 391 l 1000 (7-5-5)
1000 lime 313
2 Check
(no fertilizer) 316 Check 288
3 2000 (7-5-5) 340 2000 (7-5-5) 345

1000 (7-5-5) 315
2000 (7-3-5) 331
1000 (7-3-5) 337

CPU‘PO‘N

90 00 00 00 99 00 9. 00 00 .00 00 ee 00 ee 00 ee ee 00 00 ee

 

They are not altogether consistent. Plot No. 3 of Field No. 1
received twice the amount of fertilizer as did plot No. 1..
'This in part, at least, might be due to the fact that plot No. 3
was near the area which was covered by water and the roots were
very little, if any, above the water level. With this exception,
the results might be considered somewhat indicative of the
better treatment.

Evidence is somewhat in favor of twoiapplications of
fertilizer. 1000 pounds seems to be sufficient at each appli-
cation. The increase in yield brought about by the application
of an amount over 1000 pounds does not justify the addition of
the extra 1000 pounds. Nitrate of soda when applied at the
rate of 300 pounds per acre showed practically the same increase

in yield as the extra 1000 pounds of 7-5-5.

‘0

 

Fig. 5.- Crown from non-nitrated greenhouse plot at end of
cutting season. Compare with Figure 3.

 

DISCUSSION

Notwithstanding the fact that some writers even question
the favorable results of nitrate fertilizers, the bulk of
evidence gathered from the review of literature and from the
results obtained in the foregoing work seems to be in favor
of the use of nitrates on asparagus. The nitrate seems to give
best results when applied before the cutting season. Work by
Schermerhorn and Nightingale (7) show that the asparagus plant
is capable of utilizing nitrogen inthe absence of light and
also that this utilization resulted in an increase in yield of
spears and an increase in size of spears. In the work carried
on in the greenhouse at Michigan State College the writer noted
a similar increase where nitrate was applied before cutting.

Again, practices vary among growers, as do recommendations
from experiment stations, as to the proper amount and time of
application of the regular commercial fertilizer. In this case
the weight of evidence is in favor of dividing the fertilizer
and making two applications, half before cutting and the
remainder immediately after.

On the field trial in South Carolina, the plot which
received 1000 pounds of 7-5-5 mixture before cutting and 1000
pounds after cutting yielded 391 bunches as compared with 338
from the plot which received 2000 pounds of 7-5-5 betore
cutting and none after. Mbre than 2000 pounds did not give

sufficient increase in yield to warrant the extra expense.

-13-

SUMMARY

1. The asparagus plant is capable of assimilating nitrates
in the darkness, as is shown by the increase in size and number
of spears produced when nitrates are applied.

2. The proper time for applying nitrates is in the spring
before cutting. '

3. More than 2000 pounds of commercial fertilizer will not
increase the yield sufficiently to warrant extra expense.

4. Best results are obtained from two applications of
fertilizers containing phosphorous and potash, 800 or 1000
pounds before cutting and the remainder of the ton after cutting,
when the beds are being pulled down.

5. More than 1000 pounds before cutting is not profitable.
200 pounds of nitrate of soda gave Just as large an increase in
yield as an extra 1000 pounds of 7-5-5.

6. If only one application is made, it should be made after
the cutting season at the time the beds are pulled down.

l.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

-14..

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Brooks, W. P. and Morse, F. W.- A Fertilizer Experiment
with Asparagus. mass. Agrl. Col. Bul. 194- 1919.

De Baun, R. W., Revised by Schermerhorn, L. C. - Asparagus
Growing in New Jersey. N. J. Agrl. Exp. Sta. Ciro. 99-
1918.

Hartwell, B. L., Smith, J. B. and Damon, S. C.- The Effects
of Sodium Chloride and Carbonate on the Growth of
Asparagus. Rhode Island Agrl. Exp. Sta. Bul. 213- 1928.

anes, H. A. and Robbins, W. W. - The Asparagus Industry in
California. Cal. Agrl. Exp. Sta. Bul. 546- 1928

Koon, Ray Mg- How to Grow Asparagus. mess. Agrl. Ext.
Leaflet 49 - 1926.

Morse, F. W. - A Chendcal Study of the Asparagus Plant.
Mass. Agrl. Exp. Sta. Bul. 171- 1916.

Nightingale, G. T. and Schermerhorn, J. G. - Nitrate
Assimilation by Asparagus in.Absence of Light. - N. J.
Agrle Expo Stae Bule 476 - 1928. ..

Working, E. B.- Physical and Chemical Factors in the Growth
of Asparagus. Arizona Agrl. College, Exp. Sta. Tech.
B111. 5 " 1924e

TiedJens, Whitcomb, W. D. and Koon, R. M;- Asparagus and Its
Culture. Mass. Agrl. Col. Ext. Leaflet No.49 - 1926.

-15..

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The writer wishes to make acknowledgment to
Professor V. R. Gardner for many helpful suggestions and
also for reviewing the manuscript; to Dr. John.W. Crist
for criticism.and advice in planning this work and for
reviewing the manuscript; to Professor 0. B. Winter for
making the chemical analyses; and to Mr. Joseph B. Edmond

for assistance in some phases of the work.

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