Chapter 12   Asparagus

Link to IPM Elements for asparagus.

Link to Cornell Asparagus Information Bulletin

Link to Resource Guide for Organic Insect and Disease Management

Recommended Varieties

Many newer varieties are all-male hybrids, whereas traditional varieties such as Mary Washington are dioecious with 50 percent male and 50 percent female plants. The new male hybrids are higher yielding, more vigorous, and do not produce seeds.

RR = Rust resistant; FT = Fusarium tolerant

Crowns. One-year-old crowns are generally planted. Commercially, crowns are dug in the fall after one season’s growth, stored, and sold in the spring. If a grower establishes his/her own nursery, crowns may be left in the field over the winter, dug in the spring, and replanted immediately. Crowns are placed in the bottoms of furrows six to eight inches deep with buds up and covered with 1 1/2 inches of soil. Furrows are gradually filled in over the first growing season, by moving soil toward the plants during cultivation until the field is again level.

Transplants. Asparagus fields can be established using ten- to 12-week-old transplants. Transplants are planted in furrows six to eight inches deep. The furrow should be wide and contain a three-inch flattened mound at the bottom in a modified W-shape. Placing the transplant on the mound protects the plant from being washed out or covered by soil during a heavy rain. Furrows are not completely filled in at planting. Instead, the root mass of the transplant is covered, and the soil is gradually moved into the furrows with cultivation over the first growing season.

Fertility

Apply adequate lime to bring the pH to between 6.8 and 7.0. If a large amount of lime is needed, apply half before plowing and incorporate the remainder after plowing. Remember, asparagus will be in the field for eight to 12 years, so proper soil preparation prior to planting is essential. See Table 12.2 for the recommended rates of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

See Cornell article on nutrient deficiency symptoms

Go to Cornell Nutrient Analysis Lab website to find out how to get soil samples tested.

Cornell Soil Health website and manual

SARE Publication: "Building Soils for Better Crops"

SARE publication: "Managing Cover Crops Profitably"

Table 12.2 Recommended nutrients based on soil tests.
	P2O5 pounds/acre     Soil Phosphorus Level				K2O pounds/acre     Soil Potassium Level
N pounds/acre								Comments
	low	med.	high		low	med.	high
New plantings
50	110	60	30		150	100	50	Total recommended.
0	110	60	30		150	100	50	Broadcast and disk-in. Sidedress at first cultivation.
50	0	0	0		0	0	0
Cutting beds
50	75	50	25		80	60	40	Total recommended.
50	75	50	25		80	60	40	Apply in the spring before spear emergence. Incorporate lightly.

Harvesting

Asparagus can be harvested the second year after planting. A traditional harvest sequence calls for cutting two weeks the first year, four weeks the second, and six to eight weeks thereafter. These are general guidelines, and the length of the harvest period should be adjusted according to the spear size. When spears are predominantly small in diameter, harvest should be stopped. Fresh-market asparagus is cut or snapped by hand when the spears are about ten inches tall. In warm weather, fields should be harvested daily. Damaged or thin shoots should be cut and discarded. After harvesting, spears should be washed, cooled, trimmed to a uniform length, and graded by diameter. Spears can be stored for up to three weeks at 36°F and 95 percent relative humidity.

See UC Davis post harvest guide for asparagus

See Cornell Report: Food Safety Begins on the Farm

See Cornell "Smart Marketing" series.

See USDA grade standards for fresh asparagus and processed asparagus

See USDA Marketing site

See current wholesale prices from US markets

See "Fresh Now from New York Farms"

SARE Publication: "Marketing Strategies for Farmers and Ranchers"

SARE Publication: "Direct Marketing Resource Guide"

Disease Management

| Fusarium | Phytophthora spear rot | Rust |

SARE Publication: "A Whole-Farm Approach to Managing Pests"

Time for concern: Planting through life of bed

Key characteristics: Fusarium causes weak, spindly spear production. Feeder roots become rotted and discolored. Affected crowns show reddish brown discoloration when cut. See Reference 1.

Time for concern: This disease is currently not a problem in New York State, but its potential for occurring on Long Island is high.

Key characteristics: Infected spears show gray-beige to brown lesions slightly above or just below the soil line. The decay is odorless unless invaded by saprophytic bacteria.

Time for concern: Late spring through end of season

Key characteristics: Red or brown elongated spots appear on spears or ferns. Ferns may prematurely yellow and brown. See Reference 1.

Time for concern: Spring through summer

Key characteristics: Common asparagus beetles are 5/16inch long and black with a blue head, four large yellow spots, and a reddish margin on their abdomen. Spotted asparabus beetles are the same size, but are bright orange with black spots. Adulkts of both species chew on the spears.Larvae are creamn colored with dark heads and feed for 10-14 days. Common asparagus beetles feed on the feerns, whereas spotted asparagus beetles only feed on the fruit on the ferns.

Asparagus beetle life cycle

Asparagus beetle damage

Weed Management

Key characteristics: Weed fact sheets provide a good color reference for common weed identification. See Reference 3. Also see Virginia Tech Weed Identification Guide.

Cornell Weed Ecology and Management Laboratory website

Ontario, Canada weed identification gallery

Penn State Weed Fact Sheets

SARE Publication: "A Whole-Farm Approach to Managing Pests"

Management Option	Recommendation
Scouting/thresholds	Weeds may be unevenly distributed over a field. Localized areas of severe weed infestations or atypical conditions, such as poorly drained areas, high spots, and field edges, may be recorded on a weed map. A weed map should be on file for each field. Make a rough sketch of the field, including landmarks, boundaries, crop row direction, compass directions, roads, planting date, map preparation date, and any other important details. The following information should be indicated on the map: species of weed, size of weed, density of each species, and distribution of weed. Scout fields shortly before spear emergence to evaluate the success of the current season's program and at or near harvest to determine the need for post-harvest control. Cornell Weed Assessment List (scouting form) Manitoba, Canada weed scouting guide
Resistant varieties	No varieties are resistant but Section 12.1 Recommended Varieties are more tolerant than older standards. Vigorous plants are less likely to be affected.
Site selection	Determine weed species and distribution before choosing fields for asparagus.
Cultivation	Cultivation can be useful in asparagus weed control in the year of establishment. See Cornell fact sheet on mechanical weed control. SARE Publication: "Steel in the Field"
Banding herbicides	Banding of herbicides at planting is not useful in asparagus production.

Compound(s)
Comparing Environmental Risks of Pesticides In the "Field Use EIQ" column is the range of EIQ (Environmental Impact Quotient) values for the rate range recommended for each pesticide (lower EIQ = lower environmental impact). Other pesticide risk models are useful for specific purposes. WIN-PST is required for some USDA NRCS conservation plans.
Common name Trade Name	Rate/A Product	PHI (days)	REI (hours)	Field Use EIQ	Comments
pre-spear emergence
paraquat
*Gramoxone Inteon 2.0  lb/gal	2-4 pt		24	19-37	Allow maximum weed emergence before treating. Add an adjuvant like X-77 or Charger E. Do not make more than 2 applications per season.
s-metolochlor (annual grasses, yellow nutsedge, hairy galinsoga, suppression of other broadleaf weeds)
#Dual Magnum 7.62EC 7.62 lb/gal	1.33-2 pt	16	24	25-37	Not for use in Nassau/Suffolk counties. A single application may be made to dormant established beds in the spring prior to crop emergence.Choose rates based upon soil type.Syngenta has created a new means of acquiring the indemnification required when using Dual Magnum on the vegetable crops registered on New York State's multi-crop 24(c) Special Local Need (SLN) supplemental label.   The required product label and indemnification can only be obtained through the "special labels" link found at www.farmassist.com and must be obtained by the 'end-user'.   If difficulties are encountered in using the website call the Syngenta Customer Resource Center at 866-796-4368.
pre- or post-spear emergence
dicamba (sowthistle, mustard spp., redroot pigweed, Russian thistle, common chickweed, field bindweed)
Clarity 2.5 EC   2.5 lb/gal	8-16 oz	1	24	8-16	Apply Clarity to emerged and actively growing weeds immediately after cutting the field but 24 hours before the next cutting. Multiple applications can be made per season but may not exceed a maximum of 16 fl oz per acre per year. If spray contacts emerged spears, twisting may result.
halosulfuron (Preemergence applications: galinsoga, lambsquarters, mustard/radish species, redroot pigweed, ragweed, velvetleaf. Yellow nutsedge is suppressed but not controlled. Postemergence applications: yellow nutsedge, galinsoga, redroot pigweed, mustard/radish species, ragweed, velvetleaf)
Sandea	0.5-1 oz	1	12	<1	Apply postemergence to established beds. May be applied during harvest season May be applied post-harvest. Do not exceed 2 oz /A/season.
linuron
Lorox 50DF 0.5lb/lb	1-4 lb	1	24	20-81	Lorox may be applied preemergence and postemergence on newly planted crowns or established beds.  See label for recommended use of activated carbon with applications to new crowns.  Three applications of 1-4 lbs can be made annually with a maximum use of 4 lb/yr.
fluazifop-p-butyl (most annual and some perennial grasses)
Fusilade DX	Perennial grasses: 0.75 qt	1	12	16	For use on established beds. Apply when grasses are actively growing and not stressed. Add 0.5-1% v/v crop oil concentrate.
Fusilade DX	Annual grasses: 6-12 oz	1	12	8	For use on established beds. Apply when grasses are actively growing and not stressed. Add 0.5-1% v/v crop oil concentrate.
napropamide (annual grasses and broadleaves)
Devrinol 50-DF 0.5 lb/lb	8 lb		12	50	For use on established beds. This herbicide is long-lasting. Incorporation is not necessary if the soil surface is moist or if rain occurs soon after application.
pre- or postharvest, incorporated
trifluralin
Treflan HFP 4 lb/gal	1-2 pt		12	13-27	For use on established beds. Apply with shallow incorporation. Adjust the rate according to label recommendations for soil type. Split applications can be made with half preemergence followed by half postemergence after last harvest. May aid in prevention of asparagus seedlings. Cornell has not conducted trials with Treflan on asparagus.
post-spear emergence
sethovydim (annual grasses)
Poast 1.5 lb/gal	0.5-1.5 pt	1	12	3-7	For use on established beds. Apply when grasses are actively growing and not under stress. Apply with 2 pt oil concentrate per acre.
pre-spear emergence or postharvest
diuron (annual broadleaves and grasses)
Karmex DF 0.8 lb/lb	2 lb		12	33	For use on established beds. Apply early spring before spear emergence. Repeat after harvest if annual weeds persist. Since Karmex is not active on emerged weeds, they must be killed by tillage before or after application. Do not exceed 3 lb per season.
metribuzin (low rate controls broadleaves; high rate controls grasses)
Sencor DF 0.7  lb/lb Sencor 4F 4lb/gal	1.3-2.6 lb 1-2 qt	14	12	28-55 23-47	For use on established beds. Apply early spring before spears emerge. May be repeated after the cutting season. Do not exceed 2 lb AI/A/season. There is considerable postemergence activity on small weeds with only minimal injury to ferns and spears.
2,4-D (perennial broadleaves)
Formula 40 or OLF 3.8 lb/gal	1.5-2 qt		48	96-128	For use on established beds. Apply before or after harvest. Avoid spraying spears or ferns. Postharvest sprays usually require a boom with drop pipes to prevent wetting the fern. This application will also control unwanted seedling asparagus.
glyphosphate (quackgrass and perennial broadleaves)
Roundup Weather Max or OLF 5.5 lb/gal	1-1.4 pt weeds<6" 1.4-2 pt weeds>6"	5	4	8-11 11-15	For use on established beds. For quackgrass control, apply well ahead of spear emergence in the spring. For broadleaf perennials, apply after the cutting season, but first remove all growing spears or ferns which are easily damaged. For later applications, use directed or shielded sprays to prevent plant contact.
post, hooded, row middles only
carfentrazone (selected broadleaves)
Aim 1.9 EW 1.9 lb/gal	0.8-1.6 fl oz	0	12	<1	May be used only as a hooded, row middle application.   Sprayers must be designed to prevent ANY contact with the crop and may not be operated at more than 5 MPH.   Special care must be taken when operating on uneven ground.   See product label for additional precautions.
*Restricted use only. #Not for use in Nassau/Suffolk counties

Check NYS PIMS (Product, Ingredient, and Manufacturer System) to see if the label is current for New York. SPECIAL NEW YORK RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY. (http://magritte.psur.cornell.edu/pims/)

References

World Wide Web Sites:

UC Pest Management Guidlines: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/selectnewpest.asparagus.html

Virginia Tech Weed Identification Guide:
http://www.ppws.vt.edu/weedindex.htm

BIOLOGICAL CONTROL: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America:
http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ent/biocontrol/

IPM Vegetable Fact Sheets:
http://nysipm.cornell.edu/factsheets/vegetables/default.asp

Pests in the Northeastern United States
http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ent/factsheets

Plant Disease Diagnosis Clinic:
http://PlantClinic.cornell.edu

Vegetable MD Online:
http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/Home.htm

Measuring Environmental Impact of Pesiticides: http://nysipm.cornell.edu/publications/eiq/default.asp

Cornell Vegetable Team
http://www.hort.cornell.edu/extension/commercial/vegetables/vegeteam/index.html

The Northeastern Pest Management Center has links to information on IPM in the northeast and throughout the US

Cornell Soil Health website and manual

USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Publications (SARE)

Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA): http://www.attra.org/

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Maintained by Curtis Petzoldt, New York State IPM Program. Address comments or questions to vegrec@nysaes.cornell.edu
Last modified January 21, 2008.