• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.141-145
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• 2013

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of two male cultivars of asparagus with low different chilling periods on bud breaking, relative spear growth rate, shoot number and yield. Four-month-old plants of two male cultivars of asparagus were dried to impose dormancy and placed in a coldroom at $5^{\circ}C$ to satisfy the chilling requirement for 0, 2, 4, and 6 weeks. After the specified chilling time, the pots were placed in greenhouse. The results showed that mean days to bud break of 'Jersey Giant' significantly decreased with an increasing chilling period from 0 to 6 weeks, but 'Jersey Supreme' was not affected. The relative spear growth rate of 'Jersey Supreme' was significantly stimulated by chilling compared to non-chilled plants. Shoot production and total spear weight of 'Jersey Supreme' tended to be greater than 'Jersey Giant' irrespective of chilling treatments. Following low temperature treatment, 'Jersey Supreme' showed shorter dormant period than 'Jersey Giant', faster growth of spear. The present study showed that asparagus male cultivar at duration of chilling treatment had an affirmative effect on bud breaking, spear growth rates, shoot number and yield of asparagus.