Commercial Asparagus Production

Asparagus is a high value, early producing perennial vegetable crop. I was originally grown in parts of sea coasts of Europe and eastern Asia. However the United States has also started producing this vegetable. It has few major production areas. It culminates to around 93,300 acres in California, Washington and Michigan. CANADA and Mexico also possess some acreage. The downward trend in US Acreage is now a passing phase. This is contributed by new disease tolerant annual per capita consumption is about 1lb.
Asparagus is specifically produced for the fresh market. It is very popular and people love this vegetable due to its diuretic properties.
The cost of establishing a new asparagus field is $1,900/acre that includes a year of soil build up. Crowns and fertilizer are the major cost contribution areas. It is just a matter of initial establishment. Once successfully established, asparagus is one of the least expensive vegetable crops to maintain.
Asparagus plants are dioeciously; that is they have separate male and female plants. Female plants are said to be less productive and shorter lived than males.
Field and soil selection to grow Asparagus commercially:
• It is ideal to opt for a place where asparagus has never been grown.
• Soil must be well drained and loamy. Choose light to medium soils.
• Sub soiling is an important factor. It is recommended before plowing deeply.
• Make sure that the water table is not more than 4ft of the surface.
• Soil erosion may result into slopes. So, it is advisable to choose level field.
• The site must have adequate air drainage to avoid frost damage to early spears.
• Good fertility is contributed by soil condition. Asparagus tolerates salty soil conditions, but not extreme acidity. It is recommended adjust the soil pH to 6.6. This can be done by using lime.
• Asparagus planting is supposed to last 15-50 years. It is important to check the fertility of the soil before planting.
• Put a soil test for N, P, K, Ca, Mg & Boron levels.
• Carry out an annual maintenance fertilizer program early each spring beginning the second year.
• Fern growth is essential for the first few years. Plants develop extensive storage roots systems.
Planting:
• Be particular about choosing crowns for planting asparagus. Opt one year old, certified disease- free crowns from a reputable source.
• Before planting the crowns, check them by cutting through the crown for any brown discoloration. Do not plant if you notice this discoloration.
• 50F is the ideal soil temperature for planting crowns. This facilitates immediate growth.
• To start with, open the planting furrow with a plow or a middle buster so that soil is thrown up on both sides of the trench. Planting plugs in a “W” shaped furrow prevents them from drowning, washing out or smothering if heavy rain follows plantings.
• Before transplanting, put in 50 lb phosphorous (p205) 2 to 3 inches below the bottom of the furrow.
• Plant the 1 year old crowns, with the buds up 12 to 14 inches apart in furrows about 6 inches, below soil level. A 3 to 4 inches planting depth may be necessary in heavy soils. Shallow planting may result in more spears but their average diameter is small compared to deeper plantings. Never plant crowns into sub soil.
• Cover the crowns with 1 ½ to 2 inches of soil when you set them. Make rows 4 to 5 ft apart. During the first summer gradually fill the spaces between rows after one growing season.
Yield:
The average yield for no- hybrid asparagus is 1300 lb/acre; a good yield is 2000 lb. The actual yield in any asparagus field depends on how much food the root systems stores as a result of the previous years’ fern growth.