Short-term Low Oxygen Treatment Immediately After Planting Alters Asparagus officinalis var. UC157’s Harvest Timing

Abstract

<jats:p>To control asparagus harvest timing, we investigated the effects of short-term low (5%) oxygen (O<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>) treatment in the cultivation area on asparagus growth and yield using a closed cultivation system. During 120 days of cultivation, low O<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> treatments were initiated at 0 to 4, 20 to 24, and 40 to 44 days after planting (DAP). The sprouting spears and control crown yield gradually decreased with increasing DAP. However, low O<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> treatment at 0 to 4 DAP significantly delayed the decrease until 80 DAP, although the total yield did not change during cultivation. In contrast, low O<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> treatments at 20 to 24 and 40 to 44 DAP did not affect yield performance. Taken together, short-term low O<jats:sub>2</jats:sub> treatment immediately after planting can change the harvest timing of white asparagus and can be used for effective asparagus culturing in a closed system, such as a plant factory.</jats:p>