English asparagus growers are to benefit from a greater understanding of their crop, and this is expected to lead to a season that will extend past the traditional finishing date of June 21.
New Zealand-developed AspireUK monitors the levels of carbohydrate in the crown and has been under trial in the UK for the past two years. This week, the system being established by The New Zealand Institute for Crop & Food Research (NZICFR), was validated during a demonstration workshop held at Thornhaugh, Cambridge, under the umbrella of the British Asparagus Growers’ Association and the HDC.
“There have already been examples in the data recorded during the trials of missed marketing opportunities due to late harvesting,” said Dr Kim Green of Adas. Explaining the AspireUK system, Derek Wilson of NZICFR said it offers “a new way of thinking about how asparagus produces its yield and how best to manage it”. He added: “The root system is the engine that drives the crop performance. The size of the system is the capacity of the fuel tank and AspireUK the gauge, shown as a brix percentage level. AspireUK indicates whether a lower or higher yield is likely during the next harvest and gives growers confidence about the healthy condition of their crop.”
Growers can now sign on to the confidential website which will monitor the results they put in. It is run by Hargreaves Plants, which represents the intellectual property rights. The cost is based on an annual fee of £100 and a sliding scale of £20 per hectare for the first 20ha, reducing to £5/ha thereafter.
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