Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) is a perennial crop well suited to grow in Quebec. Despite high demand for this crop, asparagus production is declining because of asparagus root rot disease that is caused by Fusarium spp. Phosphorus is one of the most important nutrients for the production of healthy asparagus roots that may resist infection by Fusarium. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of phosphorus (P) applications on asparagus yield and soil microbial parameters. Plots receiving 0 to 200% of the P recommendation, based on the Centre de reference en agriculture et agroalimentaire du Quebec (CRAAQ) guidelines, did not differ significantly (p < 0.05) in first year yield or plant tissue concentrations. However, asparagus receiving no fertilizer had 2 to 3 times higher arbuscular mycorrhizal colonisation of roots than other treatments in May 2003. Fresh marketable yield was negatively correlated to Fusarium incidence (p = 0.0091 r = -0.51) suggesting that plants with higher yields are less susceptible to Fusarium symptoms and that producers should avoid over-harvesting low yielding plants to reduce Fusarium spread in the field. Soil microbial activity was not affected consistently by P fertilizers because of high variability in the field.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.80876 |
| Date | January 2004 |
| Creators | Sommerville, David W. |
| Contributors | Whalen, Joann K. (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Science (Department of Natural Resource Sciences.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 002151608, proquestno: AAIMQ98741, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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