Effects of growing substrates on growth and yield of asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) under the greenhouse condition

Abstract

Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) is a nutritious food, has high economic value, and is suitable for sustainable agricultural development. However, in the Mekong delta region, the asparagus yield is still low due to disavantage of soil properties and high-water level. The study was conducted to select the optimal growing substrate amended with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for growing the asparagus under the greenhouse condition. The experiment was set up as a completely randomized design with 7 treatments and five replicates for each treatment. Experimental results showed that the treatment 3XB (4: 1: 1: 4) with 40% of coir by-products compost mixed with AMF from maize field + 10% sand + 10% rice husk ash + 40% soil enhanced the growth and yield of the asparagus. The yield of the asparagus in this treatment significantly increased by 85.24% compared to that of the control treatment with traditional cultivation methods. Research results showed that the growing substrate of 40% coir by-products compost mixed with AMF + 10% sand + 10% rice husk ash + 40% soil was a good growing substrate for growing the asparagus under the greenhouse condition.