Biennial Management in a Sexual Propagated Artichoke Cultivar.

GARCÍA, S.M.; COINTRY, E.L.; LÓPEZ ANIDO, F.; FIRPO, I.T.; CRAVERO, V.; ROTONDO, R.

Saint-Pol de Léon, Brittany, France

Congreso; VII International Symposium on Artichoke, Cardoon and their wild relatives.; 2009

&amp;amp;lt;!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:ES-TRAD; mso-fareast-language:ES-TRAD;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:70.85pt 3.0cm 70.85pt 3.0cm; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --&amp;amp;gt;  <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:595.3pt 841.9pt; margin:70.85pt 3.0cm 70.85pt 3.0cm; mso-header-margin:35.4pt; mso-footer-margin:35.4pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> One of the advantages of sexual propagation in artichoke is its inclusion as an annual crop in rotations. However, maintaining the production for at least two years, in order to reduce implantation costs, would be an attractive alternative too. The objective of this contribution was to evaluate the effect of a biennial management on the productive characters of a seed propagated cultivar ‘Imperial Star’. Along 2004 and 2005 seeds were sowed in pods and transplanted monthly in a randomized complete block design of three repetitions of 20 plants. The following characters were considered: Number of heads per ha (NH), Mean weight of the heads (WH) (g), Total yield (TY) (t ha-1), Days to first harvest (DH) and Harvest period (HP). Each sowing date treatment was harvested along two seasons. An ANOVA and Waller-Duncan multiple comparison test were applied. For WH, DH and HP the interaction year of implantation and harvest season was highly significant (F= 26.00, 313.11 and 75.15; p<0.001, respectively). For NH all the sowing dates in 2005 were superior to those of 2004, yielding 66,300 heads per ha. The heads were heavier in 2005 (WH= 149.5 g) than in 2004, and TY was increased in 1.43 t.ha-1. Also in 2005 plants were 11 days earlier, and HP 17 days longer than in 2004 plantation. With respect to harvest seasons, all productive characters presented increased values along the second year in comparison to the first year. For TY the second season harvest was of 13.69 t.ha-1, out yielding in 163% the first season harvest; NH was duplicated to 86,370 heads per ha, and also WH was increased. Precocity (DH) was increased in 34 days, and HP extended in 23 days in the second season. Since plants in the second harvest season showed an increased vegetative growth, precocity, harvest period and total yield, the biennial management would be recommended.