International Asparagus Symposium 2017
by Jamie Petchell

This event is held every four years and is a great opportunity for world leading asparagus scientists and other industry specialists to get together and discuss the latest developments in the crop. 

In attendance for Global Plant Genetics were myself and Claire Donkin. We both gained a great deal from the three-day event, especially discussing the intricacies of the asparagus crop with a number of world experts.

There were several common themes that appeared in oral presentations as well as group discussions over the week. A key topic for growers in many locations is that of re-planting asparagus fields with the same crop. We heard two excellent presentations from Ludger Aldenhoff and Wade Elmer on this specific subject. It would be true to say that more work is needed to get to the bottom of the matter but some good progress has already been made in recent times. 

As always, it was great to discuss asparagus varieties with breeders, growers and technical specialists. We got to see trial results from a range of countries, always proving that to be successful with growing asparagus, it is imperative to use the right variety for your specific location.

The topic of planting material is often at the forefront of the minds of asparagus specialists. This was covered in a previous blog post, but it was good to talk to a range of people with different opinions on the matter. Crowns and plug plants still seem to dominate in many regions; however, we had some really stimulating discussions about high-density direct seeding of asparagus in grower fields. As ever with asparagus, whichever system is chosen, it is imperative to employ the correct level of attention to detail to ensure the best possible results.

Finally, it was great to catch up with our friends from Fox Seeds and the University of Guelph, Canada. Varieties from this program that we represent were used in a great deal of agronomic tests presented during the Symposium. We were pleased to see how well hybrids like Guelph Millennium and Guelph Evolution are performing across the globe.

At the end of each event, the venue for the next Symposium is announced. Needless to say, we already cannot wait to go to Spain in 2021 to learn about all the cutting-edge developments in the asparagus crop that are about to take place.