TIPROT IN ASPARAGUS - EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE DURING SPEAR GROWTH

Tiprot, a postharvest disorder of asparagus, occurred at high frequenc y (99%) in spears grown at 20 degrees C in controlled temperature cond itions, but at low frequency (3%) in spears grown at 13 degrees C. Dur ing spear growth, if temperatures of spears and crowns were controlled separately at 13 and 20 degrees C or at 20 and 13 degrees C, respecti vely, incidence of tiprot was similar at 56-62%. The occurrence of tip rot was negatively correlated with sucrose content of the spear tip, a nd positively correlated with spear tip respiration rate and spear hei ght growth rate. Sucrose content of the spear tip at harvest gives the most practical measure of predisposition to tiprot during storage but may not be the primary cause of the disorder.