Asparagus Cultivation Asparagus

Asparagus Cultivation

Asparagus is an economic value vegetable which is now being developed by farmers in Indonesia. These vegetables are sought after by housewives or restaurant chefs to be processed into food offerings. Asparagus plants are usually taken by the shoots or shoots, because this part is the most delicious part when processed into food. In addition to its deliciousness, it turns out that asparagus also has diuretic properties that are useful for smoothing the urinary tract so that it can improve the performance of the human kidney.

Cultivating asparagus itself is not difficult, but to get optimal results it is necessary to know the techniques and how to plant asparagus that is good and right. Following are the steps to cultivate asparagus.

Land Preparation

As with other plant cultivation, land preparation is important to do. Previously, the land needed to be cleared of weeds and done evenly. The land is processed in such a way and organic fertilizers are added such as manure or compost. Furthermore, beds were made of 120cm width, 20cm height and 40cm trench depth.

Seed / Seed Preparation

Asparagus nurseries can be done in two ways, namely by vegetative (tissue culture, shoots or cuttings) and generative (through seeds). Of all these methods, seedling using seeds is the most commonly used.

In preparation, the seeds / seeds to be sown need to be soaked in cold water first at a temperature of 27oC for 24-48 hours. During soaking, water is replaced 2-3 times while removing floating seeds.

Nursery

Asparagus seeds are sown on the soil with a spacing of 15x10cm with a depth of 2.5cm. Each planting hole is filled with one seed which is then covered with soil and straw at the top.

When in the nursery, seedlings need to be cared for to avoid pests. In addition, fertilization should be done every 20-30 days using organic fertilizer, compost or urea.

Transplanting

Seed transfer is carried out after seedlings are 5-6 months old. Things that must be considered in this transplanting are, among others, the transplanted seedlings are healthy seedlings, the seedlings that have been removed must be planted immediately, the roots are cut and left around 20cm and the shoots of plants are trimmed to plant height to 20cm only.

Planting should be done in the morning around 9 o'clock or evening around 4 o'clock. The planting distance used in this planting is around 40-50cm for the distance between plants and 25cm-1.5m for the distance between rows.

Maintenance

The maintenance stage that should not be missed in asparagus cultivation is pruning and subsequent fertilization. Pruning is done after the parent asparagus plants sprout about 8-10 buds, the rest are pruned. After approaching harvest time, only 3-5 stems can be kept. Meanwhile, supplementary fertilization is carried out routinely every month using chemical fertilizers and once every 3 months using manure.

Harvesting

Harvesting can be done when the aspargus has emerged above the surface of the soil with shoot buds that are around the age of 4-5 months after transplanting. If the first harvest is done at the age of 4 months after transplanting, then the second harvest is done at the age of 5 months with a harvest interval of 2 days, the 6th month and so on can be harvested every day. Harvesting can be done in two ways, namely by pulling out or by trimming the young stems. The best way to harvest is by pruning because it does not damage the root system of plants that will be used as broodstock candidates.

The benefits of asparagus are unfortunately missed

The benefits of asparagus are unfortunately missed

Have you ever heard of a vegetable called asparagus before? Yes, this vegetable may not be very common, except when cooked to asparagus soup. In fact, it's usually easier to find in supermarkets that offer a variety of vegetables that are quite foreign. Nutrients contained in asparagus are also not less good with other vegetables. Come on, acquaintances with a variety of benefits of asparagus which is a pity to miss.

1. Nutrient dense

Asparagus is packed with special nutrients, but the calories are very low. Various nutrients contained in asparagus namely protein, fat, fiber, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E, folate, potassium, and phosphorus. Not only that, asparagus also has a small amount of micronutrients such as iron, zinc, and riboflavin.

Asparagus is predicted as a vegetable high in vitamin K, which plays an active role in blood clotting while maintaining bone health. In fact, because of its high folate content, asparagus is often recommended for consumption by pregnant women, to help the formation of cells and DNA of future babies.

2. Healthy digestion

The human digestive system requires adequate fiber intake so that it works always optimally. Well, you can easily get fiber intake just by eating half a cup of 1.8 grams of asparagus. The high insoluble fiber content in asparagus is useful for smoothing the bowel movements so that it can be consumed to treat constipation.

While the soluble fiber content can be food for good bacteria in the intestine, namely Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus. That is why, adding asparagus to your daily diet is the best way to help meet your fiber needs and maintain the health of your digestive system.

3. Helps to lose weight

Determining what foods are good for you to lose weight? One of the best choices to try is to eat asparagus. The reason is that asparagus contains low amounts of calories, which is only about 20 calories in half a cup.

In addition, the fiber content in asparagus is not only beneficial for maintaining the digestive system, but also has an effect on weight loss.

This is supported by a statement from Keri Gans, a nutrition consultant and author of The Small Change Diet, that fiber can help the body to feel full so as to prevent you from eating large amounts.

4. Helps reduce blood pressure

High blood pressure is widely associated as a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. A study from the American Journal of Physiology, Endocrinology, and Metabolism shows that increasing food intake of potassium sources while reducing salt intake is an effective way to reduce high blood pressure.

This is where other benefits of asparagus play a role, because asparagus is a good source of potassium to help reduce high blood pressure, by optimizing the workings of blood vessels and removing excess salt through urine.

This statement is also reinforced by research published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, which conducted research on two groups of mice. The first group of rats were fed asparagus, while the other group of rats did not.

The results were found that after 10 weeks later, mice that received asparagus intake had 17 percent lower blood pressure than mice that did not get asparagus intake. The researchers estimate this happens because the content of active compounds in asparagus which can enlarge blood vessels so that high blood pressure gradually decreases.

However, further research is still needed in humans to prove whether these active compounds will also have the same effect.

5. Supports pregnancy health

Another important benefit of asparagus is to maintain the health of the mother and baby during pregnancy. As mentioned earlier, asparagus is rich in vitamin B9 or folic acid which is beneficial for pregnant women and their babies, especially in the early trimester of pregnancy.

Adequate folate intake at this time, will help optimize the formation of red blood cells and DNA. In addition, folate also plays an important role to protect your baby from neural tube defects that can easily lead to various complications later in life.

6. A good source of antioxidants

In fact, asparagus has a high amount of antioxidants, such as vitamin E, vitamin C, glutathione, and various flavonoids and polyphenols. Antioxidants are compounds that can help protect body cells from the harmful effects of free radicals and oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress itself has been linked to aging, chronic cell inflammation and cancer. If you want to get optimal antioxidant production, it is recommended to eat asparagus along with other vegetables and fruits in order to optimize the amount of antioxidants in the body.

Clasification and biology Rhynchophorus ferrugineus

Clasification and biology Rhynchophorus ferrugineus

Systematic snout beetles according to Kalshoven (1981) are as follows:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropod

Class: Insect

Order: Coleoptera

Family: Curculionidae

Genus: Rhynchophorus

Species: Rhynchophorus ferrugineus O.

The life cycle of the muzzle beetle varies depending on its habitat and environmental conditions. A long dry season with a small amount of food will slow the development of larvae and adult sizes that are smaller than normal size. The appropriate larval development temperature is 27 ° C-29 ° C with 85-95% relative humidity. One life cycle of this pest from eggs to adulthood is about 6-9 months (Riostone, 2010).

Egg Rhynchophorus ferrugineus

Female snout beetles lay eggs in trash cans, rotting leaves, manure and rotten coconut stems. The number of eggs is 30-70 eggs or more. After about 12 days the eggs will hatch (Pracaya, 2009). These insect eggs are white, oval, then first round with a diameter of approximately 3 mm. These eggs are placed by female insects in a good and safe place (for example in a weathered coconut tree). After two weeks these eggs will hatch. The average fecundity of a female insect ranges from 49 to 61 eggs, while in Australia around 51 eggs, can even reach 70 eggs. Egg stages range from 11-13 days, averaging 12 days (Kalshoven, 1981).

Larvae Rhynchophorus ferrugineus

Larval period is 2.5-6 months (depending on temperature and humidity). After adults the larvae will stop eating, then they will look for shelter that is cold and moist to prepare to form pupae (Rukmana, 1997).

In research on physiological sensors such as temperature, R. ferrugineus larvae are attracted to temperatures of 27-29 ºC and avoid lower temperatures. Larvae behavior is dominated by light factors, moving larvae are influenced by light that appears suddenly. In the natural environment, if the larvae are placed on the surface of the breeding medium the larvae will quickly move down away from light, the larvae move following negative phototaxis, possibly this is an adaptation to avoid predators. Larvae are attracted to low humidity (85-95%) rather than high humidity. This mechanism can work singly or in combination to guide larvae out of environmental conditions that are not favorable for growth or development (Riostone, 2010).

Larvae have no eyes and no legs. The rear body is bigger than the front. Yellowish red head. Very short hairy body. The larvae hatch in stem wounds. Adult Lara measures 6 cm and 3 cm wide. Larval stage up to 3-4 months. The larvae will compose, making sturdy from fiber / midrib with a size of 6.5 cm and a width of 3.5 cm. (Emir, 2012)

Pupa Rhynchophorus ferrugineus

When they form pupae, the larvae leave the garbage and move to the edge or bottom of the garbage pile and the larvae prefer to form cocoon in moist soil, at a depth of about 30 cm. Larvae can die, if the conditions for forming pupae are not appropriate (Kalshoven, 1981). 3-4 cm long and 1.5 cm wide. Two weeks of living in a cocoon and exchanging forms into an adult form for 3 weeks and still living in a cocoon. The last phase is colat red and parts of the body have shown the body of an adult beetle. (Emir, 2012)

Imago Rhynchophorus ferrugineus

This beetle is red on its back. Its length can reach ± ​​3 cm. Beetles that appear will begin to fly at dusk or at night to the crown of coconut leaves and stem tips (Pracaya, 2009). Beetles stay in the tunnel ± 1 week. If there is enough food, the distance is close. When lacking food, the flight distance can reach ± ​​10 km (Rukmana, 1997). The mouth is proboscis shaped. The difference, the male beetle snout straight and hairy while the female beetle is slightly bent down and bare. Adult beetle size 3-4 cm. Black. Clever flying and active during the day. Imago stage 3-6 months. Eggs are placed by female beetles in stem injuries or Oryctes scrapings. The number of eggs up to 500 eggs. Length of 2.5 mm, width of 1 mm. The eggs hatch after 3 days. (Emir, 2012) Female adult beetles can live up to 274 days, while male adult beetles can live up to 192 days (PPKS, 2010).