EFFECT OF WINTER HARDINESS ON HAMBURG PARSLEY (Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Nyman ex A. W. Hill var. tuberosum (Bernh.) Mart. Crov.) YIELD QUALITY

Abstract

Hamburg parsley is a vegetable that can overwinter in the field. One of the factors influencing surviving winter by plants is the selection of cultivar. In the experiment the relationship between winter hardiness of plants and the changes taking place in the structure of the yield obtained in spring was examined, in comparison to the crop harvested before winter, and Hamburg parsley cultivar. From among the plants of examined cultivars the winter conditions were best survived by ‘Bubka’, ‘Ołomuńcka’ and ‘Vistula’. The yield harvested in spring, as compared to that obtained in autumn, did not depend of the plants’ winter hardiness. Postponing the harvest term to spring decreased the quantities of obtained yields. From among the examined cultivars, only ‘Vistula’, ‘Eagle’and ‘Ołomuńcka’ plants formed larger marketable yields of roots in spring. In the yield collected in spring there were more I class marketable roots (Ø 30–60 mm), and less small ones (Ø < 20 mm). The participation of bifurcated and rotted roots was also greater. Overwintering of plants caused the decrease of leaf yield quantity, with simultaneous improvement of marketable quality