CULTIVATION MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES, DESINFECTION AND SOLARISATION OF STUMPS TO REDUCE FAILURES IN PLANTING BLANCA DE TUDELA VARIETY ARTICHOKES IN THE BAIX LLOBREGAT

Abstract

The yields of the blanca de Tudela artichoke variety in the Parc Agrari del Baix L lobregat are sometimes limited by planting failures, which can involve 20% of the stumps planted, and by delayed growth and lack of vigour in one-year crops, but especially in multi-year crops. Two factors are involved in the latter case: irregular budding and stress of the vascular vessels and of roots caused by pathogenic fungi. Field trials have been conducted for three years to improve budding and survival of stump plantations in the first year. The results show the significance of the provenance of plant material and that it is advisable that plantings be made from one-year crops for better survival and budding in the field. Substrate moisture was also evaluated in one treatment, and poor sprouting was obtained under conditions of hydric stress. Consequently, irrigation management is defined as a key factor for success in cultivation. The application of budding hormones gave lower results than those obtained in the untreated control group and a seven-day cold treatment gave variable results but showed a positive trend. D isinfection treatment of stumps with the fungicide flutolanil slightly improved budding and survival in the field, especially when it came to stumps from the second-year crop. Inoculation of the antagonistic fungus Trichoderma asperellum had more variable results, but showed a positive trend. D isinfection of the stumps with thermotherapy killed virtually all buds as a week earlier it had rained and they were visibly swollen. Consequently, this treatment could not be assessed. Solarisation had a positive effect, especially during the second year of cultivation. Based on three years of experimentation, it is important to establish a series of cultivation measures to achieve healthy plant material and good budding and to attempt to maintain and improve soil fertility in a broad sense. D isinfection treatments and solarisation of the stumps are useful for sites with strong biological imbalances, where the pathogens Rhizoctonia solani Kühn and Verticillium dahliae Kleb, which are transmitted through the plant material and soil, can cause significant production losses.

Keywords: Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus, blanca de Tudela, stumps, planting failures, vegetative reproduction, cultivation management, Rhizoctonia solani, Verticillium dahliae, flutolanil, Trichoderma, solarisation, thermotherapy.