1998 Parsley Cultivar Observational Trial
W.B. Evans. Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center
Muck Crops Branch, Willard, OH 44890
The 1998 parsley trial consisted of one plot of each of 13 entries grown at the O.A.R.D.C. Muck Crops Branch in Willard, OH on a Linwood muck. Each plot was a single raised bed with 3 rows, 20 ft. long and 20 in. apart. Prior to bedding, plots were spring plowed and fertilized with 700 lb. 16-8-26. Seeding rate equaled 21 lb./acre. After the first cutting, plots were sidedressed with 50 lb. N as ammonium nitrate. This difficult season was characterized by dry, moderately warm weather broken up every 30-40 days by flooding rains of 2-7 inches in 1-2 days.
Each plot was harvested twice by cutting the leaf petioles 1-2 inches above the ground. Growers should expect 2-4 cuttings from commercial fields. Flat leaf cultivars tended to reach the cutting stage earlier than curly types. Higher yield was associated with earliness.
The best flat leaf cultivars were Gigante Catalogno, Plainleaf, Dark Green Italian, and Gepetto (Table 1). Titan, a very short, small-leafed type, may be suitable for home and ornamental use, as well as some direct and niche markets, where lower yield can be made up with higher asking prices. No cultivar appeared to have significant resistance to the septoria blight found in our growing area. Taller cultivars did not necessarily have thicker petioles.
Top performing curly types included Moss Curled and Forest Green (Table 2). Forest Green had less throwdown and thus might be harvested faster than Moss Curled. Shorter or more tightly curled cultivars tended to be darker green. The shortest types would be difficult to band for traditional wholesale packs. Less septoria was seen in curly cultivars than in flat leaf types. As with the flat leaf types, height did not appear correlated with petiole thickness.
Table 1. Yield and quality of flat leaf parsley entries
.|
|
|
Total yield (lb./10 ft.) |
Marketable yield (lb./10 ft.) |
Percent |
Bunch height (in.) |
Color rank2 |
Leaf size rank |
Petiole diameter rank |
|
|
Gigante Catalogno |
JSS |
13.8 |
7.5 |
45.6 |
15.0 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
|
|
Plainleaf |
JSS |
12.3 |
7.1 |
42.2 |
17.0 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
|
|
Dark Green Italian |
AS |
12.2 |
6.6 |
46.4 |
16.5 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
|
|
Gepetto |
D |
11.5 |
6.4 |
44.4 |
14.0 |
3 |
6 |
6 |
|
|
Plain |
AS |
9.5 |
5.7 |
41.1 |
11.0 |
5 |
2 |
3 |
|
|
Titan/bejo 1687 |
BZ |
7.5 |
5.5 |
26.7 |
8.5 |
6 |
1 |
1 |
|
1
Source Codes: AS=Asgrow; BZ=Bejo Zaden; D=Daehnfeldt; JSS=Johnny’s.2
Higher rank is darker, bigger, or wider for color, leaf size, and petiole diameter, respectively. Ranks are subjective and notindicative of absolute differences.
Table 2. Yield and quality of curly leaf parsley entries.
|
Cultivar |
Source1 |
Total yield (lb./10 ft.) |
Marketable yield (lb./10 ft.) |
Percent throwdown (%) |
Bunch height (in.) |
Color rank2 |
Curl rank |
Petiole diameter rank |
|
Moss Curled |
AS |
10.3 |
7.0 |
31.7 |
12.0 |
2 |
2 |
6 |
|
Forest Green |
AS |
8.0 |
7.0 |
12.2 |
9.3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
Verta |
SI |
6.7 |
4.9 |
26.4 |
7.0 |
6 |
6 |
2 |
|
Bravour |
ST |
7.1 |
4.7 |
33.7 |
8.0 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
|
Darki |
ST |
7.1 |
4.3 |
39.3 |
8.7 |
4 |
4 |
1 |
|
Unicurl |
ST |
6.4 |
4.0 |
36.4 |
8.0 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
|
Favorit |
BZ |
5.3 |
2.7 |
49.8 |
6.3 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
1
Source codes: AS=Asgrow; BZ=Bejo Zaden; SI=Siegers; ST=Stokes.2
Higher rank is darker, tighter, or wider for color, curl, and petiole diameter, respectively. Ranks are subjective and notindicative of absolute differences.