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The conference hall at the Karlsruhe Trade Fair Centre was well attended and interested parties were able to listen to presentations from international guests and experienced experts. In addition to asparagus cultivation in the neighbouring region of Alsace, one of the main topics was the sustainable irrigation of asparagus plants. In addition, the results of current cultivation trials were presented and the situation of the minimum wage in Europe was explained.

Asperge d’Alsace – Association of Alsatian asparagus growers

Directly on the opposite side of the Rhine, asparagus cultivation plays an important role in Alsace’s agriculture. In Alsace, the total asparagus area of around 565 hectares is currently farmed by 120 producers, although the farms in the south are somewhat larger. Pale asparagus is marketed both via co-operatives and privately from the farm. Jean-Charles Jost, President of the Aperge d’Alsace association, in which 50 farms are organised, presented the association’s marketing strategy together with Philippe Sigrist. For 30 years now, the association’s primary objective has been to support asparagus cultivation in Alsace and to emphasise it as a regional brand with a very distinctive profile. The association’s modern and versatile marketing is exemplary and easily recognisable on social media, on its own website and also on the radio during the season: the traditional and recurring logo can be found on the personalised product labels and all other print media. By working together with cooperation partners from retail and catering, a competition and a season opening for the press, the association creates public awareness and a loyal customer base. Last but not least, the association endeavours to strengthen the «togetherness» of its own members through events at the beginning and end of the season and thus counteract the actual competition.

Results of current cultivation trials were presented

The increased shortage of employees since Covid made it very clear to Sarah Schreiber that intensive efforts to recruit employees were needed. Her company continues to work with local employees and takes into account the skills and opportunities of each individual in order to be well positioned locally.

Climate change has become a concrete and tangible reality in recent years due to hot, dry summers. Even the asparagus plant is reaching its limits without irrigation. In his presentation, Dr Ludger Aldenhoff from the BDSE advisory service uses scientific data to show that irrigating asparagus usually makes sense, but that too much water can also have a detrimental effect on the plants. Timon Aldenhoff and his company Tightec have developed a technical solution to this problem. Rolf Meinhardt from Tannenhof Weiterstadt was also able to report on his experiences with the soil moisture sensor in a two-year asparagus plantation.

In a field trial in Lower Saxony, a comparison was made of the yield potential of asparagus claws from crown plants and pressed soil pots. Nils Kraushaar, asparagus consultant at the Lower Saxony Chamber of Agriculture, accompanied and analysed this trial.

Katja Kuplich, Head of the Social Law Department of the Baden-Württemberg Farmers’ Association, presented the situation regarding minimum wage and ancillary wage costs in the various European countries and also pointed out the differences in the requirements regarding labour law, accommodation and meals, which make comparability difficult. Werner Magoschitz, manager of an asparagus farm in Austria, presented the situation in his own country.

You can find the presentations here.

An informal meeting was held by representatives of German asparagus producer unions (North, South and East) and the French asparagus producers union during the Interaspa 2023 trade fair in Sandhatten, Germany at the beginning of September. The discussions, initiated in Germany, focused on proposals to change European standards regulating the harvesting length of CAT I and II asparagus, extending the dimensions from 22 cm to 24 cm.

An economically beneficial standard

The proposed new standard would enable a higher volume of marketed product without changing the quantity of inputs (plastic, pesticides, fertilisers, water, etc.). This would provide economic benefits to asparagus producers, through greater yield per hectare for unchanged production costs (particularly in terms of labour). The measure would not impact product quality because modern cultivation techniques with high mounds and new varieties are already being developed. In addition, it would allow waste reduction in the field, an argument that should also appeal to Brussels. The proposed new standard would simply be added to previous ones, with no obligation on producers to follow it. Everyone would remain free to continue to sell 22 cm asparagus instead of 24 cm. This would provide plenty of time for adapting labels, while also allowing producers that prefer not to make the calibre change to highlight their traditions. For its part, the French industry seems divided on the subject, with delegates expressing fears (poorly substantiated) concerning the risk of fibrosity in the last two centimetres of the spear and lower taste quality.
The exchanges prompted a desire for a broader sharing of information between Germany and France, as well as with other producing countries in Europe. The coordination work could continue during ExpoSE in Karlsruhe in November, with an official meeting between Italian, Spanish and Greek authorities.

Attendance at Interaspa, a show dedicated to asparagus and berries in Sandhatten in Germany, is in sharp decline. Show director Fred Eickhorst said that this is the case with many agricultural events in the region. The sector is doing poorly, continuing the downward trend from the previous season, with a deflated market amidst spiralling production costs. Labour in particular represents a significant burden for German producers while the minimum wage continues to increase in the country. Bank interest rates are also rising, making it more difficult to invest to renew crops on German farms. In addition, producers are also encountering difficulties in handing down their activity to younger generations along the Rhine. So, the climate is far from calm, given all the uncertainties concerning the future of the German sector.

French campaign in sharp contrast to its neighbour’s

The 2023 German campaign saw volumes drop slightly, in line with the trend from the previous campaign, with stable prices, although price disparities were observed in different German regions. The climate remains gloomy for German producers walking the show’s aisles. By contrast, the French 2023 asparagus campaign went well, despite average sale prices over the season being identical to those registered in 2022 and production costs jumping again (+15%). However, French production is in currently going through a different phase from German production. The French asparagus sector is now stable after a period of drastic decline in surface area, and benefits from a dynamic domestic market. The German asparagus market, for its part, is a price-driven market. Experts from the sector advocate educating German consumers so that the share of household income allocated to food will rise from its current level in Germany of only 11% to closer to the 14% it is in France (Sources: Eurostat 2018; INSEE 2021).

More than 400 exhibitors and 6,000 visitors attended the ExpoSE trade fairs, specialised in asparagus and berries, and ExpoDirekt, for direct sales, in Karlsruhe (Germany). Despite the concerns felt about the show Simon Schumacher, General Manager of VSSE, Association of Asparagus and Strawberry Producers of the Southern Germany, said he was satisfied with this edition which had a higher attendance than expected in a positive and dynamic atmosphere, and sometimes with some exhibitors having some unexpected contacts from Egyptian or Swedish visitors. Asparagus trade show ExpoSE hosted the first IAM, International Asparagus Meeting co-organised with Asparagus World magazine. In a European market of about 300,000 tons, Germany, a major player with 120,000 tons is currently experiencing a drop in production and consumption of about 15%. German technicians are finding, “With the increase in production and labour costs, some farming methods are no longer profitable.” This country, which has experienced the biggest increase over the last ten years, has also experienced a sharp drop in production since 2017. This year was also marked by a decline in asparagus consumption by German consumers, hitherto “European champions”.

Prototypes of harvesting robots

The same was true for the eight IAM stakeholders. Common concerns are mainly focused on the difficulty of recruiting labour for harvesting which has led to several prototypes of harvesting robots such as the one for green asparagus made by Muddy Machines currently under development in the United Kingdom. However, the labour costs presented by the speakers show marked differences: ranging from 35 euros per day in Greece to 17.63 euros per hour in the Netherlands.

Faced with a difficult 2022 campaign assessment, the project for a European observatory of asparagus production was led by Christian Befve, international consultant at IAM. “The 33rd Spargeltag – asparagus day – addressed more technical topics such as the use of plastic films, the prevention of browning of the spear, the robotisation of the harvest,” says Isabelle Kokula, asparagus advisor and organizer of the day.

Constantly bringing new innovations to the market is part of Innovak Global’s DNA. And every two years, it brings together advisors, distributors and professionals with close links to it in order to share details of its latest advances. In July, 2022, over 200 people from all over the world attended the Innovak Evolution event in Cancún featuring talks by eminent scientists and demonstration stations of the company’s new technologies. It was there that the root biostimulation pioneer launched Pfenergy, its new technology named to reflect the use of polyphenol components as the source of energy for plants.

The Root Dynamics Regulation approach

Innovak Global was one of the first companies in the world to study the root and its environment, considering it a vital component with great potential to increase crop productivity. Accordingly, it set up a knowledge centre called the Rhizosphere Center, where researchers develop solutions for root problems in different crops. By 2005, the company had developed its Root Dynamics Regulation (RDR) approach to understanding all the processes that take place in roots and their environment during the crop cycle. With a focus on maximising the productivity of crops in a sustainable way, RDR is constantly updated as the company generates new findings or develops new products addressing emerging problems in the fields. For example, Innovak Global recently launched Balox, a biostimulant based on polyphenols that addresses plant saline stress.

Boosting root activity in crops

This comes in response to the root stress issues now facing various crops around the globe. Balox stimulates plants to generate their own osmolytes to face adversities in the environment, allowing better crop development amid salt stress. Innovak Global’s RDR technology covers five areas critical to crop development, starting with soil conditioners to improve plant establishment, followed by the previously mentioned root stress, such as that caused by saline stress. Then there is a focus on boosting root activity in crops, such as generating new roots, so as to improve nutrient absorption and fertiliser efficiency. Next is the rhizospheric environment and facilitating the beneficial interaction that exists between microorganisms and the roots, while the fifth area involves maximising root health so plants can better deal with the presence of soil-borne diseases that affect crop productivity.

“We are very glad that we have been able to convince so many interesting companies to join our dual trade fairs, expoSE and expoDirekt. The new products clearly show that companies know what is important in the industry: reducing costs, simplifying work, saving on personnel expenses, and adjusting production and direct marketing” explains Simon Schumacher, board spokesman for the Verband Süddeutscher Spargel- und Erdbeeranbauer e.V. and the event organiser for the expoSE and expoDirekt. Both new and proven products alike will be on display at the Messe Karlsruhe at the dual trade fairs expoSE & expoDirekt from 23rd to 24th November 2022. A total of around 400 exhibitors from eleven countries will be presenting at the 26th expoSE – Europe’s leading trade fair for asparagus and berry production – and 11th expoDirekt – Germany’s largest specialist trade fair for agricultural direct marketing.

Specialist presentations at the 33rd Asparagus Day and the Direct Marketer Forum

The 33rd Asparagus Day will focus on criticised aspects, as well as the profitability of using film in asparagus cultivation based on past experience, avoiding browning of asparagus stems, and cultivating and growing wild asparagus. Asparagus Day will be held on Wednesday, 23rd November from 2:00 to 5:15 PM in the large conference hall (2nd upper floor) at the Messe Karlsruhe, and is an event being put on by the Central Agricultural Office of the Karlsruhe District Administration and the Verband Süddeutscher Spargel- und Erdbeeranbauer e.V. (VSSE).

Read also:  International Asparagus Meeting on 23rd November 2022 at expoSE

For the first time, the VSSE is organising the International Asparagus Meeting (IAM) alongside the trade journal Asparagus World. During the IAM, speakers will present topics on asparagus production in individual European countries and beyond. The goal is to familiarise participants with asparagus cultivation in individual countries, discuss market conditions, and avoid the potential for excess production International Asparagus Meeting will take place in three times :

10 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. – Part 1: Presentation of asparagus production in Europe and Canada
11.30 a.m. to 11.45 a.m. – Part 2: Presentation of the European Asparagus Observatory
11.45 a.m. – 12.30 p.m. – Part 3: Opinions of the speakers about the idea of the European asparagus Observatory

The International Asparagus Meeting will be held in English. Further information on the programme is available at www.expo-se.de. Participants are required to register at www.expo-se.de/vortraege-foren/international-asparagus-meeting.

The increased consumption and production of asparagus in recent times have heightened the need to extend the shelf-life for long-distance distribution. During storage, asparagus spear quality is reduced due to toughening, water loss and changes in biochemical compound content. Various physical methods have been studied to reduce these undesirable traits, like quick cooling, long-term refrigeration, and storage in a modified atmosphere. Packaging management is also known to play a key role in preserving asparagus quality. Various research programmes have been set up to study the impact of different solutions for extending the shelf-life of fresh asparagus. 

In Thailand, a team (Lwin et al., 2020) studied the effect of electrostatic atomised water particle (EAWP) treatment on the spear lignification and for maintaining asparagus quality. The results show that EAWP treatment maintains colour, reduces weight loss, and inhibits lignin and cellulose accumulation, leading to a better shelf-life of the asparagus during storage at 4°C.

In Italy, Toscano et al. (2021) showed that the use of micro-perforated coextruded polypropylene limits weight loss and maintains a fresh-like appearance of green asparagus of the Vegalim variety after 30 days of refrigerated storage.

In China, Pu et al. (2020) demonstrated that high-oxygen modified atmosphere packaging maintains a tender texture, inhibits the increase of lignin content and delays the lignification process in green asparagus stored for 30 days.

In South Korea, a team from the Kangwon National University (Wang et al., 2020) showed that a 60% CO₂ treatment at 4°C for 48 hours in modified atmosphere packaging is capable of maintaining the post-harvest sensory and biological qualities of asparagus, and provides strong inhibition of microflora growth during the storage period.

In Poland , a team from the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (Gantner et al., 2020) developed an ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) film combined with modified atmosphere packaging to enhance the shelf-life of white and green asparagus spears. They showed that the use of this new packaging with refrigeration at 2°C promotes reduction in weight loss and prevents changes in the colour, texture and sensory quality of green and white asparagus for 17 and 10 days respectively.

In the USA, Michigan State University’s School of Packaging (Benyathiar et al., 2020) studied the shelf-life of fresh-cut asparagus packed in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and vacuum skin packaging (VSP) in microwaveable tray systems. They found that both techniques combined with refrigeration (4°C) maintain the freshness and hedonic qualities of asparagus directly eaten from the package.

In Vietnam, Tran et al. (2020) showed that the use of a biofilm made of chitosan-alginate directly applied on the asparagus can be considered a new form of multi-component edible coating that allows very effective quality preservation and shelf-life extension.

In 2016, Garcia-Robles et al. from Mexico showed that asparagus spears treated after harvest with sucrose and acetylsalicylic acid present lower longitudinal and diametric growth, lower opening of bracts and less weight loss, thereby extending shelf-life at 10°C and 90% relative humidity.