Züchterische Verbesserung der sensorischen Qualität der Pastinake (Pastinaca sativa L.) im Praxisbetrieb

Summary

Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa L.) is one of the few cultivated plants domesticated in
Europe. The crop is underutilised and the number of available varieties is small in
Central Europe. On-farm management of genetic resources can be an important
means to increase infraspecific diversity, and to improve the quality of crops. In the
present experiment quality-improvement by progeny selection on-farm was
investigated. In a first step parsnips were selected for organoleptic quality by a
technique that allows to harvest seeds from the plant tested. In a second step,
progenies of positive- and negative-selected plants were compared with the original
population. The experiment was carried out with the varieties Aromata (2006) and
White King (2008) in biodynamic management. Organoleptic quality was determined
according to a key developed for parsnip. Sugar contents were determined.
Organoleptic selection significantly improved sweetness and flavour and can be
recommended. However, selection was not efficient to improve texture.