Asparagus Research Project in Nicaragua

I’ve been in León (Nicaragua) for about 1 month – and my work on the Asparagus research project has started. There are many things to do!

A normal day starts like this:

– 8 a.m. arriving at UNAN Campo Agropecuario
– 8.30 a.m. harvesting asparagus from our research fields
– 9.30 weighting and measuring them in the laboratory and collecting the data in Excel
– storing the asparagus
– 10.30 – open end: secondary research (literature) reviews about the current state of research/other methods in tropical countries (office/home work)
– once a week selling the stored asparagus for increasing awareness for that vegetable and checking usual market prices
– once a week weeding by hands on the fields (since we are not working with herbicides – or any pesticide at all)

Research Sites: We divided the fields in various plots, cultivated with two different Asparagus varieties (UC 157 F2 und UC 157 F3). The fertiliser methods on the plots have been allocated according to a random system. On one field we are fertilising with the organic fertiliser Bokashi and a chemical fertiliser as control. On the other field we are fertilising with the organic fertiliser Vermicompost and also the chemical control fertiliser.

Asparagus Research Project in Nicaragua

Later we are analysing the collected harvest data in order to make declarations about the best fertilisation results (organic: bokashi or vermicompost). Soil samples will also be collected in frequent periods in order to test pH, water content, nutrients, etc.

I am working together with a group of 3 students from the university UNAN and a supervisor, who is also from Germany. But our woking language is always Spanish!

Once a week we have a meeting about our work of the week, the harvest, the collected data and possible problems.

If you are interested in our project and want to get more information, don’t hesitate to contact me! Photos by Sarah S.