Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
• long (up to 15 in. [40 cm]) and white
• long (about 15 in. [40cm]), thicker at crown (2.5-3 in. [6-8 cm]), recessed nodality
• medium long (up to 6 in. [15 cm]) and densely foliated
• medium long (up to 6 in. [15 cm]), short-leaved, and early-ripening
• round (3-4 in. [8-10 cm] long, 4.5-6 in. [12-15 cm] wide) for clayey soils
Since then, round varieties seem to have disappeared, and many more varieties that fit somewhere in
between the remaining four categories have been bred and recognized, especially in Great Britain.
Potential selection criteria:
• vigor, color, and health of leaves
• true-to-type root shape and size
• true-to-type color (white or cream)
• smooth root bulb
• unbranched root
• pleasant aroma of root
• hardiness (when overwintering in the field)
DISEASES AND PESTS
In cool, damp areas, it is recommended parsnip be grown in raised beds, which
helps prevent fungal disease by improving drainage. It is not uncommon for white mold to appear in
storage during winter; it presents as a dense, cottony growth of mycelia with black spots (sclerotia)
that eventually produce a fruiting body. The fungus
Phoma complanata
causes a canker; prevent by
storing parsnip between 32°F (0°C) and 50°F (10°C) and removing affected roots. Aphids can be a
problem in the first and second year by weakening plants and spreading viruses.
CULTIVATION HISTORY
The wild form of parsnip is native to Europe and has tough, branched roots
about 0.5 in. (1 cm) in diameter. It was presumably domesticated in Italy. From the time of the Romans
up to the 17th century, the same word was often used in the literature for parsnip, carrot, and skirret,
which undoubtedly led to confusion and mix-ups; because of this, the history of cultivated parsnip is
difficult to reconstruct, but we know for a certainty that it was cultivated in France in the 14th century.
The parsnip was the principal root vegetable and fodder crop there and in the Netherlands and England
between the 17th and 19th centuries. It first came to North America with the Europeans but was later
pushed aside in favor of carrots, celery, and potatoes, except in England, where its popularity never
waned. Presently, this tasty, healthy storage crop is enjoying a resurgence of popularity in central
Europe. It is hardly known in Asian cuisine.
FENNEL
Foeniculum vulgare
Florence fennel (var.
azoricum
) and sweet fennel (var.
dulce
) are two varieties of the same species and
therefore will cross with one another. With Florence fennel, dense leaf sheaths develop, forming the
bulb that is used as a vegetable. With sweet fennel, leaves and seeds are used to season dishes or as a
tea to aid in digestion.
