Influences of climate and cultural practices on yield and earliness of artichoke in Foggia and Brindisi provinces.

In Puglia the Provinces most concerned with artichoke growing are Brindisi (BRD) and Foggia (FGD). The two areas show substantial differences in the cultivation techniques which lead to production differences and differences in the harvest calendar. In FGD forcing of the crop is applied extendedly with growth resumption in the second half of June and the use of plant growth regulators for which the first harvest takes place halfway through September. In BRD, on the other hand, the growth resumption generally occurs 2 months later with the first rains; production begins in the month of November and continues until the beginning of June. Unit production is 30% higher in FGD than in BRD, probably due to the different duration of the harvest period and to the higher number of offshoots per plant (3 in FGD and 2 in BRD). The different growing strategies of the two areas mainly depend on the climate trends; in particular the lower minimum winter temperatures of FGD lead the farmers to bring forwards the growth resumption of the artichoke fields so as to obtain a good quantity of early products, ensuring revenue before winter plant inactivity enforced by the temperature; in BRD, on the other hand, the scarcity of water limits early growth resumption and induces a type of growing with two offshoots which requires less water; however, the milder winter temperatures favour winter production, a period when the product is lacking in the other area.