Endive

Cichorium intybus

1. Identification and origin

Endive (Cichorium intybus L.) is a horticultural species of the Asteraceae family, native to Europe and Western Asia. It includes several cultivated types, such as curly endive, escarole and forcing chicory. It is used both in salads and in the production of forced leaves in a controlled environment.

2. Economic importance

Endive has economic relevance in open-field and greenhouse horticulture. It is valued for fresh consumption, especially in salads, and for the production of “Brussels chicory chicons or heads” (forcing endive) in northern European countries. Demand has increased due to interest in bitter-tasting vegetables with high nutritional value.

3. Botanical characterisation

A biennial herbaceous plant cultivated as an annual. The leaves vary according to the varietal type: curly, broad, smooth or compacted. The flowers are blue-violet, typical of the Asteraceae, appearing in the second year. The root system is taproot, essential for the production of roots intended for forcing.

4. Soil and climate requirements

It prefers cool temperate climates, with optimal temperatures between 15–20 °C. It tolerates moderate cold but is sensitive to excessive heat, which induces bolting. It develops best in deep, fertile, well-drained soils, with a pH between 6.0–7.5. It requires good water availability, avoiding waterlogging.

5. Main pests

• Aphids (Aphididae): leaf curling and transmission of viruses.
• Flea beetles (Phyllotreta spp.): leaf perforations in seedlings.
• Slugs and snails (Gastropoda): damage to young leaves.
• Leaf fly (Pegomya hyoscyami): leaf mines.
• Nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.): root galls and plant decline.

6. Main diseases

• Downy mildew (Bremia lactucae): chlorotic spots and necrosis.
• Botrytis (Botrytis cinerea): grey rot on leaves and hearts.
• Sclerotinia (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum): white rot and wilting.
• Anthracnose (Microdochium panattonianum): necrotic leaf spots.
• Root rots (Pythium spp., Rhizoctonia spp.): wilting and death of plants.

7. General crop management

Management includes choosing varieties adapted to the growing season, avoiding early bolting. Irrigation should be regular, avoiding fluctuations that favour physiological disorders. Crop rotation is essential to reduce pressure from soil diseases. Monitoring of aphids, flea beetles and downy mildew is critical in the early stages. In the production of forcing endive, the roots should be harvested at the appropriate point and stored under controlled conditions before forcing.

Bibliographic references

• EPPO Global Database – Cichorium intybus.
• CABI Crop Compendium – Cichorium intybus.
• Rubatzky, V. E., & Yamaguchi, M. (1997). World Vegetables. Chapman & Hall.
• FAO (2012). Leafy vegetable production guidelines – Cichorium spp. FAO Plant Production and Protection Division.
• Van der Arend, A. (2000). Chicory and endive production. Wageningen Academic Publishers.