PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY OF CAULIFLOWER

 

CAULIFLOWER

Brassica oleracea var. Botrytis
family:Brassicaceae
Origin: Mediterranean region –Cyperus
2n=2X=18

INTRODUCTION:

Ø  The name cauliflower was originated from Latin word- ‘Caulis’-cabbage &‘Floris’-flower.

Ø  Thermosensitive crop

Ø  Edible part of cauliflower is known as “curds”

Ø  Cauliflower curd is a prefloral fleshy apical meristem.

Ø  Cauliflower was introduced to India in 1822 by Dr. Jemson.

Ø  India is the largest producer of cauliflower in the world.

Ø  Highest productivity: West Bengal.

Ø  National average productivity: 19.6 Mt/ha.

Ø  Major cauliflower growing states: West Bengal > Bihar > Maharastra.

Ø  A group of highly differentiated plants originated from a single wild ancestor Brassica oleracea var. oleracea (sylvestris), commonly known as wild cabbage.

Ø  Cauliflower has descended through mutation and selection from wild cabbage

Ø  Ancestor of cauliflower: Brassica cretica

Ø  Cauliflower is a monogenomic species whose genomic constitution is 'CC‘

Ø  Cauliflower curd formation is due to 2 mutant genes: BoAPI-a and BoCa-1-1

Ø  Orange cauliflower: Rich in ẞ-carotene ("Or' gene)

ü  Major difference between cauliflower and broccoli is cauliflower lack of axillary branching habit

ü  Type of inflorescence: Racemose

ü  Early Indian Cauliflower and winter cauliflower (Europe) shows high level of self-incompatibility

ü  Early cauliflower and Sprouting Broccoli are annual in nature

ü  Late type-Snowball (self-blanching growth habit)

v  Cauliflower cultivars grown in India can be classified in two broad groups:

1)Indian Cauliflower/tropical/hot weather/heat tolerant

2)European types/Early temperate type/Snowball/late

v  The present day Indian Cauliflower developed as results of intercrossing between European and Cornish types

v  Physiologically different from other cole crops as possesses an intermediate stage of curding between the vegetative and generative phase.

USES

v  These are eaten in the raw state as well as cooked.

v  Rich source of vitamin A and C. Also, contains minerals including P, K, Ca, Na and Fe.

v  Some protective properties against human bowl cancer.

v  Used against ailments such as gout, diarrhea, colic trouble, stomach trouble, deafness and headache.

v  Leaves are used to cover wounds and ulcers and also recommended against a hangover.

v  Cabbage juice is said to be a remedy against poisonous mushrooms and also used as a gargle against hoarseness.

SOIL

Ø  Grown in all types of soils with good fertility and good water regime.

Ø  Mid season and late crop will grow very well in medium, medium heavy and heavy soils.

Ø  A light to light medium soil should be preferred for early crop to have easy drainage in rainy season.

Ø  Water stagnation checks the growth.

Ø  Prefers pH ranging from 6 to 6.5.

Ø  Deficiency symptoms of Mg may quickly appear in acidic soils while pH higher than 7 reduce availability of B causing Browning

CLIMATE

Ø  Late group cultivars require 15-20^oC for optimum growth but the same temperature would cause curd formation in the early cultivars.

Ø  Therefore, when tropical cultivars are grown at lower temperature, they form button and show severe riceyness to typical green bud formation.

Ø  Temperature should not fluctuate too much during curd initiation phase, otherwise curd quality deteriorates.

Conclusion:

                        Temperature higher or lower than optimum for curding results in physiological disorders like riceyness, leafyness, blindness, loose and yellow curd.

VARIETIES:-

EARLY KUNWARI

·         Recommended for Haryana, Punjab, and Delhi. Very early variety.

·         Curds hemispherical with even surface, ready for harvesting from mid october.

·         September to mid October. Average yield is 8 t/ha.

Pusa Deepali

·         Developed through inbreeding from the local material at IARI, New Delhi and Recommended for Northern India-particularly Delhi and Punjab.

·         Early maturing variety, curds compact,

·         self-blanching, white, medium sized and almost free from riceyness.

·         Curds ready for harvest in late October. Average yield is 12 t/ha.

·         Plants are medium tall. Leaves are erect, short, green and waxy.

·         It is recommended for sowing from May end to early June. Curds are ready in the October when the average temperature is around 20-25oC.

PUSA BETA KESAR (1^st biofortified cauliflower)

Ø   This is the first ever indigenously bred bio-fortified beta carotene (800 – 1000 µg/100 g) rich cauliflower variety, an attempt to tackle beta carotene deficiency related malnutrition problem in India

Ø  Its curds are orange coloured, compact and very attractive.

Ø  It is suitable for September – January growing period.

Ø  Curd weights about 1.250kg.

PUSA SNOWBALL -1

ü  Late maturing variety.

ü  Curds very compact, medium in size and snow white in colour.

ü  Ready for harvesting from January to April.

ü  Average yield is 25-30 t/ha.

ü  Susceptible to black rot.

Pusa Katki

ü  This is one of the earliest variety released from IARI, New Delhi, which maturing is in October-November and having medium plants, bluish green and waxy leaves.

ü  It is suitable for sowing in the middle of May.

ü  Late planting beyond middle of August does not give good size curds

Pusa Early Synthetic

ü  It is released in 1990 by IARI, New Delhi. Plants are erect with bluish green leaves.

ü  Curd is small to medium in size, flat, creamy white and compact.

ü  It is suitable for early cultivation in northern and southern states.

ü  The average yield is 117 q/ha.(11tonnes).

ü  It is resistant to riceyness.

Pant Shubhra

ü  Recommended for cultivation in Northern India. Early growing variety.

ü  Curds are compact, slightly conical and creamish white. Ready for harvest in November.

ü  Average yield is 20 t/ha.

 PUSA HIM JYOTI

ü  It is released from IARI, New Delhi and suitable for transplanting in hill tract in the month May and August.

ü  Plant is straight with bluish green leaves.

ü  Curd is quietly white, solid and round.

ü  It is ready in 30 days after transplanting for harvesting.

ü  Yield of this variety is 160 q/ha.

OOTY 1

ü  Released during 1998.

ü  Selection from OP progenies of local types.

ü  Yield: 46.4 t/ha.

ü  Duration: 120 days.

ü  Commercial seed production is possible in the Nilgiri hills.

IMPROVED JAPANESE

ü  It is an introduction from Israel.

ü  Plants are erect Leaves are bluish green.

ü  It can not tolerate hot season.

ü   It is recommended for sowing in north Indian plains  from July end to early August.

ü  Curds are compact, white and maturing in late November to mid-December at 16-20oC.

Punjab Giant-26

ü  Main season variety. Curds solid, white, medium-sized.

ü  Ready for harvesting from mid November to December.

ü  Average yield is 17t/ha.

Punjab Giant-35

ü  Main season variety. Curds white, compact medium sized.

ü  Ready for harvesting from mid November to December.

ü  Average yield is 17 t/ha.

Pant Gobhi-2

ü  Early maturing variety. Curds compact, composite and creamy white.

ü  Curds ready for harvesting from November to December.

ü  Average yield is 12 t/ha.

ü  Released by GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology,Pantnagar.

Pant Gobhi-3

ü  Early maturing variety. Curds medium sized and solid white.

ü  Curds ready for harvest from October.

ü  Average yield is 10 t/ha.

HISAR-1

ü  It suitable for mid late season under Haryana conditions.

ü  It bears medium to large size white heads.

ü  It yields250 q/ha.

Dania Kalimpong

ü  It is developed from IARI, Regional Station, and Kalimpong for eastern hilly area.

ü  Late season variety.

ü  Curds are medium-large, compact, attractive and white.

ü  Less sensitive to fluctuations of environment.

ü  Ready for harvesting from January to April.

ü  This variety is tolerant to the stress conditions.

ü  Average yield is 25-30 t/ha

Seed rate:

Ø  375 g/ha seeds are required.

Ø  For Hybrid 250g/ha.

Ø   For Early crop: 500-600 g/ha.

Ø  Mid and late crops: 350-400 g/ha.

Seed treatment

Ø  25g of Azospirillum is required for the seed treatment of 250g cauliflower seeds.

ü  Planting of over aged seedlings, which do not get sufficient time to initiate growth before transformation to curding.

ü  Selection of wrong cultivars means planting early variety late

ü  Root injury by insects or diseases.

 

 

­­­­PHYSIOLOGICAL DISORDERS

1.BUTTONING

Ø  It means development of small curds or buttons.

Ø  The general basis is that any check in the vegetative growth of the seedlings may induce buttoning

Reason:

ü  Planting of over aged seedlings, which do not get sufficient time to initiate growth before transformation to curding.

ü  Selection of wrong cultivars means planting early variety late

ü  Root injury by insects or diseases.

2.RICEYNESS

ü  A premature initiation of floral buds or elongation of peduncle stalk of inflorescence is characterized by riceyness.

ü  The curds are considered to be of poor quality for marketing

Reason:

Ø  Temperature higher or lower than the optimum required for curding in a particular cultivar

Ø  High N and high temperature favour rapid growth and development of curd also causes riceyness

Management:

Ø  Proper management of soil moisture and fertility during the development of head or curd.

3. Fuzzyness

ü  It is the elongation of pedicels of the individual flower.

ü  Almost all the prefloral bud which develops precociously on the curd surface give the fuzzy appearance.

Possible Reasons

ü  Temperature higher or lower than the optimum required for curding in a particular cultivar

ü  High N and high temperature favour rapid growth and development of curd also causes riceyness

Management

ü  Proper management of soil moisture and fertility during the development of head or curd.

4.BLINDNESS:

ü  Blind plants are those which are without terminal bud.

ü  The leaves of the blind plants are large, thick, leathery and dark green.

Possible Reason:

ü  Poor fertility of the soil.

ü  Damage by insects, diseases etc.

ü  Genetic irregularity.

ü  Cold temperature.

ü  Damage to the terminal portion during handling at the time of planting

Management:

Ø  Healthy and vigorous seedlings with terminal portion intact should be planted.

5.BRACTING:

ü  The bracts are underneath the prefloral meristem which corresponds to axillary buds.

ü  These bracts or leaves come out of the curd resulted in poor quality of curds for marketing as they turn green or purple in colour on receiving the direct sunlight at the surface of the curd.

Possible Reason:

Ø  Temperature higher than the optimum during curding

6.PURPLE COLOURING:

Ø  Some time various pigmentations are occurred on the curd

Possible Reason:

Ø  Fluctuation in temperature.

 

7.WHIP TAIL:

w  It is caused by the deficiency of Molybdenum (Mo).

w  Young plants become chlorotic and turn white particularly along the leaf margins.

w  They also become cupped and wither and eventually the leaf dies and the growing point also collapses.

w  In older plants, the lamina of the newly formed leaves is irregular in shape, frequently consisting of only a large bare midrib and hence the common name “Whip tail”.

Management:

Ø  Application of Mo @ 1kg/ha.

8.BROWNING (RED OR BROWN ROT) :

ü  It is caused by boron deficiency.

ü  Smaller water soaked areas in the centre of the curd is the first sign of appearance.

ü  In later stages, the stem become hollow with water soaked tissues surrounding the walls of the cavity.

ü  In more advance stages, a pinkish or rusty brown area develops on the surface of the curd and hence is known as red or brown rot.

Managament:

Ø  Application of borax @20kg/ha

9.BLACKSPECK

ü  A physiological disorder in cauliflower common with the popular snowball cultivar.

ü  Blackspeck could be due to nutrient imbalance.

ü  Tip burn and internal browning in cabbage and Chinese cabbage is due to the inadequate transport of calcium to rapidly growing tissues.

Management:

Ø  Foliar spray, with calcium nitrate may control the problem or alternatively by a reduction in nitrogen fertilizer

 

CAULIFLOWER DISEASES

Clubroot: Plasmodiophora brassicae

Symptoms:

Stunting and yellowing of plants

Leaves become yellowish and wilt on hot days.

Club like swelling of root and root lets

Management

Soil fumigation with Methly bromide 1kg/10m 2  followed by covering with plastic film.

Seed treatment with Captan/Thiram 4g/kg.

Damping off: Pythium  debaryanuM

Symptoms

Black and reddish brown lesion on the collar region.

Finally infected seedling are toppled on the ground surface.

Management

Seed treatment with Captan/Thiram 4g/kg.