Arunimaa- Cauliflower

Botanical Name

Brassica oleracea var. botrytis

Preparation of Soil

Well drained sandy loam to clay loam soils is suited for the crop. It can be grown in high ranges during winter and typical Indian cauli flower produces curd above 20 degree Celsius and can grow even up to 35 degree Celsius. The crop is highly sensitive to Boron and molybdenum deficiency.

Season

Aug-Nov. Season varies depending upon the variety and altitude

Seed rate

300 g/ha

Raising Nursery

Seeds are sown in nursery beds and three to five week old seedlings are transplanted.

Spacing

45 x 30 cm

Nutrient management

Organic manure 20t/ha and N: P:K: at 150: 100: 125 kg/ha. Apply full dose of P2O5 and half dose of N+ K2O before transplanting and remaining N+ K one month after transplanting.

Physiological Disorder: Whip tail of cauliflower

Caused due to molybdenum deficiency. Can be corrected by bringing soil PH to 6.5 by liming and can be controlled by applying 1 kg of sodium or ammonium molybdate/ha.

Crop Management

Earthling up one month after transplanting produce large curds. Blanching is an important operation in cauliflower to get good quality curd. Curds are covered and tied with leaves to protect the heads from sun scorch and yellowing preventing the loss of flavour and attractiveness. The duration of blanching should not exceed 3-5 days in hot weather and 8-10 days in cool weather.

Pest Management

  • Cabbage butterfly, diamond black moth:Apply 5% neem seed kernel extract on cabbage starting from 15 days
  • Tobacco caterpillar:Spray malathion 2% at initial stages and 1% pyrithrin during head formation stage

Disease Management

  • Black rot, Black leg and clubroot of cabbage:Remove the affected seedling and provide proper drainage. Dip the seeds in water at 50 degree Celsius for 25- 30 mts as a prophylatic measure. 2-3 spraying of 50 gm of streptocycline +250 gm Copper oxy chloride in 250 litres of water / ha are suggested as control measure
  • Alternaria blight: : Seed treatment with captan 3 gm/ Kg of seed and spraying mancozeb 0 .25% at 15 days interval soon after the appearance of disease can control the same

Harvesting

Cauliflower is harvested with a sharp knife along with a few outer jacket leaves. Delay in harvesting leads to rice, fuzzy or leafy curds

Yield

Varies with varieties and temperature. At temperature above 25 degree Celsius maximum yield of early variety is 10t/ha and it may go up to 12-15 t/ha at a temperature range of 20- 25 degree Celsius. In mid-season varieties, yield may go up to 20t/ha in cool season. In some of the late verities yield is up to 20-30t/ha.