Cultivation of Cauliflower

August 9, 2020 Agrovista

Table of Contents

Cauliflower ( Brassica oleracea Var. botrytis L) belongs to the family Cruciferae is an important winter-season vegetable crop in India. it is cultivated for its white tender head or curd formed by the shortened flower parts.

The name cauliflower has originated from the Latin words “Caulis (meaning Cabbage), Tloris (meaning flower and botrytis (meaning budding). Cauliflower has originated around the Mediterranean Sea from the Wild Cabbage, Brassica Oleracea: Var. sylvestris, a native of the coastal region of Europe and Africa. It was introduced in India during the Mughal Period.

This is used as vegetables in curries, soups, and pickling. The excess cauliflower can be dried and preserved for use in the off-season. Cooked cauliflower contains a good amount of Vitamin B and a fair amount of protein compared to other vegetables.

Nutritive Value of Cauliflower;

100 gms portion of the Cauliflower crop has the following values;

Serving Size: 100 g		% of DV
Calories	25 kcal	0%
Total Carbohydrate	5 g	1%
Dietary Fiber	2 g	8.00%
Sugar	1.9 g
Protein	0.6 g	3%
Cholesterol	0	0
Saturated fat	0	0
Sodium	30 mg	1%
Potassium	299 mg	8%
Iron		2%
Calcium		2%
Vitamin C		80%
Vitamin B6		10%
Magnesium		3%
Vitamin D		0%
Cobalamin		0%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.Source ; USDA

Climate Requirement for Cauliflower cultivation;

Cauliflower is also a cool-season thermosensitive crop therefore it is most important to choose the correct variety to be sown at the right time. It produces the best curd in a cool and moist climate.
It is a delicate crop and gets damaged near harvest by freezing. The foliage of cauliflower can withstand snow, but the curd is damaged.
The optimum monthly temperature is 15 to 20°C with an average maximum of 25°C and an average minimum of 8°C.
The early varieties required high temperatures and longer day lengths. Cauliflower curd does not develop well in hot weather. Dry hot weather causes the delay in maturity and increases the vegetative growth, which may give rise to small and hard heads on the other hand, cool temperatures may induce bolting ( Premature formation of seed stalks)

Soil & its preparation for cauliflower Cultivation

Cauliflower can be grown on any good soil (i.e. Sandy loams, Silt loams, Clay loams). But fairly deep loamy soil is preferable for growing cauliflower.
Sandy loam soil is suitable for early crops and loams and clay loams for late crops.
Soil should be rich in organic matter and well-drained.
The cauliflower is sensitive to high acidity. The optimum pH of the soil for maximum production should be between 5.5 and 6.5.
Aldrin or Heftaf or Heplachlor or chlordane 5 percent @ 10-15 kg per acre should be applied with the last preparatory tillage to cheek the termite or cutworm infestation.

Seed Rate of Cauliflower ;

Early varieties; 600- 750 gms per hectare

Mid Early season varieties; 500 gms per hectare

Mid-late season Varieties; 400 gms per hectare

Late Varietes ; 300 gms per hectare

Cauliflower Varieties;

Cauliflower is a sensitive crop and the varieties are specific to season. Early varieties are sown late to produce button head and late varieties sown early will go on giving leafy growth and will produce curd very late. The cauliflower can be grouped into the following four groups.

Group	Variety	Characteristics
Early varieties	Early Kunwari	Recommended for Haryana, Punjab, and Delhi. Very early variety. Curds hemispherical with even surface, ready for harvesting from mid-September to mid-October. The average yield is 8 t/ha.
Early varieties	Pusa early Synthetic	Main season variety. Curds are somewhat creamy white to white and compact. Ready for harvest from mid-December to mid-January. The average yield is 11 t/ha.
Early varieties	Pant Gobhi-3	Early maturing variety. Curds medium-sized and solid white. Curds are ready for harvest from October. Average yield is 10 t/ha.
Early varieties	Pusa Deepali	Recommended for Northern India, particularly Delhi and Punjab. Early maturing variety, curds compact, self-blanching, white, medium-sized, and almost Curds ready for harvest in late October. The average yield is 12 t/ha
Early varieties	Pant Gobhi-2	Pant Gobhi-2 Early maturing variety. Curds are compact, composite, and creamy white. Curds are ready for harvesting from November to December. The average yield is 12 t/ha.
Mid-early varieties	Improved Japanese	An introduction from Israel. Plants erect, leaves bluish green, curds compact and white. Yield potential is 20t/ha.
Mid-early varieties	Pusa Hybrid 2	First F1 hybrid released by public sector organization. Plants semi-erect with bluish-green leaves, resistant to downy mildew. Curds are creamy white, and very compact, yielding 23 t/ha.
Mid-early varieties	Pusa Hybrid 2	downy mildew. Curds are creamy white, and very compact, yielding 23 t/ha.
Mid-early varieties	Pusa Sharad	A variety released by IARI. Foliage bluish-green, leaf with narrow apex and prominent mid-rib. Semi-dome shaped white and very compact curd. Average yield 24t/ha.
Mid-early varieties	Pant Gobhi-4	A variety for November maturity. It has a medium-long stem, semi-erect leaves, hemispherical creamy white, medium compact, non-pricey curds . Average yield 14t/ha.
Mid-late varieties	Pusa Synthetic	A synthetic variety, plants erect, frame narrow to medium, curds are creamy white and compact. The yield potential is 27t/ha.
Mid-late varieties	Pant Shubhra	Recommended for cultivation in Northern India. Early growing variety. Curds are compact, slightly conical, and creamish white. Ready for harvest in November. The average yield is 20 t/ha
Mid-late varieties	Pusa Shubhra	Plants tall, long stalk, leaves light bluish-green twisting backward from the middle. Curds medium, flat, compact and white. Field resistant to black rot and curd blight
Mid-late varieties	Pusa Himjyoti	Erect bluish-green leaves with a waxy coating, curds retentive white, self-blanched, solid, and 500-600gm in weight. This is only the variety that can be grown from April in the hills
Mid-late varieties	Punjab Jiant 35	Main season variety. Curds white, compact medium-sized. Ready for harvesting from mid-November to December. The average yield is 17 t/ha.
Late varieties	Pusa Snowball	Ideal for cooler climates of North Indian states. Late maturing variety. Curds medium-sized, solid, having an attractive white color. Ready for harvesting from January to March. Average yield is 25-30t/ha
Late varieties	Pusa Snowball K 1	Late maturing variety. Curds are very compact, medium in size, and snow-white in color. Ready for harvesting from January to April. The average yield is 25-30 t/ha. Susceptible to black rot.
Late varieties	Ooty 1	Suitable for growing in hilly regions of Tamil Nadu above 1,800MSL. It has a potential yield of 46t/ha in 110- 120 days

Hybrid Varieties of cauliflower

Several cauliflower hybrid seeds in bulk quantity are imported (10-20 tons/year) from Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and China by private companies.

These hybrids are tropical to temperate types, which is why cauliflowers are available around the year in India. Mostly these hybrids are based on CMS and some are extent-based.

Sowing of Cauliflower seed

Cauliflower is generally propagated through seeds. Seeds are sown in well-prepared nursery beds.

The nursery beds should be sterilized by formaldehyde or some fungicidal treatment. Seeds should also be treated with some mercurial fungicide to save young seedlings from damping off disease,

Sowing cauliflower seeds at the proper time is very important. The cauliflower seed is sown according to the varieties in the following way:

Variety	Time of Sowing Seeds in Nursery Bed	Time of Transplanting in the Main Field
Early	Mid – May End of June	Mid-June to End of July
Medium	July – Aug	August to September
Late	Mid-August – First of October Mid-September to end of October	Mid-September to the First of November Mid of Oct to the First of November

Seed Treatment ;

For better germination, dip the seed in hot water (50 degrees Celsius) or streptocyline solution 0.01gms per litre of water for 4 to 5 hrs. For sowing in sandy soil, treat the seeds with carbendazim 50% WP 3gms per Kg of seeds. Nowadays, seeds companies are palletizing the seeds and pelleted seed cover helps in broadening the temperature range of germinating the seeds.

Transplanting

The uprooting and transplanting of seedlings is the same as for cabbage, The planting distance depends on soil fertility, variety, season, and market demand. Planting distance according to the variety is given below:

Variety	Row to Row Spacing (cms.)	Plant to Plant SpacingSpacing (cms.)	No. of Plant Per Acre
Early	45	45	19360
Mid	60	45	14520
Late	60	60	10 890

Seedlings of the early sown crops should be planted on low ridges, otherwise, the heavy shower will destroy all the tender plants. The yield and the quality of cauliflower curds appreciably decreased with an increase in the age of seedlings. The plant produces heads prematurely when kept too long in the nursery bed.

Manuring in Cauliflower Crop;

Cauliflower requires very heavy manuring. Because it removes large quantities of major nutrients from the soil. Manuring practices differ in different regions. It should be done in r following manner

(a) F.Y.M. or Compost: 25 to 30 tonnes per hactare. It should be applied during field preparation and mixed well with the soil.

(b) Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium @ 100-150 kg, 60-80 kg, and 80 kg/ acre respectively. All quantities of Phosphatic and Potassium fertilizers and half of the nitrogenous fertilizers should be applied 5-7.5 cm deep on both sides of the line just before transplanting.

The remaining half of nitrogenous fertilizers are applied as a top dressing.

A physiological disorder in the cauliflower due to boron deficiency is known as “brown rot’ or ‘red rot’. In this disorder water-soaked concentric areas first develop on the stem and curd, resulting in browning, smaller incompletely developed curd which is bitter. Such a disorder can be corrected by two sprays (i.e. first spraying about two weeks after transplanting and second spraying two weeks before head formation) of 0.3 to 0.4 percent solution of boron on the foliage of standing crop or applying 10-12 kg borax per hectare. Another physiological disorder that occurs due to deficiency of molybdenum is known as ‘whiptail’. Affected plants produce strap-like leaves. It occurs in acidic soil and it can be corrected by application of about 2.5 to 3 kg of sodium molybdate per hectare or by liming the soil Liming raises the soil pH and increases the availability of molybdenum in the soil

Intercultural operation in Cauliflower Crop;

Cauliflower is a shallow-rooted crop. Shallow frequent cultivation should be given to kill weeds and provide soil mulch. Weeding should be started as soon as plants are set in the field. The plant should be earthed up about four to five weeks after transplanting. Cauliflower is a delicious crop, that requires good care. Like….

(1) The soil should be good and well manured.

(ii) Seedlings should not be kept too long in the nursery bed

(iii) Weeds should be controlled properly.

(iv) Regular and timely irrigation should be provided

(v) The only good quality seed of proper variety should be used.

Hand weeding is uneconomical, laborious, and tedious. However, the use of herbicides is more economical to control the weeds. One day before transplanting of seedlings, the application of Pendimethalin (0.56 kg a.i./ha in 600-750 liters of water) followed by a hand weeding 40-60 days after transplanting effectively checks the weed population

Irrigation in Cauliflower Crop;

Cauliflower needs very heavy irrigation. Irrigation should be given twice a week to early crops and once a week to late crops. At the time of head formation, the crop should be watered frequently. Irrigation at seven to ten days intervals between December and January is highly recommended

Irrigation at the wrong time may cause problems like head rot of cauliflower. Sprinklers, big guns, furrow, and drip irrigation are used in cauliflower

Blanching in the Cauliflower Crop;

In cauliflower crops, blanching is the process of covering the growing cauliflower head with its own outer leaves to shield it from sunlight and keep the curd white rather than turning yellow or cream. When the head is roughly the size of a tennis ball, the leaves are carefully folded over the head and tied together with twine or a rubber band. Iinner leaves shield the head if it is small, but the head itself eventually protects it.

This can also be done by breaking one of the outer leaves and covering the heads lightly with it for 2-3 days before harvesting to protect it from the sun. This will induce a milky white color to the curd. This process is called Blanching and it should be done when heads has grown fully. The leaves should not be tied over for more than 4-5 days.

Pest and Diseases of Cauliflower

Diseases of cauliflower

Disease	symptom	Control
Damping-off (Pythium spp.)	The invasion of the host plant by the fungus before the emergence of the seedling from soil causes pre-emergence damping-off	Soil solarisation or soil treatment with formaldehyde in nursery beds. Drenching the soil in nursery bed with Thiram and Dithane M-45 (0.2%) or bavistin (0.1%). Seed treatment with fungicides like Thiram, Captan, Ceresan or Bavistin 3gm per kg of seeds before sowing. Crop rotation with cereals avoid excess soil moisture
Leaf spot and Blight or Blackspot (Alternaria brassicae)	cauliflower become brown and later the entire curd is discoloured and unmarketable. The fungus also causes damage to pods and seeds with brown to black spots at seed production stage and the harvested seeds are contaminated resulting in poor germination	Apply the Mancozeb at 2 g/lit or Carbendazim 1 g/lit.
Clubroot (Plasmodiophora brassicae)	small to large swellings and other malformations of the roots. As a result of these swellings, water and nutrient flow are restricted within the plant, which causes the above-ground parts to wilt, turn colour and look stunted. Wilting is most common on warm, sunny days; plants may show little wilting early in the morning or late at night.	Dip the seedlings in Carbendazim solution 2 g/l for 20 minutes. Drench the soil around the seedlings in the main field with Carbendazim @ 1 g/l of water. Follow crop rotation. Crucifers should be avoided for three years.
Stalk Rot (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum)	The infections begin as water-soaked, circular areas, which soon become covered by white, cottony fungal growth. The affected tissue becomes soft and watery as the disease progresses.	Maintain the free flow of the air in the field Apply 1.5 gms Bavistin 50%
Downey mildew (Peronospora parasitica)	white, fuzzy masses in patches on the the underside of leaves, stems and heads. The top of the leaves turn purple, then later turn yellow or brown. It may cause browning and black streaking on stems below the curd and black, brown or grey spotting on the curds of cauliflower.	Good air and water drainage is critical in controlling this disease, along with avoiding water on the crop in the afternoon and evenings. Crop rotation with non-brassica plants and incorporating plant debris will also aid in controlling this disease

Pest of Cauliflower;

Pest	Symptom	Control
armyworm Spodoptera exigua	closely grouped circular to irregularly shaped holes in the foliage	Apply the imidacloprid /Borate complex@ 0.4% solution
aphid ( Brevicoryne brassicaea)	Large populations can cause stunted growth or even plant death; insects may be visible on the plant leaves and are small, grey-green in color and soft bodied and are covered with a white waxy coating	Apply phorate 10 % G @ 20 kg /ha or spray neem oil 3 % with 0.5ml teepol/lit or spray any one of the following insecticides Set up a light trap in summer months.
Cutworms (Agrotis spp.)	Stems of young transplants or seedlings may be severed at the soil line; if infection occurs later, irregular holes are eaten into the surface of fruits; larvae causing the damage are usually active at night and hide during the day in the soil at the base of the plants or in plant debris of toppled plant	Set up light traps in summer months. Spray Chlorpyriphos 2 ml/lit in the collar region during evening hours.

Harvesting of Cauliflower;

High-grade cauliflower has a solid and compact head and is white. Cauliflower should be harvested when the curd reaches a proper size and is bright in color. The head should be compact but should not broken into segments. Harvesting is done as and when curds are well developed. The plant is cut off well below the head and leaves are timed with a knife. The leaves should be cut off about an inch above the head. The stubs thus left protect the curds from injury during transport to the market. As the whole crop does not mature at a time, several cuttings are necessary. Harvesting should be done either in the evening or early in the morning so that the produce is not damaged before it reaches to the market.

The harvesting time after transplanting varies according to the variety. Viz.

Early variety: 60-70 days

Midseason variety: 90-100

Late variety: 110-120

The yield of Cauliflower ;

The per acre yield of cauliflower varies according to the variety as follows:

Early Variety; 10-15 tonnes per hectare

Midseason variety; 20-25 tonnes per hectare

Late variety; 30- 35 tonnes per hectare

Storage

Cauliflower may be stored ordinarily in the open for 2-3 days in winter, Cauliflower can be stored in cold storage for three to four weeks at 0° to 0.5°C with 90 -95 percent relative humidity

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