Production technology of cauliflower

cultivation practices of cauliflower

1. PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY OF CAULIFLOWER VANISREE PADMANABHAN 2019534005

2. CAULIFLOWER COMMON NAME : Cauliflower SCIENTIFIC NAME : Brassica oleracea L.var.botrytis FAMILY : Brassicaceae CHROMOSOME NO. : 2n=18 CENTRE OF ORIGIN : Cyprus

3. INTRODUCTION Cauliflower was introduced to I ndia from E ngland in 1822 by Dr.Jemson . The name was derived from three important words such as Caulis means cabbage stalk, Floris means flower and botrytis means budding. Cauliflower is comparatively a later origin than that of broccoli, probably by introgression with broccoli gene pool having a close genetic affinity. It is grown in all continents of the world, of which Asia is the leading one followed by Europe. India is the largest producer of cauliflower in the world, but the productivity is very low as compared to other western countries.

4. IMPORTANCE AND USES The edible part of cauliflower is known as curd which is botanically the pre-floral fleshy apical meristem. The important volatile compounds such as Nitrites and isothiocyanates produced on hydrolysis of Glucosinolates by the enzyme Myrosinase which imparts flavour to curds. It has got high quantity of protein ( Avg of 2.6g/100g of edible portion). The popularity of cauliflower is due to typical flavour, even after cooking. The extract of cauliflower curd has been used for scurvuy as a blood purifier and as antacids. It is high source of glucosinolates mainly of sinigrin and Glucobrassicin having prominent anti-carcinogenic property.

5. Botany: Cauliflower flower consists of four seplas , four petals and six stamens of which two are short and two with superior ovary. The form of curd is characterized by three main changes in growth pattern of plant; i )leaf development is curtailed so that only bracts are present throughout the curd. ii)all lateral buds are elongated into shoots whose apices make up the convex surface of the curd. iii)the internodes of the shoot system are shortened.

6. Classification of cauliflower Depending upon the time of curd availability, it is classified into four maturity group, Group I (September to early November) Group II (mid Nov to early December ) Group III(mid D ec to mid J an ) Group IV(mid Jan to early March) -Late type(snow ball cauliflower) INDAIN CAULIFLOWER

7. Differences among I ndian and European type . S.NO FEATURES INDIAN CAULIFLOWER EUROPEAN CAULIFLOWER 1. HEAT Tolerant Not tolerant 2. Temperature for curd formation At and above 20 ⁰ C At 5-20⁰C 3. Seed production Annual Biennial 4. Curd characters Yellow colour, loose with strong flavour Snow-white colour with very mild or no flavour 5. Maturity period Early Late 6. Variability More Less 7. Self-incompatibility More Less 8. Juvenile phase Small large 9. Vernalization Not required.However requires cold treatment of 10-13⁰C for 6 weeks. Required

8. According to Swarup and Chatterjee(1972),the typical characteristics of most desirable ideotype in cauliflower should be as follows; S.N0 CHARACTERISTICS SPECIFICATION 1. Maturity Specific group (70-80% uniformity) 2. Stalk length 12-15cm 3. Frame 35-45cm 4. Leaf number 18-22 5. Leaf length 50-55cm 6. Leaf shape Hemispherical 7. Curd size 15-18cm 8. Curd weight 750-1000g 9. Curd colour Relative white 10. Relative resistance to Black rot, stump rot.

9. Varieties: Extra early Group(20-27⁰C) Variety Breeding methods Salient features Variety Early kunwari Selection from local cultivar September to October maturity group. Curds semispherical with even surface Field tolerant to alterneria blight and black rot. Yield 100q/ha Pusa early synthetic Synthetic variety Suits for early planting Resistance to riceyness Small to medium curd Y-117q/ha Kashi kunwari Tolerate to high rainfall during its vegetative growth Curds semi dome type Y-300-350q/ha

10. Early group(20-25⁰): varieties Breeding method Salient features Pusa deepali Selection from local cultivars Oct maturity group With compact self branched and white curds Can accommodate more no.of plants per unit area because of its growth habit Very popoular among farmers of Punjab, UP Y-150-200q/ha Pusa kartik Selection from local cultivar Medium sized plant Tolerant to fuzziness Avg wt of curd 500-700g Pusa meghana Developed by recurrent sel.by using heterozygous material from hazipur . Suits in indo gangetic plains under hot humid weather Semi spreading with 5-7cm long stalks and 45-48cm height Y-165-184q/ha

11. contd.. Arka kranti White compact curds Maturity within 60 days Y-250q/ha Pant gobi -2 Population improvement of locally adopted cultivars Curds medium compact and yellowish in colour Y-100q/ha Pant gobi-3 synthetic Early maturing group

12. Medium group(16-20⁰C) Varieties Breeding method Salient features Improved japanese Introduction from Israel Long erect with narrow leaves Medium sized curds Y-150q/ha Pant subhra Developed by single recurrent sel.from PI2727 . Curds are creamy white,compact,medium size and free from riceyness Slightly conical in shape Y-200q/ha Pant gobi -4 Developed by recurrent sel .from local variety aghani Mid early group Curds are creamy white,compact,medium size and not ricey . Y-143q/ha Pusa subhra Hydrization.A triple cross of MGS 2-3,15-1-1 and D-96 Curds white,compact and free from riceyness Resistant to black rot Y-200q/ha

13. contd.. Pusa himjyoti Pure line sel.from “MG 2-4” Curds white, self branched Avg wt of curd 500-600g Only variety which can be grown in hills during April to July Pusa hybrid 2 Resistant to downy mildew Very popular among the farmers of UP,Bihar Y-230-250q/ha Pusa sharad Selection Mid early group Compact and white curds Y-240q/ha Pusa aghani Produces large compact white heads Y-150-160q/ha Pusa synthetic Synthetic involving 7 inbred lines Resistant to curd blight Medium ,creamy white

14. Mid late group (12-16⁰C) Varieties Breeding method Salient features Pusa synthetic Synthesized from a few good combiner inbred lines Mid season variety with creamy white to white compact curd Curds available during Dec to Jan Kashi Agahani Notified through central variety release committee Mid-late maturity group Recommended for Punjab,UP Varieties Breeding method Salient features Dania It is sensitive to fluctuating environment but performs successfully in eastern regions more specifically. plants are very strudy having waxy self blanching leaves. Late group ( 10-16 ⁰C

15. Ooty -1 Population improvement of an adopted type of Nilgiri hill areas Late variety suitable for hilly regions of Tamilnadu,1800 MSL Pusa snowball -1 Developed by sel from exotic lines (EC12013 &EC12012) Jan to Feb maturity group suitable for cultivation in cool season Curds become ready for harvest in Jan to Feb in north plains of India Pusa snowball -2 Developed by sel from EC 12012 Compact and solid curds

16. Pusa snowball -16 Curds are snow white, compact,medium to large. Maturity duration 100 to 110 days Pusa snowball K-1 Sel from an exotic snowball type Self branching type Curds snow white and compact Moderately resistant to black rot

17. Pusa snowball Kt - 25 Tolerant to Sclerotinia rot and black rot. Posses upright waxy leaves slightly bending innerside . Punjab gaint 35 Developed through population improvement. Sensitive to riceyness . Solid and yellowish white curds.

18. Important hybrids of cauliflower: Source Hybrids IARI, New Delhi Pusa hybrid -2 Indo American hybrid seeds,Bangalore Himani , Swati Mahyco hybrid seed Mahyco No.310 and No.311 Century seeds Pvt.Ltd . Agethi Hinlata Bejoo Sheetal Seeds Ltd. Poonum and Priya Namdhari Seeds Pvt.Ltd.,Bangalore NS-60 and NS-66 Sungro Seeds Ltd.,New Delhi Summer King Seminis Vegetable Seeds Ltd. Megha ,Sweta,Subhra,sukanya

19. Climate Requirements Cauliflower is a thermo-sensitive crop which can be grown at average temperature of as low as 5-8⁰C to as high as 25-28⁰C. vegetative stage : As the plant develops leaves and hence both water requirement and soil fertility should be optimum along with temperature which should be a few degree higher than the optimum needed for curd initiation stage. Curd initiation stage :Depending upon cultivars,curd initiation phase of cauliflower may continue for at least 10-15 days and the temperature fluctuation shouldn’t be more which will deteriorate the curd quality. Curd development stage : the period after curd initiation to till harvest pf the curd is known as curd development phase, where temperature fluctuation is highly detrimental for quality curd production.

20. Dry and low humidity causes curds to be small and hard as well. About 10-21⁰C temperature is required for seed germination Light : Cauliflower requires sunny light for better growth and development.it is been observed that at higher altitude the long day length provides faster growth rate. Soil requirement : Sandy loam to clay loam in texture Neutral soil(pH 5.5-7.0) Well drained Fairly deep In general,early variety should be grown in light soil and mid and late season variety grown in loamy to clay loam soil for higher curd yield.

21. Seed rate : The general seed rate is ; 1g cauliflower seeds contains about 300-350 number of seeds. Spacing : Maturity group Open pollinated varieties (g/ha) Hybrids (g/ha) Early and mid season 500-750 350 Mid late and late 300-500 250 Maturity group Open pollinated varieties Hybrids Early and mid season 60cm X30cm 60cm X45cm Mid late and late 60cm X 45cm 60cm X 60cm

22. Nursery management : A raised beds of about 90cm width and convinent length are prepared adding well decomposed FYM 5hg/m² along with 5g each of NPK and 4g of captan or thiram into the nursery soil. Seeds treated with captan 2.5g/kg of seeds s hould be sown sparsely in V-shape tiny furrows spaced at 10cm and 1.5-2cm between the seeds and at a depth of 1.5-2cm. The beds after seed sowing are made moist by sprinkling water abd covered with dry grass or polyethylene sheet, which is removed after seedlings emerge out. The seed germination is epigeal and takes 5-7days to complete. The bed is drenched with captan 0.2% soln at 3 rd and 10 th day of sowing to protect seedlings from damping off disease.

23. Protray Nursery Protrays of 98 cells are ideal for cauliflower seedling production. Around 600 protrays are required for one hectare(28,333 seedlings). The growing media used sterilized cocopeat @720kg/ha is mixed with 10kg of neem cake and azospirillum and phosphobactria 1kg. About 1.25kg required for each tray.

24. Transplanting: For early varieties 5-6 weeks old seedlings while for mid and late varieties 3-4 weeks old seedlings are transplanted. Over matured seedlings should not be transplanted since they intend to produce button like curds. After 7-10 days after transplanting, the possibility of seedlings mortality may be there especially in case of early varieties which should be immediately filled by transplanting. About 35,000 to37,000 healthy seedlings per ha can be accommodated. It is reported that spraying seedlings with 0.1ppm IBA or10ppm NAA gives better establishment and enhance the vegetative growth and yield in cauliflower.

25. Nutrient management : Cauliflower is treated as heavy feeder of nutrients for better growth and curd yield. The crop also requires high amount of organic manure whereas excessive use may contribute to tip burn, hollow stem and internal browing . As the crop is very sensitive to soil acidity, lime should be applied to maintain the soil pH of 6.5 to7.0 About 125-130:60-80:60-80kg NPK/ha +FYM @20-25t/ha for open pollinated varieties while 200:100:100kg NPK/ ha+FYM @25t/ha for hybrids.

26. Fertigation: Fertigation requirement for F1 hybrid 200:125:125kg of NPK/ ha.Apply once in every three days throughout the cropping period. Spacing 60 X45X45cm in paired row. 75% of recommended dose of P applied as superphosphate=586kg/ha 1.19:19:19+MN =63kg 2.13:0:45 =119kg 3.Urea =368kg 4.0-0-50=121kg 5.12:61:0=32kg

27. S.no. Crop stage Duration in days Fertilizer grade Total fertilizer(kg/ha) Nutrient supplied %requirement 1 Transplanting to establishment stage 10 19:19:19+MN 13-0-45 Urea(46%N) 62.66 7.33 15.33 11.906 0.953 7.866 11.906 - - 11.906 3.300 - 10.00 9.70 12.00 SUBTOTAL 85.333 19.91 11.90 15.20 2 Curd initiation stage 25 13-0-45 12-61-0 Urea 111.33 31.333 204.00 14.47 3.760 93.84 - 19.11 - 50.100 - 56.00 15.30 40.00 SUBTOTAL 346.66 112.0 19.11 50.10 3 Curd development stage 35 Urea (40%) 0-0-50 148.00 120.666 68.08 - - - - - 34.00 - 48.00 SUBTOTAL 268.666 68.080 - 60.333 TOTAL DURATION 70 Total 200.06 31.019 125.63 100 25 100 N P K N P K FERTIGATION SCHEDULE: RECOMMENDED DOSE : 200;125:125 Kg/ha

28. Use of bio-fertilizers : Bo-fertilizer such as Azospirillum or Azotobacter for nitrogen and PSB for phosphorus should be applied either as seed treatment or seedling treatment in order to increase the growth, yield and quality. In case of seedling treatment, bio-fertilizers @1.5-2kg/ha should be mixed with 10-15 litres of water. Method of application : Band placement of fertilizers is highly beneficial in cauliflower. The whole FYM or organic manure should be applied at the time of final land preparation before transplanting of seedlings. In open pollinated crops the full dpse P&K along with ½dose N and the remaining ½ as top dressing at 35 days after transplanting. In the hybrids the remaining ½dose of N applied on two equal splits on 35 & 55 days after transplanting.

29. Water management: Since it is a shallow rooted crop, most of the roots are available within 45-60cm,hence require proper soil moisture throughout the cropping period for optimum growth and yield. Critical stages of Irrigation: Immediately after transplanting of seedlings. During active vegetative stage. Curd initiation stage. Curd development stage.

30. Intercultural operations : Hoeing and earthing up : Generally 2-3 hoeing and earthing up is done. Earthing up done preferably; After each top dressing After heavy irrigation. after rainy season, because the roots may be exposed after every shower especially on ridge planting.

31. Weed control: Pre planting application of Basalin ( Fluchloralin ) @2-2.5 L/ha or pendimethalin (Stamp)@3lit/ha in the final land preparations followed by one hand weeding at 40-45 days after planting is very much effective to control of weeds. Mulching with paddy husk(10cm thick) or mango leaves or black polythene has been found to be beneficial in increasing the vegetative growth as well as curd yield in cauliflower.

32. Use of PGRs : Name of PGRs Concentration (mg/ha) Method of application Attributes affect NAA 10ppm Starter solution to seedlings Better crop stand and growth GA₃ 100ppm Crop Vegetative growth and curd quality IBA 10ppm Seedlings Yield increasing GA+NAA 100ppm+120ppm Foliar spray Yield increasing GA+UREA 50ppm+1% Foliar spray Yield increasing GA 50ppm Foliar spray at 20 &40 DAT Yield increasing

33. Blanching: It is essential intercultural operation adopted in cauliflower in order to protect the curds from attaining yellow colour after their exposure to sun light. The usual method to exclude light is to tie the outer leaves when the curd is 8cm in diameter. The blanching operation should be done before the curd is harvested, atleast 3-4 days in hot weather while 8-12 days in cool weather before actual harvested.

34. Crop rotation: According to the Randhawa and Singh(1997)maximum returns was obtained from crop rotation of cauliflower-tomato-onion followed by late cauliflower when intercropped with spinach. Randhawa(1990) and singh (1996) have suggested the following crop rotation that has been beneficial under indian conditions; 1)cauliflower-tomato-okra 2) brinjal -cauliflower- bittergourd 3)early cauliflower-radish-chilli 4)okra-cauliflower-French bean 5)cow pea-radish-cauliflower

35. Harvesting: The curds become ready for harvesting in 60-80 days after transplanting in early varieties and 90-100 days in mid and 110-120 days in late varieties. Maturity index of cauliflower is the compactness of curd and it is said to be over mature if inflorescence peduncle or flower pedicels start elongating, which make the curds loose. Early cultivars produce smaller curds than mid and late ones, while consumer prefer the medium size curd having diameter between 15 and 25cm.

36. Yield Early varieties varies 12-15 t/ha ,while the mid season cultivars can yield up to 20t/ha. The highest yield is, however, obtained from snowball group cultivars because of their more compact curds and larger plant population per unit area as compared to mid season group cultivars and the yield may vary from 250-300q/ha.

37. Post harvest management: A)Grading: The harvested curds before package and sending to market should be graded properly as per compactness, size and colour etc., In India, cauliflower curds are usually graded into three grades: Grade A(Super): big sized curds with bright coloured and compacted in nature. Grade B(fancy): curd should be medium in size,compact with full shining without any spot in the curd. Grade C(Commercial): curds should be small to medium in size,free from any blemishes etc.,

38. B)Packing: Utmost ,care should be taken in handling of cauliflower curds because of tenderness which can easily damage. For distant market curd should be packed properly in a basket or crates. For local market curds can be packed either loose gunny bags, upper portions being covered with grasses with proper stretches. For export purpose, cauliflower should be packed in crates or card board boxes. It is always recommended for tight packing of cauliflower curds to protect the shifting and bruishing damage.

39. Storage: During winter season, cauliflower curd can be stored except two to three days under ambient conditions without much reduction in quality. Under cold storage curds can be stored up to 30 days without much reduction in quality at a temperature of 0 ⁰C to 17 ⁰C with RH of 80-90%. The cauliflower curd harvested at full maturity and stored with their leaves contained more vitamin C than those harvested at immature stage and leaves removed before storage.

40. Important pests and diseases Name of the pest Damage Biological control Diamond black moth ( Plutella xylostella ) Larvae damage leaves by feeding underside near veins. This leads to leaves having windows or holes on them. Use of natural enemies like Cotesia plutella and Diadegma semiclausum ( larval parasitoids) Use of NSKE sprays @ 3-5ml per litre of water at weekly intervals. Trap cropping with mustard and marigold. 1:15 mustard: cauliflower rows. Spray BT var kurstaki @ 200ml per litre /ha at 12-15 days interval.

41. Aphids ( Myzus persicae , Hyadaphis erysimi and Brevicoryne brassicae ) Leaves get crinkled, curled or cup shaped. The plant can be infested at any growth stage. In severe cases, the entire plant may wilt. Aphids also produce honey dew on which sooty mould grows. Use of natural enemies- parasitic wasps and coccinellid predators namely ladybird larvae, and lace wing larvae. Spray Metarhizium / Verticillium @ 3-5g/l Mulch cropping. Use of neem extract @ 3% sprays.

42. Curd rot ( Erwinia carotovora / Sclerotinia sclerotiarum ) Rotting takes place at any place of the curd. Curds are rendered unmarketable leading to total loss. Pseudomonas/ Trichoderma spray @ 5ml/l Crop rotation Hot water seed treatment Disease free seeds/ resistant cultivars. Rouging and burning Clean contaminated equipments Avoid working when plants are wet. Bacterial diseases

43. Black rot ( Xanthomonas campestris pv . campestris ) Infection takes place from points of insect attack. Yellowing of tissue leads to chlorosis forming ‘V’ shaped lesions with the base towards the midrib. The veins and veinlets of chlorotic tissue shows black discolouration which at later stages leads to rotting. Crop rotation with cruciferous crops. Use of resistant cultivars. Avoid over wetting of fields. Seed treatment with tap water for 30minutes followed by hot water at 52c for 30minutes. Further treatment with Azotobacter - Pseudomonas slurry and then sow. Trichoderma / pseudomonas @ 5ml/l

44. Fungal diseases Stalk rot / white rot Leaves loose turgidity during the day but recover at night. Affected plants become dull-whitish green and turn pale yellow. Dark brown to black soft rot and fluffy mycelia growth occurs on the petiole of lower leaves. Black to dark brown spots appears on the stalks, which enlarge and girdle stem at the ground level. The stalks are filled with fluffy mycelia and black sclerotia. Curds lose the compactness followed by development of white rot. Use of hot water sprays. Wider spacing Use of fungicidal compost teas. Use neem + ginger/ turmeric extract @ 3% Add VAM 2.5-3g/l and drench in the soil Remove and destroy the diseased debris Pseudomonas spray @ 5ml/l for initiation of curd to maturity at weekly intervals.

45. Downy mildew ( Peronospora parasitica ) Dark brown depressed lesions which turn into downy fungal growth are found on the stems. Purplish- brown spots appear on underside of leaves which are fully covered by downy growth at later stages. The heads are damaged leading to curd rot. Use of fungicidal compost teas as foliar sprays. Trichoderma/ Pseudomonas spray @ 3-5g/l Add VAM @ 2.5-3g/l and drench Maintain proper hygiene and tilth of soil and avoid water-logging in poly house or fields.

46. Damping – off ( Rhizoctonia solani ) Infection occurs at the base of stem or at the ground level. Tissues become water- soaked leading to rotting and collapse of seedling. It occurs both at pre-emergence and post emergence stage. This is the main cause of mortality of seedlings. Use of fungicidal compost teas as foliar sprays. Wider spacing Soil incorporation of wheat bran. Trichoderma/ Pseudomonas spray @ 3-5g/l Trichoderma - 4g/kg seed treatment. Add VAM @ 2.5-3g/l and drench Prepare raised beds and maintain appropriate tilth and avoid water-logging.

47. Clubroot ( Plasmodiophora brassicae ) It infects cole crops through the root hairs or through wounds on larger roots. As the fungus spreads it distorts and disfigures the roots, causing them to swell and crack, allowing secondary organisms to invade and aid in decay. The disease is favored by acid soils; therefore, liming is recommended if the soil pH is lower than 7.2. good drainage. controlling brassica type weeds.

48. Physiological disorders Riceyness - surface of curd is loose and has a velvety appearance due to elongation of pedicel and formation of small white flower buds at curding stage. Fluctuating and unfavourable temperature, high humidity or excess N dosages are the main causes. Select appropriate cultivars for planting and maintain proper manuring levels. causes the curds to become uneven and fuzzy, reducing marketability. Warm temperatures (> 68º F) during curd development are the cause of this disorder. Some newer hybrids can develop heads at 68 to 80ºF.

49. Hollow stem- is caused by rapid growth, usually due to excessive nitrogen levels and high temperatures. The plant stem experiences rapid growth, and the core or pith cracks, leaving the stem hollow. Another factor that contributes to this disorder is plant spacing. The closer the plant spacing, the less likely this phenomenon will occur.

50. Buttoning- occurs when immature plants are exposed to consistently low temperatures for a prolonged period. This stimulates the young plants to produce reproductive structures —the flower buds and curd—and small, loose heads are formed. Deficiency of N Planting early varieties late. Avoid transplanting aged seedlings.

51. Bolting - is caused by many factors and depends on the crop and the varieties grown. Stress caused by too much or too little water, transplant shock, day lengths of more than 12 hours, and low temperatures during the early stages of development are all contributing factors . Fuzziness- Due to elongation of pedicels of velvety curds.

52. Blindness- damage to the growing points by pest / low temperature. Plants without terminal bud fail to form curd. The leaves of blind plants become thicker and leathery. Chlorosis - interveinal yellow mottling of lower older leaves causes chlorosis. Magnesium deficiency is the cause . Leafy curds- Development of small green leaves inside the segments of curd making them leafy. Temperature fluctuations or high temperature at curd initiation are the causes.

53. Browning - water-s oaked light brown to dark brown spots formed on stems and curds leading to browning. It can be corrected by addition of boron- borax- 1kg/500L of water 30DAP. Whiptail – caused by molybdenum deficiency. Normal leaf blade development fails and strap leaves are formed. In extreme cases, only midrib develops, hence the name whiptail. More pronounced in acidic soils. Correction- spraying 100g of sodium molybdate in 500L of water- 30DAP.

54. Tipburn - browning of internal leaf edges or tips within the heads of cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower. These brown spots tend to break down during storage or transport, allowing secondary organisms to decay the product. Causes- rapid growth caused by excessive nitrogen, high temperature, water stress, and calcium deficiency. Calcium can be present in the soil but its translocation to the plant is limited, and it may not be available to accommodate rapid growth. Supplemental nitrogen applications should be timed to avoid rapid growth in the later stages of plant development.

55. I NFLUENCE OF BORON AND MOLYBDENUM ON GROWTH,YIELD AND QUALITY OF CAULILOWER . Vivek Singh, Amit Kumar Singh, Tushar Raghuvanshi,Maneesh Kumar Singh , Vineet Singh and Umesh Singh ABSTARCT :The field experiment conducted during the winter season of the year 2012-2013 to asses the efficacy of various levels of B and Mo on growth and quality of cauliflower. VARIETY : Pusa hybrid 2. TREATMENTS : 12 FOLIAR APPLICATION : boron@100ppm,Mo @50ppm(alone & combination) SOIL APPLICATION: borax@10 and 20kg/ha and sodium Mo@1 and 2kg/ha(alone &combination) CONTROL: NPK(120:60:60kg/ha) Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2017) 6(10)

56. Result and discussion: Parameters T12 (borax 20kg/ ha+sodium molybdate 2kg/ha) Control(NPK@120:60:60) Height of the plant 60.9cm 51.67cm Number of leaves per plant 21.35leaves 16.36 leaves Fresh weight of leaves per plant 896.0g 810.6g Length and width of the plant 51.85cm and 20.24cm 44.97cm and 13.38cm Total weight of plant 1.93kg 1.65 kg Shortest period of curd maturity 71.85 days 75.43 days Width of curd 16.84cm 11.81cm Avg wt of curd 893.3g 625.0g Yield 254.63q/ha 186.41q/ha -International journal of current microbiology and applied sciences

57. Plant height no.of leaves per plant fresh wt of leaves Total wt of plant days to curd maturity avg wt of curd

58. Conclusion The increase in the growth characters is due to the collective effect of boron and molybdenum. Boron plays role in enhancing the translocation of carbohydrates from the site of synthesis to reproductive tissues in the curd and Mo stimulates the photosynthesis and enhance the metabolic process. It is concluded that the curd yield of cauliflower is highest at borax@20kg/ha and sodium molybdenum@2kg/ha and it can be recommended as soil application in combination with NPK@120:60:60kg/ha to increase the growth ,seed yield and quality of cauliflower.

59. RESPONSE OF DIFFERENT SOWING DATES ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF CAULIFLOWER Muhammad Din , Muhammad Qasim , Noor Elahi Jan and Faridullah Abstract: The effect of sowing date on the growth and yield of cauliflower was studied under the agro climatic conditions of juglote,Pakistan during 2003. Treatments: radomized complete block design (RCBD)Five treatments 4 replications. 1 st june ,15thjune, 1 st july and 5 th july . Cultivar used : snow ball type. Seeds sown at 15 days interval at about 10cm apart and transplanted after 36 days with a interval of 15 days. After one week of transplantation NPK @60:90:60 kg/ha applied. Harvested when head attains proper stage. The marketable head weight is considered as 1kg or more. sarhad J.Agric.Vol.23,No.2-2007

60. Treatment Fresh weight (kg/plant) Head weight(kg/plant) Head diameter(cm) No.of marketable heads/plot Yield(t/ha) 1 st June 2.23 1.13 15.19 26.00 30.28 16 th June 2.60 1.38 13.86 27.00 37.83 1 st July 1.80 0.65 11.92 24.60 15.80 16 th July 1.25 0.59 10.13 21.00 20.99 31 st July 0.86 0.28 5.50 12.00 3.25 LSD(0.05) 0.71 0.30 2.54 2.41 14.83 The field experiment revealed that the yield (kg/ha)of cauliflower was significantly affected by sowing dates. The maximum yield of 37.83t/ha of cauliflower planted on 16 th June was recorded, while the lowest yield of 3.25t/ha was produced when the crop was planted on 31 st July. This serious reduction in yield beyond 16 th June in the experiment may be explained in the basis of temperature of the region. The recommendation derived from this study is that JUNE is the most appropriate and suitable sowing time for cauliflower cultivation under the agro-ecological conditions of Juglote , Gilgit .

61. Bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of fresh and processed white cauliflower Fouad A. Ahmed and Rehab F. M. Ali The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of different blanching (i.e., water and steam) and cooking (i.e., water boiling,steam boiling, microwaving, and stir-frying) methods on the nutrient components, phytochemical contents ( i.e., polyphenols,carotenoids , flavonoid, and ascorbic acid), antioxidant activity measured by DPPH assay, and phenolic profiles of white cauliflower . - BioMed Research International

62. Treatments: Water blanching -1000ml water -100 ⁰C immersed for 3mins Steam blanching-suspended over 1000ml water for 3mins Water boiling -1000ml water -100 ⁰C immersed for 6mins Steam boiling -suspended over 1000ml water for 6 mins Microwave cooking-florets placed in glass beaker and 10ml water added –for 3mins Stir frying-heated in sunflower oil for 4mins 30secs. Analytical methods: i)Chemical composition ii)Ascorbic acid determination iii)Total carotenoid iv)Total polyphenols v)Total flavonoids vi)Antioxidant activity –DPPH METHOD vii) Phenolics compounds –HPLC METHOD

63. Result and discussion: Chemical composition: Moisture content: increased in blanching and boiling ;low in stir fried Protein –fresh cauliflower higher &significant reduction in others and highly reduced in stir fried. Fat content –high in stir fried and reduced in water boiling and blanching. Minerals :highest reduction in water boiled and others have greatest retention. water blanching and boiling resulted in high loss of Potassium, sodium and iron.

64. Conclusion: As shown in the study, blanching, boiling, microwaving and stir frying affect the composition, phyto chemical contents, antioxidant activity and phenolic profile of white cauliflower. Water boiling and blanching processes caused significant loss of dry matter ,protein, minerals and phytochemicals. However, steam treatments (blanching and cooking ), stir frying, and microwaving caused slight losses, and they result in the greatest retention of nutrients and phytochemicals

65. Optimization of nitrogen nutrition of cauliflower intercropped with clover and in rotation with lettuce Marco Tempestaa, Giorgio Gianquintob, Markus Hauserc, Massimo Tagliavinia ,⁎ The intercropping of cauliflower with a leguminous species may help farmers reduce N fertilizer rate. In In this study, cauliflower was cultivated in year one either alone or intercropped with annual clover ( Trifolium resupinatum L.), using four N fertilization rates: 0, 75, 150and 300 kg N ha (referred to as N0, N1, N2, and N3 respectively). Following crop residue incorporation in year two , iceberg lettuce was cropped on the same field without the supply of N fertilizer to assess the effect of cauliflower and clover residues as well as of residual N fertilizer rates on the growth and N uptake of lettuce.

66. Yield of cauliflower

67. Dry biomass

68. N content

69. Crop residue

70. Lettuce biomass and n content

71. Discussion: In our study, the clover has not provided additional N to the intercropped cauliflower and it adversely affected both its growth and N uptake if no N fertilizer was supplied . This suggests either a low atmospheric N fixation by rhizobia bacteria associated with clover roots and/or that a low transfer of N from atmospheric N fixation from clover . It might also be possible that clover has negatively affected cauliflower growth due to competition for light during the vegetative stages. However , the fact that such competition was not present when N fertilizer at the two rates N1 and N2 was provided, suggests competition for N was the main reason for growth depression of intercropped cauliflower at N0.

72. When cauliflower was cultivated alone, the growth and N uptake were unaffected by N fertilizer rates, whereas the highest yields were obtained with the N-fertilizer rate equal to 75 kg N/ha. This N rate also maximized N uptake, plant growth, and yields when cauliflower was intercropped with clover. Intercropping a N-fixing species like clover did not affect either the cauliflower marketable yield or the N uptake when the crop was fertilized with N. However , where no N was supplied , growth and N uptake by intercropped cauliflower was hampered by the presence of clover. The benefit of intercropping clover with cauliflower was observed on the growth and N uptake by the lettuce crop that followed cauliflower. The higher amount of N present in the residues left after by both cauliflower and clover in the intercropped plots fertilized with 75–150 kg N/ha caused the highest growth and N uptake of lettuce plants grown in succession. In conclusion, although the presence of clover did not reduce the N fertilizer needs of the intercropped cauliflower, it contributed to enhancing the soil N availability and yields of the succeeding crop.

73. Chemical composition and herbicidal potent of Cauliflower and Cabbage turnip I. Saad , I. Rinez , B. Dridi Almouhandes , R. Haouala This study was conducted to evaluate the phytochemical content and allelopathic potential of two cabbages varieties, ie . Cauliflower (B. oleracea var. Botrytis) and cabbage turnip (B. oleracea var. gongylodes ). Their aqueous and organic extracts were evaluated on lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L.) and one of the most dominant weeds in Tunisia, nettle-leaf goosefoot ( Chenopodium murale L.). Field experiments were conducted to evaluate the smothering potential of the two varieties. Brassica vegetables, including B. oleracea L., are frequently cited as allelopathic crops and are a significant source of glucosinolates , polyphenols , flavonoids and proanthocyanidins and alkaloids Sci. Agri. 14 (2), 2016:

74. Plant material Cauliflower ( Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) and cabbage turnip ( Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes ) leaves were collected after eliminating heads at the harvesting stage. Extraction Aqueous extracts Fresh leaves of cauliflower and cabbage turnip were rinsed and were then oven-dried at 60°C for 72 h and grinded . Fifty grams of each dried material were soaked in 1L distilled water at room temperature for 24 h to give a concentration of 50 g/L (Chon et al., 2005). The extracts were filtered several times and kept at 4°C in the dark until use. Organic extracts Sequential extraction was done with organic solvents of increasing polarity: petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol. A 100 g mass of leaves dried powder was immersed in organic solvent for 7 days at room temperature. Organic extracts were evaporated to dryness under reduced pressure at 45-50°C, using rotavapor . The residue was weighed and the yield was determined. Dry fractions were stored at 4°C until use. The extracts were tested at three concentrations (1, 3 and 6 mg mL-1) in bioassays. Sci. Agri. 14 (2), 2016:

75. Laboratory bioassay: Tests with aqueous extract: Extracts diluted with distilled water with conc.10,20,30,40 and 50g/L. For germination test , Twenty imbibed seeds of target species placed in Petri dish and 5ml of each extract applied as pre treatment. Treatments arranged in a completely randomized design with 3replications. Germinated seeds were counted at 24h intervals during 7 days and GI was calculated. For growth test , 20 pre-germinated seeds of target species placed in Petri dish and 5ml of each extract applied as pre treatment. Seedlings watered with distilled water taken as control. Treatments arranged in a completely randomized design with 3replications and shoot and root length measured at seven days after sowing.

76. Test with organic extracts: For organic extracts,two residues concentrated from petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol were dissolved in conc.of 1,3,6mg/ml. Field experiments: Area of 100m²with 3blocks were two plots with each treatments and one as fallow(control). Discussion : Phytochemical analysis: Cauliflower aqueous have high amount of polyphenols and total alkaloids whereas cabbage turnip was richer in condensed tannins. In organic extracts phytochemical content in methanol extracts is higher than the others.

77. Phytotoxicity of aqueous extracts: On germination: for lettuce germination canceled at 40g/L with both extracts. For weed the inhibitory effect observed in delay of germination speed. GI reached 50% and 17.9% with cauliflower and cabbage turnip at 50g/L. On seedlings growth: both extracts reduced the root length of lettuce and weed. At lower conc.both extracts stimulated the shoot growth of lettuce (63% and 30%)and for weeds shoot growth slightly stimulated only by cauliflower but the inhibition was 60% with cabbage turnip.

78. Organic extracts: Yield: cabbage turnip had the highest yield with PE and chloroform but with methanol bioth had the same yield. Seed germinination : cauliflower extaract did not influence the germination rate of lettuce in any form and for weed it is vey toxic and the inhibition reached 76%,85% and 80% with PE ,chloroform and ME. Cabbage turnip extract of PE and chloroform did not affect the germination of lettuce while weed germination canceled in PE and decreased from58.7% t 1mg/ml to 21.7% at 6mg/ml. On seedling growth: cabbage turnip extarct shows maximum inhibition of weed growth.

79. Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that the phytochemicals content may contribute to the allelopathic activity of cabbage extracts, which is strongly dependent on the cabbage variety. Cabbage turnip extracts showed most important toxicity on target species as compared with cauliflower extracts. Similarly, in field experiment, smothering potential of this cabbage variety on weeds was more important. These results confirm the utility of introducing both cabbages varieties in a rotational system to improve biological weed control and decreasing herbicidal products use in agriculture.

80. Effect of Different Plant Spacing on the Production of Hybrid Cauliflower ( Brassica Oleraceae Var. Botrytis) Under the Agro-Climatic Conditions of Mid-Hills Region Nepal Joshi TN*1, Budha CB2, Sharma S3, Baral SR4, Pandey NL5 and Rajbhandari RD6 A field experiment was conducted at Farmer’s field in Banepa , Kavreplanchowk District during the spring season, 2015 to find out the optimum plant spacing on cauliflower production. Four plant spacing viz. ( i ) 45×45 cm in single row spacing, (ii) 52.5×45 cm in double row spacing, (iii) 52.5×30 cm single row spacing and iv) 52.5×30 cm in double row spacing were included in the study.

81. Design of experiment: The research was laid out in simple Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications in plot size 3.15×2.25 m 2 . Seeds of a cauliflower variety Silver cup-60 were sown in the nursery in a well-prepared seedbed (size: 1×3 m) and were covered with the dry straw and maintained in the plastic tunnel. Transplantation was done on 10th May on one side of the ridge with the selected plant spacing. The amounts of fertilizers applied (kg/ha) was as follows: 200:120:100kg NPK/ ha+FYM-Trichoderma virideae (TV) @200gm/ plant+FYM @300gm/plant+ Compost @ 100 gm/pit and Boron 2 kg/ha. A total amount of DAP, compost, FYM, and boron was applied in the plot during final land preparation as a basal dose. The top dressing of Urea and MoP were applied 15 days after planting. Irrigations were provided when necessary. Two hand weeding was performed after planting.

82. Treatments: T1=45×45 cm single row spacing, T2=52.5×45 cm double row spacing, T3=52.5×30 cm double row spacing and T4=52.5×30 cm single row. Parameters to be recorded: Three plants per plots were selected randomly for data collection. Mortality percentage, days taken to 1st curd appearance, plant height (cm), the total number of leaves per plant, curd diameter (cm), the weight of curd per plant (kg) and yield per hectare. Harvesting was done at 4-5 days interval throughout the harvesting season.

83. www.annexpublishers.com Spacing (cm) No. of leaves per plant Plant height(cm) Canopy diameter(cm) Diameter of head(cm) Single head weight(g) Avg yield per plot(t/ha) 45X45 21 27.6 39 16.1 502 14.4 52.5X45 23 31.3 39.5 18 682 17.3 52.5X30 (double) 22 29.4 39 17.3 672 16.8 52.5X30 (single) 20 26.8 45.3 17.2 635 12.5 CV% 2.9 3.6 3.2 4.8 6 4 Plant spacing is an essential factor in the growth and yield of cauliflower. Amongst various spacing, 52.5×45cm in double row spacing proved better results in all the aspects. As a result, showed that 52.5×45 cm plant spacing excelled in almost all parameters. This means that any increase or decrease within 45 cm plant spacing will have an adverse or decreasing effect of the growth and yield of cauliflower.