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Cauliflower(Brassica oleraceae var. botrytis); Brasicaceae

Hills:         Ooty 1, Pusa Deepali.
Plains:       Early Synthetic, Pawas

It requires cool moist climate. Deep loamy soils are good with high organic matter and good drainage. It can be grown in a pH range of 5.5 to 6.6.
The early varieties may tolerate higher temperature and long days. This can be grown in plains during September to February. Late Varieties Snowball types can be grown in hills.
100 sq.m nursery area/ha. Apply FYM at 300 kg and 10 kg of No.5 mixture (9:9:9) along with 50 g of sodium molybdate and 100 g of borax. Sow the seeds at 10 cm between rows in raised seed beds after drenching with Copper oxychloride (2.5 g/l). Transplant 30 to 40 days old seedlings at a spacing of 45 cm. Avoid land infected with ‗club root disease‘.
375 g/ha. Sow the seeds in raised beds and transplant 25 days (early varieties), 45 days (late varieties) old seedlings at 45 cm apart
Raise the seedlings in shade net house. A nursery area of 5 cents with slanting slope of 2% is required for the production of seedlings for 1 ha.Cover the nursery area with 50 per cent shade net and the sides with 40/50 mesh insect proof nylon net. Form the raised beds of 1m width and convenient length inside the nursery and above the beds, place the protrays.
The Protrays of 98 cells are ideal for cauliflower seedling production. Around 600 protrays are required for of 29,400 seedlings required for one hectare at a spacing of 60 x 45 x 45 cm in three row planting
The sterilized cocopeat @ 720kg / ha is mixed with 10kg of neem cake and Azospirillum and Phosphobacteria each @ 1kg. About 1.25 kg of the cocopeat medium is required for each tray.
250 g of hybrid cauliflower seed is required for the production of seedlings for 1 ha. Treat the seeds in hot water @ 50C for 30 minutes. 25g of Azospirillum is required for the seed treatment of 250g cauliflower seeds.
Sow the seeds in protrays @ 1 seed per cell. Cover the seeds with cocopeat, keep the tray one over the other (8-10Nos) and cover with polythene sheet for 5 days or till germination starts. After 5 days when the seeds are germinated, arrange the protrays on the raised beds inside the shade net nursery. Water the tray by rose can everyday (twice / day) and drench with 19:19:19 + MN @ 0.5 % (5g/l) solution using rose can or spray micronutrient at 0.5 % at ,18 days after sowing. The cauliflower seedlings are ready for transplanting in 25 days
Bring the soil to fine tilth. Pits should be taken at a spacing of 45 cm either way in hills. Form ridges and furrows at 60 cm in plains.

Hills: Once in a week during January and February.
Plains: Once in a week.

Install drip system with main and sub-main and the inline laterals placed at the interval of 1.5 m. Place the drippers at the interval of 60 cm for 4 LPH or 50 cm for 3.5 LPH, in the lateral system. Form the raised beds at 120 cm width at an interval of 30cm and place the laterals at the centre of each bed.

Hills
Apply 30 t/ha of FYM and 90 kg N, 90 kg P and 90 kg K as basal dose and 45:45:45kg NPK/ha after 45 days.


Plains
Apply 15 t of FYM/ha and 50 kg N, 100 kg P and 50 kg K as basal and 50 kg N after 45 days. Apply 2 kg of Departmental vegetable micronutrient mixture without mixing with the chemical fertilizers.

 Soil application of 50kg ZnSo4 ha-1 or 37.5 kg ZnSo4 enriched with FYM (1:10 ratio)
 3.75 kg CuSo4 as soil application
 10 kg borax ha-1
 0.25 kg Sodium molybdate

Fertigation requirement for F1 hybrid: 200: 125: 125 kg of NPK / ha. Apply once in every three days throughout the cropping period.

60x 45x45cm in paired row system

Recommended Dose: 200:125:125 kg/ha
Crop Stage Dura
tion
in
Days
Fertilize
r Grade
Total
Fertilize
r
(kg/ha)
Nutrient supplied % Requirement
N P K N P K
Transplanting
to
establishment
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
Sub total 85.333 19.913 11.906 15.206

126
Curd initiation 25 13-0-45
12-61-0
Urea
(46% N)
111.333
31.333
204.00
14.473
3.760
93.84
–
19.113
–
50.100
–
–
56.00 15.3
0
40.00
Sub total 346.666 112.07
333
19.113 50.100
Curd
development
35 Urea
(46% N)
0-0-50
148.00
120.666
68.08
–
–
–
–
–
34.00 – 48.00
Sub total 268.666 68.080 – 60.333
Total Duration 70 Total 200.06 31.019 125.63 100 25 100
75% of RD of P applied as superphosphate = 586 kg/ha
1.19: 19: 19+MN = 63 kg
2.13: 0: 45 = 119 kg
3. Urea = 368 kg
4. 0-0-50 = 121 kg
5. 12:61:0 = 32 kg

Gap filling after 20 days of planting to maintain the population and uniform growth. Hoeing and weeding on 30th and 45th day. Avoid deep intercultivation as it is a shallow rooted crop.

Pests
Aphids:
 Install yellow sticky traps @ 12 no./ha to monitor Macropterous adults (winged adult).
 Spray neem oil 3 % with 0.5ml teepol/lit or
 Spray any one of the following insecticide


Insecticide                                                                   Dose
Azadirachtin 5% Neem Extract Concentrate           5.0 ml/10 lit.
Dimethoate 30 % EC                                                   1.2 ml/ lit.


Diamondback moth
 Grow mustard as intercrop at 20:1 ratio.
 Install pheromone traps @ 12 No/ha.
 Spray NSKE 5 % or
 Spray any of the following insecticides:


Insecticide                                                                   Dose
Azadirachtin 5% Neem Extract Concentrate            5.0 ml/10 lit.
Lufenuron 5.4 EC                                                           1.2 ml/ lit.
Spinosad 2.5 SC                                                            1.2 ml/lit.
 Stem borer: Quinalphos 25 EC 2 ml/lit.
 Spodoptera : Azadirachtin 5% W/W min. NSKE 5.0 ml/10 lit.
 Painted bug : Dimethoate 30 % EC 1.2 ml/lit.

 

Club root disease
Biological control
 Seed treatment with Pseudomonas fluorescens at 10 g/ kg of seeds followed by seedling dip @ 5 g/ l and soil application @ 2.5 kg/ha with 50 kg FYM before planting


Chemical control
 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
 Follow crop rotation
 Crucifers should be avoided for three years


Leaf spot
 Spray mancozeb @ 2 g/l or carbendazim @ 1 g/l


Leaf blight
 Spray mancozeb @ 2.5 g/ l


Physiological disorders
Browning or brown rot
This is caused by boron deficiency. It appears as water soaked areas and later change into rusty brown. Spray one kg of borax in 500 l of water 30 days after planting.


Whip tail
This results from the deficiency of molybdenum. It is more pronounced in acidic soil.
The leaf blades do not develop properly. In severe cases, only the midrib develops and it can be corrected by spraying 100 g of Sodium molybdate in 500 l of water 30 days after planting.


Buttoning
The term buttoning is applied to the development of small curds or buttons. The plants do not develop normally and leaves remain small and do not cover the developing curds. Deficiency of nitrogen and planting the early varieties late may cause these symptoms. Avoid transplanting of aged seedlings.


Blindness
Blind-cauliflower plants are those without terminal buds. The leaves are large, thick, leathery and dark green. It is due to the prevalence of low temperature when the plants are young or due to damage to the terminal bud during handling the plants or due to injury by pests.

Hills : 20 – 30 t/ha
Plains : 15 – 20 t/ha

Crop Growing districts                                       Dindigul, Theni, Coimbatore, Tiruppur
Major markets in Tamil Nadu                          Mettupalayam, Coimbatore, Ottanchathiram, Koyambedu
Grade Specification                                          Size and colour

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