About Cauliflower: Cauliflower is a common vegetable that belongs to the Cruciferous family. It has anti-cancer properties. It improves cardiovascular health and lowers cholesterol levels. Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal, Assam, Haryana, and Maharashtra are the states that produce the most cauliflower. It thrives in a variety of soil types, from sandy loam to clay. Clay loam soils are suggested for late-sown kinds, whereas sandy loam soils are recommended for early maturing varieties. The pH of the soil should be between 6 and 7. If your soil has a low pH, add lime.
It thrives in a variety of soil types, from sandy loam to clay. The pH of the soil should be between 6 and 7. If your soil has a low pH, add lime.
Growing Season and varieties: Early Kunwari, Pant Gobhi, and Pusa Deepali are examples of early variations.
Pusa Hybrid-2, Pusa Sharad-4, Pant Gobhi-4 are mid-early varieties.
Pusa Shubhra, Pusa Himjyoti, and Punjab Giant 35 are late varieties.
Pusa snowball-1, Pusa snowball K-1 are late varieties.
The optimal months for transplanting are August to mid-September and October to the first week of November. It is necessary to use 45×45 cm spacing and a seed rate of 250 gm per acre.
Procedure and chemicals required: Apply FYM at a rate of 250-300 q/ha, nitrogen at a rate of 100-150 kg/ha, phosphorus at a rate of 60-80 kg/ha, and potassium at a rate of 80 kg/ha. At the time of field preparation, half of the N and the entire amount of P and K are put to the soil. Four weeks after transplanting, the remaining half of the N is top dressed. In boron and molybdenum deficient soils, 15 kilogramme of borax and 15 kg of ammonium molybdate should be treated, respectively. Immediately after transplanting, give first irrigation. Depending upon soil, climatic condition, apply irrigation at interval of 7-8 days in summer season and 10-15 days during winter season.
Browning (also known as “Brown Rot” or “Red Rot”) is caused by a boron shortage that is influenced by soil pH. This can be regulated by applying borax or sodium borate to the soil at a rate of 20 kg/ha. ‘Whiptail’ syndrome is caused by a lack of molybdenum, which is especially common in very acidic soils. As a soil amendment, apply lime and ammonium molybdate at a rate of 1-2 kg/ha.
Pest control: Buttoning is the development of tiny curds with insufficient foliage in cauliflower. Transplanting seedlings that are more than 6 weeks old. Planting late kinds in early types or vice versa causes buttoning.
The cauliflower diamondback moth is a major pest. They bury their eggs beneath the leaves’ surface. It can result in losses of up to 80-90 percent if suitable control measures are not taken. Spray Spinosad 2.5 percent SC@80ml/150Ltr of water in severe infestations.
Leaf spot and blight: To control blight, spray Mancozeb or Copper oxychloride @ 300gm/150 Ltr using a 20 ml sticker.
To check weed control apply Fluchloralin (Basalin) 800ml/150-200 Ltr water before transplantation followed by hand weeding 30 to 40 days after transplanting. Apply Pendimethalin@1 Ltr/acre one day before transplanting of seedlings.