Advances in production Technology

of Cauliflower
 Introduction
• Caulis – Cabbage and Floris – Flower
• Origin - mutation, human selection and adaptation
• Cornish types – England followed by temperate types-
Germany and Netherlands
• Tropical Indian cauliflower- European and Cornish types
• Largest producer of Cauliflower – World level
• Area- 4.4 % and Production – 46,80,600 tonnes
 Nutritive value
Constituents Value
Moisture(%) 93.7
Energy (Calories) 31
Protein (g ) 2.4
Calcium (mg ) 22
Vitamin A(IU ) 40
Ascorbic acid (mg ) 70

Thiamine (mg ) 0.2

Riboflavin (mg ) 0.1

Niacin (mg ) 0.57

 Uses
• Inflorescence extract- treatment of scurvy, blood
purifier and as antacid
• Seeds - contraceptive properties
• Inflorescence extract – inhibition of initiation and
promotion of carcinogenesis in invitro
 Classification
Indian types European types
Tolerant to heat Not to learnt

Curd formation at and above Curd formation at 5-20C

20C

Annual Biennial
Yellow curds, loose with strong Snow-white curds with very mild
flavour or no flavour
Early Late
More variable Less variable
More self-incompatible Less self-incompatible
Small Juvenile phase Long Juvenile phase
No need of vernalisation but Needs vernalization at 7C for 8-
needs cold treatment at 10- 10 weeks.
13C for 6 weeks
 Classification
Maturity Varieties Temperature requirement for curd
initiation and development
Early Early Kunwari 20 0C – 27 0C
September maturity Pusa Early Synthetic
(Mid sep – Mid Oct ) Pant Gobhi -3
October maturity Pusa Deepali 20 0C – 25 0C
(Mid Oct – Mid Nov ) Pant Gobhi -2
Mid Early Improved Japanese 16 0C – 20 0C

Nov maturity Pusa Hybrid -2, Pusa Hybrid -3

(Mid Nov – Mid Dec ) Pusa Sharad,Pant Gobhi - 4

Mid late Pusa Synthetic 12 0C – 16 0C

Dec Maturity Pusa Subhra

(Mid Dec – Mid Jan ) Pusa Himjyothi
Punjab Giant
Late Snow Ball Pusa Snow ball-1 10 0C – 16 0C
Pusa Snow Ball K-1
 Varieties
Varieties Special features
Dania IARI, Regional
Station,Kalimpong.Strong medium size
curd.Tolerant to stress conditions

Early Kunwari PAU,Ludhiana. Leaves-Bluish

green,heavy with waxy bloom.Middle to
end of May
Hisar -1 Mid – late season.Large size with white
heads.250 q / ha.

Improved Japanese Israel introduction.Erect plant,bluish

green leaves.July end –early
August.Compact curds,white ,maturing
in late Nov to mid Dec.
Pant Gobhi-2 Composite variety.GBPUA & T ,Pant
nagar.100 q / ha.
 Varieties Special features
Pant Gobhi-3 Synthetic variety.GBPUA & T, Pant nagar. Curds-
hemispherical, creamy white, compact medium, non ricey
and mature in 110 days.120 q / ha.

Pant Gobhi-4 Simple recurrent selection. Compact curds, slightly

conical,creamish white.Free from riceyness.

Pant Subhra Simple recurrent selection. Non ricey and non leafy.
Compact curds, slightly conical,creamish white in colour.

Pusa Deepali Inbreeding from the local material at IARI, New Delhi.
Compact curds, self blanching white and medium
size.Riceyness is absent. May end to Early June.

Pusa Early Curd- Small to medium size, creamy white.117 q /

Synthetic ha.Resistant to riceyness
Varieties Special features
Pusa Himjyothi Erect plant with bluish green leaves.White curd,solid and
round.160 q / ha.
Pusa Hybrid -2 Semi erect with bluish green leaves. Creamy white and
highly compact.230 -250 q / ha.Resistant to downy mildew.

Pusa Katki Medium plant, bluish green and wavy margin. Middle of
May.
Pusa Sharad 1999.Semi erect,glabrous,bluish green, long petiolate
oblong with narrow apex, wavy margin, prominent
midrib.260 q / ha.

Pusa Early Curd- Small to medium size, creamy white.117 q /

Synthetic ha.Resistant to riceyness

Pusa Snow ball -1 EC 12013 x EC 12012.Mid Sep – end of

Oct.Compact ,medium size and Snow white.
Varieties Special features
Pusa Snow Ball -2 Upright leaves Jan end –early Feb.

Pusa Snow Ball K-1 Tolerant to black rot. Colour-Snow white in

colour
Pusa Synthetic Mid Season variety.Erect plant with 24-28
leaves varying in colour.Mid Sep – Late
Sep.
Pawas Middle may – August.700-800 g.

Swarna Sep – Dec in plains.White compact curds

and ready within 80-85 DAS.1-2.5 kg

Summer King Whitish round shaped curd with 400-500

g.Summer season- Northern plains
Ageti Himlata Pawas
NS 60
NS 66
Punam
Pusa early sythetic
Pusa Hybrid 2 Summer King
Pusa Snow ball K1 Pusa Snow ball KT 25
Purple cauliflower
 Soil and Climate
Light soil – sensitive to drought, early cultivars
Clay and loamy soil – mid season and late
maturing types
25.2oC - 34.2oC –Optimum temperature for
growth and development
> 43.2 o C - growth will be arrested
Cold treatment at 4 -10 o C for 7-9 weeks- plant
bolt and flowers more abundantly-shorter period
 Season
Groups Time of sowing Time of curd maturity

Early maturity group May - june September

Mid season maturity July - August Late Nov to mid jan

group

Late maturity group October Mid jan onwards

(Snow ball type )
 Quality seedling Production-
TNPFP
Protected nursery
Nursery area -5 cents with slanting slope of 2 %
50 % shade net and 40 / 50 mesh insect proof nylon net
Protrays
98 cells(54 x 27 cm) of 3.5 cm diameter and 0.8 mm
thickness
600 protrays -58,333 seedlings – 60 x 45 x 45 cm-three
row planting
Growing medium
Cocopeat-artificial soilless media
Sterilized cocopeat @ 720 kg per ha + 10 kg
neem cake + Azospirillum and Phosphobacteria
@ 1 kg
1.25 kg medium per tray
Seed treatment
250 g per ha
Hot water treatment @ 50 oC for 30 minutes
Azospirillum@ 100 g / kg – shade drying
 Seed Treatment
• Seed rate - 375 g / ha (Varieties)
300-350 g/ha (Hybrids)
• Seed treatment with biocontrol agent –
Pseudomonas fluorescens @ 10 g / kg of seeds
• Seed @ Azospirillum @ 100 g / kg of seeds
and shade dried for half an hour
 Depending upon the curd maturity of the varieties,
the following of sowing time is recommended

Season group Sowing time Seed rate

Early group January-mid 600 g
July
Mid early group July-August 500 g

Mid late group September 400 g

October
Late group 300 g
(Snowball type)
 Sowing

Protray (1 seed per cell )

Covered with coco peat and kept over other (8-10 Nos)
- polythene sheet for 5 days
Protrays –arranged on raised beds-shade net nursery
Panchakavya spray @ 3 % (30 ml per lit )- 15 DAS
19 : 19 :19 + MN@ 0.5 % (5g per lit) or micronutrient
spray of 0.5 %-18 DAS
Ready for transplanting in 25 days
 Drip irrigation

Installation - main, sub - main and inline laterals

- interval of 1.5 meter
Drippers - 60 cm interval ,4 LPH or 50 cm
dripper interval ,3.5 LPH – lateral system.
 Planting system and Population
maintenance
FYM @ 25 t per ha
75 % of the total recommended dose of super
phosphate(588.93 Kg – basal dose)
Azospirillum and Phosphobacteria @ 2 kg per
ha + FYM 50 kg and Neem cake @ 100 kg- last
ploughing
Raised beds -120 cm width – 30 cm interval and
laterals –placed at centre.
 Planting
Drip irrigation at field capacity – 8-12 hours-
moisture level and soil type
Pre emergence weedicide spray- Fluchoralin @
1 lit per ha just before transplanting
60 x 45 x 45 cm – Paired row system
Fertigation techniques
200 : 125 : 150 kg NPK per ha once in every
three days –cropping period
 Fertigation Schedule (Vadivel et al .,2004 )
Crop Durati Fertiliser Total Nutrient supplied % Requirement
stage on in grade fertiliser
days (Kg per
ha ) N P K N P K
Trplg to 10 19 :19 : 19 62.66 11.906 11.906 11.906 10.00 38.00 12.00
plant + MN
estab 13 : 0 : 45 0. 953 - 3.300
7.33
Urea 15.33
7.866 - -
Curd 25 12-61-0 31.33 3.760 19.113 - 56.00 62.00 40.00
initiation 13-0-45 111.333 14.4739 50.100
stage 3.84 - -
Urea 204.00

curd 35 Urea 148.00 68.080 6.25 6.25 34..00 48.00

devpmt
stage 11.18 - 38.71
0: 0 : 50 120.66
42.49 - -
 Nutritional requirements
• Hills : Basal –30t FYM, 90:90:90 kg/ha
NPK
Top dressing on 45th day : 45:45:45
kg/ha NPK.
• Plains : Basal – 20t FYM, 50:100:50 Kg/ha
Topdressing on 45th day : 50 Kg N/ha
 Hybrids : 25 t FYM, 200:125:125 Kg
NPK/ha.
 Interculture

Carbofuran@ 33 Kg per ha -1 WAT- nematode

control
Foliar spray – Pseudomonas fluorescens 0.5 %
(5g per lit)-15 days interval (6 times)
Weeding- 30 DAP
Micronutrient mixture @ 21 g per lit (0.1 % )-
20th,40th,60th and 80th DAP.
Harvesting ,Yield and Storage
Right stage- firm but tender, marketable size
80-120 q / ha-Early cultivar
150 - 200 q / ha- Mid or late cultivar
0oC,90-95 % RH – 2- 4 weeks
( Hardenburg et al.,,1990 )
 Pre and Post harvest handling
• Excessive application of N –heads
looser, reduces colour intensity and
affects keeping quality

• Trimming of
diseased,damaged,rotten and
discoloured leaves.

• Avoiding direct contact of heads - soil

or exposure to direct sunlight

• Size and firmness-ISI

• Small to medium size -1 kg
 Physiological Disorders
• Riceyness
• Premature initiation of flower
bud
• Poor marketing quality
• High or low temperature
• Heavy dose of nitrogen and
high RH
• Genetically pure seed with
recommended cultural
practices
• Fuzziness
• Flower pedicel of velvety curds elongate
• Good quality seeds with recommended cultural
practices
• Browning
• Boron deficiency- soil pH
• Young leaves – dark and brittle
• Downward curling of older leaves
• Irregular water soaked brown spots- rusty area
• Borax or sodium borate @ 20 kg / ha – soil application
• Whip tail
• Molybdenum deficiency- highly acidic soils
• Plants – chlorotic and turn white along leaf
margins
• Leaf blades – improper devmt,
ruffled and distorted.
• Lamina – irregular in shape and bare midribs
• Lime or dolomite stone – raise soil pH
• Sodium or Ammonium molybdate @ 1 -2 kg / ha
• Buttoning
• Small curds with inadequate foliage(Pre mature
heading )
• Transplanting more than 6 weeks old seedlings
• Hot and dry weather- unfavorable growth
• No delay in transplanting
• Water logging should be avoided
• Blindness
• Plants without terminal bud –no curd formation –
blind
• Large,dark green ,thick and leathery
• Low temperature- small plant, damage occurs to
terminal bud or injury by insects
• Chlorosis
• Mg deficiency- highly
acidic soils
• Interveinal and yellow
mottling of lower leaves
• Abscission of lower leaves
and small curd formation
• MgO @ 300 kg / ha or
liming soil with dolomite or
limestone – lower pH