Temperate Vegetables

NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT

NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT

• Light soils should be supplied with heavy quantity (200-250q/ha) of organic matter either through incorporation of farmyard manure or compost or through green manuring.
• Requirements of manures and fertilizers depend upon soil fertility, soil status and cultivar.
• Besides this, apply 100-125kg N, 60-80kg P₂O₅ and 25-50kg K₂O per ha should be applied depending
• It is better to apply nitrogen in split doses.
• It has been reported that warm weather, heavy fertilization and wide spacing results in hollowness of main stem.
• Besides macro nutrients, broccoli has light requirement for molybdenum and boron.
• The deficiency symptoms are likely to appear if fertilizers are not applied.

IRRIGATION

• Broccoli requires more water than cauliflower however, care should be taken that light irrigation at regular intervals is done.
• After transplanting irrigation are done at 10-15days interval.
• Uneven moisture after the heads have formed, cause head splitting or head bursting.

HARVESTING

• The broccoli heads resembles with cauliflower consisting of clusters of green flower buds.
• Early types mature in 45-50days, mid in 60-100days and late after 100days of transplanting.
• The head is cut along with a few leaves and stem (10-15cm).
• From the remaining main stem, lateral shoots are formed and these produce comparatively small heads.
• Usually only the central head is harvested.
• It is very important that broccoli is harvested at the correct time i.e. it is picked up before the buds open and when the bud clusters are compact.
• The heads are cut-off long with 15cm of the stem attached.
• The head may be 15-25cm in diameter and weigh about 200-600g.

YIELD

• he yield of broccoli ranges from 50-150q/ha depending on variety, time of planting and length of harvesting period.

PACKING AND STORAGE

• Broccoli is more perishable than cauliflower.
• Just after harvesting, heads and shoots are kept in cold storage until they are sold.
• Otherwise the buds and leaves became yellowish and give an unattractive appearance.
• The yellowing could be avoided by storing the broccoli in a oxygen free atmosphere. Broccoli emits ethylene in storage.
• For freezing, stems are cut to 10-15cm in length.
• The shelf life of broccoli heads & sprouts is significantly affected by temperature and not much influenced by relative humidity. Broccoli can be stored at 32⁰F for 8-10days.
• At temperature 12–17^oC and RH between 75%. It can be easily stored for 3days. Under cool storage (3^oC & 88% RH) the shelf life of heads can be extended upto 31days.
• Packaging in LDPE (Low density polyethylene) bags helps in keeping the broccoli more fresh and green under low temperature.

SEED PRODUCTION

Seed Production Methods

• Methods of seed production is exactly the same as in cauliflower since the transplanting method is not successful because there is practically no rest period between the sprouts/curds stage and flowering in broccoli.
• It is easier to grow sprouting broccoli for seed than cauliflower because it can tolerate other climatic conditions and takes lesser duration than cauliflower for seed production.
• Transplanted seedlings are allowed to grow, over winter, flower and produce seed at the same place i.e. in-situ method.
• Besides all cultural practices required for head production of broccoli, the following essential points should be taken care of while the broccoli is grown for seed production purpose.
• Maintain proper isolation distances between two varieties.
• Raise seeds either by
• Stump method or
• Seed to seed method or
• Head to seed method

Stump method (Rarely followed)

• The stump to seed method gives the lowest seed yield.
• Seed to seed method is used for the production of market seed.
• For stocks/breeder’s seed, it is better to use head to seed method.
• For both foundation and certified seed, use seed to seed method.

Seed to seed method (Generally followed/Recommended)

• The plants are allowed to over winter in their original position where they are first planted in the seedlings stage (in-situ).
• The seed crop matures 10-15days before or earlier than that of head to head method.
• The most essential requirement of this method is the high quality foundation seed required for raising head crop.

Head to seed method (Generally not followed/ not recommended)

• It is followed for breeder/nucleus seed only but otherwise not remunerative.

Cultural Practices for Seed Production

• Apply 100kg of nitrogen/ha in two equal splits, first at seed stalks emergence and second at flowering and seed setting stage. Apply whole quantity of phosphorus and potassium @ 60-80kg/ha depending upon soil test at planting time.
• Optimum time for raising nursery is May-June for the production of head crop and March-April for replanting heads for the seed crop.
• Do hoeing, if required.
• Do earthing up at head formation stage.
• Be particular about irrigation. Maintain uniform moisture through irrigation at regular intervals.
• Rogue out all off types and diseased plants.
• The heads with more number of non-wrapper leaves, less loose and with heavy frames should be eliminated.
• The colour of leaves, head size, shape and maturity of the crop may also form basis of an effective selection.
• Harvest seed crop in 2-3 lots to avoid shattering of seeds.
• Thrash the seeds with the help of wooden sticks, clean the seeds and allow drying and grading for small, light, ill developed rotten and split seeds.
• Store the seeds in air tight containers under well ventilated dry and cool places.
• Under proper storage condition broccoli seeds remain viable for about 4 years.

Seed Yield

• Seed yield of sprouting broccoli is about 5-6 q/ha.

SEED CERTIFICATION STANDARDS
A. Field Standards

a. General requirements

Isolation

• Isolation is very important for the maintenance of purity of different cultivars.
• In Brassicas, there are two distinct groups which do not inter-cross with each other.
• Isolation is necessary when two crops of the same group are grown at the same locations.
• It would always be better to avoid more than one crop at a particular location.
• Maintain at least 1600m isolation distance for the production of breeder’s seed while 1000m for certified seed.
• Seed fields should be isolated from the contaminants.

Contaminants	Minimum distance (meter)
	Foundation	Certified
Fields of the other varieties	1600	1000
Fields of the same variety not conforming to varietal purity	1600	1000

b. Specific Requirements

Factors	Maximum permitted (per cent)
	Foundation	Certified
Off types	0.10	0.20
Plants affected by seed borne disease	0.10	0.50

B. Seed Standards for broccoli seed production

Standards	Foundation	Certified
Pure seed (minimum) %	98.0	98.0
Inert matter (maximum) %	2.0	2.0
Other crop seeds (maximum) %	0.05	0.20
Total weed seeds (maximum) number/kg	0.05	0.20
Objectionable weed seeds (maximum) number/kg	--	--
Germination (minimum) %	70.0	70.0
Moisture content in seeds (maximum)%	7.0	7.0