- Cabbage requires two seasons to produce seeds. In the first season the heads are produced and in the following season seed production follows.
- Two methods are followed.
- In situ method - for certified seed production (Seed to seed method)
- Transplanting method for nucleus seed production (Head to seed method)
In situ method
- In this method, the crop is allowed to over winter and produce seeds in their original position, where they are first planted.
Transplanting method
- In this method the matured plants are uprooted and the outer whorls removed. Then the plants are replanted in a well prepared new field. In cabbage, during seed production, three methods have been followed to facilitate flowering and seed production.
1.Stump method
- When the crop in the first season is fully matured, the heads are examined for true to type. The plants with off type heads are removed. Then the heads are cut just below the base by means of a sharp knife, keeping the stem with outer whorl of leaves intact. The beheaded portion of the plant is called 'stump'. The stumps are either left in situ or replanted in the second season. After over wintering (dormancy breaking), the buds sprouts from the axis of all the leaves and leaf scars.
Advantage
- Gives extra income by way of sale of heads
- Crop matures 12 15 days earlier
- Seed yield is slightly high
Disadvantage
- Flower stalks are decumbent and requires very heavy staking
2.Stump with central core intact method
- When the crop is fully matured in first season, off type plants are removed and rejected. Then the heads are chopped on all sides with downward perpendicular cuts in such a way that the central core is not damaged. When the head start bursting after over wintering, two vertical cross cuts are given to the head, taking care that the central growing point is not injured. In the absence of such cuts, the heads burst out irregularly and sometimes the growing tip is broken.
Advantages
- Shoots arising from main stem are not decumbent, hence very heavy staking is not required
- Seed yield is high
Disadvantages
- The chopped heads cannot be marketed
3.Head intact method
- In this method, when the crop is fully mature in first season, the heads are examined for true to type. The plants with off type heads are removed from the field and rejected. The head is kept intact and only a cross cut is given to facilitate the emergence of stalk.
Advantages
- Saves time and labour
- Very heavy staking is not required
Disadvantages
- Seed yield is slightly low as compared to other methods
Stages of seed production
- Breeder seed →Foundation seed → Certified seed
Varieties/ Hybrids
Early
- Golden Acre, Pusa Mukta, Chaubatia Early
Mid
- Pride of India, Pusa Drum Head, Aru Glory, Green Express
Late
- Large Late Drum Head, September, Green Challanger, BSS 50, BSS 32, BSS 44, BSS115, Sri Ganesh Gol
Red cabbage
Season
- Early varieties (Golden acre) second fortnight of July 10th, 25th July
- Medium varieties second fortnight of June – 1st – 15th June
- Late varieties first fortnight of June 15th – 30th June
Land requirement
- In the hills, select field on which the same kind of crop or any other cole crop was not grown in the pervious two years, unless the crop within the previous two years, was field inspected by the certification agency and found not to contain seed born diseases infection beyond the maximum permissible limit.
Isolation requirement
- The seed field must be separated from fields of other varieties at least" by 1600 m for foundation class and 1000 m for certified class seed production.
Seed rate
- Early varieties 600 g/ha
- Late varieties 400 g/ha
Seed treatment
- Some seed borne pathogens such as black rot, black leg and alternaria leaf spot start invading the seedlings blight from germination of seed.
- Pre-drying of seeds at 40 0C for 24 hr followed by an air treatment at 75 0C for 5-7 days is an effective method to disinfect cabbage seeds infected by black rot without any seed damage.
- Hot water treatment to seeds at 500c for 30 minutes is done to prevent seed-borne pathogens.
- Immediately after the treatment, the seeds should be used for sowing within 24 hr.
- After hot water treatment seed can be treated with a fungicide like Captan before sowing to protect the seedlings from damping – off and downy mildew respectively.
Nursery
- Seeds may be sown on raised nursery beds 15 - 20 cm height in rows with 10 cm spacing. Twenty five nursery beds of 2m x 1m size are enough for one hectare. Thin sowing should be done to avoid damping off.
Transplanting
- Three to four weeks old seedling (25 30 days old) are transplanted, preferably in the evening with a spacing of 60 x 60 cm for late varieties, 60 x 40 cm for medium varieties and 45 x 45 cm for early varieties .
- Transplanting at 2nd fortnight of August for early varieties and 1st week of August for both medium and late varieties are advisable.
Main field manuring
- The field should be prepared to fine tilth by deep ploughing, three to four harrowing followed by levelling.
- Cabbage crop requires heavy manuring.
- At the time of land preparation, 50 60 t of FYM/ha should be applied. 200 300kg Super phosphate and 90 kg of potash should be applied before transplanting of seedlings.
- Two doses of 75 100 kg Ammonium sulphate at intervals of 2 3 weeks after transplanting should be applied.
- Another dose of 200 250 kg Ammonium sulphate as surface application at the time of seed stalk emergence.
Staking
- After the flower stalks are sufficiently developed, staking is necessary to keep the plants in an upright position.
Foliar spray
- 50 ppm NAA sprayed twice after two and four weeks of transplanting the cabbage seedlings in the field has beneficial effect on better growth and yield of cabbage varieties.
- The favourable temperature range for flowering and seed setting is 12.5 – 18.50c.
Roguing
- The first roguing is done at the time of handling the mature heads.
- All off type plants, diseased or undesirable types are removed at this stage.
- Second roguing is done before the heads start bursting, the loose leaves poorly heading plants and those having a long stem and heavy frame, most by rogued out at this stage, subsequent roguing for off types, diseased plants affected by phyllody, black leg, black rot, soft rot or leaf spot should be done from time to time as required.
Field Standards
| Factors
|
Foundation stage
|
Certified stage
|
Remarks
|
| Off-type
|
1.00
|
0.50
|
|
| Other crop plants
|
-
|
-
|
|
| Objectionable weed plants
|
-
|
-
|
|
| Diseased plants
|
0.10 *
|
0.50*
|
* At and after flowering and maturity stage
|
Pest and disease management
- Use of insecticides during flowering affects the insect pollinators and will result in poor seed set. A single soil application of granulated Phorate, Dimethoate @ 18 Kg/ha during early February for control of sucking pests (Aphids) is advisable. In cabbage the major disease is "Damping – off’. Thin sowing and drenching with 150 g of Bavistin in 100 litres of water will control the disease.
Plant protection
Pests
Cut worms
- Apply chlorpyriphos 2 ml/lit in the collar region during evening hours for the control of common cutworm - Agrotis segetum.
Aphids
- The incidence is severe during autumn season. Installation of yellow sticky trap at 12 no/ha to monitor “macropterous” adults. Spray neem oil 3 % or dimethoate 2 ml/lit with 0.5 ml Teepol/lit.
Diamond backmoth
- Growing mustard as intercrop as 20:1 ratio to attract diamond back moths for oviposition. To avoid the dispersal of the larvae, periodical spraying of mustard crop with insecticide is necessary.
- Installation of pheromone traps at 12/ha.
- Spraying of cartap hydrochloride 1 g/lit or Bacillus thuringiensis 2 g/lit at primordial stage (ETL 2 larvae/plant)
- Spraying of NSKE 5 % after primordial stage.
- Release of parasite Diadegma semiclausum at 50,000/ha, 60 days after planting.
Diseases
Club root
- Seed treatment at 10 g/ kg of seeds or soil application @ 2.5 kg/ha or seedling dip in solution of 5g/ litre with Pseudomonas fluorescens. Dipping the seedlings in Carbendazim solution (1 – 2 g/lit) for 2 minutes. Drench the soil around the seedlings in the main field with Carbendazim @ 1 g/lit of water. Follow crop rotation. Crucifers should be avoided for three years.
Leaf spots
- Spraying of Mancozeb at 2 g/lit or Carbendazim 1 g/lit.
Leaf Blight
- Spraying of Mancozeb @ 2.5 g/ litre.
Ring spot
- Spraying of Mancozeb 2 g/lit or Carbendzim 1 g/lit or Copper oxychloride 2.5 g/lit.
Downy mildew
- Spray combination of Metalaxyl + Mancozeb 2 g/lit 3 sprays at 10 days interval.
Black rot
- Dipping the seeds in 100 ppm Streptocycline for 30 minutes. Two sprays with 2 g/lit Copper oxychloride + Streptomycin 100 ppm after planting and head formation.
Harvesting and processing
- The harvesting may be done in two lots. Generally the early matured plants are harvested first, when the pods turn into brown colour. After harvesting it is piled up for curing. After 4 to 5 days it is turned up side down and allowed for further curing for 4 to 5 days. Then the pods are threshed with pliable sticks and shifted with hand sifters. Then the seeds are dried to 7% moisture content, cleaned and treated with Bavistin @ 2 g/ Kg of seed.
Figure 1. Cabbage pods
Designated diseases
- Black leg, Black rot and Soft rot.
Seed Yield
- The average seed yield varies from 500 to 650 kgs per hectare.
Seed standards
| Factors
|
Foundation
|
Certified
|
| Pure seed (minimum)
|
98%
|
98%
|
| Inert matter (maximum)
|
2%
|
2%
|
| Other crop seed (maximum) (no./kg)
|
5/kg
|
10/kg
|
| Total weed seed (maximum) (no./kg)
|
5/kg
|
10/kg
|
| Germination(minimum)
|
70%
|
70%
|
| Moisture (maximum) (normal container)
|
7%
|
7%
|
| For VP Container(maximum)
|
5%
|
5%
|
|
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