Cauliflower is grown in almost every part of the world. This is used in the form of vegetable, soup, and pickles. This is a good source of vitamin B & protein. Cauliflower grows well in the temperate & humid environment. Its flowers boom well if the daylight time is small.
If the temperature goes high at the time of preparation of curd, it becomes yellow & discolored. Early varieties required high temperature and long daylight to perform well. In India cauliflower is grown between the months of Sept-Dec.
Land and Its Preparation
The soli which have the pH value of 6-7 is considered well for the cultivation of cauliflower. For early varieties the best soil id sandy loam with good drainage facility and for late varieties the clay soils with good drainage facilities are excellent. The soils which are rich in organic content are best for the cultivation the cauliflower. For land preparation its better to irrigate the field for softening, plow the field two times with the MB plow and at final stage plow the field using cultivator. The soil should we well tilth before transplanting of the plants.
Improved Varieties:-
There is a number of companies which are involved in the production, processing, and marketing of the cauliflower seeds. Some of the good companies are Seminis Seeds, East West Seeds, Golden Seeds etc.
Early Varieties- East-West cauliflower Dhaval, Seminis Cauliflower Hermon, and East-West cauliflower Kritika are some of the early varieties.
Late Varieties- Seminis Cauliflower Giewont, East Westcauliflower Nilima are some of the late varieties.
Seed Rate-
Early Varieties – 500- 600 gm of cauliflower seed is enough for early varieties
Late Varieties- 300-400 gm seed is enough for the growing of late varieties
Nursery- The seed of the cauliflower is very small and it should be grown carefully for better germination. Beds for the nursery should be around one meter wide. Length of the beds can be kept as per convenience. Ridge beds should be around 15 cms above the ground level.
Fertilizer and Manure- The cauliflower requires a comparatively high dosage of fertilizers and manures for the good growth. 5-6 MT of well rotten FYM is suggested to apply per acre in the field. 120:60:60 Kg of the NPK is required for the growing of one-acre cauliflower
Irrigation- The plants to be irrigated immediately after transplanting. Second irrigation to be given after three days. Later all the irrigations can be given on the interval of 7-8 days depending on the temperature & water retention capacity of the soil.
Weed control- weed control is important for the growth of any crop. Weeds compete with the main crop for the water, nutrition and sunlight and affect the main crop very adversely. The weeds can be controlled using manual intercultural operations or using a selective herbicide called Basalin.
Pest & disease- Cauliflower is sensitive to a variety of pest and disease. DBM, Aphid, and semiloopers are the pest which attacks the flowers and leaves of the cauliflower. Damping off, Blight, Stem rot etc are the major disease which causes huge losses in the crop. Chemical control of the pest & disease is the most effective method to save the crop.
Markets- The crop can be harvested after its flower weight reaches the desired weight according to the variety and can be sold in the nearby vegetable market
