(assica oleracea var. capitata)
is a hardy cool season annual vegetable. It behaves
like a biennial when grown for seed production. 'Head'
consisting of thick leaves overlapping tightly on growing
bud is the economic part. Glucoside 'sinigrin' is the
flavour principle in Cabbage. It belongs to the family
Pusa Drum Head, Golden Acre, Kaveri, Ganga, Sri Ganesh
and Pride of India.
Cabbage can be grown in high ranges during winter
season. Well-drained sandy loam to clay loam soil
is suited for this crop.
Since it is a cool season crop, sowing is done from
August-November. Seed rate is 500-750 g/ha. Seeds
are to be sown in nursery beds. Three to five weeks
old seedlings are used for transplanting. Field is
prepared by three or four ploughings. Seedlings are
transplanted at a spacing of 45 x 45 cm.
continuous supply of moisture is necessary for proper
development of heads.
shallow hoeing should be done to remove weeds and to make
the soil better aerated. In order to produce large heads,
earth up plants one month after transplanting.
Apply 25 t/ha FYM or compost. Fertilizer dose is N:P2O5:K2O
150:100:125 kg/ha. Apply full dose of P2O5 and half
dose of N and K2O before transplanting. Apply remaining
half dose one month after transplanting.
White butterfly, rootfly and aphids are major pests
of cabbage. Spraying malathion at 0.1 per cent will
control the damage. Diamond back moth is another major
pest. IPM involving a trap crop, release of a parasitoid
and application of neem seed kernel extract is recommended
by IIHR against this pest. Bold seeded Indian mustard
is the recommended trap crop. Spraying 4 per cent neem
seed kernel extract once every three weeks is recommended.
The parasitoid, Diadegma semiclausum may be released
10-15 days before or after neem seed kernel extract
spraying and the number of releases have to be decided
based on the degree of infestation.
Black rot, Club rot, Black leg and cabbage yellows are
the common diseases. Soaking the seeds in water at 50oC
for 25-30 minutes will kill the disease causing organisms.
Crop rotation involving a non-cruciferous vegetable,
ensuring good drainage, removal and destruction of affected
plants etc. are also suggested.
heads are harvested at full maturity and when they are
firm from December to April in the plains and in June-July
in Hills (summer crop). The entire plant is uprooted
and the heads separated.