Cabbage Area Under Cultivation The major cabbage producing states are Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Bihar, Assam, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Botanical Name : Brassica oleracea var capitata Family : Cruciferae Plant Discription : It is a small, leafy biennial producing a compact globular mass of smooth or crincled leaves wrapped over each other known as head. The outer leaves are generally larger than the inner. The stem is short and stout. Plants flower generally after winter.
Centre of Origin : Mediterranean region Pollination system : Cross pollinated Chromosome no : 2n=18,36,72 Nutritional Levels: Moisture (%)
Protein (%)
Fat (%)
Mineral matter (%)
Fibre (%)
Carbohydrate (%)
Calories (K Cal)
91.9
1.8
0.1
0.6
1
4.6
27
Phosphorus (mg/100g)
Potassium (mg/100g)
Calcium (mg/100g)
Magnesium (mg/100g)
Iron (mg/100g)
Sodium (mg/100g)
Copper (mg/100g)
44
0
39
31
0.8
0
0.02
Manganese (mg/100g)
Zinc (mg/100g)
Sulphur (mg/100g)
Chlorine (mg/100g)
Molybdium (mg/100g)
Cromium (mg/100g)
0.18
0.3
0
0
0.078
0.005
Carotene (mg/100g)
Thiamine (mg/100g)
Riboflavin (mg/100g)
Niacin (mg/100g)
Vitamin C (mg/100g)
Choline (mg/100g)
Folic acid-Free (mg/100g)
120
0.06
0.09
0.4
124
120
13.3
Minerals
Vitamins
Folic acid- Total (mg/100g) 23
Cabbage Diseases Black Rot (Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris): This bacterial disease is common in areas having a warm and wet climate. Plants can be infected during any growth stage and the symptoms resemble nutritional deficiencies. Infected seedlings become yellow, drop lower leaves, and may die. Leaves may be affected on only one side of a seedling. Plants infected because of contaminated seed may not develop symptoms for many weeks. The classic symptom of black rot is caused by local infection that results when bacteria enter leaves through natural openings of leaf margins. The infected tissue turns pale green-yellow and then turns brown and dies. Affected areas are usually wedge- or V-shaped. These areas enlarge as the disease progresses, and severely affected leaves may drop off. The veins in infected leaves, stems, and roots sometimes become black. The heads of the infected plants remains small and its quality is reduced making it unfit for marketing. Control: An integrated approach is needed to manage black rot successfully. Use of black rot tolerant varieties is the best method to control the disease. Considerable reduction in disease has been observed when seeds are treated with Agrimycin-100 (100ppm) or Streptocycline (100 ppm). Planting should be done on raised beds to facilitate drainage. Cultivation in the fields where crucifers have been continuously grown during last 2 years should be avoided. Plants should be thoroughly inspected for black rot symptoms and the affected plants should be removed and destroyed.
Downy Mildew (Perenospora parasitica): The disease is very serious in nursery and it can also appear in field planting. High humidity, fog, drizzling rains, and heavy dew favour the disease development and spread. The first symptom observed are small, light green-yellow lesions on the upper leaf surface, later showing on the undersurface. The spots turn yellow as they enlarge. During periods of high humidity, a grayish white moldy growth is developed on the undersurface of the leaf. Later the leaf may become papery and die. Cabbage heads develop sunken black spots. Though, some plants are infected at the seedling stage, the symptoms does not become apparent until near harvest. Control: All the weeds serving as alternate host to the fungus should be destroyed. The crop should be irrigated judiciously to avoid periods of high humidity. Spraying the seedlings in the nursery beds with Copper Oxychloride (0.3%) is effective in controlling the disease. The first spray should be given as soon as the seedlings appear. Subsequent sprayings are given at weekly intervals until the plants are transplanted in the field. For controlling the disease in the field, the crop is sprayed with Copper Oxychloride (0.5%).
Wire Stem (Rhizoctonia solani): This disease is more serious in nursery beds. The affected young seedlings show reddish brown discolouration of the stem near the ground level. This area gets constricted and the plants bent or twist without breaking. In some cases, the seedling continues to grow even though the lesion girdles the stem. The lesion is quite sunken, and the stem resembles a wire, hence the name 'wirestem'. The girdled seedling eventually dies. Cool, cloudy weather, high humidity, wet and compact soil, and overcrowding especially favours development of the disease. Control: Soil used for preparing raised beds should be well- drained. Excessive irrigation should be avoided to reduce humidity around the plants. The seedlings in the seedbed should be adequately spaced to allow maximum air movement. While transplanting, the seedlings showing symptoms of 'wirestem' disease should be discarded. Preventive measures such as seed treatment with antagonist fungal culture of Trichoderma viride (3-4 g/kg of seed) or Thiram (2-3 g/kg of seed) are effective. Soil around the affected seedling should be drenched with Dithane M 45 (0.2%) or Bavistin (0.1%) to control the spread of the disease.
Leaf Spot and Blight (Alternaria brassicae and A. brassiciola): It is a destructive disease on seed crop. Older leaves are more susceptible. The initial symptoms are in the form of small dark yellow spots on the leaf surface. Later on the spots enlarge to circular areas with concentric rings and possibly surrounded by yellow halos. In severe cases, the entire plant defoliates. Violets to tan spots develop on infected cabbage seed pods which intensifies in wet weather. Control: Use of disease free seeds, practicing proper crop rotation and seed treatment with hot O water (50 C for 30 minutes) helps to minimize the disease incidence. Crops grown for seed purpose should be sprayed at full bloom, pod set and pre- harvest stage with Captan (0.2%) or Copper Oxychloride (0.5%) for the control of disease.
Yellows or Fusarium Wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp conglutinans): The disease affects the seedlings in nursery stage, however plants exhibit symptoms 2 to 4 weeks after transplanting. Disease development is promoted by warm weather conditions. Initial symptom appears as the development of yellowish green colour on one side of the plant. A lateral warping or curling of the stem and leaves occurs. The lower part of the leaf blade adjoining the petiole or midrib wilts and dies. The lower leaves turn yellow and later the upper leaves are affected. With time, the yellow leaves turn brown and the affected tissue becomes dry and brittle. The speed of progress of disease in the plant depends upon the degree of varietal susceptibility and the soil temperature. Control: The conventional controls such as rotation, seed treatment, fungicide sprays, and destruction of crop refuse are of little value once the fungus has established itself on a farm or in a specific field. Therefore, the use of resistant varieties is the only control. However, as a preventive measure the vulnerable stage of the young seedlings to the infection can be avoided by very early sowing of cabbage.
Black Leg (Phoma lingum): This disease generally does not reduce seed crop yields; however, low levels of seed infection coupled with weather favorable for disease spread in seedbeds can lead to severe losses after transplanting. Pale, irregular spots develop on leaves, which later become ashy gray with scattered black dots on the surface. Stem lesions are elongated with purple borders near the ground level and extend below the soil surface, causing a black rot of lower stem and roots. Severely affected plants remain stunted and finally wilt. As plants mature, they fall sideways from lack of root anchorage. Seed crop symptoms include occasional cankers on stem bases and spots may appear on Black Leg overwintered leaves. Symptoms on seed pods are rare and inconspicuous. Infection can spread to the base of leaves of cabbage heads in storage. Control: Disease free seeds should be used for planting. As the main infection is through seeds, hot water treatment of seeds is recommended. For seed production plots, seed stock used should be free from fungal pathogen. Cultivation in the fields where crucifers have been continuously grown during last 2 years should be avoided. Seedbeds and seed plots should be regularly inspected for obvious foliar infections. Seedlings before transplanting should not be dipped in water. Plant debris and disease susceptible weeds should be removed and destroyed.
Clubroot of Cabbage (Plasmodiophora brassicae): Cool, wet and acidic soils favours the development and spread of the disease. Roots develop clubs (swellings) that can be 12-15cm wide. The largest clubs are usually on the larger roots just below the soil surface. Affected seedlings do not show any root swellings until about 3 weeks after infection. Infection in the nursery stage results in the death of seedlings. When plants are attacked at a later stage, the disease rarely kills the plant, but the capacity of the Club root affected roots to absorb minerals and water gets reduced. Plants wilt in hot weather but partly recover at night. Finally leaves become stunted, yellowish and prematurely bolt in hot weather. Control: Early infection of seedlings can be destructive, so it is important to use only uninfected seedbeds and clean equipment. Long rotations (6 years or longer) help prevent a pathogen buildup and reduce disease incidence. When susceptible varieties are grown in acidic soils, finely ground limestone is thoroughly mixed into the soil six weeks before planting to raise the soil pH above 7.0. Lime inhibits disease development, but will not prevent a disease outbreak if the spore load in the soil is sufficiently high. The quantity of lime is determined by initially measuring the pH of the soil.
Sclerotinia rot/ White Mould (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum): This fungus can cause serious losses in the field, in storage, and under transit and market conditions. Generally, damp weather favours the occurrence of the disease. Infections may occur on the stem at the ground level, on the leaves at their bases, or where the foliage comes in contact with the soil. The infections begin as water-soaked, circular areas, which soon become covered by white, cottony fungal growth. The affected tissue becomes soft and watery as the disease progresses. The fungus eventually colonizes the entire cabbage head and produces large, black, seedlike structures called sclerotia on the diseased tissue. Control: The disease can be managed most successfully by combining cultural practices that discourage disease development. Planting cabbage in fields that are surrounded by dense woods will restrict air circulation and subsequently delay drying. Rows should be planted in the direction of the prevailing winds to promote free flow of air movement within the plants. Fields with a history of white mold should be planted with non-susceptible crops such as grains (corn, rye, wheat, etc.). Cabbage and other susceptible crops (cauliflower, beans, peas, etc.) should not be planted in fields where white mold has become a problem because continuous cropping of susceptible crops will result in a buildup of the fungus in the soil and increased disease incidence. Mechanical injuries to cabbage heads during harvesting operations should be avoided.
Damping off (Pythium debaryanum): The disease causes severe damage in the nursery. Cool, cloudy weather, high humidity, wet soils, compacted soil, and overcrowding especially favor development of damping-off. Damping-off kills seedlings before or soon after they emerge. Infection before seedling emergence results in poor germination. If the decay is after seedlings emergence, they fall over or die which is referred to as "damp-off." The destructiveness of the disease depends on the amount of pathogen in the soil and on environmental conditions. Seedlings that emerge develop a lesion near where the tender stem contacts the soil surface. The tissues beneath the lesion become soft due to which the seedlings collapse. Control: In the nursery, soil used for preparing raised beds should be well- drained. Excessive irrigation should be avoided to reduce humidity around the plants. Seed treatment with antagonist fungal culture of Trichoderma viride (3-4 g/kg of seed) or Thiram (2-3 g/kg of seed) and soil drenching with Dithane M 45 (0.2%) or Bavistin (0.1%) affords protection against the disease. The nursery should be regularly inspected for the disease affected seedlings. Such seedlings should be removed and destroyed.
Cabbage Harvesting Cabbage is ready for harvest at 90-120 days after planting. Cabbage should be harvested promptly when the heads are firm and mature. Delaying harvest, even a few days beyond maturity can result in split heads and increased incidence of field disease. Harvesting immature heads, however, reduces yield, and the heads are too soft to resist handling damage. Immature heads also have a shorter shelf life than mature heads. The head is harvested by bending it to one side and cutting it with a knife. The stalk should be cut flat and as close to the head as possible, yet long enough to retain two to four wrapper leaves. Extra leaves act as cushions during handling and may be desired in certain markets. The head should not be removed by snapping or twisting it since this practice damages the head and results in inconsistent stalk length. Broken stalks are also more susceptible to decay. As the heads are not ready for harvest at the same time, therefore they are harvested in stages based on the maturity of the heads. Harvested produce should always be stored in shade before packing.
Yield Yield of the cabbage varies greatly depending upon variety, maturity group and season of cultivation. Average yield obtained from early varieties is 25-30 t/ha and that of late type is 40-60 t/ha.
Cabbage Intercultural Operations Normally, the crop is kept free of weeds by 2-3 hand weedings and 1-2 hoeings. Pre-emergence application of Fluchloralin (1-2 litres a.i. in 600-700 litres of water) or Nitrofen (2kg a.i./ha) followed by a hand weeding 60 days after transplanting effectively checks the weed population. If necessary, earthing up is done 30 days after transplanting. At the time of earthing up the plants are supported with soil to avoid toppling of the plant during head formation.
Cabbage Irrigation First irrigation is given just after transplanting of seedlings and subsequent irritations are given at an interval of 10-15 days depending upon the season and soil conditions. Care should be taken to avoid water stress from the time of head formation to the head maturity period. At the time of crop maturity, irrigation should be avoided as excess irrigation at this stage causes splitting of heads.
Cabbage Manuring & Fertilization The fertilizer dose depends upon the fertility of soil and amount of organic manure applied to the crop. For a good yield, 15-20 tonnes of well-decomposed FYM is incorporated into the soil about 4 weeks before transplanting. Generally, application of 80-120 kg N, 60-100kg P2O5 and 60-120 kg K2O is recommended for optimum yield. Half the dose of N and entire amount of P and K is given at the time of transplanting. The balance N is given six weeks after transplanting or at the time of earthing up.
Cabbage Pests Cabbage Diamondback Moth (DBM) (Plutella xylostella): It is one of the most serious pests of cabbage grown under comparatively high temperature conditions. The DBM derives its name from the white markings along the back of the forewings which when folded form a diamond shaped pattern. The caterpillars are green or brownish green in colour. The adult female lays eggs on the leaves either singly or in groups. Small slender green caterpillars on emergence feed on the leaf epidermis and later make holes in the leaves. Severely affected leaves are completely skletonised. Pupation takes place in a loose mesh of silken cocoon spun by the caterpillar. Control: Spraying the crop with Malathion (0.1%) or Profenofos (0.25-0.5 kg a.i./ha) gives excellent control of the larvae. Intercropping mustard in the cabbage crop 15 days prior to sowing and 25 days after planting cabbage was effective. As the pest preferred mustard, major pest population is attracted towards it, which can be destroyed by spraying the crop with Dichlorvos (1 ml/ litre of water).
Leaf Webber (Crocidolomia binotalis): It is one of the most destructive pests of cabbage. Eggs are laid in clusters on the undersurface of the leaves and held together by gelatinous glue. Green caterpillars web up the leaves and live inside the knotted mass. Flowering and pod formation is adversely affected. Control: Removal and destruction of webbed bunches of leaf help to check the further spread of the disease. Dusting the crop with Carbaryl (4%) or spraying with Malathion (0.05%) is effective.
Cabbage Borer (Hellula undalis): The adult female lays eggs on the growing point or on the older leaves. The pale-whitish caterpillars mine the foliage, feed on the shoots and finally bore into the stem. As a result the infested plants are killed or produce side shoots, which do not form heads. Control: Spraying the crop with Malathion (0.1%) or dusting 4% Carbaryl gives excellent control of the larvae.
Cabbage Butterfly (Pieris brassicae): The larvae of the pest after hatching from the eggs feed gregariously on the foliage and burrow into the heads. In case of severe cases the heads become completely unfit for marketing. Control: The caterpillars should be hand picked and destroyed. Spraying the crop upon the emergence of the pest with Malathion (0.1%) or dusting Carbaryl (0.15%) gives excellent control of the pest.
Aphids (Brevicoryne brassicae, Myzus persicae, Lipaphis erysimi): Yellowish green nymphs and adults suck cell sap and devitalize plants. Affected parts become discolored and malformed. High humidity favours rapid multiplication of this pest. The aphids are mostly observed on the lower surface of the leaves. Control: Spraying of Monocrotophos (0.05%) or Malathion (0.1%) at 10-15 days interval contains aphid population effectively. To prevent recurrence of the pest granular insecticides like Phorate @ 1.0 kg a.i./ha should be applied to soil.
Cabbage Post Harvest Technology Grading : Damaged or diseased wrapper leaves should be removed during grading. Heads with insect damage and other defects should be discarded.
Packaging : Normally the produce is sent to the market loose or sometimes it is packed in gunny bags. However, it is advisable to pack it in bamboo or wooden baskets to reduce damage in transit.
Storage : After harvesting and grading the heads are immediately dispatched to nearby markets. Cabbage should be handled carefully from field to storage and only solid heads with no yellowing, decay or mechanical injuries should be stored. Before storage all the loose leaves should be trimmed away leaving heads with 3-6 tight wrapper leaves. For storage upto 3-6 weeks, the O optimum temperature of storing early harvested crop is 0 C with a relative humidity of 98% while the late harvested crop is stored at 0OC with 95% relative humidity. Late cabbage can be stored for O 7-8 months at controlled atmosphere at 0 C with 2.5-3% O2 and 5% CO2.
Transport In India, the heads are sent to the market either by road or rail.
Cool Chain : Cool chain is essential during the transport of export quality commodity all the way from the farm to the customer. This helps in maintaining the temperature inside the box at the same low level as in the cold storage. The various stages of the cool chain are: 1. Coldstore at the farm. 2. Refrigerated truck from farm to the airport 3. Coldstore at the airport. 4. Building up of the pallet in a coldstore at the airport. 5. Loading the aircrafts directly from the coldstore in a short time. 6. Cargo aircraft maintains coldstore temperature in hold. 7. Off loading direct into a coldstore in the receiving country. 8. Refrigerated truck to the customers.
Cabbage Planting Land Preparation : The field is ploughed to fine tilth by giving four to five ploughing with a sufficient interval between two ploughing. Planking should be done for proper levelling. The transplanting is done on the flat land, ridges or in furrows depending on climate and soil conditions. For early planting, ridge method is suitable especially in areas where the rains occur at the time of planting. In saline soils, planting in furrows and in dry areas transplanting on flat beds is recommended.
Spacing : The planting distance may vary according to variety, planting season and soil conditions. The following distances are generally recommended on the basis of maturity of varieties: Maturity
Recommended spacing (cm)
Early
45 x 45 or 60 x 30
Mid
60 x 45
Late
60 x 60 or 75 x 60
Method of Planting Transplanting should be done preferably in the morning or late evening. Before transplanting, the roots of the seedlings are dipped in a solution of Bavistin (2g/litre of water). Irrigation should be given immediately after transplanting. In some parts of the country, beds are first irrigated and then the seedlings are transplanted.
Cabbage Propagation Nursery Bed Preparation : The seeds are generally sown in a seed bed and 4-6 week old seedlings are transplanting to the field. Cabbage seeds are sown on nursery beds to raise seedlings for transplanting in the field. Raised beds of size 3 x 0.6 m and 10-15 cm in height are prepared. About 70cm distance is kept between two beds to carry out intercultural operations such as watering, weeding, etc. The surface of beds should be 2 smooth and well levelled. Well-decomposed FYM @ 2-3 kg/m is added at the time of bed preparation. Raised beds are necessary to avoid problem of water logging in heavy soils. To avoid mortality of seedlings due to damping off, drenching of the beds with Bavistin (15-20g/10 litres of water) is effective.
Season of Planting : Sowing time depends upon the variety and the agro-climatic conditions prevailing in a particular region. Early cabbage is sown during July-November in plains and April-August in hills, as these require a longer period for their head formation.
Raising of Seedlings : About 300-500g of seed are sufficient for raising nursery required to plant one hectare. Prior to sowing seeds are treated with fungal culture of Trichoderma viride (4 g/ kg of seed) or Thiram (3g/ kg of seed) to avoid damage from damping-off disease. Sowing should be done thinly in lines spaced at 5-7 cm distance. Seeds are sown at a depth of 1-2 cm and covered with a fine layer of soil followed by light watering by water can. The beds should then be covered with dry straw or grass or sugarcane leaves to maintain required temperature and moisture. The watering should be done by water can as per the need till germination is completed. The cover of dry straw or grass is removed immediately after emergence of seed sprout. If there is over crowding of seedling due to thick sowing, the extra seedlings should be thinned out The seedlings should be transplanted within 4-6 weeks of sowing. Older seedlings when transplanted result in poor growth and yield.
Cabbage Soil & Climate Soil : Cultivation of cabbage is done mainly on sandy to heavy soils rich in organic matter. Early crops prefer light soil while late crops thrive better on heavier soils due to retention of moisture. On heavy soils, plants grow more slowly and the keeping quality is improved. A pH range of 6.0-6.5 is considered as optimum for growing cabbage. Plants growing in saline soils are prone to diseases.
Climate : In India, cabbage is grown in large areas having a cool and moist climate. A temperature range of 15O 21 C is considered as optimum for growth and head formation of the crop. The intensity of flowering depends upon the age of the plants and the period for which they are exposed to low temperatures.
Cabbage Varieties Name of the variety/Type
Characteristics
Golden Acre
Early growing variety with small round heads, colour of the leaves is light green from outside and dark green from inside. Individual head weighing 1-1.5 kg, harvested within 60-65 days after transplanting. Late harvesting leads to heads cracking. Average yield is 20-24 t/ha.
Pride of India
Early growing variety medium-large head weighing 1-1.5 kg, harvested within 70-80 days after transplanting, Average yield is 20-28 t/ha.
Copenhagen Market
Late maturing variety, popular variety in West Bengal. Head is large in size weighing 2.5-3 kg each. harvested within 7580 days after transplanting,
Pusa Mukta
Heads flattish round, medium sized with light green outer leaves, weighing 1.5-2 kg each. Tolerant to black rot disease. Average yield is 25-30 t/ha.
Pusa Synthetic
Heads are medium in size, high yielding variety, Average yield is 35-46 t/ha.
Midseason Market
Mid season variety. Heads are round and weigh 2-4 kg. Harvested within 80-90 days after transplanting.
September Early
Mid season variety popular in the Nilgiris, head is compact, flat-oblong with bluish green foliage, weighing 4-6 kg. Harvested within 105-110 days after transplanting. It is susceptible to black rot disease. Average yield is 40-50 t/ha. This variety can be kept in the field after they are ready for harvest and do not show cracking.
Pusa Drumhead
Late season variety. The heads are large, flat, somewhat loose and drum shaped. Each head weighs 3-5 kg. Outer leaves are light green with prominent mid-rib. Requires long winter for a good crop, tolerant to black leg disease. Average yield is 50-54 t/ha.
Early Drum Head
Early maturing variety with heads flat, medium-large, weighing 2-3kg, Average yield is 20-30 t/ha.
Late Large Drum Head
Late maturing variety with heads compact, flat and equal in size. Harvested within 100-105 days after transplanting. Average yield is 20-30 t/ha.
K-1
Heads are large sized with inner leaves white in colour, tolerant to black rot disease, Average yield is 20-30 t/ha.