Cabbage
Season and Field preparation
Soil
It is commonly cultivated in cool moist climate. It is grown as a winter crop in plains. It is grown in varied types of soils ranging from sandy loam to clay. It requires a pH ranging from 5.5 to 6.5 for higher production.
Season of sowing
Hills: The crop can be planted during January – February, July – August and September – October.
Plains: August – November is suitable season.
Seed rate
650 g/ha of seeds is required.
Nursery
About 100 sq.m nursery area is required for raising plants for one hectare area. Apply FYM at 300 kg, and 10 kg of No.5 mixture (9:9:9) along with 50 g of Sodium molybdate and 100 g of Borax. Sow the seeds at 10 cm between rows in raised seed beds after drenching it with Copper oxychloride (2.5 g/lit). Transplant 40 - 45 days old seedlings at a spacing of 45 cm. Avoid land infected with ‘club root disease’.
Protected nursery
Raise the seedlings in shade net house. A nursery area of 5 cents with a slanting slope of 2% is required for the production of seedlings for 1 ha. Cover the nursery area with 50 per cent shade net and the sides with 40/50 mesh insect proof nylon net. Form the raised beds of 1m width and convenient length inside the nursery and above the beds, the portrays are placed.
Protray
The Protrays of 98 cells are ideal for cabbage seedling production. Around 600 protrays are required for the production of 28.333 seedlings required for one hectare at spacing of 60x45x45 cm in three row planting
Growing medium
The sterilized cocopeat @ 720kg / ha is mixed with 10kg of neem cake and Azospirillum and Phosphobacteria each @ 1kg. About 1.25 kg of the cocopeat medium is required for each tray.
Seed treatment
250 g of hybrid cabbage seed is required for the production of seedlings for 1 ha. Treat the seeds in hot water @ 50C for 30 minutes. 25g of Azospirillum is required for the seed treatment of 250g cabbage seeds.
Sowing
Sow the seeds in protrays @ 1 seed per cell. Cover the seeds with cocopeat and keep the tray one over the other (8-10Nos) and covered with polythene sheet for 5 days or till germination starts. After 5 days when the seeds are germinated arrange the protrays on the raised beds inside the shade net nursery. Water the tray by rose can everyday (twice / day) upto seed germination. Drench with 19:19:19 + MN @ 0.5 % (5g/lit) solution using rose can or spray micro nutrient of 0.5 % at 18 days after sowing. The cabbage seedlings are ready for transplanting in 25 days
Preparation of field
Bring the soil to a fine tilth. Pits should be taken up at a spacing of 40 cm either way in Hills. Ridges and furrows are formed at 45 cm apart in plains.
Spacing
Hills : 40 x 40 cm
Plains : 45 x 30 cm
Hybrid : 60x 45x45cm in paired row system
Planting
30 – 40 days old seedlings are selected for planting. Hardening of seedlings is done by withholding irrigation 4 - 6 days prior to planting.
Irrigation
Provide continuous supply of moisture.
Drip irrigation
Install drip system with main and sub-main and place the inline laterals at the interval of 1.5. Place the drippers at the interval of 60 cm for 4 LPH or 50 cm for 3.5 LPH in the lateral system. Form the raised beds at 120 cm width at an interval of 30cm and place the laterals at the centre of each bed.
Application of fertilizers
Hills: Apply 30 t/ha FYM, 90 kg N, 90 kg P and 90 kg K as basal and 45:45:45 kg NPK/ha on 30 to 45 days after planting.
Plains: Apply 20 t/ha of FYM, 50 kg N, 125 kg P and 25 kg K/ha along with 2 kg Azospirillum as basal and 50 kg N after one month of planting and earth up.
Fertigation
Fertigation requirement for F1 hybrid: 200: 125:150 kg of NPK / ha. Apply once in three days throughout the cropping period.
After cultivation
Deep hoeing should be avoided, as the Cabbage roots are surface feeders.