AGRICULTURAL INOCULANTS CORPORATION

“MICROBES AT WORK”

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CULTURAL PRACTICE FOR CRUCIFERS

Cabbage (Brassica oleracea capitata L.), Broccoli (Brassica oleracea italica L.)
and Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea botrytis L,)

A. Land and Seedling Preparation

1. Prepare the land thoroughly by plowing once and harrowing twice or thrice
using an animal-drawn implement or hand tractor with a rototiller. If the
weed growth is thick it is advisable to use a large tractor for plowing
followed by harrowing with a disc harrow attached to a large tractor.

2. Prepare the seedling plot measuring 1 meter wide x 10 meters long and about
20 to 25 cm high. Pulverize the soil within the plot well.

3. Broadcast 2 kg of organic fertilizer per sq.m. or a total of 20 kg for the whole

plot. Cover with a thin layer ( about 2 cm) of top soil.

4. Treat the seeds by soaking in a mixture of insecticide, preferably a

pyrethroid, and a 1% solution of foliar fertilizer. Use about 30,000 seeds
(this will be good for one hectare) and broadcast them evenly onto the
seedbed. Even and more uniform broadcast can be accomplished by mixing
the seeds with dry, very fine sand.

5. Cover the seeds with another thin layer (about 2 cm) of top soil and water
using a sprinkler.

6. To accelerate the growth of the seedlings and make them more robust spray
0.67% solution of foliar fertilizer mixed with 1% solution of ammosul (21-0-
0) at weekly intervals up to a week before uprooting them.

7. The seedlings will be ready for transplanting when they are about 35-40 days
old depending on the variety. The reason why we want the seedlings to be
older is because they are sturdier and more tolerant to stress.

B. Care and Management

1. Make elevated plots at least 1 meter wide and as long as needed. Construct
irrigation canals, 30 cm wide, in between the plots.
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2. Dig a hole on each hill and place about 50 grams of organic fertilizer. The
holes must at least be 30-40 apart in between the row as well as along the row.

3. Transplant one seedling on each hill preferably in the afternoon when the heat
of the sun is no longer intense. If transplanting is done early morning the
seedlings must be protected from the heat of the sun by covering them with
banana stalks. By experience the cover can be removed after 3 days. By then
the newly-planted seedlings are already growing and can already take the heat
of the sun.

4. Water the plants after transplanting. Make sure that the water has reached at
least 7-10 cm below the root zone of the plants.

5. Replace any seedlings that died within one week.

6. Spray 0.67% solution of foliar fertilizer ( 100 ml of the foliar fertilizer mixed
with 16 liters of water) at 7-day intervals until 45 days after transplanting
(DAT) or a total of 7 sprayings before they are harvested. If the plants look
they need nitrogen, mix with the foliar a 1% solution of urea (46-0-0) i.e. 160
grams of urea in 16 liters of water.

7. If necessary, side dress the crop with 5 grams of complete fertilizer (14-14-14)
per hill by placing the fertilizer at least 7 cm from each plant. This translates
to 2.5 bags (125 kg) of the fertilizer per hectare.

Important: For pests control especially diamond black moth (DBM) use a
pyrethroid insecticide e.g. S1812 or Success and spray at weekly intervals or as
often as needed depending on the economic threshold level (ETL) of the pest
which in this case is 1 pest per plant. Note: In using any pesticide be sure that it
is biodegradable and it is also advisable to mix it with the foliar application to
save on labor cost.

C. Harvesting

1. Harvest the crop at the right age of maturity. Normally for crucifers they are
harvested at about 60 days after transplanting or around 90 days from seeding.
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“MICROBES AT WORK”

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2. Cut at a point at least 10-15 cm below the base of the head. If the heads are
intended to be kept or stored longer it is advisable to make the cut longer or
lower than the length mentioned above.