This document provides information on sprouting broccoli. It begins by identifying its botanical name and family, and notes it originated in the Mediterranean region. It then discusses the plant's morphology, composition, uses, cultivation requirements including climate, soil, planting, harvesting, and diseases and pests. It lists several varieties and concludes with physiological disorders and their causes and controls. In summary, it is a comprehensive overview of sprouting broccoli covering its botanical characteristics, cultivation practices, and common issues.

2. INTRODUCTION
 Botanical name: Brassica oleracea var. italica
 Family : Brassicaceae(Crucifereae)
 Origin : Mediterranean region(Italy)
 Chromosome no. : 2n=2x=18
 Progenitor : Colewart
( Brassica oleracea var sylvestris)

3.  The word broccoli came from ‘brocco’ (a Italian
word means shoot)
 Sprouting broccoli is sometimes briefly called
broccoli.
 This is not so much popular vegetable in our
country. It is mostly cultivated in hilly regions of
Himachal Pradesh, Jammu Kashmir and Uttar
Pradesh and Nilgiri hills.

4. . Morphologically sprouting broccoli resembles
cauliflower.
 The plant forms a kind of head consisting of green
buds and thick fleshy stalks, stalks generally longer
than cauliflower.
 Edible part is terminal head but sometimes sprouts
also (which develop in the axil of leaves).

5. Composition (Per 100g edible
portion) Water : 89.9%
 Carbohydrate : 5.5%
 Protein : 3.3%
 Fat : 0.2%
 Energy : 37cal
 Vitamin A : 9000 IU
 Vitamin B : 33 IU
 Vitamin E : 137 IU
 Ca : 1.29%
 P : 0.79%
 K : 3.5%
 S : 1.26%
 Fe : 205ppm
 I : 1.965ppm
 Cu : 24ppm

6. Uses
 Both heads and fleshy stems are eaten as
salad or cooked as single or mixed
vegetables with potato.
 It has 130 times more vitamin A than
cauliflower and 22 more than cabbage.
 It has anticarcinogenic property. It is a rich
source of sulphoraphane a compound
associated with reducing the risk of cancer.
 It is also beneficial in heart disease
 It is used to prepare salad, soup, curry, pie,
cassarole etc.
 Boiling more than 10 minutes reduces its
nutritional content.

7. CULTIVARS
 There are green, white, purple coloured cultivars but only
green types are generally grown.
 Early(Matures in 60-70 days)-
1. De Cicco
2. Green Bud
3. Sparten Early
4. Waltham 29
5. Green Mountain
6. Coastal
7. Atlantic
8. Palam Samridhi
9. Pusa KTS-1

8.  Mid- (In 90-110 days)
 Green Sprouting Medium
 Late- (In 110-120 days)
 Green Sprouting Late
 F1 Hybrids by private sector-
 Southern Comet
 Premium Crop
 Clipper
 Laser
 Corsair
 Stiff
 Emerald Corona
 Green Surf (late)
 Excalibur
 Late Corona

9. CLIMATE
 It is sensitive to temp. and warm weather
causes small thin leaves and loose heads
 The opt. temp. for growth is 20º to 30 ºC
for early and 5 to 10º C for late types.
 Optimum temp. for heading is 15-20º C
 Some var. are tolerant to frost but annual
types are sensitive.

10. SOIL
 Sandy to sandy loam soil is good with 6 to
6.8 soil pH.
 Water stagnation is problem so heavy soil
should be avoided.
 Soil should be fertile with good moisture
content.

11. LAND
PREPARATION
 The land should be thoroughly prepared by ploughing
3-4 times and make it friable.
 It should be levelled properly before making small
beds for planting the crop.
 Generally beds of 3x3 or 4x4m size are prepared for
transplanting the seedlings.
 Land is prepared about one month before sowing and
15-20 tons of well rotted FYM per ha should be
incorporated in soil.

12. Flowers
Pods Seeds

13. SOWING
 The sowing time is September to mid
November in north India.
 Both direct sowing and transplanting
methods are used.
 In direct sowing 2 to 2.5 kg. seed per ha is
needed and for transplanting, seed rate is
500 to 600 g/ha.

14. TRANSPLANTING
 3 to 4 weeks old seedlings are used for
transplanting.
 The general spacing is 60x45cm.
 In direct sowing method thinning is
essential after 15 to 20 days of sowing.

16. Fertilizers application
 60 – 80 kg. N, 60 – 80 kg. P, 40 – 60 kg. K are
recommended for one ha area.
 Half dose of N with full dose of P and K is
applied as basal dose.
 Rest half N is top dressed in two split doses,
first after 30 – 35 days of transplanting and
second after head formation.
 Sometimes B and Mo are also recommended

17. Irrigation
 Frequent irrigation at 10-15 days
interval are given depending upon
weather condition.

18. Interculture
 It is a shallow rooted crop so hoeing in
the early stage is needed and should
not be done beyond 5-6cm near to
plant.
 A light earthing up at final hoeing is
beneficial.
 Pre planting sprays of Basalin@2kg
a.i./ha followed by 2 hoeing control
weeds effectively.

19. Harvesting
 Central head is harvested before the
buds open and bud clusters are compact.
 The head may be 15 – 25 cm. in dia
and 250 – 600 gm. In weight
 The heads are cutoff with about 15 cm.
of the stem attached and after cutting
the part of foliage is removed from the
harvested shoots

20.  Early- 50 – 60 q/ha
 Late -100 – 150 q/ha
 Average- 75 -100q/ha

21. Post harvest handling
 After harvesting heads are kept in dark
place for sometime otherwise they
become yellowish
 Yellowing can be checked by storing in
O2 free chamber or aplication of BA @ 10
ppm or 2,4,5-T @ 2-4 ppm 3-4 days
before harvesting.

22. • Heads can be stored at 32º F with 80–85 % RH
for 8-10 days.

23. Diseases
DISEASE SYMPTOMS CONTROL
1. Damping off
(Pythium, Phytophthora,
Rhizoctonia spp.)
Germinated seed killed or
seedlings topple down due
to collar rotting
i. Seed teeatment with
Thiram or Captan@ 3g/kg
seed
ii. Spray 0.2% Dithane M-
45
iii. Soil sterilization
2. Downy Mildew
(Pernospora parasitica)
Fluffy downy growth on
lower surface and purplish
or yellow brown spots on
upper surface of leaves
i. Seed treatment in hot
water at 50⁰C for 30 min.
ii. Spray 0.3% Dithane M-45
or Ridomil-72
3.Yellowing
(Fusarium oxysporum
fsp. coglutinans)
Yellowing of leaves starting
from lower leaves leading
upward fast
i. Seed treatment
ii. 0.2% Carbendazim or
Benlate

24. DISEASE SYMPTOMS CONTROL
4. Club root
(Plasmodiophora
brassicae)
Swelling of roots causes
club shaped rootlets
i. Drenchimg of seed beds
with 1% formeldehyde
ii. Liming to correct soil pH
as it is more in acidic soils
5. Black leg
(Phoma lingam)
Seedlings topple over due to
distortion of vascular bundle
and root system
i. Seed treatment
ii. Hot water treatment
iii. Spray 0.2% Dithane M-45
6. Black rot
(Xanthomonas
campestris)
V shaped lesions with
brown veins on leaf
i. Hot water seed treatment
ii. Seedling treatment with
0.01% Streptocycline
iii. Spray 0.01%
Streptocycline
7. Soft rot
(Erwinia carotovora)
Water soaked patches on
head which later turn dark
brown
As black rot

25. Downy mildew

26. Black leg

29. INSECT SYMPTOMS CONTROL
1. Cabbage butterfly
(Pieris brassicae)
Bluish green caterpillars feed on
leaves starting from margin to
centre
i. Grow paired mustard rows
after every 25 row of crop
ii. Spray 0.03% Fenvelerate
or Cypermethrin
2. Cut worm
(Agrotis ipsilon)
Caterpillars cut down the young
seedlings just above the ground
level
i. Clean cultivation
ii. Destruction of big soil
clods
iii. Soil application of Aldrin
@ 20 kg/ha
3. Cabbage aphids
(Brevicoryne brassicae)
Nymphs and adults suck the sap
from leaves and causes sooty
mould
Spray 0.03% Dimethoate or
0.05% Methyl demeton
Insects pests

30. INSECT SYMPTOMS CONTROL
4. Diamond back moth
(Plutella xylostella)
1cm long greenish caterpillars
feed on the lower side of leaves
producing whitish patches and
make holes
As cabbage butterfly
5. Cabbage flea beetle
(Phylloterata cruciferae)
Grub feed on tender roots and
adult is bluish green, 1.5-2cm
long and make small round
holes in leaves & stem
Spray 0.2% Carbaryl

31. Cabbage butterfly

33. Physiological disorders
DISORDER CAUSES CONTROL
1. Browning/ Red Rot/
Brown Rot
(water soaked lesions on
leaf & head which later
turn rusty brown)
B deficiency i. Soil application of
Borax @ 10-15 kg/ha
ii. Spray of 0.25-0.5 %
solution of Borax
2. Whiptail
(Plants become chloratic
later leaves may be
strap like)
Mo deficiency i. 1.5 kg Sodium or
Ammonium
molybdate/ha
ii. Spray 0.1%
Ammonium molybdate
3. Blindness
(head not formed due to
damage to terminal
bud)
• Low temp.
• Mechanical injury of
terminal bud
• Insect injury such as
Cutworm
i. Careful handling of
plants
ii. Avoid exposure of
plant to very low
temp.

34. DISORDER CAUSES CONTROL
4. Riceyness
(velvety or granual
appearance on surface
of head)
• Higher or lower temp.
then the optimum
• Poor seed stock
i. Selection of proper
variety and
transplanting at right
time.
ii. Use good seed stock.
5. Hollow Stem
(water soaked and
diccoloured tissue)
• B deficiency
• Higher N
i. Spray 0.25-5 % Borax
ii. Reduce fertilizer dose
and closer spacing.