Yield and quality of early cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata) in response to within-row plant spacing

Abstract

The plant spacing of early cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata) was studied at the Experimental Field of the Biotechnical Faculty in Ljubljana, during the 2001 and 2002 growing season. The cultivars, which included ‘Vestri’, ‘Parel’, ‘Delphi’, ‘Destiny’ and ‘Hermes’, were each spaced at 20, 30 and 40 cm within rows and 30 cm between rows or populations equivalent to 166,000, 108,000 and 82,000 plants ha-1. The experimental variables measured were marketable yield (per head and per hectare), yield characteristics (head diameter and head volume), quality characteristics (core volume, head density, soluble solids and dry matter) and onion thrips damage ratings. There was no interaction effect of cultivar and planting spacing on the measured variables. Marketable yield per head, head diameter and volume, core volume and head density generally increased as the within-row plant spacing increased, whereas, dry matter was significantly decreased at lower plant spacing. Soluble solids were not affected by plant spacing. The yield potential of cabbage was higher at cv. ‘Vestri’ than at the other cultivars. The onion thrips damage rating was severe at the lowest plant spacing and contributed to the reduced yield. A higher damage rating was established in the cv. ‘Parel’ but this didn't have a statistically significant influence on the weight loss of yield.