Original research article
Keeping of Mature Winter Cabbage in the Field
1998, 63 (4) p. 233-241
Abstract
Winter production (harvesting from December to April) of cabbage in the Mediterranean parts of Croatia involves sowing of varieties resistant to low temperature, and also of long vernalization stage. Greater damage to mature cabbage may be expected when air temperatures drop below -10°C. In introducing hybrid cabbage varieties for winter and early spring harvesting, their resistance to low temperature and ability for longer field keeping during maturity were estimated. Cabbage was kept in the Vrana Field (Vransko polje) near Biograd for two or more months. Changes in head weight and the number of its damaged wrapping leaves were monitored throughout five winter seasons: 1983/84 to 1987/88.
Three winter seasons were mild and the remaining two relatively cold. Mild winters had only one day and the cold ones more than ten days with the minimum air temperature lowest of -10°C at 5 cm above the soil. Average head weight at the beginning of maturity, except for one growing term, ranged between 1 and 2.2 kg, and decreased or increased in dependence on temperatures in winter and early spring as well as on the number of damaged head wrapping leaves.
In warmer harvest seasons, winter cabbage Hidena F 1 remained kept in the field for two to even four months. In some growing terms, the average head weight increased by 3% to 20% though the number of damaged head-wrapping leaves amounted to 5.2 to 10.3 per head at the end of the observation period. Cold winters, with more than ten days with the minimum air temperature lowest of -10°C at 5 cm above the soil, shorten the time that cabbage keeps in the field during the stage of its maturity. Greater frequency of such days in short period of time may lead to freezing of mature heads.
Keywords
winter cabbage, maturity, keeping in the field
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