Get to understand Sclerotinia
In my initial 12 years of cabbage farming I never came across Sclerotinia. I had encountered it in beans before, but never cabbage.
Insight into the fresh produce sector
Occasionally I deviate from the norm and try to give readers some insight into the wider world of fresh produce.
Preventing blackleg in cabbage
Blackleg is a fungal disease that can be highly destructive. Fortunately, although there are no resistant varieties, it can be managed or prevented if you know how it spreads.
Fresh produce sector – looking forward
We’re into 2015. Time to haul out my crystal ball, give it a good shine and peer deep inside to see what lies in store for the year ahead.
Cabbage disease: black rot
Black rot (Xanthomonas campestris) is the most important cabbage disease. Thriving in warm, wet conditions, it is most active at 25°C to 30°C and therefore more of a problem in late summer.
Work with market agents for best results
Some farmers think they can achieve good results only by sending their fruit or vegetables to one of the big markets.
More sporadic cabbage pests
Before we start on cabbage diseases, there are still a few sporadic pests that we should look at. One is the cabbage webworm (Hellula undalis).
Consistency on the market floor
There’s a truism among market agents: ‘Product is power’. The more product and variety you have on your floor, the more buyers you can attract and the better you can do for your producers.
Sporadic, yet serious, cabbage pests
Several cabbage pests may be sporadic or seasonal. One of these is thrips.
Why all this wastage?
According to a 7 November Farmer’s Weekly news item, we throw away roughly one-third of all the food produced on the planet – about three billion tons – annually.
Dealing with aphids on brassicas
Aphids are a problem in two ways. Firstly, they cause physical damage when feeding on the crop.
Defeating the cabbage moth – biologically
Nearly everyone who has ever grown brassicas has had a problem with the diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella). Small wonder it is also called the ‘cabbage moth’.
Change and growth in the markets
The traditional route for a person entering the market agency business has seen the youngster working alongside an older person, receiving on-the-job training.
Kill the weed, not the cabbage
As soon as you have planted your cabbage crop, you should apply herbicide with insecticide to eliminate cutworms.
Leadership for markets
In his excellent book ,In the Driving Seat – Lessons in Leadership, Brand Pretorius quotes Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric: “Before you become a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”
Space cabbages correctly
Many factors play a role in the spacing of cabbage – the process is not quite as simple as you might imagine.
Playing with inflated prices
Some (but not all) market agents have been doing it for years, but that does not make it acceptable.
Nitrogen: the key to high cabbage yield
A shortage of nitrogen is the single most common reason for a cabbage crop not reaching its full yield potential. This applies equally to the quantity applied as to how to conserve it and maintain its correct level.
Fresh produce sector attracting more youth
Traditionally, the fresh produce sector has been lax in attracting youngsters into the fold. But this is changing, and it’s encouraging to see the developments in recruiting that have taken place in recent years.
How to plant cabbage correctly
Cabbage can be planted by hand or mechanically. For hand planting, the best tool is a home-made miniature hoe. This can be constructed by cutting up an old implement disc into wedges and welding a section of pipe to each as a handle.
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