Cultivation Techniques and Pest and Disease Control Methods for Cauliflower and Broccoli

Zhaoguan Village Committee is located on the southwestern edge of our town and is a semi-mountainous village committee; Baichigu is located on the western side of our town and is a mountainous village committee. Large-scale vegetable cultivation in both village committees is mainly concentrated in the autumn and winter seasons, mainly cauliflower and broccoli. My guidance work is mainly focused on the prevention and control of pests and diseases of cauliflower and broccoli, with other vegetable crops secondary.

I. Selecting suitable varieties

Broccoli varieties include Sparta, Huixing, Yelü, and Qianghan; cauliflower varieties include 399-2, Xuehua 90, Xuelei No. 4, and TianShi.

II. Prevention and control of clubroot

At transplanting, use 75% chlorothalonil plus 40% quintozene, dilute with water and apply as a drench at transplanting, using 1 kg of chlorothalonil and 1 kg of quintozene per mu. During cultivation, care should be taken not to squeeze the base of the stem too hard with the hands, and soil should not cover the growing point of the seedling.

III. Fertilization techniques

Adopt the fertilization method of promoting early, controlling in the middle, and supplementing later.

For the first fertilization, apply immediately after planting by diluting with water; water-soluble fertilizer is best, using 5-8 kg of ammonium nitrate or urea per mu.

For the second topdressing, 15 days after transplanting, use 10-15 kg of urea or ammonium nitrate per mu plus 4 kg of boron fertilizer, diluted with water and applied.

For the third topdressing, 25 days after transplanting, use 50-60 kg per mu of compound fertilizer 15:15:15 or 18:6:24, applying it in holes, then water after application.

For the fourth topdressing, during the curd formation stage, use 50-60 kg per mu of compound fertilizer 30:0:5. Fertilizer amount can also be determined and applied according to seedling condition.

IV. Main pests and diseases

The main diseases include black rot, black spot, downy mildew, and gray mold.

1. Black rot is a bacterial disease. Use 72% agricultural streptomycin or kasugamycin, or copper hydroxide, plus 75% chlorothalonil, diluted with water and sprayed for control, once every 7-10 days for 2-3 consecutive applications.

2. Black spot: in the early stage of disease, use 75% chlorothalonil wettable powder at 500 times dilution or 50% iprodione wettable powder at 1500 times dilution, or propineb at 100 g per mu, diluted with water and sprayed for control, once every 10 days for 2-3 consecutive applications.

3. Downy mildew: in the early stage of disease, use 72% ShuangKang wettable powder at 800 times dilution or 58% metalaxyl mancozeb at 500 times dilution, or 70% mancozeb at 500 times dilution and other agents for spray control; 60% propineb cymoxanil tebuconazole and other agents can also be used for control.

Main pests:

1. Aphids: use 30% omethoate emulsifiable concentrate, 70% imidacloprid, 10% Jinhaonian.

2. Diamondback moth and beet armyworm: use 3-5% abamectin at 50-70 mL per mu plus 70 mL dichlorvos, diluted with 45 kg water and sprayed for control; 8000-mesh Bacillus thuringiensis at 75 g per mu diluted with 45 kg water, or 5.7% emamectin benzoate at 30 g per mu diluted with 45 kg water and sprayed for control; 1% sophora flavescens and neem extract at 50 mL diluted with 20 kg water and sprayed for control.

3. Cabbage caterpillar: use Yinnong No. 2 (2.5% emamectin benzoate), 5.7% emamectin benzoate at 30 g per mu, and Helicoverpa armigera nucleopolyhedrovirus at 1000 times dilution.

4. Root maggot: use 48% chlorpyrifos, 15 mL diluted with 25 kg water and applied as a drench, or phoxim diluted with water and applied as a drench.