Cabbage Crop Management
Vegetable Farming in South Africa
Crop Rotation
Rotate with legumes and other crops that fix nitrogen as cabbage is a heavy nitrogen user. Keep rotation to non-related crops to combat build-up of common pests.
Yield (tonnes per hectare)
Conservative: 30 tonnes
Average: 45 tonnes
Good: 65 to 80+ tonnes
Harvesting
Harvesting of cabbage for fresh sales is normally done by hand with a knife or sickle to keep from damaging the heads. When harvesting for processing it is done mechanically. When harvesting for storage the stem should be cut longer with more outer leaves left on for protection.
Storage
Storage is normally done at zero to one degree centigrade.
Pests and Diseases
For proper recommendations it advisable to get the advice from your area extension officer or your chemical company's advisor.
Pests
The most common pests found in cabbage are American bollworm, aphids, diamondback moth and cabbage webworm.
Diseases
The most common diseases are Blackleg, black rot, downy mildew, cubroot, soft rot and Sclerotinia rot.
By
Louise Brodie