1998 FRESH MARKET CABBAGE CULTIVAR EVALUATION

Kenneth Scaife, Frank Thayer, Sean Mueller

The Ohio State University

OARDC Vegetable Crops Branch

Fremont, OH 43420

Horticulture & Crop Science Series 688, December 1998

Disclaimer:

The use of named proprietary products in this report does not constitute endorsement by The Ohio State University or of its employees, nor is any discrimination against any other product implied. The information contained within this report is for educational purposes only.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page

Objectives

1

Methods

1

Discussion & Results

1

Table 1. Weather Data

2

Table 2. Head size and measurements

3

Table 3. Head and plant characteristics

4

Table 4. Other head and plant characteristics

5

Objective:
To evaluate performance and quality of commercially available cultivars for fresh market cabbage production in northern Ohio.

METHODS:
Twenty-seven cultivars or advanced breeding lines of cabbage were evaluated for yield and quality characteristics at the OARDC Vegetable Crops Branch near Fremont in Sandusky County.

Soil: Colwood fine sandy loam, 4% organic matter, pH=6.5, P=75 ppm, K=107 ppm, Ca=1770 ppm, Mg=274 ppm, CEC=13 meq/100g

Previous crop:1997 - wheat

Seedbed prep

Moldboard plowed April 7, field cultivator on May 12 to incorporate fertilizer and May 27 to incorporate herbicide;

Planting:Greenhouse grown transplants seeded May 4 into 288 deep plug trays, hardened off for 5 days prior to transplanting to field on June 8,

planted with carousel planter in 30 in. rows, 10 in. between plants

Plot Design: Each cultivar in a single row, 30 ft. long, 4 replicates, RCB design

Fertilizer: 206 lb/a 34-0-0, 475 lb/a 0-14-42 pre-plant broadcast, 3 gal/a 28% UAN side-dressed July 14. Nutrient equivalents in lb/acre: 79 N, 67 P2O5, 200 K2O

Weed Control: 0.5 pt/A Command 4E PPI, cultivated once, hoed once

Pest Control: Sevin XLR Plus on 6/27, Ammo on 7/7, 7/14, 7/30, Javelin (Bt) on 8/13, 9/5, Terranil 6L (chlorothalonil) and Champ 2F (copper hydroxide) on 6/27, 7/7, 7/14, 7/30, 8/13, 9/5

Irrigation: No irrigation water was applied since rainfall was adequate.

Evaluation: Ten heads from each treatment were harvested with 4 to 6 wrapper

Data collected: leaves when heads reached marketable size and firmness. Head measurements and characteristics were obtained from a representative sample of three heads per treatment. Plant characteristics were rated at harvest. Command injury was rated 3 weeks after transplanting.

DISCUSSION & RESULTS:
Near average temperature and rainfall in June resulted in quick establishment of transplants. Several cultivars showed injury due to Command herbicide (table 4). The Command injured plants grew out of this condition and produced marketable heads at harvest. Severe thunderstorms with hail, high winds, and heavy rainfall in July and August resulted in the spread of black rot and alternaria leaf spot, which was quite severe on several cultivars (see table 4 for black rot ratings). Rainfall was nearly 4 inches above normal in August and 2 inches below normal in September (table 1). Slightly cooler than average temperatures from July thru September allowed for good growth of cabbage in this trial. Some plants were damaged by standing water in one replicate during a three day rain event on August 4-7. The water damaged area was not used in this evaluation. Damage to cabbage by onion thrips was generally light and several cultivars had little injury (table 2). Many entries had a purplish speckled discoloration on surface leaf that covered the top of the heads. This defect was attributed to the application of copper hydroxide sprays, however this was not confirmed. The purple discoloration was noted as "copper burn" in table 4. Red Dynasty was especially sensative to the insecticide/fungicide/spreader-sticker spray mixture. Dead, brown lesions covered this cultivar after a spray application when leaves were especially succulent.

Best In Trial

Cultivars which performed well in terms of yield and quality included:

[Click on Name for a picture of the variety]


Blue Gem (green, early-season)

Fresco (green, early-season)

Super Red 80 (red, early-season)

XPH 15516 (green, mid-season)

Green Cup (green, mid-season)

Blue Thunder (green, mid-season)

Bravo (green, mid-season)

Superelite (green, mid to late-season)

Gideon (green, mid to late-season, watch for onion thrips damage)

Table 1. Selected 1998 weather data. OARDC, Fremont, OH - 1998.

 

 

Month

Temperature (oF)

Precipitation (in.)

 

Av Min

 

Av Max

Monthly

Average

Long-term

Average

Monthly

Total

Long-term

Average

May

53.3

76.5

64.9

59.3

1.44

3.56

June

56.8

80.5

68.6

69.1

3.05

3.96

July

57.9

83.4

70.7

72.8

3.26

3.85

August

57.7

82.6

70.1

70.7

7.47

3.50

September

50.9

79.6

65.2

63.8

0.95

3.00

Total

---

---

---

---

16.71

11.37

 

Table 2. Head size and measurements of cabbage cultivars for fresh market.1 OARDC, Fremont, OH - 1998.

 

 

 

Cultivar

 

 

Seed

Source2

 

 

Days to

harvest

 

 

Avg head

wt.(lbs)

 

Head Measurements (inches)

 

Wt. of leaves

damaged by

Onion Thrips3

(lbs)

Core

Length

Polar

Diameter

Equatorial Diam.

Blue Bayou

A

74

5.2

3.4

6.3

7.2

0.1

Red Dynasty

A

74

3.5

3.0

6.5

5.7

0.0

Fresco

B

74

5.5

3.6

7.5

7.1

0.5

Blue Gem

HM

74

5.0

2.8

6.7

6.7

0.0

Atlantis

P

74

5.3

2.6

7.1

6.7

0.5

Columbia

P

74

5.3

3.5

7.5

6.6

1.9

Discovery

P

74

4.5

3.4

6.4

6.5

2.0

Super Red 80

RS

74

3.6

2.8

6.2

5.7

0.0

Blue Vantage

SK

74

4.8

2.9

7.0

6.5

0.0

Emblem

SK

74

4.5

3.5

6.5

6.3

0.0

Red Jewel

SK

74

3.5

2.8

5.7

5.9

0.0

Blue Dynasty

A

92

6.4

3.3

7.2

7.3

0.9

XPH 15513

A

92

7.1

3.1

6.9

7.9

0.2

XPH 15516

A

92

5.7

3.4

6.9

7.0

0.9

XPH 15519

A

92

6.3

3.4

6.9

7.2

0.4

Cheers

AT

92

7.3

3.6

7.2

8.1

0.0

Green Cup

AT

92

6.4

3.2

6.9

7.5

0.2

Gideon

B

92

6.2

3.2

7.7

7.1

2.3

Blue Pak

HM

92

5.6

2.9

6.7

6.6

1.1

Blue Thunder

HM

92

6.9

3.7

6.9

7.5

0.5

Bravo

HM

92

6.8

3.6

6.7

7.9

0.0

Fortress

HM

92

6.0

3.7

6.7

7.9

1.3

Bobcat

RS

92

7.6

3.2

7.3

8.1

0.0

Tenacity

SK

92

7.6

3.9

7.3

8.5

0.0

XPH 5960

A

116

6.9

2.6

7.1

8.0

1.6

Zelox

P

116

3.9

2.9

7.2

5.6

0.0

Superelite

RS

116

6.1

3.3

6.7

7.1

1.1

AVERAGE

--

--

5.7

3.2

6.9

7.0

0.6

1/ Each value is the mean of four replicates. Listed alphabetically by harvest date.

2/ Seed Source: Bejo Seeds (B), Petoseed (P), Asgrow Vegetable Seeds (A),

Harris Moran Seed Co. (HM), American Takii (AT), Sakata Seeds (SK), Reed’s Seeds(R)

3/ Weight of cabbage leaves trimmed from a sample of three heads after wrapper leaves

were removed.

 

 

 

Table 3. Head and plant characteristics of fresh market cabbage cultivars.

OARDC, Fremont, OH - 1998.

 

Cultivar

 

Seed

Source

Head

shape

Internal

density

Mid rib

size

Internal

color

Uniformity

Upright

ness

Frame

size

Blue Bayou

A

sl. flat

D

S

Lt green

1

ST

M

Red Dynasty

A

round

C

M

Red

1

U

M

Fresco

B

round

D

M

Cream

1

T

M

Blue Gem

HM

pointed

D

M

Lt green

1

U

M

Atlantis

P

round

VD

S

Lt green

1

VT

S

Columbia

P

pointed

D

M

Lt green

1

VT

S

Discovery

P

round

VD

M

White

1

VT

S

Super Red 80

RS

round

D

S

Red

1

U

M

Blue Vantage

SK

round

C

M

Lt green

1

ST

M

Emblem

SK

round

C

S

White

1

ST

M

Red Jewel

SK

sl. flat

C

L

Red

1

U

M

Blue Dynasty

A

round

D

M-S

White

2

T

M

XPH 15513

A

flat

C

S

White

1

VT

M

XPH 15516

A

round

D

M

White

1

T

M

XPH 15519

A

round

D

M

Cream

1.5

T

M

Cheers

AT

round

D

S

White

1

T

M-L

Green Cup

AT

round

D

M

Lt green

1

ST

M

Gideon

B

round

VD

M

Lt green

1

T

M

Blue Pak

HM

round

D

M-S

Lt green

1.5

VT

M-S

Blue Thunder

HM

round

D

M-S

Lt green

1

T

M

Bravo

HM

flat

D

M

Lt green

1

T

M

Fortress

HM

flat

C

M-S

Lt green

2

T

M

Bobcat

RS

flat

C

M

Lt green

1

ST

M-L

Tenacity

SK

flat

C

M-S

White

1

ST

M-L

XPH 5960

A

round

C

M

White

1

T

M

Zelox

P

egg

C

M

Red

1

U

M-S

Superelite

RS

round

VD

M-L

Cream

1.5

ST

M
Internal Density: D=Dense, C=Coarse, V=Very

Midrib size: M=Medium, S=Small, L=Large

Uniformity: 1=excellent, 2=good, 3=average, 4=fair, 5=poor

Uprightness: U=Upright, T=Tipped, S=Slightly, V=Very

Frame Size: M=Medium, S=Small, L=Large

Table 4. Other plant and head characteristics of fresh market cabbage cultivars, OARDC, Fremont, OH - 1998.

Cultivar

Seed

source

Black Rot

Rating

Flavor

Comments

Blue Bayou

A

3

sweet

Blue-green leaves, nice wrapper leaves, copper burn, slightly flat, dense heads, Command injury

Red Dynasty

A

3

mild

Red leaves, burned by insecticide/fungicide spray, upright wrappers, uniform, coarse interior with air pockets

Fresco

B

2

mild

Blue green leaves, copper burn, some black rot, medium core, loosely wrapped head

Blue Gem

HM

1

mild

Blue green leaves, many well shaped wrapper leaves, copper burn, short frame, very good looking, short core, dense head, small basal buds, Command injury

Atlantis

P

3.5

sweet

Green leaves, wrappers hang away from head, copper burn, alternaria, dense interior, small basal buds

Columbia

P

3

sweet

Green leaves, very tipped, few wrapper leaves, should have been harvested earlier

Discovery

P

2.5

mild

Green leaves, few wrapper leaves that hang away from head, tipped, small frame, copper burn, dense heads, medium core

Super Red 80

RS

1

sweet

Red, nice wrapper leaves support head well, serrated leaf margins, fairly dense, small midribs, looks good, Command injury

Blue Vantage

SK

3

sweet

Blue green leaves, copper burn, uniform, upright, coarse green interior

Emblem

SK

1.5

sweet

Blue green leaves, copper burn, short loose hanging wrapper leaves, large fat core, coarse interior

Red Jewel

SK

2

mild

Red, nice well formed wrappers, some black rot, large air pockets

Blue Dynasty

A

2

mild

Blue-green leaves, copper burn, nice wrapper leaves, few small basal buds, Command injury

XPH 15513

A

1

mild

Blue green leaves, very coarse interior, medium core, little copper burn, basal buds

XPH 15516

A

2

mild

Blue green leaves, medium sized and thick wrapper leaves surround head well,

Command injury

XPH 15519

A

3

mild-sweet

Blue green, copper burn, thick wrapper leaves, light Command injury

Cheers

AT

1

mild-sweet

Blue green leaves, large head size, thick wrapper leaves, copper burn, basal buds, light Command injury

Green Cup

AT

1

mild-sweet

Blue green, heavy thick wrappers surround heads, slight copper burn, basal buds,

looks good

Gideon

B

2.5

mild

Blue green, heavy serrated leaf margins, attractive, thick durable wrapper leaves, copper burn

Blue Pak

HM

3

mild

Blue green leaves, copper burn, thick wrapper leaves hang loosely from head, good internal quality

Blue Thunder

HM

1.5

mild

Blue green leaves, copper burn, round heads, wrappers surround head nicely, Command injury

Bravo

HM

2.5

mild

Blue green leaves, copper burn, many well formed wrappers with medium thickness

Fortress

HM

1

mild

Blue green, copper burn, wrappers hang loosely from head

Bobcat

RS

1.5

sweet

Blue green leaves, copper burn, thin brittle wrapper leaves

Tenacity

SK

1

sweet

Blue green, tip burn on 1/3 of heads, little copper burn, large head size, nice wrappers

XPH 5960

A

1

mild

Green, large basal buds, short core, coarse interior

Zelox

P

1.5

mild

Red, heads not filled out well at base

Superelite

RS

1

mild

Blue green, thick core of medium length, tight wrappers, long harvest window

Black Rot Rating:
1=none,
2=slight on lower leaves,
3=present on 10% of heads,
4=on 30% of heads,
5=on 50% of heads