Cauliflower is a cash crop, grows in 70 days. Cauliflower farming in India is popular. Summer varieties, temperature, mulching cost, soil testing given here.
Cauliflower is a cash crop that grows within 70 days, well known as phool gobhi in India. Soil testing is necessary to get good results in cauliflower farming. After soil testing standards of primary, secondary and micro elements are given. Varieties and temperature details also given.
Cash crop cauliflower farming in India 70 days
It is a small vegetable that has a rounded flower mostly in white colour surrounded by a bunch of wide leaves. All parts of this vegetable are edible. It is used as a vegetable all over the world. Residue free farming of cauliflower is done in most places of India.
In 1822 the cauliflower was brought by doctor Jemson from England to India. India is the second largest cauliflower growing country in the world. There are several cauliflower farms in India. Cauliflower farming in West Bengal is very popular, West Bengal grows 23% Madhya Pradesh 13% and 11% cauliflower grown in Bihar.
This crop has different varieties, summer variety is different whereas winter and rainy varieties are similar. Milk white colour cauliflower is most in demand and found everywhere. There are different colours like purple cauliflower yellow and green cauliflower are also available.
Important terms
- Drip irrigation Rs 40,000.
- Drip to drip distance 4.5 feet
- Bed height 12 inch during rain
- Plantation method should be zig zag.
- An 18 to 20 days old plant should be planted in the cauliflower farm.
- Cauliflower plant costs Rs 1 per plant.
- 14000 to 15000 plants per acre.
Soil testing is required in cauliflower
Before starting any cultivation you should do soil and water testing. Must know the quantity of primary nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Secondary elements like calcium, magnesium, sodium, sulphur and micro elements like iron, zinc, manganese, copper, boron, molybdenum. Soil testing of all these parameters should be done before cultivation. Parameters with their standards are given in the below table.
Cauliflower soil analysis parameters
| Primary elements | Standards |
| Nitrogen | 150-250 |
| Phosphorus | 50-200 |
| Potassium | 250-800 |
| Secondary elements | Standards |
| Calcium | 1000-3000 |
| Magnesium | 250-500 |
| Sodium | <175 |
| Sulphur | 10-100 |
| Micro elements | Standards |
| Iron | 2.5-10 |
| Zinc | 1-5 |
| Manganese | 2-10 |
| Copper | 0.5-10 |
| Boron | 0.2-1.5 |
| Molybdenum | 0.2-1 |
Why do farmers face loss in cauliflower cultivation?
Most farmers aren’t able to increase the cauliflower production when the market price is high. While purchasing the plants make sure all plants are healthy. For example a farmer purchases 15000 plants from a nursery and plants them in one acre out of it 5000 plants found faulty and 33% of loss is done.
You have given water, fertilizer to all 5000 plants where they have occupied space also like this 33% loss is calculated.
Cauliflower farming best practices
What climate is required for cauliflower?
18°C to 35°C temperature is ideal to grow phool gobhi in India. It grows all 12 months with different varieties.
What kind of land is required for cauliflower cultivation?
It is a soil friendly vegetable that grows in almost all soils. It grows in red soil black soil and any other soil but the soil must have a good drainage system.
What is the soil pH in cauliflower farming?
Soil pH should be 5 to 7 to grow a better and healthy vegetable.
When to plant cauliflower?
Aug – Sep – It is the best time to plant cauliflower. You can expect harvesting in 60 to 70 days.
Jan – Feb – Cauliflower plantation can be done in January February and you can expect harvesting in 70 to 80 days.
What are some varieties in cauliflower farming?
Summer variety crop needs 30 to 35 temperatures. When the temperature goes above 35 for more time then the cauliflower leaf starts becoming yellow from the upper side, starts collapsing. So avoid planting this vegetable if the temperature remains above 35 specially in August to September and January to Feb.
| Summer varieties (30°C to 35°C) | Winter varieties (20°C to 25°C) |
| Syngenta – CFL 1522 | Seminis – Girija |
| Syngenta – CFL 6099 | Seminis – SVAC7209 |
| Syngenta – Super Shigra | Clause – Madhubani |
| Noble seeds – Happy | Clause – Madhuri |
| Sakata – White flash | Namdhari – NS 106 |
| Syngenta – Lucky | |
| Welcome – Rustom |
How to do land preparation for cauliflower farming?
If the land is old then start with ploughing, remove all the stones and through interrupting materials outside the cauliflower farm. Then leave the land for 1 month, let it take full sunlight. After that use a rotavator to prepare the farm land.
What is the fertilizer cost in cauliflower cultivation?
Put 4 trolleys of cow dung in 1 acre of land. One trolley cost is Rs 6000, cost for 4 trolleys will be 4 x Rs 6000 = Rs 24,000 in 1 acre. It is a fast growing crop that grows in 70 days and hardly needs any fertilizers. So, it’s ok if you don’t give any fertilizer to this crop.
Basal dose is not required in cauliflower farming as this one time harvesting and basal dose is needed for the crop that is harvested multiple times.
Is soil testing needed in phool gobhi farming?
Instead of arranging fertilizers make sure to test the soil. If the soil carbon is below 1 then it’s difficult to grow any crop in it. The soil carbon should be above 1 to grow crops healthy.
After testing the soil if you find the soil carbon below 1 then arrange 4 trolleys of cow dung and mix it with the land soil. This will increase the soil carbon rate, check again and then start the cultivation.
Why is mulching needed?
Mulching is one of the best solutions to remove the unnecessary grass that grows near by the crop. It is a type of dissolving poly bags that surrounds the plant. It is a cheap method and saves all labour cost utilized for weed removal.
Weed control labour cost is between Rs 6000 to Rs 8000 per acre. Hence mulching is cheaper. Select mulching paper that is silver from upside and black from down. Micron mulching paper is best.
Remember to buy mulching paper that does not allow sunlight to pass. Direct sunlight evaporates the water to prevent it mulch paper is the best option.
Mulching cost
- 1 acre = 7 bundles.
- 20 micron is a good quality paper.
- 1 bundle cost = Rs 1800.
- Total mulching cost per acre = Rs 1800 x 7 = Rs 12,600/acre.
- Labour cost to place mulching = Rs 3000 to Rs 4000.
Conclusion – Now you are aware about different types of cauliflower varieties, soil testing parameters, why soil testing is needed, mulching cost and cultivation best practices.