Cabbage belong to Brassicaceae (Cruciferae) family and is one of the most widely grown, popular and nutritious vegetables in Kenya.
Cabbage farming in Kenya can be a profitable venture if proper care and management practices are followed. With the right seed rate, adequate soil fertility, proper care, and management practices, you can expect a high yield of 10,000 to 15,000 heads per acre.
It is grown by both small and medium scale farmers mainly for domestic consumption.
It is important to plant hybrid cabbages since they have a high rate of germination and conversion into bigger cabbage heads, good tolerance to diseases and pests.
Some common cabbage varieties grown in Kenya include; RianaF1 hybrid, Copen Hagen, Gloria f1 hybrid, Kiboko F1 hybrid among others.
1.Riana F1 hybrid
Round in shape and head Size of 5-6Kg
Very firm and Compact
Plant Spacing 60 by 60 cm
It has excellent Field Holding ability and Long Shelf Life
Great tolerance to black-rot and matures within 90 days from transplanting
2.Gloria F1 hybrid
Round shaped and has head Size – 4-5Kg
Very firm and Compact
Plant Spacing 60cm x60cm
Matures within 90 days after transplanting
Has excellent Field Holding ability and Long Shelf Life
3.Copenhagen
Head weight 2.5-3.0 kgs
Early maturing and low crop protection cost
Dark green in colour with a bright heart
Matures within 65 days from transplanting
4. Kiboko F1 hybrid
Kiboko F1 is a compact round head cabbage.
Weighs between 6-8kgs.
It has a bluish waxy leaves with good wrappers.
Matures in 80-90days.
Exhibits good tolerance to Black rot (Xanthomonas), splitting & keeps long after harvesting.
Spacing 60cm by 45cm
Yield potential of 45-69tonnes/acre.
Best soil requirements for growing cabbages
Well drained sandy or silty loam soils
High organic matter content
pH range 6.0 – 6.5
Nursery management
Raised beds recommended for root development and proper drainage
Bed width of 1 meter and a convenient length and a height of 15 centimeters
Transplanting
Seedlings are ready for transplanting after 4-6 weeks in the nursery, depending on temperatures
Wet the seedlings an hour before transplanting.
Plant to the same depth as in the nursery 15cm
Do not apply DAP fertilizer on acid soils, use DSP, TSP or NPK
- Use well decomposed manure a handful per hole.
- The DAP fertilizer 10 grams/hole ,then mix thoroughly with the soil to avoid possible scorching of the seedlings
Fertilizer requirements
Top-dress with CAN fertilizer in 2 splits to avoid nutrient loss through leaching and excessive soil salinity
- Apply first split at a rate of 10 g/plant (100 kg/acre) , 2 – 3 weeks after transplanting
- Then second split apply at a rate of 20 gm/plant (200kg/acre) at the onset of head formation (KARI & The Rockefeller Foundation, 2005)
- Placement method most effective and economical.
Diseases and pests affecting cabbage farming in Kenya
1.Damping off (Altenaria spp., Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium spp.)
Infected seedlings wilt, turn purple and die. They often have no lateral roots.
Control:
– Use treated seed and sterilise the seedbed before planting;
– Remove infected plants when symptoms appear.
2.Downy Mildew
Peronospora parasitica is a water mold (oomycete), an organism previously classified as a fungus.
This serious disease starts out as lesions on the upper surfaces of the leaves, while the bottom surfaces have white to gray masses of fungal spores visible on them
To make matters worse, white rust can colonize host plants that have been weakened by downy mildew.
Control
-Eliminate cruciferous weeds, and give plants plenty of space to grow rather than packing them too tightly together.
-Ensure proper airflow as this will reduce humidity and make infections less likely to occur.
-If your cabbages are infected with downy mildew, you can apply fungicides to control it.
3.Powdery mildew
Cause -The fungus, Erysiphe cruciferarum (syn. E. polygoni).
Stressed plants will be more susceptible to disease.
Disease is promoted under cool conditions of low rainfall and reduced relative humidity.
Symptoms .Small, discrete white patches develop on both leaf surfaces.
Later, patches coalesce until a powdery mass of white mycelium and spores cover the entire leaf.
Leaves later become yellow, and then necrotic. Soft rot pathogens may invade areas with powdery mildew.
Cultural control
- Plant resistant varieties if available.
- Avoid over-application of nitrogen fertilizers; use an optimum, balance fertility regime.
- Avoid drought stress.
- Avoid continuous cropping of susceptible crucifers.
- Practice a 3-year rotation with non susceptible crops and manage crucifer weeds.
Chemical control Foliar fungicide applications can help when under severe disease pressure.
4.Black rots (Xanthomonas campenstris)
The disease is easily recognized by the presence of large yellow to yellow-orange “V”-shaped areas extending inward from the margin of a leaf, and by black veins in the infected area.
Control -Use copper based fungicide
Pests affecting cabbage farming in Kenya
1.Cutworm
Cutworms are recognized by their smooth skin, greasy gray color and “C-shaped”; posture when disturbed. Eggs are laid by the night flying moths on grasses, weeds, and other host plants.
Cutworm infestations are sporadic and often associated with sections of the field that are weedy, have high amounts of organic residue, or poor drainage.
Fields need to be prepared and weeds eliminated at least two weeks prior to planting to reduce cutworm damage.
2.Cabbage aphids
Aphids of any of several species present either dead or alive in sufficient numbers to reduce the marketability of cabbage.
The pale-green cabbage aphid looks like other aphids but with a grayish waxy coat similar to cigarette ash. These aphids infest the undersides of leaves and suck sap.
Infested plants may show signs of curling, wrinkling, or cupping of the leaves. Some plants may be stunted and produce unmarketable heads.
3.Diamond back moth
Diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) (DBM) caterpillars are the most numerous and problematic caterpillar. DBM caterpillars are small, reaching just 0.5 inches prior to pupation.
They have a short life cycle and reproduce prolifically, allowing populations to build and rapidly cause damage. When handled, DBM often drop and hang from a silk thread or thrash about violently.
In addition to their small size, this behavior distinguishes them from other brassica caterpillars.
DBM pupate in loosely woven cocoons on the undersides of leaves.
These pupae are frequently observed but no longer threaten the plant.
DBM feed by chewing holes in the leaves of their host plant.
Because they are so small, they often do not chew all the way through the leaves, leaving a “window-pane” appearance where the upper cuticle intact.
DBM can be found anywhere on the host plants, though adult moths typically lay eggs on the younger foliage. Scout for DBM by carefully examining the undersides of the leaves, paying close attention along the sides of the leaf veins.
Control
Successful control of cabbage pests, particularly the leaf feeding caterpillars, depends on proper pest identification, timing of applications and insecticide coverage. because the different species caterpillars may be susceptible to different insecticides, it is important to identify the species involved in an infestation.
Conclusion
In modern Kenyan homes, cabbage is a prevalent food.
It is loved because it’s healthy, can last for a long time, and serve many people, thus being cost-effective.
All these make cabbage farming in Kenya profitable because it’s always in high demand.
If this document didn’t answer your questions, please contact Klenny nurseries https://klennynurseries.com/contact/