Performance of Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica L.) genotypes under high altitude Tribal zone of Andhra Pradesh

Abstract

The agro-ecological conditions of the Eastern Ghats region of Andhra Pradesh with the modest temperatures, high rainfall, and rich soil organic carbon provide immense opportunity for the farming of non-traditional high-value crops like broccoli. By considering the favorable climatic conditions available in the Eastern Ghats region of Andhra Pradesh, an experiment on evaluation of different broccoli varieties was taken up to introduce the high-value broccoli crop as well as to suggest a suitable variety for doubling the farmer's income of tribal zone. The present experiment was conducted at Horticultural Research Station, Dr. YSR Horticultural University, Chintapalle during 2017- 18 to 2019-20 with nine genotypes in Randomized Block Design in three replications to assess the performance of growth and yield parameters of broccoli genotypes. Among the different genotypes, Palam Vichitra recorded more plant height (63.94 cm) followed by Palam Kanchan (63.29 cm). The leaf length was found to be maximum in Palam Kanchan (51.09 cm) whereas the maximum leaf width was recorded in F1 Festival (16.48 cm). The maximum head diameter was observed in Pusa Samridhi (18.11 cm). The maximum head weight per plant (422.68 g) and yield per hectare (191.72 q) was recorded in the var. Saki. So, Saki variety can be recommended for cultivation at high altitudes and tribal areas of the Eastern Ghat region of Andhra Pradesh to double the tribal farmer’s income.