Planting date , Variety , Boric acid , Cauliflower

Abstract

This study was conducted at experiment Farm of Horticulture and landscape design Dep. / College of Agriculture and Forestry / Mosul University , during growing season 2010-2011 to investigate the effects of two planting dates : 4th of July and 3rd of August, and foliar application of Boric Acid (17.4% Boron) at rate 0 , 30 and 60 mg/ L in three times (the first was done after one and two months from transplanting and one week before beginning of curds formation ) on quantity and quality of curd yield in three cauliflower cultivars : White Cloud, Greta (Hybrid) and Siria (Hybrid). The result indicated that the three varieties tested did not differ significantly in the total plant weight (leaves and stem and curd) , mean of total curd weight and its yield/ha. , mean of marketable curd weight and its yield/ha. The first planting date (4/7) leads to a significantly increase in all above mentioned characters compared with plant planted in second planting date (3/8) and the increasing percentage reached to 98.88 , 104.07 and 74.9 % for the total plant weight , mean of total curd weight and its yield/ha. And mean of marketable curd weight and its yield per ha. Receptively. Boric acid treatment had no significant effect on all quantitative mentioned previously. The qualitative characters i.e. curd circumference, curd diameter, curd thickness did not differ significantly between the varieties ,the curd produced from the first planting date increased significantly in curd circumference ,curd diameter, curd thickness more than curd produced from the second planting date. Whereas , Boric acid application had no significant effect on the above mentioned qualitative characters of the produced curd.