CONN S 43 .E22 no.857 iff •» »■ >^ ■» ;?*»»»■»» Please handle this volume with care. The University of Connecticut Libraries, Storrs » >» »» r» ■»»-» i» «g»«»— rg> z=^9? I \.i'- ?s"7 The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven AfjpNS /ERSITY LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT Cauliflower and Broccoli Trials 1987 S 4-3 no. "2 ST Bulletin 857 BY DAVID E. HILL May 1988 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from LYRASIS members and Sloan Foundation http://www.archive.org/details/cauliflowerbrocc857hill Cauliflower and Broccoli Trials 1987 BY DAVID E.HILL The popularity of broccoli and cauliflower continues as consumers take advantage of their nutritional benefits (Anon. 1971). Most western states that grow broccoli year round have increased their acreages of these two cole crops (Anon. 1985). Many eastern and north central states have joined the broccoli and cauliflower band wagon and have increased their acreages dramatically. Two supermarket chains in Connecticut who have actively sought locally grown broccoli, continue their interest by participating in the "Broccoli Project". In 1985, the Connecticut Department of Agriculture enlisted five growers who grew a fall crop on 8 acres. In 1986, 13 growers raised 61 acres. In 1987, four growers planted 11 acres in spring for the first time and 18 growers planted 79 acres for a fall harvest. The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station's role in the Project was testing cultivars (cultivated varieties) from domestic companies to determine those best suited to Connecticut's soil and climate. In 1985 I tested 32 broccoli cultivars and found seven in the spring and five in the fall that produced high quality heads (Hill 1986). In 1986, I retested 13 promising broccoli cultivars from 1985 trials and added six new cultivars and seven experimental varieties from California. Six cultivars in spring and 11 cultivars, including four experi mentals, in fall (Hill 1987) met national quality standards for commercial production (Anon. 1943). The 1986 trials also included serial planting in fall to determine the breadth of harvest for the fall crop and maintenance of quality of preferred cultivars throughout the harvest period. In 1987, I retested eight preferred cultivars from 1985 and 1986 trials and added 10 new cultivars including seven from Europe. The 1987 trials also included serial planting of two crops in spring and three crops in fall. Because of discussion about a comparison "Cauliflower Project" in 1986, I tested 10 cauliflower cultivars in spring and 17 cultivars including two experi mentals in fall. Five cultivars in spring and four cultivars in the fall, including one experimental, consistently produced high quality heads, called curds. In 1987 I tested 29 cultivars including five promising cultivars retested from 1986. I also tested four early maturing cultivars in two serial plantings in the fall to determine the breadth of harvest and maintenance of quality. From 1985 and 1986 trials, I have found that retesting of cultivars is important. Temperature and rainfall vary from year to year and quality of some cultivars may vary. We seek those cultivars that perform well under the ranges of climatic conditions in Connecticut. In this bulletin I report yields, quality, and maturity of cauliflower and broccoli cultivars grown at Windsor and Mt. Carmel in the spring and fall of 1987. SITES AND MANAGEMENT The cauliflower and broccoli trials were conducted at the Valley Laboratory, Windsor on Merrimac sandy loam, a sandy terrace soil with somewhat limited moisture holding capacity; and at Lockwood Farm, Mt. Carmel on Cheshire fine sandy loam, a loamy upland soil with a moderate moisture holding capacity. The seed for the first planting of the spring crop was planted in a greenhouse with vents opened at 70F and heated when the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 857 temperature fell below 50F. The seedlings were moved to a cold frame for hardening 2 weeks before they were transplanted in the field. For the spring crop, second plantings were made 2 weeks after the first planting of the broccoli cultivars Dandy Early, Galaxy, Green Comet, Premium Crop, Southern Comet, and Symphony. Early Emerald and Packman were also added to the second planting to avoid premature buttoning, which occurred in the first crop of our trials in spring 1986. A second planting of cauliflower cultivars Polar Express and White Knight was also made. Seed for the fall crop was germinated in a greenhouse and moved outside after 1 week. Seedlings were transplanted when they were 4 inches high. In fall, second and third plantings were made of broccoli cultivars Cruiser, Emperor, Galaxy, Green Belt, Green Valiant, Packman, and Symphony. Second plantings were also made of early maturing cauliflower cultivars Andes, Polar Express, White Knight, and White Summer. Seeds for all second and third crops were sown and transplanted at 2-week intervals following the seeding and transplanting of the first crop. The seedlings were grown in Promix BX in standard plastic pots measuring 2-5/8 in. x 2-1/4 in. x 2-5/16 in. and held in packs of 36. Water soluble 20-20-20 fertilizer (one tbsp/gal) was added to the seedlings 3 to 4 weeks after germination. The seedlings were transplanted in rows 36 in. apart with spacing 18 in. within rows to provide 9680 plants/A. Each planting consisted of five randomized blocks with six plants per cultivar in each replication. Transplanted seedlings that died the first week were replaced. Rabbits damaged numerous plants in the spring broccoli trials. Damaged plants were replaced and the trial area was fenced to avoid further predation. The soil in both the spring and fall crops of cauliflower was treated with 5 lbs. soluble boron/A one month following transplanting to prevent hollow stem and browning of the curds, commonly observed during the 1986 cauliflower trials. Boron, dissolved in water, «n sprayed on the soil surrounding the plants. In spring, leaves of cauliflower were tied around the newly developing heads when they reached about 2 inch diameter. In the fall, leaves of all plants producing 2-inch curds were tied before October 1. After October 1 leaves of "self-blanching" cultivars were not tied because the inner leaves remain tightly furled about the curd. Mature heads of broccoli and cauliflower were harvested at 3-day intervals. Yields of broccoli were weighed and the quality was judged for color, evenness and compactness of head, excessive stalkiness, and leaves protruding from the head. The quality of cauliflower was judged for size, color, smoothness of curd, and protection of the curd by surrounding leaves of self-blanching types. Details of management of soil and crops and pertinent dates are listed in Table 1. CHARACTERISTICS OF QUALITY The characteristics of cauliflower and broccoli used to judge marketability in Tables 2,3,5, and 6 require definition. CAULIFLOWER Size of curd. Curd diameters follow national quality standards for cauliflower. They are large (lg) 7 inch or more; medium (med) 5 to 6-7/8 inch; small (sm) 3-1/2 to 4-7/8 inch; and very small (vsm) less than 3- 1/2 inch. Where two classes are listed, both are co-dominant. Other classes may constitute less than 20% of the heads. Rough curd. Individual branches within the curd may develop more rapidly than others and create an uneven surface. Rough curds are less appealing to the eye. High domed. Individual branches wfthin the curd are of equal length and create a highly convexed shape with a flat base. If the curd stalk is small, the curd is almost ball shaped. Both of these shapes have appealing uniformity. Ricey curd. The flower parts form prematurely and elongate, creating a soft velvety appearance. Color. Curd color should be white or creamy white. Curds become yellow if exposed to sunlight. Reddish and brownish colors or water-soaked appearance generally indicate mineral deficiency or disease. Leafy. Leaves that generally wrap around Cauliflower and Broccoli the developing head protrude from the curd. Button. Buttoning is the formation of the curd while the plant is small. This is caused by vernalization or chilling of the seedlings. The curd is only about 1 to 2 inch wide. Buttoning was observed mostly on early maturing cultivars in the spring trials. BROCCOLI Size of head. Head diameters follow national quality standards for broccoli. They are very large (vlg) 7 inch or more; large (lg) 5 to 6-7/8 inch; medium (med) 3-1/2 to 4-7/8 inch; small (sm) less than 3-1/2 inch. Where two size classes are listed, both are co-dominant. Other size classes may constitute less than 2096 of the heads. Leafy. Leaves usually grow on the stalk below the head but extend around and above the head. A leafy head has small to medium sized leaves protruding through the head. Lumpy. A lumpy head is one in which portions of the head grow faster than others. This condition is more likely to develop on cultivars with long secondary branches forming the head. The uneven surface is less aesthetic. Depressions in lumpy heads may collect water and become focal points for bacterial rot. Short secondary branches within the head create a high domed head whose uniformity is appealing. Color. Dark green to bluish green heads are preferred. A purplish cast, generally caused by cold in the the fall crop, does not TABLE 1--SOIL AND CROP MANAGEMENT OF CAULIFLOWER (C) AND BROCCOLI (B) AND PERTINENT DATES. Activity Spring crop Fall Crop Soil fertilization (Rates based on soil tests) 10-10-10 B,C 1300 lbs/A 1300 lbs/A lime B,C None None soluble Boron C 5 lb/A 5 lb/A (Applied to soil 1 month after transplanting) Planting Dates Seeding in greenhouse 1st Crop B,C March 12-16 June 18-21 or outdoor enclosure 2nd Crop B,C March 27-31 July 7 3rd Crop B - July 19 Transfer to cold frame 1st Crop B,C April 8-10 - 2nd Crop B,C April 24 - Transplant seedlings 1st Crop B,C April 21-27 July 15-22 to field 2nd Crop B.C May 5-8 Aug 1 3rd Crop B - Aug 17-18 Pest Control Root maggots B,C Lorsban UE Lorsban 4E Cabbage worms B,C Pydrin 2. IE - Flea beetles on seedlings B,C - Sevin Irrigation Windsor B,C 1 H Mt. Carmel B,C 1 3 Weed Control Cultivations B,C Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 857 affect marketability. Pale green, yellowish, and reddish colors indicate mineral deficiencies, disease, or overmaturity. Brown, black, or water soaked patches indicate disease. Brown beading (Br. Bead). Yellow flecks turning brown on a maturing head is the decay of undeveloped florets within the head. High temperatures during maturity of the head is thought to be the cause of this symptom. Corky stem. The external part of the stem cracks and produces light brownish scars. This symptom is thought to be caused by boron deficiency. Exerted heads. The head is on a stalk that rises above the main body of leaves. Cultivars with well-exerted heads have been developed for mechanical harvest. YIELD AND QUALITY OF CAULIFLOWER Spring crop. The average yield in spring of all cauliflower cultivars at Windsor was 11,923 lbs/A compared to 10,137 lb/A at Mt. Carmel, a difference of 15%. The higher average yields at Windsor are consistent with 1986 trials. Andes, Candid Charm, Taipan and White Fox had highest yields at both sites with 7.0 to 9.7 tons/A (Table 2). Fifteen of 30 cultivars at both sites exceeded the national average of 5.4 tons/A (Anon. 1985). Among the 15 cultivars with high yields, ten had consistently good quality. Candid Charm, a self-blanching type, had dense medium-sized curds averaging 2.3 lbs. Other self-blanching types such as Cloud Nine, Taipan, White Fox, White Rock, White Sails, and White Summer had uniformly shaped white curds. Curd development in these cultivars was so rapid that wrapper leaves could not keep pace with the expanding head and required tying. Andes, Polar Express and White Knight with medium curds also required blanching. A second crop of Polar Express and White Knight was transplanted early in May at Windsor and Mt. Carmel. White Knight yielded 8.1 tons/A at Windsor and 4.8 tons/ A at Mt. Carmel. In contrast, the yield of Polar Express at Mt. Carmel was 6.3 tons/A compared to 5.0 tons/A at Windsor. Despite variability in the size of curds of White Knight among sites, the quality was excellent at both sites. The yields of other cultivars reported in Table 2 were below the national average at one or both sites. Cervina, Silver Star, and White Top had smooth curds but inconsistent size. Late maturing curds of Silver Star rotted. The experimental cultivars PSR 100184 and PSX 27885 with a high percent of buttoning are not suitable for spring planting. Defects found in other cultivars are noted in Table 2. Fall crop. All cultivars planted in the spring crop were repeated for the fall crop except PSR 277854 and PSX 27885, which had defects in the fall 1986 trials (Hill 1987). The average yield of all cultivars at Windsor was 15,308 lb/A compared to 14,292 lb/A at Mt. Carmel, a difference of only 7%. These average yields are equal to those at Windsor for 1986 (15,224 lb/ A) and greater than the average yields at Mt. Carmel (12,631 lb/A). The yields of Andes, Candid Charm, White Cloud, White Fox, and White Sails exceeded 9 tons/A at Windsor and 7 to 8 tons/A at Mt. Carmel. The yields of virtually all cultivars at Windsor and Mt. Carmel exceeded the national average of 5.4 tons/A. The only exception was late maturing Olympus at Mt. Carmel, where 50% of the developing heads were frozen by temperatures below 15F on November 21 and 22. Late maturing cultivars of Cervina, Self-Blanche, Snowball Y Improved, and White Rock also suffered losses up to 15% at Mt. Carmel during these low temperatures. No losses by freezing occurred at Windsor because the harvest had been completed by November 9. Cultivars with consistently high quality and high yields were Candid Charm, Cloud Nine, Polar Express, Snow King, Snow Pak, White Rock, White Top, and PSR 100184. Snow King matured in the shortest time, 50 days at Windsor and 56 days at Mt. Carmel. Its rapidly developing curd required blanching to ensure whiteness. Candid Charm, Cloud Nine, Snow Pak, White Rock, and White Top were excellent self-blanching types and did not require tying. Polar Express and White Knight, although surrounded by large upright leaves, required tying to insure whiteness. Other self-blanching cultivars with high quality Cauliflower and Broccoli TABLE 2— YIELD AND QUALITY OF CAULIFLOWER AT WINDSOR AND MT. CARMEL, SPRING 1987 Windsor Mt. Carmel Curd s Avg. Total Curd 3 Avg Total Hvst . Curd Yield Hvst . Cure I Yield Cultivar % lb lb/A % lb lb /A Size and quality of curd Andes* 90 1.9 16294 97 1.5 13984 med , uniform Candid Charm* 87 2.3 19475 100 1.4 13875 med , uniform, self-blanch Cervina 97 1.6 14591 83 1.1 9119 med , variable , exerted Cloud Nine* 97 1.7 15845 97 1.4 13012 med , uniform, dense ball-shaped Early White 90 0.8 6897 93 0.7 5968 sm, loose , very early Imperial 70 1.3 8692 97 1.0 9167 med , rough, variable Linas 93 1.6 14307 97 1.3 12546 med , variable, exerted Olympus 73 1.5 10579 47 1.2 5524 med , loose , leafy Polar Express* 93 1.5 13664 100 1.3 12302 med , smooth , uniform PSR 100184 53 1.4 7415 73 1.2 8813 med , leafy, ricey, variable PSX 27885 53 0.4 1844 50 0.2 1089 vsm , buttoned Raket 77 0.8 6117 97 0.7 6840 med , smooth, variable Self-Blanche 87 1.3 10770 90 1.0 9055 med , rough , loose Silver Star 87 1.7 14454 90 1.2 10406 med , variable, late head rot Snowball Y Imp. 80 1.4 11031 87 1.2 10446 med , leafy, ricey Snowball 741 67 1.6 10052 93 1.0 9324 med , leafy, ricey Snow Crown 97 1.2 11049 97 1.0 9127 med , rough, purple tinge Snow Flower 77 1.4 10431 80 0.9 7280 med , leafy, rough Snow King 57 0.4 2150 60 0.3 1573 sm, smooth, buttoned Snow Pak 90 1.7 14984 97 1.5 13842 med variable Taipan* 97 1-7 16290 100 1.5 14460 med dense, smooth, self-blanch White Castle 80 1.7 13390 87 1.6 13462 med dense , rough White Fox* 97 1.7 16087 97 1.5 14165 med dense, ball-shaped, self-blanch White Knight* 93 1.3 11896 97 1.0 9349 med smooth , uniform White Rock* 77 1.8 13388 83 1.4 11087 med dense, ball-shaped, self-blanch White Sails* 97 1.6 14671 97 1.4 13132 med smooth, uniform, self-blanch White Summer* 83 1.7 13438 97 1.2 11575 med smooth, uniform, self-blanch White Top* 97 1.4 13559 93 1.2 11173 med variable XPH 5105 93 1.1 9927 100 1.1 10245 med , rough, variable, leafy Second Crop Polar Express* 80 1.3 10023 100 1.3 12644 med , smooth , uniform White Knight* 90 1.9 16315 97 1.0 9673 med , smooth, variable •Cultivars produced high quality heads at both Windsor and Mt. Carmel, 8 Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 857 TABLE 3--YIELD AND QUALITY OF CAULIFLOWER AT WINDSOR AND MT. CARMEL, FALL 1987 Windsor Mt. Carmel Total Yield Size and quality of curd Curds Avg. Total Curds Avg. Hvst • Curd Yield Hvst. Curd Cultivar % lb lb/A * lb lb/A Size Andes* 97 2.0 18455 100 1.6 15891 med , Candid Charm» 93 2.1 18768 93 1.8 16196 med, Cervina 93 1.6 13966 80 1.6 12241 med, Cloud Nine* 93 1.9 16940 100 1.5 14964 med , Early White 100 1.5 14197 100 1.5 14964 med , Imperial 70 1.8 12241 77 1.6 12092 med , Linas 87 1.7 14050 93 1.5 13945 med , Olympus 83 1.6 12493 50 1.4 6594 med , Polar Express* 83 1.8 14643 93 1.5 13744 med , PSR 100184* 90 1.8 15690 100 1.7 16254 med , Raket 100 1.6 15710 90 1.6 14258 med , Self-Blanche 80 1.4 11092 83 1.6 13116 med , Silver Star 73 1.7 12286 87 1.6 13200 med , Snowball Y Imp. 87 1.7 13948 77 1.7 12800 med , Snowball 741 73 1.9 13269 73 1.6 11182 med , Snow Crown 90 1.9 16436 100 1.7 16597 med , Snow Flower 73 1.7 12346 77 1.6 12092 med , Snow King* 97 1.4 13598 100 1.4 13955 med , Snow Pak* 80 1.6 12766 87 1.8 14961 med, Taipan 97 1.8 17059 100 1.5 14782 med , White Castle 77 2.1 15312 93 2.0 17824 med, White Cloud 93 2.1 18808 100 1.8 17626 med , White Fox 100 1.9 18412 100 1.5 14560 med , White Knight* 100 1.7 16718 100 1.6 15105 med , White Rock* 87 2.0 16863 90 1.7 15085 med , White Sails 93 2.0 18126 93 1.8 15775 med , White Summer 100 1.8 17061 90 1.5 12987 med , White Top* 100 1.8 17081 90 1.7 14742 med , XPH 5105 97 1.6 15339 100 1.8 16980 med , Second Crop Andes* 100 1.5 14863 93 1.6 14227 med , Polar Express* 97 1.6 15299 87 1.6 13847 med , White Knight* 93 1.5 13865 80 1.5 11515 med , White Summer 93 1.0 9425 83 1.4 11027 med , dense, uniform dense, self-blanch uniform, self-blanch, late smooth, self-blanch loose leafy, hollow stem variable exerted, ball-shaped, variable leafy, ricey, late smooth, uniform dense, uniform, self-blanch variable dense, self-blanch, late dense, ball-shaped, self-blanch leafy, ricey, hollow stem, late leafy, ricey, variable, late dense, smooth, purple tinge leafy, curd rot, late smooth, uniform, very early dense, smooth, self-blanch dense, smooth, exerted hollow stem, self-blanch dense, smooth, self-blanch smooth, uniform, exerted smooth, uniform dense, uniform, self-blanch smooth, uniform smooth, uniform dense, smooth, exerted, self-blanch smooth, uniform dense, uniform dense, smooth, uniform smooth, uniform smooth, uniform, late *Cultivars produced high quality heads at both Windsor and Mt. Carmel. Cauliflower and Broccoli TABLE 4--MATURITY OF CAULIFLOWER AT WINDSOR AND MT. CARMEL, SPRING AND FALL 1987 Windsor Mt . Carmel Harvest Harvest Harvest Harvest Midpoint Span Midpoint Spa Spring in Spring Fall Spring Fall Spring Fall Fall Cultivar Days* Days* Days** Days" Days* Days* Days** Days** Andes 68 74 25 18 68 91 25 21 Candid Charm 64 74 14 10 64 87 14 17 Cervina 71 102 18 31 71 109 18 24 Cloud Nine 64 74 7 28 64 94 7 28 Early White 51 57 7 6 51 63 7 7 Imperial 61 84 13 31 61 105 13 21 Linas 68 89 7 32 68 105 7 11 Olympus 64 112 10 25 64 115 10 20 Polar Express 58 67 10 3 58 80 10 14 PSR 100184 64 98 21 20 64 101 21 14 PSX 27885 41 - 1 - 41 - 1 - Raket 51 77 20 19 51 91 20 18 Self Blanche 68 102 24 21 68 105 24 34 Silver Star 71 98 18 35 71 108 18 14 Snowball Y Imp . 61 98 17 36 61 108 17 31 Snowball 741 61 95 17 28 61 105 17 34 Snow Crown 54 63 24 10 54 70 24 21 Snow Flower 61 95 21 35 61 112 21 20 Snow King 41 50 1 8 41 56 1 8 Snow Pak 68 105 17 14 68 105 17 14 Taipan 68 81 14 19 68 94 14 25 White Castle 64 74 13 10 64 91 13 14 White Cloud - 77 - 14 - 94 - 28 White Fox 64 77 14 17 64 91 14 18 White Knight 58 70 24 19 58 83 24 21 White Rock 71 89 21 35 71 105 21 21 White Sails 64 70 17 22 64 91 17 21 White Summer 64 84 10 19 64 98 10 14 White Top 71 91 32 28 71 101 32 17 XPH 5105 68 74 18 10 68 87 18 28 Second Crop Andes - 83 - 17 - 90 - 21 Polar Express 51 83 11 7 53 83 7 14 White Knight 55 83 17 17 49 83 10 14 White Summer - 97 - 11 - 97 - 14 •Time from transplanting to midpoint of harvest. ••Time from start to finish of harvest . 10 Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 857 curds were Self-Blanche, Silver Star and White Castle, but their size was more variable and the percent of harvested curds was somewhat lower in comparison to others. Defects in other cultivars are listed in Table 3. Hollow stem, reported in the 1986 trials, was virtually eliminated in most cultivars by application of soluble boron. Hollow stem was noted in only a few curds and did not detract from their overall quality. Four early maturing cultivars, Andes, Polar Express, White Knight, and White Summer were planted as a second crop on August 1, two weeks after the first crop was planted. Andes, Polar Express and White Knight yielded above the national average at Windsor and Mt. Car m el. The quality of the curds was excellent. All of these cultivars required tying to ensure whiteness. White Summer's rough curds were medium-size and less appealing compared to its first fall crop. Maturity. Maturity of cauliflower is important to schedule planting for a specific harvest period. The days to maturity were calculated from the day of transplanting to the day when half the curds were harvested; i.e. the harvest date of the 15th curd from a population of 30 plants (Table 4). Among the 29 cultivars planted in spring, time to maturity was consistent at both sites, seldom varying more than 2 or 3 days. Maturity ranged from 41 to 71 days at Windsor and 37 to 74 days at Mt. Carmel. The low number of days to maturity for Snow King and PSX 27885 is abnormal due to severe buttoning. A later planting date when temperatures are warmer would probably have prevented buttoning in these cultivars. In fall, time to maturity of the 29 cultivars planted was longer. The range in harvest midpoint was 50 to 112 days at Windsor and 56 to 115 days at Mt. Carmel. Cultivars with maturities exceeding 100 days planted for a fall crop in upland areas have high probabilities of frost damage. The increased maturity in fall compared to spring of cultivars at Windsor (20 days) and Mt. Carmel (30 days) was consistent with 1986 trials (Hill 1987). Another facet of maturity is the span of harvest, which I define as the days between the harvest of the first and last marketable curd. Short harvest spans favor single harvests. The short harvest spans for Snow King and PSX 27885 were due to harvest of buttoned curds. In spring at Windsor, Cloud Nine, Early White and Linas had the shortest spans, only 6-8 days. In faU, Early White, Polar Express and Snow King had the shortest spans at Windsor and Mt. Carmel. Many cultivars at Windsor and Mt. Carmel had harvest spans in fall that exceeded 4 weeks. In spring, 3-week spans were common. This is particularly useful for growers who produce cauliflower for roadside markets and rely on multiple harvests to provide freshly picked produce for a long harvest span. In spring, the average harvest span of all cultivars was 17 days at Windsor and 19 days at Mt. Carmel. In fall the harvest span increased slightly to 21 days at Windsor and 20 days at Mt. Carmel. YIELD AND QUALITY OF BROCCOLI Spring crop. The average yields of aU cultivars planted in the first crop was 7,911 lb/A at Windsor compared to 7,576 lb/A at Mt. Carmel, a difference of 4%. At Windsor, Skiff yielded over 6.5 tons/A, but its heads were lumpy and quality was poor. Yields of Corvet, Cruiser, Green Defender, Neptune, and Premium Crop exceeded the national average of 4 tons/ A. At Mt. Carmel, Green Defender yielded over 7.5 tons/A, but quality was poor due to lumpy and leafy heads. Yields of Corvet, Cruiser, Green Comet, Neptune, and Skiff also exceeded the national average. Cultivars with high yields do not necessarily produce heads of good quality. Some high yielding cultivars have pronounced defects that affect marketability. These defects are listed in Tables 5 and 6. Among the cultivars with high yields at Windsor and Mt. Carmel, only Cruiser, Green Comet and Premium Crop had high quality heads. The quality of Cruiser was outstanding with large uniform high-domed heads. The quality of Galaxy and Symphony was also excellent but yields were below the national average. The average yield of aU cultivars in the Cauliflower and Broccoli 11 second crop planted about 2 weeks after the first crop was 9034 lb/A at Windsor and 7773 lb/A at Mt. Carmel, a 14% difference. The cultivars selected for the second crop were those of high yield and quality from 1985 and 1986 trials (Hill 1986, 1987). Since Early Emerald and Packman showed a tendency to button in early plantings of 1986, their planting was intentionally delayed until the second crop. In the second crop at Windsor, five of eight cultivars exceeded the national average while at Mt. Carmel only three of eight exceeded it. Among those exceeding the national average, Galaxy, Packman and Symphony had excellent quality heads as did Green Comet, Premium Crop and Southern Comet but with lower yields. Dandy Early and Early Emerald had lumpy heads of poorer quality. The yields of the second crop of Galaxy and Southern Comet were higher than in the first crop. This suggests that a planting date closer to May 1 in the TABLE 5--YIELD AND QUALITY OF BROCCOLI AT WINDSOR AND MT. CARMEL, SPRING 1987 Windsor Mt. Carmel Cultlvar Heads Avg. Hvst . Head % lb Total Yield lb/A Heads Hvst. % Avg. Head lb Total Yield lb/A Size and quality of heads Corvet 97 Cruiser* 87 Embassy 97 Galaxy 87 Green Comet* 100 Green Defender 87 Kayak 100 Laser 100 Neptune 100 Oktal 90 Premium Crop* 93 Septal 93 Southern Comet 73 Skiff 100 Symphony** 97 Second Crop Dandy Early 90 Early Emerald 93 Galaxy* 100 Green Comet* 100 Packman* 100 Premium Crop* 83 Southern Comet* 90 Symphony** 100 1.2 1.0 0.7 0.5 0.8 1.5 0.6 0.7 1.2 0.5 1.3 0.5 0.4 1.4 0.8 1.3 1.1 0.9 0.9 1.1 11595 8624 10950 9002 9720 5990 10527 7331 97 90 6962 100 4474 100 7744 100 12875 90 5909 87 7240 100 11959 100 4013 93 11393 90 4078 83 2831 93 13108 87 5874 100 73 90 97 93 90 90 7888 100 10870 97 1.2 1.1 0.7 0.6 0.9 1.7 0.5 0.6 0.9 0.4 0.8 0.7 0.3 1.3 0.7 1.0 0.8 1.0 0.6 1.1 0.8 0.8 1.0 10908 lg-vlg, lumpy, br. bead 9216 lg, compact, uniform 6574 sm-med , compact, variable 5727 sm, very early, compact 8510 med , compact, uniform 15488 vlg, lumpy, leafy, excess stalk 4292 med-lg, exerted, late br. bead 6070 med-lg, lumpy 8591 lg. somewhat lumpy, leafy 3979 sm, very early, lumpy 7038 lg, compact, some corky stem 5945 sm, somewhat lumpy 3014 sm, very early, compact 11337 lg-vlg, lumpy, late br. bead 6958 lg, exerted, compact, uniform 7187 lg, somewhat lumpy, variable 7179 lg> somewhat lumpy, variable 9187 lg, compact, uniform 5647 med-lg, compact, uniform 9418 lg-vlg, compact, uniform 6574 med-lg, compact, uniform 7684 med-lg , compact , uniform 9309 lgi exerted, compact, uniform ♦Formerly XPH 5004 •Cultivars produced high quality heads at both Windsor and Mt. Carmel. 12 Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 857 TABLE 6— YIELD AND QUALITY OF BROCCOLI AT WINDSOR AND MT. CARMEL, FALL 1987 Windsor Mt. Carmel Cultivar Heads Avg. Total Hvst. Head Yield % lb lb/A Heads Avg. Total Hvst. Head Yield % lb lb/A Size and quality of heads Corvet 100 Cruiser* 97 Dandy Early 93 Emperor* 100 Galaxy 100 Green Belt* 100 Green Defender 97 Green Valiant* 93 Kayak 97 Laser 93 Neptune 90 Oktal 100 Packman* 97 Pirate 97 PSR 21284 97 PSR 35184 97 Septal 87 Skiff 97 Southern Comet 100 Symphony** Second Crop Cruiser* Emperor* Galaxy Green Belt* 100 100 100 100 100 Green Valiant* 100 Packman* 100 Symphony** 100 Third Crop Cruiser 90 Emperor* 100 Galaxy 97 Green Belt* 100 Green Valiant* 93 Packman 93 Symphony* 93 1.1 1.4 1.5 1.2 1.0 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.4 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.1 0.8 0.7 0.9 1.3 1.2 0.7 0.9 0.6 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.8 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.6 0.7 0.9 0.7 0.5 10830 13457 13303 11314 10063 7058 6880 7154 3703 10891 10084 11576 10543 7629 6962 8762 10992 10908 6413 8974 5364 6312 7038 6897 7381 7582 6151 6151 7784 5585 6695 8259 6551 4602 97 93 97 100 97 100 100 100 100 97 100 100 100 100 100 97 100 100 97 100 90 97 97 100 100 87 90 93 93 97 97 90 1.0 0.8 1.1 0.9 0.8 0.9 0.9 1.0 0.5 0.7 0.8 0.9 0.7 1.1 0.7 0.7 0.9 0.8 8944 7114 9915 8813 7832 8853 9136 10063 4429 6455 7684 8510 6998 10487 6393 6658 8672 7744 97 0.7 6394 med-lg, loose-compact, variable med-vlg, compact, uniform lg-vlg, yellowing, br. bead, variable med-lg, compact, uniform (MC) , rot (W) med-lg, lumpy, leafy, br. bead, rot (MC) med-lg, compact, uniform med-lg , compact , early heads leafy med-lg, compact, uniform, late br. bead (W) sm-med , compact , exerted med-lg, loose-compact, excess stalk med-lg, very lumpy, rot (W) med-lg, somewhat lumpy, rot (W) med-lg, compact, uniform (W) , rot (MC) med-lg, lumpy, br. bead, rot (W) med-lg, somewhat lumpy, rot (MC) med-lg, severe br. bead med-lg, somewhat lumpy, minor rot (MC, W) med-vlg, somewhat lumpy, br. bead, variable sm-med , compact , uniform med-lg, compact, uniform 0.6 5828 sm-med, compact, uniform 0.7 6857 sm-med, compact, uniform 0.8 6675 med, leafy 0.8 7851 med, compact, uniform 0.9 8236 med-lg, compact, uniform 0.8 7623 med, compact, uniform, late heads leafy 0.8 7704 med-lg, compact, uniform 0.5 4231 med-lg, compact, uniform 0.7 5929 med-lg, compact, uniform 0.5 4139 sm-med, leafy 0.6 5807 med-lg, compact, uniform 0.8 7407 med-lg, compact, uniform 0.5 5060 sm-med, somewhat leafy 0.4 3550 sm, compact, uniform, late heads leafy ♦Formerly XPH 5004 •Cultivars produced high quality heads at both Windsor and Mt. Carmel. Cauliflower and Broccoli 13 Connecticut Valley may improve the yields of these early maturing cultivars, similar to Packman. Fall crop. Most cultivars planted in spring were repeated in fall. Second and third crops were planted at 2-week intervals following the first planting. As in spring, I chose cultivars of known high quality to evaluate their usefulness in serial plantings to prolong fall harvests. The average yield of all cultivars at Windsor was 9375 lb/A compared to 7952 lb/A at Mt. Carmel, a difference of 18%. Compared to spring yields, the fall yields were 18* higher at Windsor and 5* higher at Mt. Carmel. At Windsor 13 of 20 cultivars yielded above the national average of 4 tons/A while 9 of 20 exceeded the national average at Mt. Carmel. At Windsor, Cruiser and Dandy Early yielded over 6.5 tons/A. Cruiser, Emperor, Green Valiant, Packman, and Symphony had high yields and excellent quality. The quality of Green Belt was excellent but yields were somewhat lower than the national average. The quality of Dandy Early was poor with rank, uneven growth on most heads. At Mt. Carmel, Pirate and Green Valiant yielded 5 tons/A. Green Valiant had high quality heads but Pirate's heads were borne on excessively thick stalks. Of the other cultivars yielding above the national average, Emperor and Green Belt also had high quality heads. Packman and Symphony had lower than average yields but quality was generally good. In mid-September, heavy rains and prolonged cloudy weather caused a widespread outbreak of bacterial soft rot. Cultivars nearing maturity were affected. Emperor, Neptune, Pirate, and Septal were affected in Windsor while Galaxy, Packman and Septal were mostly affected at Mt. Carmel. Galaxy and Packman were unaffected at Windsor because their heads had already been harvested. The average yields of all cultivars grown in the second crop were 6675 lb/A at Windsor and 7253 lb/A at Mt. Carmel. Only Green Valiant exceeded the national average yield at Mt. Carmel and Green Belt was just slightly. below average in yield. Despite modest yields of all cultivars, quality was excellent except Galaxy with leafy heads. The average yields of all cultivars in the third crop was 6518 lb/ A at Windsor and 5190 lb/A at Mt. Carmel. The data show that average yields decrease progressively from the first to the third crops. This is in response to decreasing temperatures and shorter day length. Despite less favorable conditions, Green Valiant and Emperor retained high yields at both sites. The data suggest that these two cultivars are best for transplanting in mid-August for early November harvest in the Connecticut Valley. Although yields of Green Belt were somewhat low, quality remained good. The heads of Cruiser, Galaxy, Packman, and Symphony were small to medium and somewhat leafy. The small heads, however, can be bunched for market. Maturity. In Table 7, the days to maturity were calculated from the day of transplanting to the day when half the heads were harvested. For the spring crop, time to maturity among the 15 cultivars varied from 40 to 67 days at Windsor and 37 to 69 days at Mt. Carmel. The average maturity of all cultivars was 52 days at Windsor and 49 days at Mt. Carmel, a difference of only 3 days. In comparing maturities between the first and second crops, only Galaxy, Green Comet, Premium Crop, Southern Comet, and Symphony were common to both plantings. At Windsor these five cultivars had an average maturity of 49 days in the first crop and 46 days in the second crop. At Mt. Carmel the average maturity of the five cultivars was 45 days in the first crop and 43 days in the second crop. Although these differences are not large, they represent a trend to decreasing maturity of cultivars as plants mature with increasing temperature in late June and early July. These data suggest that planting a second crop 2 weeks after the first one will result in a harvest a few days less than 2 weeks. In fall, the average maturity of all cultivars in the first crop was 59 days at Windsor and 66 days at Mt. Carmel. Thus, broccoli as well as cauliflower took longer to mature at Mt. Carmel. Cruiser, Emperor, 14 Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 857 TABLE 7— MATURITY OF BROCCOLI AT WINDSOR AND MT. CARMEL, SPRING AND FALL 1987. Windsor Mt. Carmel Harvest Harvest Harvest Harvest Midpoint Span Midpoint Span Spring Fall Spring Fall Spring Fall Spring Fall Cultivar Days* Days* Days** Days** Days* Days* Days** Days** Corvet 57 71 13 11 55 77 10 13 Cruiser 53 55 16 3 55 59 10 11 Dandy Early - 55 - 6 - 59 - 10 Embassy 57 - 10 - 55 - 3 - Emperor - 61 - 3 - 63 - 11 Galaxy 43 47 7 8 37 56 20 3 Green Belt - 64 - 7 - 73 - 7 Green Comet 53 - 10 - 55 - 3 - Green Defender 67 68 7 4 69 73 7 7 Green Valiant - 64 - 4 - 70 - 3 Kayak 60 61 17 1 58 70 14 10 Laser 47 55 10 10 45 63 10 7 Neptune 53 61 13 1 48 70 13 7 Oktal 40 55 7 7 37 63 7 7 Packman - 51 - 8 - 56 - 3 Pirate - 68 - 7 - 77 - 14 Premium Crop 60 - 6 - 55 - 7 - PSR 21284 - 55 - 3 - 63 - 4 PSR 35184 - 61 - 10 - 67 - 7 Septal 43 55 13 3 35 63 13 10 Skiff 63 64 10 10 58 73 17 17 Southern Comet 40 54 3 4 35 - 10 - Symphony* 47 51 3 8 42 56 13 3 Second Crop Cruiser - 55 - 10 - 59 - 11 Dandy Early 45 - 7 - 39 - 10 - Early Emerald 40 - 13 - 39 - 10 - Emperor - 59 - 11 - 62 - 10 Galaxy 48 52 13 7 39 52 13 7 Green Belt - 74 - 21 - 76 - 28 Green Valiant - 66 - 7 - 66 - 14 Packman 47 52 13 11 43 55 7 7 Premium Crop 48 - 10 - 49 - 10 - Southern Comet 41 - 13 - 39 - 13 - Symphony* 45 52 7 3 43 55 10 4 Third Crop Cruiser - 63 - 13 - 70 - 13 Emperor - 70 - 7 - 77 - 10 Galaxy - 57 - 11 - 59 - 11 Green Belt - 80 - 8 - 87 - 7 Green Valiant - 80 - 3 - 80 - 10 Packman - 57 - 5 - 59 - 4 Symphony* - 57 - 6 - 59 - 4 ♦Formerly XPH 5004 •Time from transplanting to midpoint of harvest. } ••Time from start to finish of harvest of primary heads. Cauliflower and Broccoli 15 Galaxy, Green Belt, Green Valiant, Packman, and Symphony were used to compare maturities among three plantings. At Windsor the average maturity of the seven cultivars increased from 56 days to 59 days to 66 days for successive plantings. At Mt. Carmel the average maturity of the seven cultivars was 62 days for the first two plantings and 70 days for the third. The data show that maturity increases 6 to 10 days for late plantings in mid- August. This is highly important in areas where early frosts damage crops in the normally colder areas of Connecticut. The increased days to maturity may preclude late plantings in Litchfield and Windham Counties. The span of harvest in spring ranged from 3 to 17 days at Windsor and 3 to 20 days at Mt. Carmel, and was fairly consistent at both sites. Symphony, known for its short harvest span, took almost 13 days at Mt. Carmel compared to 3 days at Windsor, while Galaxy took 20 days to harvest at Mt. Carmel compared to 7 days at Windsor. These long harvest spans however, are beneficial to growers of broccoli for roadside markets. In fall, several cultivars had short harvest spans of less than a week at both sites and a few had spans exceeding 14 days. At Windsor the average harvest span of all cultivars was 6 days and at Mt. Carmel, 8 days. PLANTING STRATEGIES An objective in growing cauliflower and broccoli for commercial markets is to select several cultivars with varying days to maturity or planting two or more crops of one variety in succession to ensure continuous production throughout the desired period. The following strategies based on our trials at Windsor and Mt. Carmel are offered to assist growers in cultivar selection and planting times. The 1987 trials demonstrate that a spring crop of cauliflower and broccoli can be produced in Connecticut during June. A fall crop of each can be harvested from early September through mid-November except in the normally colder areas of Litchfield and Windham Counties where killing frosts occur late in October. The fall harvest is terminated by a killing frost with temperatures in the low 20s. Night temperatures between 25-32F have little detrimental effect on quality. Although maturity is slowed by the onset of cold weather, the flavor of broccoli may improve after mild frosts. Cauliflower. The spring harvest of cauliflower is shorter than the fall (Table 7). Production in June was accomplished with transplants set between April 21 to 27. Planting cultivars with varying maturity provided harvest from early June to mid-July. Inclusive dates for harvest of preferred cultivars are shown in Figure 1. At Windsor, a combination of Polar Express and Andes provided the broadest harvest from June 6 to July 7. At Mt. Carmel, these two cultivars provided the broadest harvest span from June 13 to July 15. A second planting of Polar Express at Windsor extended its harvest to July 13 but the second planting at Mt. Carmel fell within the harvest span of the first crop. A second Jun Jun Jun Jun Jul Jul 1 10 20 30 10 20 Polar Express WWWWWWWWWWWWW MCMCMCMCMCM WWWWWWWWWWW MCMCM White Knight WWWWWWWWWWWWWWW MCMCMCMCMCMCMCM WWWWWWWW MCMCMCMC Andes WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW MCMCMCMCMCM Candid Charm WWWWWWWWWWW MCMCMCMC Cloud Nine WWWWWWWWW MCMCMCM Taipan WWWWWWWWWWWWW MCMCMCMCMCM White Rook WWWWWWWWWWWWW MCMCMCMCMCMMC White Sails WWWWWWWWWWW MCMCMC White Summer WWWWWWWWWWW MCMCMCMCMCMCM White Fox WWWWWW MCMCMC Fig. 1— Harvest dates for high quality cauliflower in the fall at Windsor (WWW) and Mt. Carmel (MCMC). 16 Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 857 Sep Sep Sep Sep Oct Oct Oct Nov 1 10 20 30 10 20 30 10 Snow King WWWWWW MCMCM Andes WWWWWWWWWWWWWWW MCMCMCMCMCMC WWWWWW MCMCMCMCMC Polar Express WWWWWWW MCMCMCMCM WWWWWWWW MCMCMCMCMC White Knight WWWWWWWWWW MCMCMCMCMC Candid Charm WWWWWWWWW MCMCMCMCMC Cloud Nine WWWWWWWWWWWWWWW MCMCMCMCMCMCMCMCMC White Rock WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW MCMCMCMCMC White Top WWWWWWWWWWWWWWW MCMCMCMCMC PSR 100184 WWWWWWWWWW MCMCMCMCMC Snow Pak WWWWWWWWWWWW MCMCMCMCMC Fig. 2— Harvest dates for high quality cauliflower in the fall at Windsor (WWW) and Mt. Carmel (MCMC). crop of White Knight extended its harvest span only 3 days at Windsor but did not extend the harvest at Mt. Carmel. For the spring crop, it seems easier to plant several cultivars of differing maturities rather than serial plantings of one cultivar. All other varieties listed in Figure 1 fell within the harvest spans of Polar Express plus Andes. Two important management procedures, soil treatment with soluble boron and tying of all curds, ensured blanching and maintained the quality of the curds, even in early July. Buttoning was observed on Snow King, an early maturing cultivar. Delay of planting of this cultivar until May 1 would probably reduce buttoning in the Connecticut Valley region. In the colder areas of Litchfield and Windham Counties, planting of all cultivars should probably be delayed until after May 1. In fall, cauliflower had a longer harvest period and time to maturity than in spring. The combination of Snow King, Andes, and Snow Pak provided the broadest harvest span at V/indsor from August 31 to November 13 (Figure 2). A second crop of Andes extended its harvest from October 19 to October 29. A second crop of Polar Express extended its harvest until November 2 but left an 18-day gap without harvest. The broadest harvest span, September 10 to November 13, was obtained at Mt. Carmel using Snow King as the early variety, either White Knight or Candid Charm as a middle variety, and White Rock as the late variety. A broad gap occurred, however, between September 18 and October 2. A second crop of Snow King planted one week after the first planting may have filled this gap. Unfortunately, the harvest span of Snow King is short and its maturity is more difficult to predict. Quality of curds in fall production of cauliflower is also maintained by soil application of soluble boron to prevent hollow stem and browning of curds. The first four cultivars of cauliflower listed in Figure 2 require tying to ensure blanching of curds. The last six are self-blanching. However, I observed that the self-blanching types that matured before mid-October could benefit by tying because curd growth out-paces the development of wrapper leaves. White Rock, White Top, Snow Pak, and PSR 100184 did not require tying at Mt. Carmel because they matured mid-to-late October. Broccoli. The harvest was shorter in spring than fall because of the onset of hot weather in July, which causes rank growth and yellowing of maturing heads. Harvest in June was from a first transplanting from April 21 to 28 and a second transplanting of early maturing cultivars from May 5 to 7. The harvest dates of preferred cultivars at Windsor and Mt. Carmel are shown in Figure 3. At Windsor, three cultivars with different maturities provided harvest from June 9 to June 25. Cruiser and Symphony as a first crop and Southern Comet planted May 5 provided harvest from June 9 to June 25. Green Comet planted April 21 to 28 and Galaxy and Packman planted May 5 provided harvest from June 12 to 25. Premium Crop, a late maturing variety, extended the harvest Cauliflower and Broccoli 17 Jun Jun Jun Jun Jul 10 1 10 20 30 Cruiser WWWWWWWWWW MCMCMCM Symphony* WWWW MCMCMCMCM WWWWW MCMCMCM Southern Comet* WWWWWWWWW MCMCMCMC Galaxy* WWWWWWWW MCMCMCMCM Green Comet WWWWWWWW MCMCM WWW MCMCMCM Packman* WWWWWWWW MCMC Premium Crop WWWWW MCMC WWWWWW MCMCMC +Formerly XPH 500*1 •Second crop only-first crop had excessive buttoning Fig. 3— Harvest dates for high quality broccoli in spring at Windsor (WWW) and Mt. Carmel (MCMC) to June 29. At Mt. Carmel, the broadest harvest was accomplished with Symphony in the first planting and concluded with Green Comet in the second planting. Although both of these cultivars provided continuous harvest, intermittent harvests could be accomplished with Packman and Galaxy transplanted May 5. Since Symphony matures early and has a short harvest span, it may be possible to plant three successive crops 2 weeks apart beginning April 21 to 28 and extend harvest to late in June. It seems however, that use of cultivars with broader harvest spans such as Cruiser, Galaxy, Green Comet, and Packman may save planting time. To avoid buttoning, it is important to delay planting of early maturing varieties such as Southern Comet, Galaxy and Packman to early May. The fall crop has a longer harvest period and permits more options for selection of cultivars and number of plantings. In addition to the 20 cultivars tested for the first fall crop, I tested second and third plantings of Cruiser, Emperor, Green Belt, Green Valiant, Packman, and Symphony. All but Green Belt Sep Sep Sep Sep Oct Oct Oct Nov 1 10 20 30 10 20 30 10 Packman WWWWWW MC WWWWWWW MCMCMCM Symphony* WWWWWWWWW MC WW MCMCMCM Cruiser WWWW MCMCMCM WWW MCMCMCM WWWWWW MCMCMC Emperor Green Belt WW MCMCMCM WWWWWWW MCMCMC WWWW MCMC WWWWWWWW MCMCMCMCMCMCM WWWWW MCMC Green Valiant ♦Formerly XPH 5004 WWWWW MCMC WWWW MCMCMC WWWWW MCMCMC Fig. 4— Harvest dates for high quality broccoli in the fall at Windsor (WWW) and Mt. Carmel {MCMC) and Cruiser, which are newly tested cultivars, had been suggested for the 1986 Broccoli Project. The harvest dates for the cultivars that produced consistently high quality heads in each crop are shown in Figure 4. At Windsor, harvest of the first planting (July 15 to 22) began with Packman and Symphony on August 31 and concluded with Green Valiant on September 24. These cultivars provided continuous production except for a 6-day span. The harvest of the second planting (August 1) began with Packman on September 17 and concluded with Green Belt on October 19. All cultivars produced high quality heads in the first and second crops. Harvest of the third crop, planted August 17 to 18, began with Cruiser on October 26 and concluded with Green Belt on November 13. Green Valiant also produced high quality heads 18 Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 857 at the same time as Cruiser. The heads of Packman, Emperor, and Symphony were inconsistent in size and leafy. Galaxy was also tested in all three plantings. At Windsor, the first crop had a 4096 loss due to bacterial soft rot and the second and third plantings had leafy heads on thick stalks. In the 1987 trials, Galaxy did not match its excellent performance of spring and fall 1986. At Mt. Car m el, harvest of most cultivars began 7 to 16 days after Windsor. Harvest of the second crop at Mt. Carmel began only 2 to 6 days after Windsor and the third crop was delayed only 2 to 5 days. In the second crop at Mt. Carmel, harvest of Packman, Cruiser, Green Valiant, and Symphony began on September 25 and concluded with Green Belt on November 3. In the third crop continuous harvest was provided from October 27 to November 12 by Cruiser and Green Valiant. Figure 4 shows that mid-July planting of Packman, Cruiser, or Symphony followed by an August 1 planting of Emperor, Green Belt or Green Valiant, and an August 15 planting of Green Belt, Green Valiant or Cruiser will provide continuous harvest from September 1 to about November 15. In the colder areas of Litchfield and Windham Counties, second plantings may be in jeopardy from early killing frosts so third plantings in mid-August would be very risky. For a fall crop of broccoli, then, selection of cultivars with variable maturities coupled with second or third plantings can provide a balanced harvest from early September through early November in the Connecticut Valley and possibly to late in October in the normally colder areas of Litchfield and Windham Counties. REFERENCES Anon. 1943. United States standards for grades of bunched Italian sprouting broccoli. USDA Agric. Market. Svc. 5p. Anon. 1971. Nutritive value of foods. Home and Garden Bulletin No. 72. USDA. Anon. 1985. Agricultural Statistics 1985. USDA. 551p. Hill, D.E. 1986. Broccoli Trials— 1985. The Conn. Agr. Expt. Sta., New Haven Bull. 830. 7p. Kill, D.E. 1987. Broccoli and Cauliflower Trials— 1986. The Conn. Agr. Expt. Sta., New Haven Bull 845. 15p. ACKNOWLEDGMENT I thank Abigail A. Maynard for faithful, capable assistance in the field, in evaluation of cultivars, and in compilation of data. jg&m&t The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station , founded in 1875, is the first experiment station in America. It is chartered by the General Assembly to make scientific inquiries and experiments regarding plants and their pests, insects, soil and water, and to perform analyses for State agencies. The laboratories of the Station are in New Haven and Windsor; its Lockwood Farm is in Hamden. Single copies of bulletins are available free upon request to Pub- lications; Box 1 106; New Haven, Connecticut 06504. ISSN 0097-0905 */i-NO^v