A new cabbage variety known as the green giant, which is gaining ground in the departments of Caaguazu and Central because of its high adaptability to Paraguay's tropical climate, was presented within the framework of Expo Hortipar in November.
There was a demonstration plot at Expo Hortipar 2018, so that producers could learn about this cabbage hybrid's potential. "It's quite rustic and tolerant of high temperatures. It has a resistance to Xanthomonas, a very aggressive bacterium within the cabbage and locote crop. It also has a high tolerance to Alternaria and presents uniformity in head production."
In this plot, the density was 40 cm x 50 cm to three sticks. It received fertilization and irrigation, with installation of two drip tapes. Irrigation periodicity was two to three times per day, depending on the weather.
Advantages
The advantage of the green giant is that, at the end of the cycle, producers can wait 15 to 20 days to conduct the harvest. This is an advantage for producers, as they can wait to achieve better market prices in certain seasons.
The traditional cabbages must be harvested at the end of their cycle.
Management
In terms of nutritional management, the recommendation is conducting a balanced fertilization giving the plants micronutrients via foliar fertilization. Producers should reinforce the cabbage's head formation with molignedo, which helps them be more uniform and achieve good weight.
"This hybrid variety has already gone through several tests in which it achieved an optimal weight. In rustic systems, it yielded 3.2 kg per head and in technical systems it reached 4.5 kg per head. This variety is mainly for tropical climate, but it can also be used during the winter season."
Technology
The plot presented in the exhibition included the preparation of planks, placement of black mulching to prevent the appearance of weeds and to retain moisture so that the plants could reach their maximum potential.
According to the technicians, the plants were given NPK formulation, micronutrients, humic and fulvic acid in high concentrations, diatomaceous earth with a high content of silicon, which helped to disinfect the soil; and beneficial microorganisms so that they had the best soil condition.
"The boards were raised to 15 cm in height. We had problems in the improvement of soil because the plot was used to make genetic improvement of soybean; therefore it was difficult to compact the soil, but that did not mean there were production problems."
