This cauliflower characterisation trial took place at the UK Vegetable Genebank, Warwick Crop Centre, in the “Sheep Pens (West 2)” in 2025. Planting details are provided below:
All seeds were sown in Levington’s Seed and Modular plus sand (F2S) with vermiculite top dressing. Sowing took place on the 02/04/2025. Seedling were pricked out into Levington’s Pot and Bedding compost (M2) in 25mm plug trays and fed once per week with BHGS 2-1-4 fertiliser (0.1 KG per L). Plant trays were hardened off in a field polytunnel for a week before being planted into the field. All plants were transplanted on the 20/05/2025 into the field -12 plants of each accession in 4 x 3 plot at 50cm spacing. The planting design was 3 rows per bed @ 50cm and spacing in the row @ 50cm. Details of fertilizer, pest and disease/bird control:
19/05/2025 | applied nitrogen @ 100kg/ha
19/05/2025 | sprayed stomp aqua @ 2.9l/ha before planting
20/05/2025 | sprayed sultan metazachlor @ 1.5l/ha
17/06/2025 | top dressed with nitram @ 549kg/ha (190kg/ha of n)
26/06/2025 | sprayed hallmark zeon @ 100mls/ha for aphids and caterpillars
04/07/2025 | sprayed hallmark zeon @ 50mls/ha for aphids and caterpillars
06/08/2025 | sprayed tracer @ 200ml/ha for caterpillars
Netting covered the crop between 20/05/2025 and 2nd October 2025.
Irrigation was provided to supplement rainfall to ensure a healthy crop. 30 mins twice per week when required.
The plants were scored for head development each week. Head development date was scored when 50% of plants had a head developing. Harvest date was 14 days after the head development date.
Data collection took place throughout the trial, between the 17/07/2025 and 03/03/2026. The following traits were in situ: head development date, leaf apex shape, leaf blade shape in outline (including lobes), leaf colour, leaf division (incision), leaf division (margin), frost sensitivity.
Harvesting took place between 29/07/2025 and 24/02/2026. The following traits were scored post harvest: bract in flowering head, floral apex branching pattern, flowering head colour surface, flowering head depth, flowering head shape in longitudinal section, flowering head size, flowering head solidity, average weight, average width, head cover from subtending leaves, heterogeneity.
Accessions HRIGRU 8516, HRIGRU 10581, HRIGRU 9998, HRIGRU 8595 did not reach maturity within the timeframe of the trial. HRIGRU 8191 was frost damaged before harvesting could take place.