Alpine cauliflower ensures greater planting safety in times of intense climate variation

According to the latest IBGE agricultural census, around 140 thousand tons of cauliflower are produced in Brazil and the majority of cultivation is in the South and Southeast regions, due to the climatic conditions required by the crop. Unlike other brassicas, cauliflower is more sensitive to weather fluctuations, as it is the accumulated cold hours that influence the formation and quality of the florets.

In view of this, Agristar do Brasil constantly invests in the development of new hybrids with the aim of bringing ever more quality and productivity to the field. As part of this work, the Topseed Premium line portfolio includes Alpina F1 winter cauliflower, a material consolidated in the horticulture market for over 10 years, which has good tolerance to climatic variations, erect and vigorous foliage to protect the head from damage by solar rays, and resistance to Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc), a bacterium that causes black rot, the main disease that affects the crop.

“Cauliflower is a value-added crop, which brings good profitability to producers who choose to use high-quality hybrid seeds. This need is due to climatic conditions that are increasingly difficult to predict, which brings losses to those who do not use modern techniques and cultivars”, explains Silvio Nakagawa, specialist in hardwoods and brassicas at Agristar.

He adds that Alpina is a very versatile hybrid, with an ideal weight and size for sale in cash registers and street markets, places where larger heads are required. For the packaged segment, more dense planting can be done, resulting in compact heads for this purpose.

Word from someone who understands

Producer Evanildo André Bernardi, from Horti NC, in Caxias do Sul (RS), says he has been planting Alpina cauliflower for six years. “I chose the variety for its productivity, leaf health and disease resistance. These were the characteristics that caught my attention the most.” Farmer Joel Jones Bernardi, from Los Bernardi, also from Caxias do Sul, who has worked with Alpina for 10 years and plants around 100 thousand trees per year, shares the same opinion. “I chose the variety for sanity and in recent years I have even planted it in winter, because our winters are not so harsh. The characteristic that I highlight is leaf health”, he details.

In the Gaucho cities of São Francisco de Paula, Terra de Areia and Santo Antônio da Patrulha are the Iaronka family's farms. “I have been planting Alpina cauliflower for six years and I produce 1 million plants per year. I chose the variety because of its color, white and heavy. The feature that most catches my attention is the shape of the foot”, comments Eliezer Iaronka.

Expert tip

To start a crop, it is recommended to carry out a soil analysis for correct liming, base fertilizer including micronutrients such as Boron and Molybdenum to have healthy plants and avoid areas with a history of cruciferous hernia, due to its difficult control. In the past, when the climatic seasons were well defined, it was possible to use hybrids or even varieties with low adaptation to climatic variation and less leaf health, as winters were drier and milder, and over the years rains and waves of rain became common. unseasonal heat, which leads to large losses, when cauliflower does not have any level of resistance to Xanthomonas campestris pv. Campestris (Xcc).