Effect of weather parameters on the growth and yield of Cauliflower

Abstract

Weather parameters influence all stages of plant growth and thereby affect the crop productivity. Each crop has its own set of optimum and tolerable environmental conditions under which it can grow efficiently. Knowledge about the relationships between crop growth stages and weather parameters is very important to maximize the production and productivity by adjusting the crop management practices. For a plant to be successful in a given region, the sequences of its growth phases must fit in the climate to ensure good growth and adequate production. Agro-climatological knowledge of individual crops and individual locations is thus very essential. Vegetable crops, the important component of horticulture, assume great significance in providing food and nutritional security. Even though India ranks second in the world production of vegetables (NHB, 2011), the availability of vegetables still continues to be much low below the dietary requirements. There is ample scope to increase the productivity by the development of location and situation specific technologies. But the challenges before us are to produce more from shrinking land and declined water in the scenario of climate change. Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) belonging to the family brassicaceae is one among the most popular vegetable crops cultivated in India. Cauliflower is very sensitive to growing conditions and for the transformation from vegetative to curd initiation phase and for the development of curd, it needs distinct climatic conditions. So, we have to find out the relationships between the magnitude of yield fluctuations and environmental influences of the crop growing season.

Keywords

• Cauliflower
• Climate change
• Crop growth
• Yield