Broccoli is an edible vegetable with green immature flower outlines and thick and fleshy flower stalks, and is in the same family as cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, and turnip. Broccoli is very similar to cauliflower. The main difference with cauliflower; The immature flower stubs, the edible part of both vegetables, are usually white in cauliflower, whereas in broccoli they are grayish or bluish-green. In addition, unlike cauliflower, thick fleshy flower stalks in broccoli also have edible value. Branching is numerous in broccoli and flowering occurs at the ends of these branches.
It starts in broccoli and develops in the open without protection. Another feature that distinguishes broccoli from cauliflower is that with the removal of the main head in the middle, secondary flower drafts are formed immediately. As growth continues after the first crown, small crowns form in the lower leaf axils. The body of broccoli is 50-90 cm long and the internodes are longer than cabbage and cauliflower.
During plant formation, a head weighing 100-400 g occurs in the middle. With the cutting of this head, the shoots emerging from the leaf axils develop rapidly and fleshy shoots with green flower buds occur. However, these heads are smaller than the main head in the middle and weigh 10-50 g. Similar to cauliflower in broccolide, the cultivars grown are classified as early, mid and late cultivars, but no clear distinction can be made between these groups.
Although the growing times vary according to the earliness of the varieties, the number of days from planting to harvest is 45-130 days. The maturity period of the variety and the growing conditions of the region are important in the selection of the variety.
Economic Importance, Homeland and Spreading Areas
Broccoli, which is among the winter vegetables in our country, is a type of cruciferous vegetable whose production and consumption has increased rapidly in recent years. It is likened to cauliflower in many places and
It is known as cauliflower horseradish. Broccoli is morphologically similar to cauliflower. The parts that are evaluated as vegetables form colorful and mature flower outlines and thick and fleshy flower stalks.
Evaluation of broccoli is not much, but salad with olive oil, garlic and lemon is made. It has also been used in the pickle industry in recent years.
There are no records regarding the cultivation area and production amount of broccoli. Broccoli production has started to be done in our country in recent years. Therefore, it is a vegetable that is not recognized by many.
It is accepted that the homeland of broccoli is the Mediterranean Region. Broccoli varieties that form green immature flower outlines are called calabrese. The word Calabrese is the name of a region in Italy, and many researchers report that the homeland of broccoli is Italy.
Broccoli has a nutritional value that cannot be underestimated in terms of its high protein, vitamin A and C content. Especially the edible green shoots are rich in vitamin C. As a matter of fact, there is 118 mg of vitamin C in 100 g fresh weight. In addition, when the nutrients contained in broccoli are examined, it is clearly seen that it is a very good diet vegetable.
Morphological Characteristics
Root: Broccoli plant is similar to cabbage and cauliflower in terms of root properties. Since the method of production is by seedling, pile roots are generally lost. Plenty of hairy roots are found near the soil surface.
Stem: The stem of broccoli is different from cabbage and cauliflower. The body can take a length of 30-50 cm. The leaves formed on the stem are arranged at intervals. The leaves formed on the stem are arranged at intervals. The stem ends with immature green main flower stubs (buds). With the cutting of the main flower bud, secondary flower drafts occur from the leaf axils.
The diameter of the green flower buds emerging from the leaf axils is smaller than the main flower bud. In cauliflower, when the crown is cut, the plant does not form shoots and crowns from the leaf axils, but in broccoli, when the crown is cut, the plant creates axillary shoots from the leaf axils.
Leaf: The leaves of broccoli are petiolate and oval, and in some species, the leaf blades can be fragmented. Their color is darker and bluish than cabbage and cauliflower.
Crown: As in cauliflower, immature flower buds used as vegetables in broccoli are also called crowns. Morphological features of crowns and flowers are similar to cauliflower.
The size of immature main flower buds (crown) varies depending on planting-planting time, planting frequency and variety. In late plantings and when the distance between plants decreases, the size of the crowns decreases. The diameter of the main crowns varies between 5-25 cm, and the weight varies between 100-750 gr. The diameter of the armchair shoots is 5-10 cm, and the weight is 10-100 grams.
The crowns, which are considered as vegetables, can be green, purple and white. Green ones are more preferred.
Flower: Broccoli’s flower characteristics, flowering pattern and fertilization biology are very similar to cauliflower. However, seeds cannot be taken after the crown is harvested in cauliflower. In broccoli, even if the main crown and side shoots are harvested, flower buds emerging from the sides develop and form seeds by blooming.
Fruit: The fruit and seed characteristics of broccoli are similar to cauliflower. The number and size of seeds formed in the fruit varies depending on the growing conditions.
Common Broccoli Varieties
Green Duke: Takes 50 days from start to maturity, good for spring and autumn.
Sultan: It takes 60 days, it is a perfect autumn product, it is a single big head, it is resistant to the early heat of autumn.
Green Chargen: Requires 64 days, good autumn crop, large single head.
Pinnacle: 64 days, autumn product, small rosary grain size, suitable for bunching, tolerant to downy mildew. -Ninja: Requires 86 days, for first and autumn.
Arcadia: Whether 86 days is for first and autumn.
Emperor: 65 days, uniform. It has beautiful side shoots, for first and autumn, high yielding.
Green Belt (Green belt or Green belt): 67 days, autumn product, large head, short stem, slow ripening, suitable for making small rosary-sized bundles or bunches. (Most of these broccoli are F1 hybrids.)
Non-hybrid varieties include: Packman, Regal, Saga, Genji, Ggreen Valiant, San Miguel and Marathon
SEED AND GERMANY FEATURES
The seeds are similar in shape and color to cabbage and cauliflower seeds. The germination characteristics of the seeds are the same as in cauliflower. Under normal conditions, they can maintain their germination power for 5 years.
The optimum germination temperature is 20 °C. Seeds germinate in 3-4 days under optimum conditions and rise to the soil surface.
BREEDING REQUESTS
Broccoli is a cool climate vegetable and is less selective in terms of climate and soil requirements than cauliflower. The most suitable air temperature for the cultivation of broccoli is 15-170C, and it lasts up to 240C at most.
In terms of maintaining the quality of the green shoots of broccoli, dry and hot weather in summer is not suitable. In hot weather, the flower drafts on the shoots do not develop normally, become loose and withered on the shoots a few hours after the harvest. It inhibits the development of flower buds and causes them to be loosely structured. For this reason, broccoli cultivation is not suitable in places where the temperature is above 200C in summer.
SOIL REQUIREMENTS and FERTILIZATION
The most suitable soils for broccoli are well-drained sandy to clay loam soils with high water holding capacity. Good drainage should be done in the soils where the cultivation is done. This is especially important for plants grown in winter. Fertilization of broccoli is similar to cabbage, but fertilizer needs vary according to varieties, soil structure, organic matter content in the soil and regions.
For this reason, the soil should be analyzed before cultivation and fertilized according to the recommendations. Hollow shoots form in soils where fertilization is not done well. All of the phosphorus and potassium fertilizers and one third of the nitrogen fertilizer should be given during planting. The remainder of the nitrogen fertilizer. The amount should be given in two periods, after a certain period of planting and after the main heads are harvested, depending on the growing period.
BREEDING
It is necessary to pay attention to the alternation in the soils where broccoli will be grown and to ensure that a cabbage vegetable has not been grown in the same field for at least 3 years. The compacted hard layer formed under the soil surface should be broken by deep plowing every 2-3 years. If possible, 2-3 tons of barnyard manure is given to the lands where broccoli will be grown in autumn, and deep ploughing is made. and left in a dung form until spring.
The dung dispersed by rain and snow in the spring is distributed by making a more exposed plowing. Phosphorous fertilizer should be given under the plow before this plowing. Broccoli is produced by seed. Seedlings grown in pillows or viols reach planting size after sowing 6-8 weeks for spring crop and 4-5 weeks for autumn production.
While the amount of seeds required for one acre is 20-30 g when growing with seedlings, this amount increases to 85-140 g when sowing directly into the field. Planting intervals to be given to plants are 75-100 cm and 50-75 cm in rows. Early varieties should be planted more frequently as they produce smaller plants than late varieties.
HARVEST
Harvesting broccoli should be done before the flower buds open. If the buds start to open and yellow flower petals begin to appear, it means that they are overripe and have lost market quality. With the cutting of the main head in the middle, the shoots on the side continue to grow and form smaller heads. Harvest is done 4-6 times in a vegetation period, once every 2-3 days.[/img]
Broccoli is an edible vegetable with green immature flower outlines and thick and fleshy flower stalks, and is in the same family as cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, and turnip. Broccoli is very similar to cauliflower.
The main difference with cauliflower; The immature flower stubs, the edible part of both vegetables, are usually white in cauliflower, whereas in broccoli they are grayish or bluish-green. In addition, unlike cauliflower, thick fleshy flower stalks in broccoli also have edible value. Branching is numerous in broccoli and flowering occurs at the ends of these branches.
It starts in broccoli and develops in the open without protection. Another feature that distinguishes broccoli from cauliflower is that with the removal of the main head in the middle, secondary flower drafts are formed immediately. As growth continues after the first crown, small crowns form in the lower leaf axils. The body of broccoli is 50-90 cm long and the internodes are longer than cabbage and cauliflower.
During plant formation, a head weighing 100-400 g occurs in the middle. With the cutting of this head, the shoots emerging from the leaf axils develop rapidly and fleshy shoots with green flower buds occur. However, these heads are smaller than the main head in the middle and weigh 10-50 g. Similar to cauliflower in broccolide, the cultivars grown are classified as early, mid and late cultivars, but no clear distinction can be made between these groups.
Although the growing times vary according to the earliness of the varieties, the number of days from planting to harvest is 45-130 days. The maturity period of the variety and the growing conditions of the region are important in the selection of the variety.