Oakes Irrigation Research Site
Carrington Research Extension Center * North Dakota State University
P.O. Box 531, Oakes, ND 58474-0531, Voice: (701) 742-2189, FAX: (701) 742-2700, email: rgreenla@ndsuext.nodak.edu

BROCCOLI HYBRID PERFORMANCE TRIAL, 1996

Richard G Greenland and Leonard Besemann

Broccoli grows well in the cool climate of North Dakota. Consumption of broccoli continues to rise. Possibilities for broccoli production in North Dakota look promising. Broccoli is marketed as regular cut (crown plus stem) or crown cut (just the crown). The regular cut is most popular in the United States. Orientals prefer crown cut broccoli. In this test, we harvested varieties with both a regular cut and a crown cut.

Results summary

Table 5. Days to harvest, yield, and some quality characteristics for crown cut broccoli.

Table 6. Head, stem and head characteristics for crown cut broccoli.

Table 7. Days to harvest, yield, and some quality characteristics for regular cut broccoli.

Table 8. Stem and head characteristics for regular cut broccoli.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Soil: Hecla sandy loam and Maddock sandy loam; pH=7.2; 2.6% organic matter; soil-P was low; soil-K was medium; soil-S was very low.
Previous Crops: 1995 - tomato; 1994 - winter squash; 1993 - field corn.
Seedbed Preparation: Disked on April 22. Multiweeded (field cultivated) three times on April 22, once to incorporate fertilizer and twice to incorporate herbicide.
Fertilizer: On April 17, broadcast 14 lbs N/acre and 70 lbs P2O5/acre as 10-50-0, 16 lbs N/acre and 19 lbs S/acre as 21-0-0-24, and 94 lbs K20/acre as 0-0-60. Sprayed 35 lbs N/acre as 28-0-0 on April 22. Side dressed 55 lbs N/acre as urea on July 8.
Planting: Direct seeded on April 30 with a Stanhay vegetable planter. Seeds were spaced 7 inches apart in 16-inch rows. Seeds were placed ½ to 3/4 inch deep into a flat, fine seedbed.
Plots: Each plot was two rows (3 ft) wide by 17 ft long.
Irrigation: Surface drip irrigation as needed.
Pest Control: Weeds were controlled using Treflan + Devrinol (1 pt + 2 lb/acre applied preplant incorporated on April 22), Dacthal (10 lbs/acre on May 2), and by hand weeding. Sevin (1.5 pts/acre on May 15 and May 29) controlled flea beetles. Sprayed Javelin (1 lb/acre on July 31), Asana (8 oz/acre on July 10, July 25, and Aug 1), and DiPel (1 lb/acre on Aug 9) to control cabbage looper and cabbage worm.
Harvest: The primary heads were hand harvested from July 15 until Aug 23. Secondary heads were not harvested.

RESULTS

Hot temperatures during broccoli head formation of some hybrids caused uneven bead formation and poor looking heads. Because these hot temperatures come irregularly in North Dakota they could affect head formation and produce unmarketable heads in any given year and cause huge losses. If broccoli is to be grown in North Dakota, several hybrids with different maturities will have to be planted to avoid a complete crop loss. Planting broccoli later in the season, so it matures in early September when the possibility of hot weather is less, may also make broccoli production in North Dakota viable. We will try late planting of broccoli in 1997.

Marathon and Durango were the best looking hybrids and also yielded the best. Sultan had poor plant emergence, which caused poor yields, but it had excellent head shape. Regal was an earlier hybrid that produced good yields but had low head density, a flat head, and large beads.

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Table 5. Yield, stand, etc. for the Oakes Irrigation Research Station 1996 broccoli hybrid performance trial, regular cut.
Hybrid Seed source Early stand Yield Days to harvest§ Spread Number of heads Hollow stem Head size Overall score
1000s/A 1000.lb/A days 1000s/A % oz/head 1 to 10
Claudia FM 45.4 c 15.4 80.7 16.3 35.3 0 7.0 3.7
Regal FM 61.3 a 24.3 83.1 20.8 62.7 7 6.2 2.7
Sultan ##(SK) 34.6 d 18.3 88.1 21.0 38.7 0 7.6 4.8
Barbados FM 56.9 ab 17.3 88.4 19.0 51.9 0 5.3 3.1
Saga JS 58.1 ab 23.0 90.2 21.0 62.7 0 5.9 2.1
Arcadia JS 60.9 a 24.6 93.9 17.5 50.2 0 7.9 3.8
Durango BZ 54.3 b 26.1 98.4 18.0 41.8 9 10.0 5.2
Marathon JS 62.5 a 28.3 100.3 17.3 40.4 7 11.2 5.0
Fiesta BZ 60.3 a 19.7 101.8 14.5 33.9 2 9.3 4.0
LSD (0.05) †† 5.2 2.5 5.7 10.1 NS 1.0 1.2
C.V.(%) 10 16 2 21 15 196 9 22

See appendix A for source codes.

This early stand count was also for crown cut broccoli.

§Average days from planting to harvest.

Days between first and last harvest.

††Values in this column followed by the same letter are not significantly different at the 0.05 level.

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Table 6. Head, stem and bead measurements for the Oakes Irrigation Research Station 1996 broccoli hybrid performance trial, regular cut.
Hybrid Seed source Stem diameter Head Bead††
width shape color§ density size uniform
--------- inches -------- 1 to 4 1 to 5 1 to 3 ------- 1 to 3 -------
Claudia FM 1.11 4.9 2.5 4.8 2.0 2.2 1.3
Regal FM 1.04 4.9 2.2 4.8 1.2 2.4 1.8
Sultan ##(SK) 1.17 5.1 2.8 5.0 2.2 1.8 2.0
Barbados FM 0.96 5.0 2.5 5.0 1.7 2.4 2.0
Saga JS 1.07 5.0 2.2 4.9 1.3 2.3 1.9
Arcadia JS 1.11 5.2 2.7 5.0 1.8 2.3 2.0
Durango BZ 1.44 5.0 2.7 5.0 2.6 1.9 2.1
Marathon JS 1.35 5.2 2.8 4.5 2.7 1.7 1.9
Fiesta BZ 1.28 5.0 2.8 4.7 2.4 2.3 1.8
LSD(0.05) 0.08 0.2 0.4 NS 0.4 0.3 0.4
C.V.(%) 5 3 11 6 14 10 13

See appendix A for source codes.

Head shape: 4 = high dome; 3 = dome; 2 = flat; 1 = sunken.

§Head color: 1 = yellow green; 2 to 4 = light to dark green; 5 = blue green.

Head density: 1 to 3 with 1 = loose, 3 = solid.

††Bead size: 1 = small, 2 = medium, 3 = large. Bead uniformity: 1 to 3 with 3 most uniform.

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Table 7. Yield, stand, etc. for the Oakes Irrigation Research Station 1996 broccoli hybrid performance trial, crown cut.

Hybrid

Seed source Yield Days to harvest Spread§ Number
of heads
Hollow stem Head size Overall score
1000 lb/A days 1000s/A % oz/head 1 to 10
Claudia FM 10.4 cd 81.2 a 20.0 a-d 32.9 cd 0 a 5.0 cd 3.5 cd
Regal FM 14.8 ab 82.4 a 24.0 d 53.1 a 4 a 4.4 ef 3.0 d
Sultan ##(SK) 9.5 d 88.4 b 22.8 bcd 27.4 d 1 a 5.6 c 4.8 a
Barbados FM 12.5 bcd 88.8 b 21.8 bcd 51.6 a 0 a 3.9 f 2.9 de
Saga JS 13.5 bc 89.0 b 17.5 ab 46.6 ab 1 a 4.7 de 2.2 e
Arcadia JS 17.3 a 94.8 c 22.9 cd 48.9 a 1 a 5.6 c 3.6 bcd
Durango BZ 15.2 ab 98.8 d 18.0 abc 34.8 cd 41 d 7.0 ab 4.3 abc
Marathon JS 17.9 a 100.4 de 19.0 a-d 38.0 bc 34 c 7.5 a 4.5 ab
Fiesta BZ 13.3 bc 101.0 e 15.8 a 32.4 cd 13 b 6.5 b 4.0 abc
C.V.(%) 17 1 18 16 35 7 16

See appendix A for source codes.

Average days from planting to harvest.§Days between first and last harvest.

Values in the same column followed by the same letter are not significantly different at the 0.05 level.

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Table 8. Head, stem and bead measurements for the Oakes Irrigation Research Station 1996 broccoli hybrid performance trial, crown cut.
Hybrid Seed source Stem diameter Head Bead††
width shape color§ density size uniform
--------- inches --------- 1 to 4 1 to 5 1 to 3 --------- 1 to 3 --------
Claudia FM 1.01 de‡‡ 5.1 2.2 cd 4.6 abc 1.9 c 2.1 bcd 1.5
Regal FM 1.07 cd 4.9 2.2 cd 4.4 bc 1.5 d 2.2 abc 1.9
Sultan ##(SK) 1.12 abc 5.1 2.9 a 4.8 ab 2.2 b 1.8 ef 2.2
Barbados FM 0.92 f 4.9 2.4 bcd 4.8 ab 1.7 cd 2.5 a 1.9
Saga JS 0.95 ef 5.1 2.1 d 4.9 a 1.1 e 2.4 ab 1.9
Arcadia JS 1.03 de 5.1 2.7 ab 4.8 ab 1.8 c 2.4 ab 2.2
Durango BZ 1.15 ab 5.0 2.5 abc 5.0 a 2.5 a 1.9 def 2.1
Marathon JS 1.19 a 5.1 2.6 abc 4.3 c 2.5 a 1.7 f 1.9
Fiesta BZ 1.09 bcd 4.9 2.5 abc 5.0 a 2.2 b 2.1 cde 2.3
C.V.(%) 5 3 12 7 9 9 17

See appendix A for source codes.

Head shape: 4 = high dome; 3 = dome; 2 = flat; 1 = sunken.

§Head color: 1 = yellow green; 2 to 4 = light to dark green; 5 = blue green.

Head density: 1 to 3 with 1 = loose, 3 = solid.

††Bead size; 1 = small, 2 = medium, 3 = large; Bead uniformity: 1 to 3 with 3 most uniform.

‡‡Values in the same column followed by the same letter are not significantly different at the 0.05 level (no letters in column means no significant differences between values in that column).

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