S. Piya, P.P. Khatiwada, A.S.R. Bajracharya and S. Baidya

DOI

ABSTRACT

Experiments on nursery management of cauliflower and cabbage were conducted with the purpose to find out the best and practicable control measures against damping off. The experiments were conducted in two consecutive years viz 2000 and 2001 at North farm of ARS, Pakhribas (2000 m) and Sindhuwa (2200 m) of Dhankuta district. The design was RCB with 2 x 5 factorial arrangements. The factor soil composition has two levels soil + compost and soil + sand + compost. While second factor soil treatment has five levels namely formalin drenching, solarization, burning, agronomic soil and control. 2.5 % formalin solution 4 lit/m2 drenched for moisten 4 inch soil before 21 days of seed sowing drenched. After soil drenching plots were covered with plastic sheet for seven days. After seven days plastic sheets were removed and plots were left for 14 days by turning soil. For soil burning method 2.5 inch slow burning materials like rice husk, saw dust used for soil burning before seed sowing. Highest percentage of cauliflower marketable seedlings (90.29) obtained from soil burning followed by formalin drenching (90.05). While untreated (control) plot produced 80.67% of marketable seedlings. In case of severity of damping off lowest percentage was recorded from soil burning (7.19) followed by formalin drenching (7.68). the combination of sand in soil and compost mixture did not show any remarkable difference to control damping off in cauliflower. Similarly highest percentage of cabbage seedlings were recorded from formalin drenching (90.81) followed by soil burning (87.47). The combination of soil + sand + compost was found better to produce highest percentage of marketable cabbage seedlings (87.55) than only soil + compost (84.56). Formalin drenching produced lowest percentage of damping off (6.36). Similarly addition of sand in nursery bed was found better producing lowest (10.07) percentage of damping off as compared to only soil and compost. Overall considering all parameters the soil treatment with formalin and soil burning with combination of sand in soil + compost were found superior to control damping off and produce highest number of seedlings.