SOWING DATES AND PLANT DENSITY ON TWO EARLY CULTIVARS OF CIMA DI RAPA (BRASSICA RAPA L.)

‘Quarantina’ and ‘Sessantina’ were sown on 27 August, 2 October and 6 November in the first trial year and on 27 August and 2 October in the second. Seedlings were thinned in order to obtain 40.0 – 13.3 and 8.0 plant m^-2. At harvest time 28, 13 and 8 plants per m^-2 were found.

Results were similar for the two years. Sowing time appears to exert a great influence on yield, yield component and time of harvest. To obtain all the heads, four harvests were necessary in the first year for August sowing and only two forother sowings. The marketable yield was 35, 22 and 7 t ha^-1 for August, October and November sowings, respectively. Average head weight decreased from early to late sowing (291 vs. 41 g). After two harvests 51, 88 and 100 % of marketable yield was picked respectively for the August, October and November sowings. In the second year yield was higher (61 and 23 t ha^-1 in the first and second sowings, respectively).

Plant density influenced the weight, diameter and yield of heads. In the first year, the the marketable yield of crop grown at 8 plants m^-2 was 55% lower than that at 28 plants m^-2. No difference in yield was observed between cultivars in the first year, while in the second one ‘Sessantina’ was more productive. A continuing supply of heads from October to beginning of January may be obtained by sowing ‘Quarantina’ and ‘Sessantina’ in August and October.

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