Effect of growing conditions on quality and pest incidence of cabbage

Field experiment was laid out in split plot design (SPD) with five growing conditions, naturally ventilated polyhouse (G,), 35% shade net house (G₂), 50% shade net house (G₃), 75% shade net house (G₄) and open field (G₆) with three varieties of cabbage i.e. Red Jewel (V,), Centro F., (V₂) and Samrat F., (V₃). There were thus 15 treatments, each replicated thrice. The cabbage seedlings were transplanted on 16^th December, 2020 with 30 cm x 30 cm spacing. The observations on quality parameters and pest incidence were recorded and subjected to statistical analysis. Naturally ventilated polyhouse provided better growing conditions for cabbage, with improved quality parameters, with higher values of ascorbic acid (43.20 mg/100 g), phosphorus (42.47 mg/100 g) and potassium (182.56 mg/100 g). The cabbage variety Red Jewel registered maximum ascorbic acid (43.69 mg/100 g), phosphorus (41.98 mg/100 g) and potassium (177.37 mg/100 g) contents. Minimum number of aphids (14.35) and spodoptera caterpillar (2.11) incidences were recorded under polyhouse condition. Red Jewel variety of cabbage recorded minimum number of aphids (20.58) and spodoptera caterpillar (1.46) incidence under polyhouse condition than other varieties.