Cabbage

Cabbage is a reliable and resilient vegetable to cultivate. Cabbage has a relatively long shelf life, allowing for extended storage and marketing opportunities. The versatility, market demand, and potential for year-round cultivation make cabbage a valuable crop choice for UK farmers.

Clubroot (Plasmodiophora brassicae) is a serious disease affecting Brassica. An estimated 10% of the total cultured area worldwide contracts the disease. Syngenta has invested in years of breeding to offer a high level of resistance in their Brassica varieties.

Clubroot symptoms
Clubroot is a soil-borne fungal disease which attacks the roots of Brassica crops. It is considered as one of the most economically important diseases of cultivated crucifers. Roots affected by clubroot are swollen and distorted. The damage caused to the roots causes crops to be stunted and, in most cases, there is a reduction in yield. The pathogen survives in the soil for up to 15 years in the form of resting spores released from decayed galls.

Syngenta’s solutions
The potential of cultural practices to reduce crop losses due to clubroot are limited and chemical treatments to control the fungus are either banned, due to environmental regulations, or are not cost-effective. The best way to combat clubroot is through the breeding of resistant varieties. Syngenta has succeeded, after many years of breeding, to introduce a high level of resistance in varieties of Cabbage.