Varietal evaluation of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) under Prayagraj agroclimatic conditions

The present study, titled "Varietal Evaluation of Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) under Prayagraj Agroclimatic Conditions," was conducted during the Rabi season of 2024-2025 at the Horticulture Research Farm, Department of Horticulture, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj. The objective was to assess the performance of various broccoli varieties in terms of growth, yield, and quality under the specific climatic conditions of Prayagraj. A total of ten varieties—Saki, Anastya, Romanesco, Matsuri, Hari, Star, Green Magic, Palam Samridhi, Shishir, and Palam Vichitra—were evaluated using a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications. Data was collected on key parameters such as plant growth, curd development, yield, and nutritional quality. Among all the varieties, Palam Vichitra (V10) showed the most promising results. It recorded the maximum plant height (56.42 cm), highest number of leaves per plant (35.00), longest and widest leaves (49.48 cm and 25.57 cm, respectively), thickest stem diameter (5.34 cm), and widest plant spread (75.75 cm). It also showed early curd formation (50.05 days) and reached harvest in 70.34 days, with the largest curd diameter (15.46 cm). In terms of biomass and yield, Palam Vichitra achieved the highest plant weight without roots (983.14 g), curd weight (631.41 g), curd yield per plot (7.58 kg), and overall yield of 21.05 tonnes per hectare. Nutritionally, it also had the highest ascorbic acid content (118.52 mg/100g) and total soluble solids (4.28 °Brix). However, when considering profitability, Shishir emerged as the most economically viable variety, recording the highest benefit-cost ratio of 6.07.