ISBN 978-93-83168-17-0

Advances in
Vegetable Agronomy

Editors
Anil K. Choudhary
K.S. Rana
Anchal Dass
Manish Srivastav

Post Graduate School

Indian Agricultural Research Institute
New Delhi – 110 012
&
Indian Council of Agricultural Research
Department of Agricultural Research and Education
Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India New
Delhi – 110 001
 14
Scientific Cultivation of Knol-Khol
Chapter

(Brassica oleracea L. var. gongylodes)

1 2 3
Anil Kumar , Anil K. Choudhary and S. Rahi
1
Guru Angad Dev Veterinary & Animal Sciences University, PAU Campus, Ludhiana, India
2
Division of Agronomy, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, India
3
CSK Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University, KVK Sundernagar (HP), India

Introduction
The ‘knol-khol’ is a cool season vegetable cultivated for its edible knob (swollen portion above the ground). It is
one of the lesser known vegetables. It is also referred as Khol rabi, Navalkol and Ganth gobhi etc. The knob is
harvested for human consumption as raw or cooked vegetable, though in some parts, young leaves are also
used. The fleshy edible knob is an enlargement of stem, which develops entirely above ground and is used as a
vegetable. The edible portion is globular to a slightly flattened stem. Kohl rabi has similar taste and texture as
that of broccoli stem or cabbage, but milder and sweeter. The younger stems have crispy, pleasant taste, and
rich flavor. Likewise brussels sprouts, Knol-khol contain good amounts of vitamin A and C, folic acid and
dietary fibre. Moreover, it is an excellent source of vitamin B-complex such as niacin, pyridoxine, thiamin,
pantothenic acid, etc. Besides that it contain good levels of minerals viz. copper, calcium, potassium,
manganese, iron and phosphorus especially in stem. It contains sulforaphane, which has anticancer properties.

Climatic Requirements
Knol-khol is a perennial cool season vegetable. It is grown all over the temperate climates for its succulent
round shaped modified stem as well for its turnip-flavored top greens. The major khol rabi growing states in
India are Kashmir, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and some parts of south India,
but it is not cultivated commercially. Whole Afghanistan is well suited for knol-khol cultivation.

Origin and Distribution

Knol-khol or kohlrabi has North-European origins. It has then spread all over the world including South Asian
countries. It is very widely used in the Northern state of Kashmir in India. It is also used popularly in many
other states in this country listed above.

Family
The botanical family to which knol-khol
belongs is the ‘Brassicaceae’ also known
as the ‘Mustard family or cabbage
family’. The kohlrabi is quite similar in
looks to that of cabbage. The main
difference with cabbage is that there are
no leaves covering this vegetable.

Fig. 1. Knol-khol vegetable is cultivated for its edible knob

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Major Recommended Varieties
There are mainly two types of knoll-khol’s varieties exist i.e. white and purple. However, internally both
varieties have similar cream-yellow coloured edible flesh. Some of the popular varieties grown worldwide are:
Large Green: The knobs are green, round and large-sized with small tops. These are usually tender and delicately
flavored with white flesh. It is ready to harvest in about 75 days after transplanting. The average yield potential is
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225–250 q ha . It is very much suitable for cultivation under mid and high hills of western Himalayas.
White Vienna: It is an early maturing variety takes about 55–65 days to mature after transplanting. The plants
are dwarf with medium green leaves and stem. The knobs are globular, light green, smooth and tender with
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delicate flavour. Its yielding potential is 175 q ha .
Purple Vienna: The knobs are purplish-blue with greenish-white flesh. It takes about 70 days to mature and
more yield potential as compared to White Vienna.
King of North: It is an early maturing variety. The plants are dark green with about 25 cm height and bear
flattish-round knob. It matures in 60–65 days after transplanting.

Climate and Soil

It is a cool season crop and thrives best under temperate and moist climate. It can withstand extreme cold and
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frost in comparison with other cool season crops. Seeds of knol- knol germinate well at 15 to 30 C. The
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optimum temperature for crop growth ranges between 15.5 - 18 C (Anonymous, 2012b; 2013). In late varieties,
low temperature does not have stimulating effect on bolting in early stages. Soils requirements of knol-khol
are exactly similar to Brussels sprouts. It can be grown successfully on a wide range of soils, however, it
perform best in well-drained loamy soil rich in organic matter. It does well in pH range of 6.0 to 6.8.

Agronomic Practices
Land Preparation
Prepare the land to a fine tilth by disc ploughing followed by one or two harrowing. Incorporate well
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decomposed FYM @ 15-20 t ha at the time of land preparation (Anonymous, 2012b). Application of organic
manure or vermicompost improves plant growth, productivity and improves water holding capacity of field
soil. The sterilization of soil by drenching, nursery beds with formalin @ 1:49, about 15-20 days before seed
sowing is beneficial for preventing the attack of the fungal diseases. After drenching, seed beds should be
covered with polythene for a week. Then beds are again dug and left open for 5-6 days to avoid injurious effect
of formalin on seeds. The standard procedure for raising nursery should be followed. The beds should be
covered with a proper mulching material before watering. Apply water with a water cane over the grass
mulch during initial stage i.e.15-20 days of sowing, while during later stage watering should be done through
furrows. The mulch should be removed as soon the emergence of seed sprouts. The beds should be provided
with roof for shading against hot sunshine and rains.

Planting Season
Optimum time for raising knoll-khol’s nursery is during August. Seedlings are ready to transplant in field
after month of sowing in nursery (Anonymous, 2012).

Spacing
In case of knol-khol, transplanting is done at a closer spacing of 25 × 25 cm, 25 × 30 cm, 25 × 40 cm or 30 × 45 cm
depending on climatic conditions and fertility of the soil. The yield is more in close spacing but the size of knobs is
reduced. The early varieties may be planted at closer spacing while the late ones require wider spacing.

Seed Rate
It is usually propagated by seed. A seed rate of 1–1.5 kg is sufficient for cultivating ‘knol khol’ in one hectare
area. Seed should be given a hot water treatment (50°C) for half an hour against black rot and Apron 35 @ 2g
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kg seed against downy mildew before sowing.

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Nutrient Management
Manure and fertilizer requirements in ‘knol-khol’ depend upon fertility status of the soil. Apply 20 tonnes well
rotten FYM during field preparation. Beside that apply 90 kg N, 80 kg P 2O5 and 80 kg K2O per hectare in case of
knoll-khol. The half dose of N and full doses of P and K should be applied before transplanting. The remaining half
dose of N should be top dressed in two equal splits viz. after one month of transplanting and at the time of knob
formation. For acid soils low in Ca and Mg, application of ‘dolomite’ as lime should be followed.

Intercultural Operations
The intercultural operations are similar to that of other cole crops. Shallow frequent hoeing should be done in
field by ‘khurpi or hoe’ to kill young weeds and provide soil mulch. Weeding should be started as soon as
plants are set in the field. Four to five weeks after transplanting, plants should be slightly earthen up in the
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field. For chemical weed control, Stomp 30 EC (Pendimethalin) 2.5 litre ha can also be applied one day before
transplanting of seedlings under moist soil conditions.

Water Management
Likewise other cole crops, these crops also require a continuous supply of moisture for uniform growth and
development. First irrigation is done immediately after transplanting and thereafter irrigation is done when needed,
depending on soil and weather conditions. Subsequent irrigation can be given at an interval of 15 days. Heavy
irrigation should be avoided. There should be sufficient moisture in soil at the time of knob formation.

Plant Protection
The important pests and diseases of are given below:

Insect Pests
Aphids (Brevicoryne brassicae): The aphids are generally observed on lower surface of the leaves. The Yellowish
green nymphs and adults suck cell sap and devitalize plants. Affected plant parts become discolored,
malformed and weakened.
Control: Spraying of Monocrotophos (0.05%) or Malathion (0.1%) at 10-15 days interval control aphid
population effectively. To prevent recurrence of the pest granular insecticides like Phorate @ 1.0 kg a.i./ha
should be applied to soil.
Cabbage Diamondback Moth (Plutella xylostella): It is one of the most serious pests of cole crops. The green or
brownish coloured caterpillars feed the inner leaves by making holes, rendering transparent cuticular patches.
Severely affected leaves are completely skletonised.
Control: Spraying of neem based formulations @ 4 ml or Bt product like Delfin 3G @ 1 g per of water gave
good control on pest or spraying crop with Malathion (0.1%) or Profenofos (0.25-0.5 kg a.i./ha) gives excellent
control of the larvae.
Leaf Webber (Crocidolomia binotalis): It is one of the most destructive pests of cole crops. Eggs are laid in
clusters on the undersurface of the leaves. Green caterpillars web up the leaves and live inside the knotted
mass. Flowering and pod formation is adversely affected.
Control: Removal and destruction of webbed bunches of leaf help to check the further spread of the disease.
Dusting the crop with Carbaryl (4%) or spraying with Malathion (0.05%) is effective.

Major Diseases
Black Rot (Xanthomonas campestris): It is the most serious disease affecting brussels sprouts. This bacterial
disease is common in areas with warm and humid climate. The typical symptoms of black rot are caused by
local infection that results when bacteria enter leaves through natural openings of leaf margins. The infected
tissue turns pale green-yellow and then turns brown and dies. Affected areas are usually wedge or V-shaped.
These areas enlarge as the disease progresses and severely affected leaves may drop off. The veins in infected
leaves, stems and roots sometimes become black. The heads of the infected plants remains small and its
quality is reduced making it unfit for marketing (Anonymous 2012).

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Control: Seed treatment with Agrimycin-100 (100 ppm) or Streptocycline (100 ppm) is effective in controlling
disease. Planting should be done on raised beds to facilitate drainage. Cultivation in the fields where crucifers
have been continuously grown during last 2 years should be avoided. Plants should be thoroughly inspected
for black rot symptoms and the affected plants should be removed and destroyed.
Downy Mildew (Perenospora parasitica): The disease is very serious in nursery and may also appear in field
planting. During periods of high humidity, light grey powdery patches appear on undersurface of the leaves
and shoots. The first symptom observed are small, light green-yellow lesions on the upper leaf surface, later
showing on the undersurface. The spots turn yellow as they enlarge.
Control: All the weeds serving as alternate host to the fungus should be destroyed. Spraying seedlings as
well as transplanted plants with Copper Oxychloride 0.3 and 0.5%, respectively is effective in controlling the
disease. Moreover, spraying of ‘Neem seed kernel’ @ 5 ml per litre after 25 – 30 days of transplanting, control
the disease incidence.
Leaf Spot and Blight (Alternaria brassicae or brassiciola): There is appearance of small dark yellow spots on the
leaf surface during initial stage, which later on enlarged to circular areas with concentric rings, surrounded
by yellow halos. In severe cases, the entire plant defoliates.
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Control: Seed treatment with hot water (50 C for 30 minutes) helps to minimize the disease incidence. Crops
grown for seed purpose should be sprayed at full bloom, pod set and pre- harvest stage with Captan (0.2%)
or Copper Oxychloride (0.5%) for the control of disease.

Harvesting and Yield

The knol-khol knobs are harvested by cutting the stem just below it, by a sharp knife or sickle, when they are
about 5–8 cm diameter. The root portion is removed and plants are tied in bunches along with the tender
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leaves for the purpose of marketing. Generally, the yield may vary from 200–250 q ha .

References
Anonymous. 2012a. Production Guideline: Brussels sprouts. Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries,
Directorate Communication Services, Pretoria, pp. 16.
Anonymous. 2012b. Complete package and practices for cultivation of vegetable crops in Himachal Pradesh. Directorate
of Extension Education Publication, CSK Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University, Palampur, India, pp. 213.
Anonymous 2013. Package of Practice for Cultivation of Vegetables. Additional Director of Communication Publication,
Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, pp. 158.

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