Many cabbage crops are grown from
transplanted young plants.
At the early growth stages these vulnerable plants
easily lose the competition for
light, water and nutrients.
To grow a well established crop
early weed control is essential
but be careful to follow guidance if applying herbicides
before and after planting.
All plants of the Brassica family, including cabbages,
have very waxy leaves.
You can see that these raindrops have rolled down
the sloping leaf and are retained in larger pools of water
at this point here.
The operator has to make sure that
not only are the pesticides sprays deposited
where the pest or disease threatens the plants health
but also that the pesticide deposits are retained
on the cabbages waxy leaf surfaces.
The location of the pest or disease
may be on both the upper and lower sides of the leaves
or deep within its developing centre.
The valuable part of the plant
that is to be harvested and consumed.
This label advises the use of fine sprays
as the small drops are more likely to be retained
on the waxy leaves.
Hollow cone and cone nozzles
and high sprayer pressures produce these fine sprays
and project them in a pattern
such that every leaf surface is uniformly treated.
At stated stages of the cabbages development
water volumes may need to be changed.
Sometimes, higher water rates are advised
to ensure that some spray rolls down the sloping leaf,
to be retained in its axis.
Follow your pesticide label's advice
for the use of preferred nozzle types,
water volumes, drops sizes and spraying pressures
that are likely to be best for your cabbage crop
growing under your conditions.
Also follow your pesticide label's advice.
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