Abstract:
Cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.) is a globally significant vegetable crop, particularly in
temperate regions like Sri Lanka. The main objective of this study is to identify the most
suitable fertilizer mixture for high-density cabbage cultivation in Sri Lanka's Nuwara Eliya
area. The experiment consisted of five treatments namely; T2 (Urea + Up country root special
mixture (N:P:K:Mg=2:3:4:1), T3 (urea + vegetable top dressing mixture (N:K=3:2) +
Calcium nitrate granules), T4 (Urea + vegetable top dressing mixture (N:K=3:2) + Blue
granules (N:P:K:Mg=6:6:8:1+trace elements)) and T5 (Urea + Calcium nitrate granules +
Blue granules), and the fertilizer recommendations (N:P:K:=6:5:3) from Department of
Agriculture was considered as control (T1). ‘Krishna’ F1 Hybrid cabbage variety used for
the experiment Randomized complete block design (RCBD) was used as the experimental
design with 5 replicates. Plant head weight, height, diameter and compactness of the cabbage
heads were measured as yield parameters after harvesting. Data were analyzed by ANOVA
and mean separation was done by using Duncan multiple range test (DMRT). According to
the results, there was a significant cabbage head weight received in T3 (1.84±0.105 kg)
compared to other treatments. Moreover, the higher values for head diameter (18.92±0.419
cm) and head height (16.33±0.306 cm) were observed in T3. According to soil analysis, T3
exhibited the highest reduction in pH by 0.62±0.082. Thus, this study concluded that the
urea + vegetable top dressing mixture (N:K=3:2) + Calcium nitrate granules would be a more
effective fertilizer mixture for high-density cabbage cultivation in Nuwara Eliya area among
the used fertilizer mixtures.
