Buttoning of cauliflower: Cauliflower is a vegetable that is high in vitamin C and vitamin K. It also contains a good amount of folate and potassium. Cauliflower can be eaten raw or cooked. Raw cauliflower has a slightly bitter taste, but it is milder when cooked.

What is the buttoning of cauliflower?

Sometimes it is observed that the cauliflower plant after forming a few numbers of small leaves produced very small size curd. This condition is called the buttoning of cauliflower. There is no ideal size of button card but in European countries below 9 cm, sized curd is recommended as a button.

Causes of buttoning of cauliflower

• Transplanting of aged seedling leads to buttoning. Seedling that is large and aged with thickened stem and sessile leaves are already in generative stage and buttoning occurs soon after Transplanting.
• If the growth of plant is hampered due to lack of moisture and nutrients (especially N) in the soil, then buttoning occur.
• Late planting of early variety will cause buttoning.
• Early planting of late variety will cause buttoning.
• Root injury also caused buttoning.

Remedies of buttoning of cauliflower

• Sometime, the color of curd become yellow due to scorching sunlight and the curd become inferior in quality.
• The curd should be covered by leaf.
• Sometime excessive growth of pedicel and peduncle that gives a fully velvety appearance of cauliflower.  Finally, it produces poor seed stalk. It causes due to lack of optimum temperature during reproduction stage.
• Sometimes, bracts grows out of the curd and the curd become inferior in quality and reduce market demand. It is causes due to high temperature.
• Sometimes, cauliflower plant produce strap like leaves and in serve cases only develop the mid rib, resulting unmarketable curd. It is causes due to deficiency of Molybdenum.