Pests, diseases and weeds
Aim for a rotation of at least three years between crops in the brassica family.
Clubroot (roots), ring spot (leaves) and black rot (leaves) are the main diseases, but bacterial soft rot (sprouts), black-leg (base of stem), downy mildew (leaves), peppery leaf spot (leaves and sprouts), sclerotinia and Rhizoctonia (base of stem) may cause problems at times. Click on the links for further information on the identification and control of these diseases.
Aphids (leaves) and diamond back moth (leaves) are the main pests, but African black beetle (roots), beet cyst nematode (roots), root-knot nematode (roots), redlegged earth mite (young plants), slugs (stems and leaves), snails (stems and leaves) and vegetable weevils (stems and leaves) may also cause damage. Click on the links for further information on the identification and control of these insects.
Click here for detailed descriptions of brassica insect pests.
Herbicides are available to control most weeds before and after planting.
The registration and availability of chemicals for pest, disease and weed control changes regularly. Consult a trained and experienced horticultural agronomist or the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) website for chemicals which are currently registered or have a permit for use on this crop.
The information on the label or permit for a chemical must be followed including the directions for use, critical use comments, withholding period and maximum residue limit. Quality assurance (QA) schemes for horticultural crop production require producers to have current information on chemical registrations and permits readily available.