Varietal performances of savoy cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. sabauda L.), a newly introduced french vegetable in Bangladesh as influenced by mulching

Abstract

Savoy cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. sabauda L.) is a newly introduced French vegetable, high-value crop in Bangladesh; however, empirical research optimizing its agronomic management under local agro-climatic conditions remains scarce. This study evaluated the interactive effects of cultivar selection and mulching regimes on the growth and yield metrics of Savoy cabbage. Arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications, the experiment evaluated two cultivars, 'Savoy Vertus' [V₁] and 'Savoy Ormskirk (1)' [V₂], across five mulching treatments: control (M₀), straw (M₁), water hyacinth (M₂), sawdust (M₃), and black polyethylene (M₄). Both main and interaction effects significantly influenced vegetative growth, dry matter accumulation, and head yield. Cultivar 'Savoy Vertus' demonstrated superior performance over 'Savoy Ormskirk'. Among mulches, sawdust (M₃) recorded the highest marketable yield (48.38 t ha⁻¹), outperforming the control (M₀: 34.44 t ha⁻¹) by 40.5%, following the efficiency order of M₃>M₂>M₁>M₄>M₀. The combination V₁M₃ ('Savoy Vertus' + sawdust) achieved peak values across all measured traits, including plant height (52.75 cm), dry matter (16.97%), gross head yield (60.49 t ha⁻¹), and marketable yield (48.38 t ha⁻¹), whereas V₂M₀ produced the minimum values. Overall, combining 'Savoy Vertus' with sawdust mulching represents a promising agronomic practice to promote successful adoption and yield optimization of Savoy cabbage in Bangladesh.