Vipin, Bhuvaneswari S., Anil Kumar, Binod Kumar Singh, Ravinder Kumar Verma and C.N. Ram
Abstract
Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L.; 2n=2x=18) is an economically important Cole vegetable crop belonging to the family Brassicaceae. Morphological characterization of plant genetic resources forms the foundation for crop improvement, diversity assessment, and cultivar registration. The present investigation was conducted during winter seasons of 2024â25 and 2025â26 at the experimental farm of ICAR-IIVR, Varanasi, to morphologically characterize thirty-one tropical cauliflower genotypes, including two standard checks (CF-50 and CF-104. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Six qualitative traits were recorded: curd compactness, curd colour, leaf colour, leaf crimping, leaf attitude, and curd covering. Results revealed considerable diversity among the genotypes: the majority (22 of 31) exhibited compact curd, while cream white was the predominant curd colour (21 genotypes). Light green was the most frequent leaf colour (19 genotypes), and low crimping was observed in most lines. Semi-erect leaf attitude was dominant across the collection. Most genotypes produced uncovered curds. The characterized genotypes provide a valuable resource for breeding programmes suitable for tropical conditions.