Florida is a major fresh-market cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata) producing state in the United States. The current cabbage production system relies on bare ground and sub-irrigation that requires a large volume of water to irrigate the crop. The bare ground system facilitates a maximum of 48,438 plant/ha, while there is a potential to increase plant population per area using plasticulture and drip irrigation.
The objectives of this study were to determine the optimum cabbage plant population and plant arrangement that maximizes marketable yield per area for a high cabbage population plasticulture system. Cabbage was grown on 1.2-m-wide raised beds with black plastic mulch and drip irrigation.