Vegetative propagation of autumn cauliflower

The breeding of autumn cauliflowers is difficult because the selected plants usually die in the field, or after transplanting under glass. A technique of vegetative propagation has been devised whereby selected curds are divided into portions which are then grafted on to root stocks of winter cauliflower raised in pots in the glass-house.Flowering shoots were produced four to eight weeks after grafting and up to two grams of seed was obtained from each curd portion. Seed for further breeding was obtained from 73% of the plants originally selected.