Use of Lime and Sodium Molybdate for the Control of `Whiptail' in Broccoli

IN the report in Nature¹ on the occurrence of `whiptail' in cauliflower in Great Britain, it was stated that this deficiency disease, attributable to molybdenum<sup>2,3</sup>, is endemic in south-eastern England. From observations and experiments carried out at this Station since 1947, `whiptail' in cauliflower and broccoli is prevalent in most of the market-garden districts of the south of England and Wales, and particularly in the broccoli-growing areas of Cornwall. The problem occurs on acid soils, and a wide range of different parent materials is involved, including granite, Devonian shales and sandstones, Carboniferous Limestone and Lower Greensand.