In 1984, a sprouting broccoli breeding program was iniciated at Embrapa Hortaliças, with the aim of developing new cultivars as options for producers. This breeding program resulted in the open-pollinated cultivar named Ramoso de Brasília, developed through six cycles of selection between and within full-sib families derived from the elite plants of a population collected at the Itapecerica da Serra county, state of São Paulo. 'Ramoso de Brasília' is recommended for Brazilian winter cropping, although it can also be used in mild summer conditions. With a short cycle and high yielding, the cultivar also shows a high number of lateral sprouts, with soft and long stems, making harvesting much easier. Inflorescences are bright-green and show excellent market appearance, as well as high quality after cooking. In plantings made in Brasília, low occurrence of inflorescence soft-rot and longer post-harvest conservation were observed. 'Ramoso de Brasília' seeds are available on the market or, in small samples, at Embrapa Hortaliças.
Brassica oleracea var. italica; breeding; harvest; post-harvest; quality
