kohlrabi
Enable an agent to recognise kohlrabi, assess its development and condition, and choose appropriate cultivation, harvest or propagation actions.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
recalled by Codex without web access - no source was read
Researched by: Codex
Purpose and description
Enable an agent to recognise kohlrabi, assess its development and condition, and choose appropriate cultivation, harvest or propagation actions.
Kohlrabi is a cultivated vegetable group of Brassica oleracea L. (Brassicaceae), commonly designated the Gongylodes Group, selected for an enlarged, fleshy above-ground stem and also bearing edible leaves.
It can be Identify a plant as probable or confirmed kohlrabi using stem anatomy and planting provenance.; Track establishment and stem enlargement across a planting while retaining individual exceptions.; Adjust irrigation or other growing conditions in response to documented plant and root-zone observations.; Inspect damaged plants, record diagnostic evidence and select locally supported management actions.; Select plants for harvest using cultivar expectations, intended use and observed stem condition.; Retain selected plants for seed production and assess whether their progeny can be represented as the same cultivar..
Distinguishing features
The characteristic rounded swelling is an above-ground stem with leaf attachment points, rather than a turnip-like swollen root.
Leaves arise individually from the swollen stem; a compact head of overlapping leaves is not the principal harvest organ.
The principal harvest organ is neither a broccoli-like flower-bud cluster nor a cauliflower-like curd.
Green and purple external stem colours can both occur in kohlrabi, so colour alone cannot establish identity or cultivar.
Before stem enlargement, identification needs seed provenance or additional evidence because young brassica seedlings can look similar.
Scope
+ Crop-group identity, cultivar identity and identification evidence
+ Individual plant anatomy, especially the swollen above-ground stem
+ Establishment, stem enlargement, flowering and seed production
+ Growing conditions and management of a defined kohlrabi planting
+ Plant health, harvest readiness and suitability for seed saving
- Other Brassica oleracea crop groups except as identification comparisons
- Turnips, rutabagas and other swollen-root crops
- Recipes, prepared dishes and dietary advice
- Postharvest food safety, commercial grading and storage operations
- General soil, weather, pest and pathogen models beyond their effects on kohlrabi
Characteristics
- Biological record level
- crop group | cultivar | seed lot | planting population | individual plant Prevents an observation about one plant or planting from becoming a claim about all kohlrabi.
- Cultivar and seed provenance
- Named cultivar or unknown; linked supplier, seed lot and supporting record Supports identification and interpretation of expected size, colour, maturity and reproductive behaviour.
- Developmental stage
- seed | germinating | seedling | vegetative | stem enlarging | bolting | flowering | seed developing | senescent Determines which observations and management actions are relevant.
- Swollen-stem diameter
- mm at the widest point, with date and measurement method Tracks enlargement and informs harvest assessment without assuming one size threshold fits every cultivar.
- External stem colour
- green | purple | intermediate | atypical; with photograph where possible Helps describe cultivar phenotype and distinguish normal pigmentation from local discolouration.
- Stem quality
- cracking, deformation, softness, visible decay and sampled internal fibrousness; each assessed separately Separates harvest size from actual condition and records when internal quality remains unknown.
- Root-zone water condition
- dry | adequately moist | saturated | unknown, with observation method and date Provides evidence for irrigation decisions and investigation of growth problems.
- Plant damage burden
- Affected plants as count/total; estimated leaf area lost as percent; stem lesions as count and dimensions Makes health assessment actionable while keeping observed damage separate from an unconfirmed cause.
- Reproductive neighbourhood
- Nearby flowering brassica crop groups, flowering overlap and known separation Supports investigation of crossing risk when maintaining cultivar identity through seed.
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Also registered as vr.tr.kohlrabi
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 6 bundles · 11 layers · 18 findings · 28 questions.
Identity and boundaries Establish what biological entity a kohlrabi record describes and what evidence supports its identity.
Kohlrabi is a cultivated crop group, so species identity alone does not distinguish it from several other vegetables.
Crop-group placement
Connect the registered thing to botanical and cultivated-plant naming systems.
Taxonomic resolution
Record the source-backed name and rank used for kohlrabi, keeping species-level identifiers separate from crop-group identifiers.
- Which botanical or cultivated-plant treatment defines kohlrabi, and what name, rank, authority and publication date does it use? provenance
- Does each external taxonomy identifier resolve to kohlrabi specifically or to the broader Brassica oleracea species? boundary
Plant identification
Distinguish kohlrabi morphology and provenance from similar brassica crops.
Swollen-stem evidence
Use the above-ground swelling and leaf attachments as identification evidence, retaining uncertainty for immature or abnormal plants.
- Is the enlarged organ an above-ground stem bearing leaf attachment points, or a root or compact leafy head? boundary
- What seed-lot, cultivar or planting evidence supports identification before the characteristic swelling develops? provenance
Development and reproduction Track the transition from establishment through edible-stem growth to reproductive development.
Harvest production and seed production require different interpretations of the same plant's development.
Vegetative development
Describe establishment and enlargement of the harvest organ.
Stem growth trajectory
Assess enlargement through dated observations rather than treating age or diameter alone as maturity.
- When was this plant sown or transplanted, and when did visible stem enlargement begin? provenance
- How has widest stem diameter changed between observations made using the same method? measurement
Flowering and seed
Record reproductive transition and the evidence needed for seed-saving decisions.
Reproductive intent and fidelity
Distinguish unwanted bolting in a vegetable crop from planned flowering, and assess whether saved seed will preserve the intended cultivar.
- Is flowering intended for seed production, or does it conflict with the planting's stem-harvest objective? action
- What cultivar breeding information and nearby overlapping brassica flowering must be checked before claiming saved seed is true to type? provenance
Growing context Represent the conditions and management history affecting a particular kohlrabi planting.
Poor stem development cannot be interpreted reliably without the planting's water, temperature and competition context.
Root zone and water
Connect observed growth with moisture availability and drainage.
Water-supply continuity
Record moisture observations and irrigation history as possible explanatory evidence for uneven growth or cracking.
- What root-zone observations and watering records describe dry periods, saturation or abrupt changes during stem enlargement? measurement
- What irrigation or drainage adjustment is supported by those observations and locally applicable crop guidance? action
Season and stand
Describe temperature exposure, planting density and establishment method.
Growth-context comparison
Compare plants against others with similar cultivar and establishment histories before attributing slow enlargement to an inherent defect.
- What spacing, light exposure and temperature history accompanied establishment and stem enlargement? measurement
- Are small-stemmed plants concentrated in crowded, shaded or otherwise distinct parts of the planting? measurement
Health and damage Assess injury to leaves, roots and swollen stems while separating symptoms from diagnoses.
Leaf loss, root dysfunction and direct stem damage have different consequences for kohlrabi growth and harvest value.
Foliage and root function
Evaluate symptoms that may limit establishment or continued stem growth.
Symptom distribution
Record feeding damage, wilting, discolouration and inspected root abnormalities without assigning a cause from a single symptom.
- Which organs are affected, how many plants show symptoms, and how is the damage distributed through the planting? measurement
- What inspection, specimen or diagnostic result supports the proposed pest, disease or environmental explanation? provenance
Swollen-stem integrity
Assess defects in the principal harvest organ.
Stem defect assessment
Distinguish intact cultivar pigmentation from cracks, wounds, lesions or soft tissue requiring further assessment.
- Where are cracks, wounds or soft areas, and how extensive or progressive are they? measurement
- Does the evidence support continued observation, diagnostic sampling or removal of the affected plant? action
Harvest and output Decide when to harvest and preserve the identity of outputs from the living crop.
Kohlrabi size, tenderness and condition must be assessed together, and harvested produce must remain distinguishable from the plant record.
Harvest readiness
Evaluate suitability for the intended harvest using cultivar-specific evidence.
Size and tenderness
Treat diameter as one indicator and record whether internal quality has been sampled or remains unknown.
- What cultivar-specific evidence supports the proposed harvest size or timing? provenance
- Do representative cut samples show acceptable tenderness and internal condition, and how representative are those samples? measurement
Harvest record boundary
Link removal of stems or leaves to the originating plants and subsequent product records.
Plant-to-produce transition
Record harvest events and remaining plant state while handing detached produce to the appropriate product model.
- Which stems or leaves were harvested, when, and from which plants or planting lot? provenance
- What remains alive after harvest, and which detached outputs now require separate handling and storage records? boundary
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
A model that cannot be lined up against existing standards, identifiers and practice cannot be adopted by anyone who already uses them.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Check these first
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- This describes a cultivated plant group; an individual plant and the harvested vegetable are distinct referents.
- Check the preferred horticultural designation: Gongylodes Group and Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes both occur in usage.
- Harvest size varies substantially by cultivar, especially for giant types; wild-species range and conservation assessments should not be assigned directly to this crop group.
- Which of these check these first hold for the sense of kohlrabi this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Kinds and varieties
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Green-skinned cultivars, often called white kohlrabi
- Purple-skinned cultivars
- Giant cultivars selected for large swollen stems
- Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of kohlrabi this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Identifiers and schemes
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Botanical nomenclature - Brassica oleracea L. - The species name and authority; this species also includes cabbage, broccoli and other cultivated groups.
- Cultivated-plant nomenclature - Brassica oleracea Gongylodes Group - Identifies the cultivated group rather than a separate species or an individual plant.
- Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of kohlrabi this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Swollen stems eaten raw in salads and slaws
- Swollen stems cooked in soups, stews and vegetable dishes
- Leaves cooked as leafy greens
- Cultivated as a cool-season vegetable in gardens and commercial horticulture
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of kohlrabi this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Typical measurements
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Swollen stem diameter at harvest for many ordinary cultivars - 5-10 - cm
- Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of kohlrabi this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Delayed harvest can produce woody or fibrous stems, with susceptibility varying by cultivar.
- Uneven water availability can contribute to stem splitting and reduced eating quality.
- Clubroot can damage roots and stunt plants.
- Flea beetles, aphids and brassica-feeding caterpillars can damage the crop.
- Cold exposure at a sensitive growth stage can induce premature flowering.
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of kohlrabi this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Regional variation
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Central European cuisines use the swollen stem both raw and cooked.
- In Kashmir, kohlrabi is commonly known as monj or knol khol, and both stems and leaves are used.
- Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of kohlrabi this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Turnip - Turnip is Brassica rapa and its swollen storage organ involves the hypocotyl and root; kohlrabi is Brassica oleracea with an enlarged above-ground stem.
- Celeriac - Celeriac is a cultivated form of Apium graveolens in Apiaceae, rather than a brassica.
- Cabbage - Cabbage belongs to the same species but forms a compact head of leaves rather than kohlrabi's swollen stem.
- Broccoli - Broccoli belongs to the same species but is selected chiefly for edible immature flowering shoots.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of kohlrabi this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
What the second pass must settle
- Which authoritative cultivated-plant treatment should determine kohlrabi's preferred name, rank and authority, and how do GBIF and NCBI represent that scope?
- Does an existing Vercy world model already cover kohlrabi or supply a broader Brassica oleracea model to which this entry should link?
- Which cultivar-specific harvest-size, tenderness and flowering-response claims are supported for the regions where this model will be used?
- How should domestication history and present cultivation range be represented without assigning the crop group an unsupported native range or species-level conservation assessment?
- Which reproductive compatibility, isolation and seed-population requirements are supported for maintaining particular kohlrabi cultivars?