During the last five-year period the production area of pak choi has been steadily increasing. The planted area was 67 403 rai in 1994 with a 27.8 percent increase in 1998. The planted area in 1998 was 86 145 rai with a production of 146 668 tons. It is one of the main leafy vegetables of the Brassica group of crops in Thailand. It is currently being promoted to be grown under the insecticide-free program for healthy food due to its popularity. Pak choi is mainly cultivated in the Northeast (21 687 rai). North (20 799 rai) and West (14 451 rai). The provinces that have large-scale planted areas are Nakhonsawan, Lamphun, Nakhonratchasima, Nonthaburi and Pathumthani.
Pak choi is grown mainly from open-pollinated cultivars. These are:
NAN 60 (DOA):
large plants with long petiole.
BANGLUANG 006 (DOA):
the plant is large, stout, with a long petiole and less branching. The leaves are thick, green and oblong. It is suitable for any tropical climate and is both heat and disease tolerant.
KRUNG THEP 170 (Chia tai):
the plant is vigorous, large, disease tolerant, bolt-resistant and has less branching. The leaves are large, green and slightly wavy.
The potential to genetically improve pak choi using the variation in presently available cultivars seems to be limited. Germplasm collections are maintained by the universities and the Department of Agriculture. Breeding efforts are normally aimed at developing cultivars with thick leaves and petioles. Research work on integrated pest management is required. More research on organic farming and chemical-free production with the advantage of its fast growth, would promote pak choi production and consumption.
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