CARROT - Agriculture

CARROT

Carrot (Daucus carota) is a very popular vegetable in Pakistan. It is rich in carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, and contains appreciable quantities of thiamine and riboflavin. It belongs to the Umbelliferae family and is probably a native of Europe and British Isles.

Irrigation
There must be enough moisture in the soil at the time of seed sowing to facilitate better germination. The first irrigation may be needed five to six days after sowing and repeated again after five to six days till the completion of germination. Water should be applied gradually and moderately. To prevent curst formation, ridges should not be submerged in water. Thereafter, the crop should be irrigated after an interval of 15 to 20 days, depending on the weather conditions.

Manure and fertilizers
Unfinished compost or manure used as a fertilizer for carrot induces rough and branched roots. These materials should be well composted before being added to soil where the crop is grown. A well rotten farm yard manure should be applied at the rate of 25 to 30 tonnes per hectare, at the time of land preparation for maintaining proper physical conditions and fertility status of the soil.
General recommendation for chemical fertilizers is 52 kg N, 45 kg of P2O5 and 62 kg of K2O. The half quantity of N should be applied before seed sowing and remaining half of N should be applied four to six weeks after sowing with subsequent irrigation.

Harvesting
Carrots for fresh market are harvested when the roots are 2.5 to 3 cm in diameter at the upper end. The field should be slightly irrigated a few days before harvesting. All the tops should be removed since they wilt and begin to decay first.

Storage
Cold storage prolongs the life of carrot by slowing physiological changes. Topping and bagging the carrot in transparent film reduces the loss of weight and water during transportation to the market. Carrots can be kept in good condition for six months at a temperature of about 32°F with 90 to 98 percent relative humidity. However, it deteriorates in quality in storage owing to slow loss of sugar in respiration.