PRODUCTION

 MANUAL  OF  CARROTS   Seed  sowing:-­‐  Carrots  are  established  by  direct  seeding  in  
(Daucus  carota  L.)   the   seedbed.   The   seeding   rate   is   about   5   kg   per   ha.   In  
  rainfed   crops,   rows   25   cm   apart   are   traced   across   the  
  width   of   the   seedbed   and   seeds   are   drilled   5   cm   apart  
  within   the   row   at   the   depth   of   1   cm.   In   irrigated   crops,   4  
Carrots   are   widely   grown   in   the   mid   and   highlands   of   rows   of   carrots   are   sown   at   the   same   spacing   along   the  
Ethiopia.  They  have  high  content  of  carotene  (a  precursor   raised  seedbed.  Seeds  are  often  mixed  with  sand  (2  sand:  
of   vitamin   A)   which   prevents   night   blindness.   They   also   1   seed)   to   ease   handling   and   uniform   spacing   of   seeds.  
contain   appreciable   quantities   of   vitamin   B   (thiamine   and   Carrot   seeds   are   slow   to   germinate   and   seedlings   are  
riboflavin).     rather   weak.   Cover   the   seedbed   with   grass   after   sowing  
  and   water   them   adequately.   Carefully   remove   the   grass  
Varieties   when  seeds  germinate.  
Nantes  and  Chantenay  are  the  most  widely  grown    
carrot  varieties  in  Ethiopia.   Sowing   time   can   be   either   at   the   1st   week   of   March   for  
    Belg/short  rain  season  or  1st  week  of  July  for  main  season  
Nantes:-­‐   has   good   yield   and   quality   of   roots.   Roots   are   production.   However,   it   can   be   done   at   any   time   of   the  
long   and   cylindrical   and   orange   in   color;   leaves   are   few   year  under  irrigation.  
and  brittle.      
  Thinning:-­‐   Carrots   are   often   densely   sown.   The   plants  
Chantenay:-­‐     The   roots   of   Chantenay   are   shorter   than   that   should   be   thinned   to   5   cm   spacing   within   the   row.  
of   Nantes.   They   are   thick   at   the   top   and   dark   orange   in   Thinning   results   in   uniform   and   good   sized   roots   and  
color.   Leaves   are   large   and   strong   hence   they   are   avoids   lodging   of   plants.   Thinning   is   done   several   times  
preferred  for  long  distant  transport  and  storage.     beginning  from  3rd  week  after  sowing,  as  plants  attain  10-­‐
  15  cm  height  or  during  1st  cultivation.  Hand  thinning  is  very  
Climatic   requirement:-­‐   Carrots   are   moderately   hardy   and   expensive   thus   seed   should   be   sown   as   thinly   and  
also   tolerate   high   temperature   but   seedlings   are   more   uniformly  as  possible  to  reduce  the  need  for  thinning.    
sensitive  to  both  extremes  of  temperature.  They  grow  best    
above   1000   masl   where   temperature   is   between   16   and   Cultivation:-­‐   Carrots   grow   very   slowly   for   the   first   few  
21oC  and  rainfall  is  between  700  and  800  mm.  In  Ethiopia   weeks   thus   they   can't   compete   with   weeds.   Repeated  
carrots  are  grown  up  to  2800  masl  in  the  central  highlands.   shallow   cultivation   is   necessary   to   keep   down   weeds  
Mild   freezing   weather   at   maturity   stage   harms   carrot   especially   in   the   early   stages   of   growth.   Deep   cultivation  
leaves  but  not  the  roots.  However,  carrots  grown  at  lower   may   be   injurious   to   roots   as   many   of   them   are   found  
temperature   produce   seedstalks   before   roots   attain   of   within   5   cm   of   the   surface.   Keep   the   top   of   the   roots  
market   size;   such   roots   have   bitter   taste   and   undesirable   covered  with  soil  to  avoid  greening  especially  with  Nantes  
flavour.     types.      
   
Soil  requirement:-­‐  Carrots  thrive  best  on  deep,  loose  and   Fertilization:-­‐   Carrots   are   heavy   feeders   of   soil   nutrients,  
well   drained   loam   soils.   Long,   smooth   and   slender   carrot   especially   of   potash.   A   yield   of   100   q   of   carrot   utilizes    
roots  desired  for  fresh  market  can  be  successfully  grown  in   about  37  kg  of  K,  12  kg  of  N,  8  kg  of  P  from  the  soil  used.  
such   soils.   Heavy   clay   soils   do   not   allow   smooth   root   As   a   result   low   yields   result   in   crops   that   follow   carrots.  
growth   and   make   cultivation,   harvesting   and   washing   of   Application   of   nutrients   depends   on   soil   fertility.   The  
harvested  roots  difficult.  Carrots  grown  on  soils  with  high   blanket   recommendation   for   carrots   is   175   kg   DAP   ha-­‐1.  
organic   matter   tend   to   become   rough,   course   and   hairy.   Farmers   in   the   less   fertile   region   of   Tigray   apply   40-­‐50  
The  suitable   PH  range  is  from  6.0  to  7.5.  Soils   which  crust   q/ha   of   decomposed   manure   before   ploughing,   then   100  
at   the   surface   inhibit   seed   germination   and   reduce   crop   kg/ha   DAP   at   planting   and   50   kg   of   urea   at   the   first  
stand.   cultivation.   Applying   fresh   manure   leads   to   branching   of  
  roots;  therefore,  apply  only  well  decomposed  manure.  
Seed   bed   preparation:-­‐   Carrots   need   finely   prepared   soil    
for  good  seed  germination  and  proper  root  development.   Irrigation:-­‐  Carrots  grown  during  dry  season,  and  must  be  
Therefore,   fields   to   be   grown   with   carrots   should   be   irrigated  to  accelerate  seed  germination  and  root  growth.  
ploughed   to   a   depth   of   30   cm,   finely   prepared   and   Irrigation  has  to  be  supplied  every  morning  and  afternoon  
levelled.   A   raised   seedbed   1   m   wide,   10   m   length   and   20   after   sowing   seeds   using   watering   can.   Furrow   irrigation  
cm   height   is   prepared   especially   in   areas   with   poor   after  sowing  or  at  early  stage  of  the  crop  washes  away  and  
drainage  and  during  long  rainy  season.  About  40  cm  wide   displaces   seeds   and   uproots   seedlings.   Irrigation   can   be  
furrows  are  used  between  the  beds  for  irrigation.   applied   every   5   to   7   days   to   field   capacity   depending   on  
    soil   type   and   environment.   Water-­‐logging   should   be  
avoided.   Inadequate   irrigation   increases   roughness,  

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decreases   root   size,   and   slows   growth,   and   leads   to   poor   poor  seed  quality.  
color  development.  Irrigation  has  to  be  stopped  when  the    
crop  matures.    
  Figure   2.   Symptoms   of   carrot  
Diseases  and  insect  pests   powdery   mildew   (Erysiphe  
Carrots   can   be   attacked   by   several   fungal,   bacterial   and   heraclei  )  
nematode   diseases.   These   diseases   can   cause   poor   plant    
growth,   reduced   yield   and   quality   of   the   product.   The    
Control  measures  
most   important   carrot   diseases   are   alternaria   leaf   blight   − Removal   of   alternate   hosts   and   carrot   residues   from   the  
(Alternaria   dauci)   and   powdery   mildew   (Erysiphe   heraclei   )   field  
which   are   the   most   widespread   and   causes   significant   − Crop  rotation  with  none  host  crops  
yield  and  quality  loss  on  carrots.     − Avoid  excess  irrigation  
  − Spray   with   locally   registered   sulfur   fungicides   such   as  
Alternaria  leaf  blight  (Alternaria  dauci):-­‐  This  fungal  foliar   Bayleton)  
disease   occurs   in   all   carrot   growing   regions   and   is    
transmitted   easily   via   the   seed.   The   fungus   Alternaria   Insect  pests  
dauci   survives   in   the   volunteer   crops,   crop   debris,   in   the   Insects   are   generally   not   considered   a   major   problem   in  
soil,  and  on  the  seed.     carrot   production   in   Ethiopia.   However,   cutworms   are  
  reported   to   appear   in   many   carrot   growing   areas   of   the  
Symptoms:-­‐  Symptoms  appear  first  on  older  leaves  8  to  10   country.  
days  after  infection  as  greenish  brown,  irregularly  shaped      
leaf  spots.  Petioles  can  become  infected  under  increasing     Harvesting:-­‐  Carrot  for  fresh  markets  are  harvested  when  
pressure   and   spots   may   grow   and   coalesce   causing   petiole   the  roots  are  mature,  i.e.    when  they  reach    3.5  to  5.5  cm  
girdling   and   leaf   die   back.   Under   severe   infection   the   most   in   diameter   at   the   upper   end   or   90   to   120   days   after  
susceptible   varieties   can   loose   a   considerable   amount   of   sowing   depending   on   variety   and   agro-­‐ecology.   Avoid  
foliage   and   also   stem   infection   thereby   resulting   in   yield   harvesting   immature   and   over-­‐mature   roots.   Immature  
and  quality  reduction.   roots   have   light   color   and   low   carotene   content   and   may  
  wilt   after   harvest   whereas   over-­‐mature   roots   become  
  tough  with  hard  central  core.  Carrots  can  be  lifted  by  hand  
Figure   1.   Symptoms   of   carrot   leaf   if   the   soil   is   wet.   Otherwise,   they   can   be   dug   with   forked  
blight  (Alternaria  dauci)   hoe  and  pulled  with  hand  if  the  soil  is  dry  taking  care  not  
  to   injure   the   roots.   Nantes   can   produce   up   to   150   q   ha-­‐1  
under  good  management.    
 
Sorting   and   grading:-­‐   All   split   and   branched   roots   are  
  rejected.  Normal  roots  are  packed  either  as  bunched  or  as  
Control  measures   topped   carrots.   Carrots   can   be   topped   in   the   field,   washed  
-­‐  Use  of  disease  free  seeds   with   clean   water  and   sold   as   topped   carrots.   The   tops   may  
-­‐  Avoid  excess  irrigation   wilt,  darken  and  begin  to  decay  first.  Topping  and  bagging  
-­‐  Crop  rotation  with  non  host  plant  species   of   carrots   greatly   reduces   the   loss   of   weight   and   water  
-­‐   Spray   with   locally   registered   fungicides   such   as   Ridomil   during   transportation   to   market,   and   increases   the  
and  Agrolaxyl   shelflife   of   the   roots.   Poly   bags   of   different   sizes   can   be  
  used  for  packing  the  roots  so  long  as  they  allow  sufficient  
Powdery  mildew  (Erysiphe  heraclei)   air   circulation   to   prevent   decay   and   development   of   off-­‐
Powdery  mildew  of  carrot  is  very  common  during  hot  and   flavour.  
humid   weather   of   the   cropping   season.   It   attacks   the          
foliage   of   carrots   by   covering   the   leaves   with   fugal   mass   Carrots   with   fresh   leaves   can   be   sorted   into   size,   washed  
sporulations.   Severe   infection   of   powdery   mildew   causes   and   tied   into   bunches   of   up   to   20   roots   to   indicate   the  
poor  plant  growth,  reduced  yield  and  quality  of  seeds  and   freshness  of  the  roots.    
roots.      
Symptoms:-­‐  The  disease  affects  foliage,  stems  and  umbels.   Storage:-­‐   Carrot   roots   cannot   be   stored   for   long   after  
Patches  of  white,  fluffy  fungus  appear  on  the  lower  leaves   harvest   under   ambient   conditions.   Farmers   can   extend  
first,  and  then  spread  to  the  terminal  growth.  The  fungus   harvest   period   and   leave   the   roots   in   the   field   for   one   to  
often   covers   entire   leaves   with   its   masses   of   white   two   months   if   no   rain   is   expected.   Carrots   can   be   stored  
mycelium  and  powdery  spores.  Severe  infection  can  result   for  up  to  three  weeks  in  double  walled  chamber  made  of  
in   loss   of   foliage,   causing   lower   yields   and   in   seed   crops   bricks  which  contain  wetted  sand  between  the  walls.    

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