Carrot cultivation in Pakistan

Carrot is known as apple for the poor because of its rich in nutrients and low cost. It is a root-crop known for its excessive vitamin rich red orange roots that are used in making foods and salads. Carrot also has a long list of medical and health benefits for humans. Therefore, farmers should follow modern cropping technologies for gaining good yields, good quality and profits from this healthy vegetable.

Carrot is considered a crop of cold climate. Thus a temperature of 7 to 24⁰C is ideal for its germination. Temperatures between 25 and 35⁰C do not give good germination rates and the size of carrot root remains small. Temperature between 20-25⁰C is the best for healthy crop yield.

Mera soil in good tilth is highly recommended for good crop growth and high yield although carrots can grow in most of the soil types. The carrot remains small in clayey soils and gives off many small roots; similarly, high organic manures are also not good for carrot development because they will affect the shape and colour of the carrot. So, for good and healthy carrots, light mera soils are the best. Department of agriculture in Punjab, Pakistan has recommended the variety T-29.

Early sowing should be completed by the mid of August whereas late sowing continues till the end of October. Time frame for obtaining good yields in Punjab is in the mid of September. Imported varieties are sown in November and December. For good results, the seed should be dipped in water for about 12 hours. When temperature is near to 35⁰C, it does not give good germination rate.

Applied seed rate of 6-8 kg per acre is recommended. Healthy seed with good seed vigor should be selected from trusted sources. Recommended fungicide should also be applied before sowing. In case of early sowing, the seed rate can be increased to 15 kg per acre. Fine seedbed should be prepared by plowing the field with deep plough thrice times at field capacity. Clods of soil and farm yard manure (FYM) should not be present in the field because they will negatively affect the development of carrot roots. Weeds should also be cleared by before plowing the field.

 

Following Fertilizers can be applied to fulfill the soil needs.

 

1. Organic manures

Organic manures are best option. Well rotten FYM is good for the development of healthy carrot roots whereas, incomplete or mildly rotten FYM causes many roots in the carrots. Organic manure should be spread 2 months earlier to sowing carrots or it can be given to soil one crop earlier in the previous season so that FYM is well mixed when time for carrot sowing arrives.

2. Chemical fertilizers

Nitrogenous fertilizers are not good for carrots. 2 bags of DAP and 1 bag of potash per acre should be well spread in the field at the time of seedbed preparation. 1 bag of ammonium sulphate should be applied after one month of crop stand.

 

Furrows should be made at about 2.5 feet distance in leveled seedbed, seed should be spread by spray method at a depth of 1 cm and cover it with soil. Then field should be irrigated so that the water does not reach the seed directly. Initially, irrigation twice a week and later, once a week is better, or the gap between successive irrigations can be adjusted according to the field conditions. Irrigation should be terminated around 2 weeks before harvest, so that carrots gain sweetness and the uprooting also becomes easy. Weeding is good in the early crop development. Weeding during second week to sixth week should be done to reduce competition for the crop. After that, the crop is healthy enough to compete against weeds.

Thinning is also very important for good crop. Thinning should be done so that the plant to plant distance remains 2-3 centimeters. Plants should be uprooted along with roots; both weak and highly vigorous plants should be uprooted during thinning. Carrot matures in 100 to 120 days, but for use as household vegetable, carrot is ready to be harvested in 80-90 days. It should be harvested when diameter of the carrot root reaches about 2-4 centimeters. Irrigation should be terminated 2 weeks earlier to harvest.