How to Start Successful Carrot Farming – Package of Practices
Carrot Farming Package of Practices
In this post, we will let you know about Carrot farming, how to cultivate carrots, Carrot farming guide, Carrot yield per acre, season to grow carrot farm, carrot cultivation season, commercial carrot cultivation, seed rate in carrot farming, carrot cultivation season guide, spacing in carrot farming, profits in carrot farming, insect pests of carrot, diseases of carrot, the economics of carrot etc.
Crop: Carrot
Scientific name: Daucus carota
Common name/Vernacular name of Carrot: Wild carrot, Bird’s nest, Bishop’s lace, Queen Anne’s lace.
Economic importance of Carrot:
Carrot is a cool-season vegetable grown for its roots. Its roots are used for making soups, different curries, and pickles and for salad making. Roots are also used for canning purposes. They are rich sources of α and β carotenes and contains a high amount of sucrose than glucose or fructose. The leaves of Carrot are a good source of protein. The leaf proteins are used as fodder and poultry feeds preparation. Carrot helps in the elimination of uric acid. It has a cooling effect and helpful for people suffering from gall stones, and constipation. Purple and black carrots are used for the preparation of a beverage which is a good appetizer.
Carrot Local varieties list:
Ooty-1, Early Nantes, New Korda, India Gold, Pusa Meghali, Hisar Gairic, Pusa Kesar and Half Long Danvers
Pre-sowing Package of Practices in Carrot Farming:
Land preparation in Carrot:
Carrot is grown as a spring, summer crop in hill region. It is also grown as a winter crop in Plains. The ideal temperature for root growth and development is about 18-23 degrees Celsius. It requires well-drained loamy soils with high organic matter for optimum root development. The ideal pH of the soil is about 6.6 – 7.1. The land is ploughed to a fine tilth and pulverized to make it free from clods. It is made into ridges and furrows at 45 cm apart in the form of small plots of convenient sizes.
Seed rate for Carrot sowing: Seeds are sown in beds or formed ridges by either broadcasting or dibbling. Initially, seeds are rubbed to remove the fine hairs present on its surface. Later, it mixed with fine sand because of its small sizes before broadcasting. Seed rate varies from 8 to 10 kg/ha depending upon the variety. Plant to plant distance is about 8cm. It is necessary to give light irrigation immediately after sowing to fasten germination. Thinning and earthing up is done on the 30th day to maintain optimum plant population.
Beetroot Farming – Package of Practices
Nutrient management in Carrot: Carrot is a high yielding crop. Application of 20-25 t of FYM / ha at the time of the last ploughing is recommended. 50 kg of Nitrogen, 50 kg of Phosphorus, 80-100 kg of Potassium in which half N and full P and K are to be applied as basal dose at the time of final land preparation. The remaining dose of N application takes place after first hoeing.
Water management in Carrot: Generally, the seeds of Carrot takes about one week for germination. It is a shallow-rooted crop. Its first irrigation is given as light one immediately after sowing followed by another 4-6 days after. It is necessary to keep the soil moist by frequent light irrigation that is required for its normal growth of roots. Irrigation at weekly intervals is necessary.
Weed management in Carrot:
Natural weed control in Carrot: Weed control during the early stages of growth in carrots is an essential component of producing a high-yielding and high-quality crop. It is necessary to keep the crop weed-free during its initial stages of growth. One to two hand weeding at subsequent intervals based on weed intensity is necessary. Avoid planting of Carrot containing heavy infestations of weeds such as Bermuda grass and nutsedge.
Chemical weed control in Carrot: Spraying if pre-emergence herbicide like Fluchloralin 1 lit a.i. /ha immediately after sowing the seeds to control weeds in Carrot.
Crop Protection in Carrot Farming Package of Practices
Insect pests and their management in Carrot Farming:
Carrot Weevil: (Listronotus oregonensis)
Symptoms/signs of the pest: Its grub makes tunnels in the root or bore into the side of the root from beneath the soil Feeding injury may allow entry by pathogens like bacteria that leads to roots rot.
Chemical control: Spray Quinalphos 20 % AF @ 2.5 ml/litre of water.
Natural/ organic control of disease: Removing of all affected parts from Umbelliferous crops to reduce sites where it survives and persists. Crop rotation is also recommended.
Cutworm: (Agrotis spp.)
Symptoms/signs of the disease: The larvae feed on the leaves and therefore it dries away.
Chemical control: Soil application of chlorpyriphos @ 0.1 percent is recommended.
Natural/ organic control of disease: Deep ploughing and stirring of soil, flooding of fields in summer months. Hand-picking and destruction of larvae and pupae found in the soil.
Diseases and their management in Carrot Farming:
Bacterial blight of Carrot:
Causal organism: Xanthomonas campestris pv.carotae
Symptoms/signs of the disease: It causes brown irregular spots on leaves with chocolate brown streaks on petioles. It also causes blighting of floral parts. Yellow spots with grey centre lesions are formed on leaves surrounded by a halo.
Chemical control: Spraying with Copper oxychloride 0.25 % is advisable.
Natural/ organic control of disease: Avoid splash irrigation to the crops. Avoid mechanical damage to crops.
Bacterial soft rot of Carrot:
Causal organism: Erwinia carotovora sp. Carotovora
Symptoms/signs of the disease: Its symptoms cause cells water-soaked, the middle lamella destroyed and the cells collapse into a watery slimy soft mass. The rotten cells are greyish brown with a foul odour.
Chemical control: The roots are dipped in a solution of 1:500 of sodium hypochlorite before storage to reduce the disease incidence.
Natural/ organic control of disease: Avoid splash irrigation to the crops. Avoid mechanical damage to crops.
Maturity indices of Carrot: Carrots are harvested when then attain a particular height of 15-20 cm depending upon its variety.
Garlic Farming – Package of Practices
Harvesting and yield of Carrot:
Harvesting of Carrot: Harvesting of carrot by taking by pulling out the roots in ridges grown crop. For easy uprooting, light irrigation is given before harvesting.
Yield of Carrot: The yield varies depending upon climate, soil conditions, and variety. It is about 20-30 t/ha.
Post-harvest management of Carrot: Harvested roots are kept in a mulberry basket or wooden boxes and dipped in water for washing. For distant markets transport, roots are partially dried, trimmed, and graded at a cooler place. Freshly harvested roots can be stored for 3-4 days under ordinary conditions.
Economics of Carrot Farming:
Cost of cultivation: Rs. 45, 000 /ac
Income: Rs. 1,92,000/ac
Net return/ profit: Rs. 1,47,040/ac
Summary of Amaranthus farming: It is a highly profitable crop with high net returns.