Study Growth, Root Yield and Yield Related Character of Carrot (Daucus carrota) Varieties under Highland Areas of Southern Tigray Region, Northern Ethiopia

Abstract

Carrot (Daucus carota L.) is a widely grown and nutritious root vegetable of the Apiaceae family grown in different countries of the world. While, the production and productivity of this crop is restrained by different factors; of which lack of evenly distributed improved and adapted varieties are the major one. Thus, the experiment was conducted to evaluate the performance of carrot varieties in 2017 and 2018 at Endamehoni woreda of Southern zone of Tigray region. As a treatment different varieties were assigned in RCBD with three replications.  Data on plant height (cm), leaf number, leaf weight (gm), root length (cm), root diameter (cm) and root yield in terms of ton per hectare were collected and analyzed using SAS software version 9.3. In 2017 plant height and leaf weight plant^-1 were highly significantly (p<0. 01) influenced by carrot cultivars. In the same year, root length, root diameter and root yield were significantly (p<0.05) affected by carrot cultivars in the study area. In 2018 plant height and leaf weight plant^-1 were highly significantly influenced by carrot cultivars in both locations. Root length was highly significantly (P<0.01) influenced by the cultivars at Embahasti location. In the same cropping season root diameter was highly significantly (P<0.01) and significantly (p<0.05) affected by carrot cultivars at Embahasti and Maichew locations respectively. Root yield was highly significantly (P<0.01) affected by carrot cultivars at Maichew location. In 2017 cropping season, both the highest root length (21.72 cm) and root diameter (3.94 cm) was obtained from DzARC-5 cultivar. Similarly in 2018 cropping season, the highest root length (18.79 cm) was recorded from DzARC-5 variety at Embahasti location. The widest root diameter (3.17 cm) and (3.94 cm) was taken from DzARC-5 and AUA-108 varieties at Embahasti and Maichew locations respectively.  In 2017, the maximum root yield (47.96-ton ha^-1) was recorded from DzARC-5 cultivar. However, in 2018 cropping season, the maximum (38.79-ton ha^-1) root yield hectare^-1 was recorded from AUA-108 cultivar. Overall, DzARC-5 which gave maximum root yield ha^-1 (47.96-ton ha^-1) is recommended at Maichew.  Since there is no significant variation on root yield among carrot varieties at Embahasti area, it is important to repeat the experiment at this location by including other carrot cultivars. Further, it is important to investigate the influence of spacing (intra and interspacing) on the yield and morphological quality of the carrot.