Agronomic characteristics of carrot cultivars under water stress

Abstract

The objective of the study was to evaluate the agronomic performance of carrot cultivars subjected to different levels of water supply. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design, in a split-plot scheme with four replicates. Five irrigation depths were used in the plot, one to replace 100% of the crop’s evapotranspiration (ETc), two in deficit (50% and 75% of ETc) and two in excess (125% and 150% of ETc). Four carrot cultivars were used in the subplots: Brasília, Alvorada, Esplanada, and Nantes. Two carrot cultivation cycles were carried out, the first lasting 121 d and the second lasting 103 d after sowing. The following variables were evaluated: total fresh mass of the plant, fresh carrot mass, carrot length, length of the aerial part, average carrot diameter, carrot volume, green shoulder, crop productivity, water productivity, and water potential of the plants. The Brasília carrot cultivar had better development and the Esplanada cultivar was less adapted to the studied environment. All carrot cultivars were affected by stress caused by excess and lack of water. Carrot irrigation must be carried out with a depth equal to 100% of the crop’s evapotranspiration for the region and conditions similar to those of the present study.