Effects of different fertilization practices on the carotene content of carrot

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The effects of different fertilization practices on the carotene content of carrot cv. Nantes Duke Notabene 370 Sv were studied in field experiments in southern Finland. Unirrigated and irrigated placement and broadcast fertilization, NPK fertirrigations without basic fertilization, NPK fertirrigations with NPK basic fertilization, and PK placement with N fertirrigations were compared. Further, single application was compared to split applications. Carotene determinations were done at harvest in 1985 and 66, 88 and 121 (at harvest) days from sowing in 1986. The results were studied by contrast analysis. Weather conditions had a strong effect on the carotene content and in both years the carotene content increased with the length of the growing season. At harvest in 1985, PK placement with N fertirrigations had a tendency to yield a higher carotene content than did broadcast fertilization, irrigated single application, and NPK fertirrigations. The carotene content was higher when P and K were placement fertilized as compared to treatments where P and K were broadcast fertilized or fertirrigated (p = 0.1). At the first sampling date in 1986, fertilization increased the carotene content (p = 0.1). PK placement with N fertirrigations had a tendency to increase the carotene content as compared to placement fertilization, single application and irrigated single application. At the second sampling date and at harvest in 1986 no statistically significant differences could be found. The results indicate that the placement of PK-fertilizer or NPK-fertilizer was favourable to carotene production. Besides the fertilization experiment, samples from two organically cultivated fields were collected to obtain data concerning organically cultivated carrots.