Relationships of Plant Density and Harvest Index to Seed Yield and Quality in Carrot

Abstract

Abstract Carrot (Daucus carota L. cv. Danvers) seed were produced at plant spacings of 0.05, 0.10, 0.20, and 0.30 m in 0.80-m rows to give populations of 25, 13, 6, and 4 plants/m2. Samples from the adjacent commercial carrot seed field provided an additional density of 36 plants/m2. Seed yield, harvest index, and seed quality were evaluated with respect to umbel order and plant density. Phenological development was unaffected by plant density, but plant height increased significantly as density increased. The number of umbels per plant and the number of seeds per umbel decreased with increasing plant density, while seed weight was unaffected. The proportion of the seed contributed by primary umbels increased from 20% at the lowest to 60% at the highest density. Seed yield per plant declined continuously as population increased, but seed yield per unit area increased to a maximum at 12 plants/m2, then declined. Total biological yield (above-ground biomass) rose to a plateau level with increasing plant population. Ceiling biological yield coincided with maximum seed yield. Seed quality within each umbel order, assessed by germination percentage and rate, seedling growth, embryo length, and abnormal or embryoless seeds, was unaffected by plant density, but consistently decreased from primary to tertiary umbel orders. Harvest index (seed yield/biological yield) was highly correlated with seed quality. The relationship between harvest index and plant density in carrot seed production may be useful in optimizing plant populations for maximum seed yield and quality.