Characteristics Of Carrot Research Articles

The influence of some technological factors on the functional food characteristics of carrots in the hilly area of Transylvania

The influence of some technological factors on the functional food characteristics of carrots in the hilly area of Transylvania

Effect of storage temperature and type of packaging on physical and chemical quality of carrot

Carrot can get damaged during harvesting or during storage which can reduce the quality. The research was conducted in the laboratory of post-harvest Vegetable Crops Research for the month of May-July 2016. The research aimed to analyze the effect of storage temperature and type of packaging on the characteristic of carrot. Factorial randomized block design with 4 x 4 and 2 replications was used in the study. The first factor was storage temperature consisted of 5 °C, 10 °C, 15 °C and room temperature. The second factor was the packaging comprised of polypropylene, polyethylene, wrapping, and non-packaging. Results showed that storage temperature affected water content, respiration rate, hardness, and weight loss in 3 weeks and 4 weeks of storage. Packaging affected on water content, vitamin C, respiration rate, and weight loss in 3 weeks, and 4 weeks. The temperature of 5 °C was the storage temperature that could maintain changes in the characteristics of the carrot. Polypropylene plastic type was an excellent package in maintaining changes in the characteristics of carrots during the storage process.

Forms of application of phosphorus fertilization on carrot

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of forms of application and application rates of phosphate fertilizer on the agronomic characteristics of carrot. A field experiment was carried out in a 2 × 7 factorial arrangement, consisting of two forms of application of the P source (over the whole area or specifically in the strip of the double row), and seven application rates of P2O5 in randomized blocks, with four replicates. Shoot dry matter yield increased linearly, and root dry matter yield increased exponentially with an increase in P rate. Total and commercial yields increased exponentially, with higher yield for P application over the whole area. However, the agronomic efficiency for site-specific application was higher. Higher rates of P application caused increases in the soil attributes and technical traits of carrot, and the application of phosphorus fertilizer is more efficient when performed in a site-specific manner.

Effects of freezing pretreatment and hygroscopicity of fluidizing particles on drying characteristics of carrots in fluidized bed under reduced pressure

A method for low-temperature drying with high drying rate was developed for heat-sensitive foods and agricultural products. A freezing pretreatment was combined with fluidized bed drying under reduced pressure. Cylindrical carrot samples were frozen and then placed without thawing in a fluidized bed of hygroscopic porous silica gel particles that adsorbed water from the sample during the drying process. The effects of the freezing pretreatment and hygroscopicity of fluidizing particles on the drying characteristics of carrots were examined. A higher drying rate was achieved when carrots samples were subjected to freezing pretreatment than without it. At 12 kPa, the volume change was smaller in carrots subjected to freezing pretreatment than in untreated samples. A larger amount of water was absorbed during rehydration by carrots dried at 12 kPa than at 101 kPa within 120 min. The properties of dried carrots were affected not only by freezing pretreatment but also by the pressure applied during the drying process.

Drying Characteristics of Carrots Immersed in a Fluidized Bed of Fluidizing Particles Under Reduced Pressure

The drying characteristics and properties (color and shrinkage) of carrots (as a representative agricultural product) were experimentally examined in a fluidized bed under reduced pressure. Dry hot air and superheated steam were used as the drying gases. Rice and carrot powders (0.125–0.355 mm in diameter) were used as the fluidizing particles, in addition to glass beads (0.12 mm in diameter). It was confirmed that the drying rate using a fluidized bed was much higher than without a fluidized bed (hot-air drying), regardless of the type of fluidizing particles used. Under reduced pressure, both with and without a fluidized bed, the drying rate was higher than that at atmospheric pressure using hot air. The drying rate was sufficiently high for fluidized-bed drying with superheated steam, though the drying rate was higher with hot air than with superheated steam. As the drying temperature increased, the volume ratio (befor/after drying) of the sample increased. At high drying temperatures (373 and 423 K in the present study), the color of the sample changed; in other words, a heat-induced change in the properties of the carrot was observed. At a low drying temperature (333 K in the present study), the drying method did not affect the color of the carrot; i.e., the color of the dried material was maintained even in a fluidized bed under reduced pressure when the drying rate was higher.

Intercropping of marcela (Achyrocline satureioides (Lam.) DC.) and carrot (Daucus carota L.): crop yields and concentrations of phenolic compounds and flavonoids

SummaryThe objective of this study was to evaluate the productivity and gross yield of marcela (Achyrocline satureioides (Lam.) DC.) when monocropped or intercropped with carrot (Daucus carota L.) under the growing conditions in Dourados-MS, Brazil. Treatments were arranged in a randomised block design with four replications. The characteristics evaluated were the fresh weights (FWs) and dry weights (DWs) of whole plants and inflorescences of marcela, and the FW of marketable and non-marketable carrot roots and the FWs of carrot leaves. Also evaluated were the concentrations of phenolic compounds and flavonoids present in the inflorescences of marcela.The efficiency of intercropping was evaluated using the equivalent area index (EAI) which indicates the area of land required in a monoculture to produce the same yield as 1.0 ha of polyculture using the same plant population with the same management practices. For marcela, higher levels of inflorescence production, phenolic compounds and flavonoids were confirmed by intercropping. There were no significant differences in the characteristics of carrot among the planting arrangements. The EAI for the marcela-carrot intercropped system was 2.95. Therefore, intercropping was considered more effective than a monoculture.

PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL RESPONSES RESULTING FROM CADMIUM AND ZINC ACCUMULATION IN CARROT PLANTS

The interactive effect of cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) bioaccumulation on physiological and biochemical characteristics of carrot (Daucus carota L. var Pusa Kesar) plants grown with different levels of Cd and Zn was examined. The combined application of Cd and Zn (Cd+Zn) had synergistic and antagonistic effects at low and high concentrations, respectively, on Cd accumulations in plants, chlorophyll b, and photosynthesis and transpiration rates. Whereas both low and high Cd+Zn concentrations had synergistic effects on Zn accumulation, ascorbic acid, protein content, total phenols, peroxidase activity, chlorophyll a, total, carotenoids and stomatal conductance. Bioaccumulation of Cd had strong and negative relationships with measured physiological and biochemical parameters. The study further showed that Cd and Zn in combination have more toxic effects on carrot plants as compared to their individual treatments. This study concludes that interactive effects of Cd and Zn on test plant depend on their ratios present in plants.

Carrots Versus Sticks

While carrots and sticks create in principle identical marginal incentives, they are not randomly used in legal enforcement systems. This paper tries to draw a broader picture of their nonequivalence than previous contributions. It analyzes the fundamental characteristics of carrots and sticks and derives general rules on their optimal use. If a benevolent principal is fully informed about the agents’ effort costs, she will only use sticks, as they are not meant to be applied, thus minimizing transaction costs and risks. In addition, sticks cause less distributional distortions when the agents are sufficiently homogenous with respect to effort costs and benefits. However, these comparative advantages of sticks weaken as the complexity of the situation increases (the principal is less informed or agents are heterogeneous). Moreover, sticks are inherently more dangerous tools in the hands of non-benevolent principals since enforcement under carrots is always Pareto efficient while enforcement under sticks is not even necessarily Kaldor-Hicks efficient. Our analysis suggests that, as society becomes more complex (labor more specialized, preferences more heterogeneous, and decisions more decentralized), carrots will be used more frequently.

Effect of Variety on Drying Characteristics and Selected Quality Attributes of Dried Carrots

The effects of variety on drying characteristics, color, and water absorption of carrots were investigated. Six different varieties of carrots, viz. Kazan, Maxima, Nandor, Nektarina, Simba, and Tito were evaluated. The hot air drying characteristics of carrot cubes dried under forced convection conditions were determined and drying data were analyzed to obtain parameters of Page and first-order kinetic models as well as moisture diffusivity. Color characteristics were determined for fresh, dried, and dehydrated samples by measuring lightness (L*), redness (a*), and yellowness (b*). Water absorption data were analyzed for ground samples. It was observed that drying characteristics, such as color and water absorption were significantly influenced by variety. The varieties of Kazan and Nektarina were found to be characterized by highest and lowest moisture diffusivity of 7.52 × 10−9 and 3.31 × 10−9m2/s respectively. Kazan variety was also characterized by shortest drying time. The lowest changes in color caused by drying were observed for Tito variety. The variety of Kazan was characterized by the highest resistances to color changes affected by drying followed by rehydration. Nandor and Tito varieties displayed the highest water absorption near to 560 g/100 g. The best drying characteristics and good water absorption accompanied by the high color attributes of dried and rehydrated samples implies that Kazan variety is expected to be the most useful to drying industry.

Experimental Investigation of Drying Behavior of Carrots in a Fluidized Bed with Energy Carrier

AbstractA pilot scale fluidized bed dryer with inert particles as energy carrier was used to investigate the drying characteristics of carrot in this type of dryer. Glass beads, hollow steel balls and pieces of dry carrot were used as inert materials. The effects of sample diameter, inert material type, inert material diameter, amount of inert material, air velocity and temperature on the rate of drying were studied. It was found that the presence of inert particles enhances the rate of drying. The results of this study also revealed that, although the rate of drying increased with decreasing sample diameter, increasing of inert material thermal conductivity, and increasing of air temperature, but the inert material diameter and air velocity did not have any significant effect on the rate of drying. The independence of the rate of drying on air velocity in well fluidized systems, indicates that external diffusion is not the controlling step in this process. It was also found that the presence of inert materials caused the drying material to reach its final internal temperature more rapidly. The internal temperature of the drying material, also increased with increasing diameter and thermal conductivity of the inert materials.