Vol. 12, Issue 8 (2023)

Author(s):
Pushpa Choudhary, RK Sharma, SS Kushwah, R Gallani, GPS Rathore and KK Tarak

Abstract:
A field experiment was conducted during Rabi season, 2021-22 Experimental Farm of the Department of Vegetable Science, College of Horticulture, Mandsaur (M.P.) The experiment comprised of two carrot varieties (V₁- Pusa Rudhira and V₂ - Pusa Kesar) and five fertility levels (F₀ – 0 kg/ha, F₁ – NPK 40:30:30 kg/ha, F₂ – NPK 60:40:40 kg/ha, F₃ -NPK 80:50:50 kg/ha, F₄ – NPK 100:60:60 kg/ha). All together 10 treatment combinations were laid out in Factorial Randomized Block Design with three replications. Variety V₁- (Pusa Rudhira) exhibited maximum plant height (37.35 cm), number of leaves per plant (13.99), fresh weight of plant (257.31 g) and dry weight of plant (21.54 g). Earliest days to harvest (96.13), root length (27.88 cm), root diameter (3.94 cm), fresh weight of root (94.12 g), and root yield per hactare (313.74 q/ha), were observed with variety V₁ (Pusa Rudhira). Under quality parameters highest fiber content (964.41 mg/100 g), specific gravity (1.04 g/cc) and T.S.S. (8.74 ⁰Brix) in root were also found in case of variety V₁ (Pusa Rudhira). Among fertility levels, application of F₃ (NPK 80:50:50 kg/ha) showed maximum growth, yield and quality parameters with all the two varieties of carrot. The net income and B:C ratio i. e. 105886.85 and 2.07 was found to be superior with variety V₁ (Pusa Rudhira) and fertility level F₃ (NPK 80:50:50 kg/ha).