EFFECT OF SPACING AND SOWING TIME ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF CARROT (Daucus carota L.)

Abstract

An investigation was carried out at the Horticulture Farm of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka during the period from November 2005 to April 2006 to determine the growth and yield of carrot as influenced by different sowing dates and spacing. The study was conducted with four sowing times of carrot viz. 28 November (T 1 ), 8 December (T 2 ), 18 December (T 3 ) and 28 December (T ) having three spacings viz. 20cm x 10cm (S 1 ), 25cm x 15cm (S 2 ) and 30cm x 20cm (S ). Leaf length, root length, leaf fresh weight, root fresh weight, root diameter, leaf dry weight and root dry weight were significantly differed among the sowing times at different spacings. All the yield contributing characters were the highest to the plants grown on 28 November at the spacing of 30cm x 20cm and the lowest on 28 December at the spacing of 20cm x 10cm. The maximum root length (14.82 cm), root diameter (20.39 cm) , root fresh weight (217.4 g/plant) and root dry weight (32.47 g/plant) were found in T 3 and the minimum of these parameters were found in T . The percentage of cracking root and branched root of carrot was lower in T 1 S 1 4 S 1 followed to others and it was gradually increased due to delay sowing. The maximum gross yield (38.17 t/ha) was found in T 1 S 1 and the minimum (6.65 t/ha) was in T . The maximum (34.33 t/ha) and the minimum (3.135 t/ha) marketable yield were also found in the treatment of T 1 S 1 and T (−0.03) was in T 4 S 3 4 . The highest (2.95) Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) was observed in T S . The yield and yield contributing characters were increased with the closest spacing but growth parameters were increased with the widest spacing. Gross yield and marketable yield were increased in early

2 sowing and decreased in delay sowing. In twelve treatments of combination of four sowing times and three spacings, the maximum yield and marketable yield were in T

.