Evaluation of Carrot Cultivars for Production in Northern Climates

Ten commercial cultivars (Baltimore, Bolero, Miami, Napoli, Negovia, Nelson, Romance, Scarlet Nantes, Touchon, Yaya) of carrot (Daucus carota) were evaluated for their growth, yield, and root quality for production in Northern Great Plains. Seeds were sown in the field on May 8 in 20-foot rows which were spaced 4 feet apart and seedlings were thinned to 1 inch apart between plants in each row. Plants were grown without irrigation until roots were harvested on Oct 15. The yield was determined by the weight of the roots harvested from 10-foot rows and percent marketable roots. Soil type was the Fargo silty clay which is known for poor drainage. Out of 10 cultivars tested, Touchon and Bolero produced greatest weight of roots at 22.8 kg and 21.7 kg, respectively, per 10 feet row on the average. The average root weight was highest in Miami (286.8 g), followed by Bolero (226.8 g). Highest soluble solids contents of the root, as determined by a refractometer, were found in Bolero (11.9%), followed by Touchon (11.0%) and Scarlet Nantes (10.9%). All of the cultivars evaluated produced a high percentage of marketable carrots.