Henry Jami Mang’eni
Yielding 17 tons an acre in just 65-75 days, hybrid carrots are a quick earning crop for farmers going into the October to December short rains.
Hybrid carrot varieties
The choice of variety to plant depends on the targeted market. In this case, we have the fresh market varieties like Nantes, Touchon, and Nebula f1 which are all hybrids, high-yielding, and resistant to important diseases.
Chantenay variety is grown for the canning industry and is known to manage shallow and heavy soils.
Certified seeds are available at local stockists and wholesalers like Kenya Seed Company, and Royal Seed among others.
Yield
Harvest when tips are blunt and the color is orange.
Most carrot varieties can be harvested after 60 – 100 days and yield 10-17 tons per acre.
Climate and soils
It grows well in both cool and warm areas. Hot regions don’t have the best results because the roots are sensitive when temperatures are too high. This means they do not do well in arid lands.
Carrots require loamy and loose well-drained soils because they promote good root development, remember we are dealing with a root crop.
The soil pH ranges from 6 – 6.5
It is also good to avoid poorly drained soil because it attracts bacteria an enemy to good yields.
The short maturity period for the crop of 60 – 90 days makes it suitable to be sown in both long and short rain periods. The farmers who do irrigation can continue the production cycle throughout the year.
Land preparation and sowing
Prepare your beds to achieve a fine tilth and raise them considering a spacing of 45 cm by 7.5 cm or 20 cm by 10 cm.
You will require 2.5 kgs of seed in case you are planning to plant one acre.
Fertilizer requirement
The crop will mainly require a supply of Nitrogen, Potassium, and Calcium. Nitrogenous fertilizer should be avoided during the growing period so that roots may develop.
NPK fertilizer is applied at a rate of 50 kgs/acre. If using organic manure then apply 8 tons per acre.
Some farmers are realizing the importance of conducting soil testing before applying fertilizer or manure to the soil.
Crop management
Weeding is done twice in a growing season and extra care should be taken to weed before root enlargement so that they are not injured.
Earthing up is necessary because it promotes the quality size of the roots.
Carrots can be intercropped with capsicum, tomatoes, and leek among others because their routes don’t go so deep.
Fruit trees with canopy also help in increasing the shading effect on the crops so that there is not so much stress due to dry weather.
Pest and diseases
The common pests in carrots include root-knot nematodes, Cutworms, African armyworms, or caterpillars.
Chemical control can be used including the use of pyrethrum extracts and neem.
Practices like crop rotation, clean fields, and the use of natural enemies are effective.
Some important diseases affecting carrots are anthracnose, black rot, powdery mildew, and bacterial rot.
Chemical and biological control is advised.
Carrots are an important source of vitamins and minerals with the following benefits:
- Immunity boosting
- Promotion of vision
- Strengthening of the bones
- Controlling diabetes
- Helping in digestion as it curbs constipation
- Promotion of healthy skin