The Effect of Cultivar and Biostimulant Treatment on the Carrot Yield and its Quality

Modifications in growing techniques can affect the yield and nutritional quality of various cultivated plants. Among them, the use of biostimulants is environmental friendly method of stimulating crop productivity, stress resistance, and affecting yield or chemical composition of the plants. The aim of the investigation was determining of the effect of biostimulant treatment on yield and its quality of carrot grown for summer harvest. The experiment was carried out in 2009-2011 in the experimental station of the University of Agriculture in Krakow, south Poland. Two experimental factors were taken into consideration: (1) cultivar: Nandrin F₁ and Napoli F₁ (2) dose of Aminoplant (foliar application): 1.5 and 3.0 dm³∙ha⁻¹ and control (without Aminoplant). Total and marketable yield, root length, its diameter, leaf mass and leaf : root mass ratio were assessed. The dry matter, soluble sugar, carotenoids and nitrate ions contents were analyzed as main determinants of carrot nutritional quality. Aminoplant influenced not only carrot productivity, but mainly chemical composition of the roots. The present results also suggest that carrot reaction to biostimulant treatment was depended on a cultivar more than on environmental conditions in particular growing seasons. The significant effect of Aminoplant in a dose of 1.5 dm³∙ha⁻¹ on the yield of roots and leaf rosette mass of ‘Nandrin F₁’ appeared only in the first year of the experiment. Spraying with Aminoplant in a dose of 3.0 dm³∙ha⁻¹ significantly increased the soluble sugars content in carrot roots of both cultivars but only in 2011. Dry matter content was also affected by biostimulant treatment mainly for ‘Napoli F1’, which showed the lowest dry matter content when sprayed with Aminoplant in a dose of 1.5 dm³∙ha⁻¹. In 2010 control plants contained the greater amount of carotenoids, while in next year roots of plants treated with Aminoplant in a dose of 3.0 dm³∙ha⁻¹ had more these compounds. The significant effect of Aminoplant on nitrates content in carrot roots was observed but were not repeatable in the experimental years, so different climatic conditions modified carrot reaction on biostimulant spraying.