Growth, yield and quality performances of selected carrot varieties under drought stress

A study was conducted at the Horticulture Farm and Postgraduate Laboratory of the Department of Horticulture, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, from November 2022 to February 2023, to evaluate the performance of growth, yield, and quality of 11 carrot varieties under drought stress. The varieties included Kuroda, New Kuroda, Kuroda-35, King Kuroda, Shin Kuroda, Kuroda Improved, Shidur, BAU Gajor-5, Prima Agroflora, Bankim Keshor, and Pusha Keshor. The experiment was arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. In order to account for the drought stress, no irrigation was applied after 30 days of sowing until carrot harvest. Growth parameters, such as plant height, number of leaves plant-1, and leaf area; yield-contributing parameters, including root length, diameter, individual weight; plot yield and quality parameters, such as root cracking, branching, rotting, total soluble solids (TSS), and dry matter content, were recorded. Significant variations were noted among the varieties. King Kuroda excelled with maximum root length (17.31 cm), root weight (164.07 g), yield per plot (5.23 kg), gross yield (34.89 t ha⁻¹), and marketable yield (30.07 t ha⁻¹). Shin Kuroda recorded the highest TSS (13.13%), while King Kuroda showed superior dry matter content in leaves (21.33%) and roots (9.85%). BAU Gajor-5 had no cracked roots, but it showed the minimum marketable yield (11.67 t ha-1) followed by Prima Agroflora (12.42 t ha-1). Shin Kuroda had the lowest branched root percentage (1.09%). Varieties Kuroda-35 and Pusha Keshor also consistently excelled in growth, yield, and quality attributes under drought stress. Therefore, out of eleven varieties, King Kuroda, Kuroda-35, and Pusha Keshor were found to perform better in terms of growth, yield, and quality under drought stress.