ECOPHYSIOLOGY OF SEEDLING EMERGENCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF SEEDLING EMERGENCE MODELS (SEM) FOR CUT AND PEEL CARROTS (Daucus carota var Sativus L.)

Abstract

Effect of soil moisture potential (?), temperature (T), genotype, seeding depth (SD) and rate (SR) on seedling emergence (SE), emergence velocity (EV), root yield and grades of cut and peel carrots were studied.

SE was reduced at –120 kPa and totally inhibited at -156 kPa. EV was the lowest at – 5 kPa and – 90 kPa. SE was delayed by 33 d at 5°C, reduced at 30°C and totally inhibited at 35 and 40 °C. Heat units 99.75 and 159.60°Cd were the lowest to initiate and complete SE respectively while the optimum was 300 – 350 °Cd. There was no interaction effect between ? and T on SE. Honey snax at 85 seeds/ 30 cm showed the best SE whereas, Triton recorded the highest total yield at 2.54 cm SD and Fancy yield at 85 seeds/ 30 cm implying certain crop ecological and management factors can influence SE, root yield and quality.