Carrots are an emerging crop of high value among many smallholder farmers in Kenya. The crop requires low attention making it manageable. It also has short maturity period and high returns with a kilo retailing for not less than Ksh50.
Varieties
Common
varieties in Kenya include but not limited to Chantney, Nantes and Oxheart. Nantes
variety is the choice for most farmers due to a nice deep orange colour as well
as sweet taste. The carrots are smooth and long. It also has a longer shelf
life and can be grown in all seasons.
Climatic
conditions for growth
The crop grows best in cool climate .Recommended that they are grown in temperatures ranging from 15 to 20 degrees because high temperatures result in pale carrots with shorter roots and poor flavour. In order to get the best quality, plant them in well prepared, deep, well drained, loamy soils that allow the roots to penetrate and enlarge. Carrots are very sensitive to acidic soils. Soils with a PH of 6.5-7.5 are suitable for their growth. If the PH is lower than 5.5 it is advisable to apply moderate amounts of rock phosphate fertilizers to reduce acidity.
The crop grows best in cool climate .Recommended that they are grown in temperatures ranging from 15 to 20 degrees because high temperatures result in pale carrots with shorter roots and poor flavour. In order to get the best quality, plant them in well prepared, deep, well drained, loamy soils that allow the roots to penetrate and enlarge. Carrots are very sensitive to acidic soils. Soils with a PH of 6.5-7.5 are suitable for their growth. If the PH is lower than 5.5 it is advisable to apply moderate amounts of rock phosphate fertilizers to reduce acidity.
Planting
Direct planting into seedbeds with soil prepared to a fine tilth is recommended.
Direct planting into seedbeds with soil prepared to a fine tilth is recommended.
Seedrate
About
6-7 kg of carrot seeds per hectare or 2.5kg per acre is adequate. The soils
must be well prepared and the planting depth should about one centimetre. The spacing
is 30cm from row to row by continuous drill at planting time.
Thinning
Thinning
is carried out gradually 2-4 weeks after planting to ultimately leave a spacing
of 10cm from plant to plant to allow enough space for good growth.
Weeding
Weeding
starts 2 weeks after planting the crop which overlaps with commencement of thinning.
The second weeding is advised about 4-5weeks after planting depending on the
emergence of weeds.
Inter-cropping
The crop
can be inter-cropped with a variety of crops like lettuce, tomatoes, capsicums,
leek etc. The ideal inter-cropping model is inter-cropping carrots with leeks. The
crops have a symbiotic relationship where carrots repel caterpillars from leeks
while leeks repel flies from the carrots.
Pest and
diseases and their control
The
vegetable is susceptible to aphids, nematodes and cutworms. They fungal
diseases especially powdery mildew and leaf blight are common. Crop rotation is
important for control. When infested by pests and diseases chemical spraying is
recommended. Observe hygiene during planting and use certified disease-free and
resistant hybrid seed varieties. Maturity period for carrots is between 2-3
months after planting depending on the variety grown.
Supplementary
Irrigation
The crop
need frequent rains and in cases where the rains are unreliable regular
irrigation are recommended depending on the type of soil.
HarvestingHarvesting begins when the roots are enlarged; soft and juicy.Late harvesting results to crops are of lower quality because they will cracks. Manual harvesting by pulling the crop from the soil by hand or using a spade is employed. The tops are then completely cut to avoid storage rots. Shelf life for and mature carrots that are pests and disease free can be 100-150 days when the leaves are completely cut off, at temperatures range of 1-4 degrees centigrade.
Yields10-15 tons/acre depending on management
