ISHS Acta Horticulturae 163: Symposium on Quality of Vegetables
EFFECTS OF TRACTOR WHEELINGS ON CARROT QUALITY |
| Author: | G. Taksdal |
| Abstract:
The effects of tractor wheelings added to a complete bed system cultivation were investigated in carrots in 1982 and 1983 on fine sandy soil low in organic matter. The beds were wheeled out after ploughing at a right angle with the ploughing direction. A 2.2 ton tractor was passed 0, 2, and 4 times over the planned seed rows before two passes with a spring-tine harrow, one pass with a roller, and drilling (cultivar Nantes Duke). The wheelings significantly reduced carrot length and the yield of grade I carrots. In 1983 roots were graded into almost sylindrical and distinctly conical roots. The wheelings strongly increased the percentages of conical roots. Sensory analyses gave significant differences in colour saturation, juiciness, crispness, and chewing resistance between sylindrical and conical roots of various treatments. The strong increase in percentages of conical roots after wheelings thus deteriorated the sensory quality of the carrots. | |
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