Key points of high-yield cultivation technology of carrot

Carrot is a vegetable with high nutritional value, rich in vitamins, minerals, monosaccharides and starch, and is an important juicy feed for livestock and poultry. It is easy to grow, produces high yields and is durable in storage, which is particularly important in spring and autumn when green feed is scarce. In order to achieve high yields of carrots, it is necessary to strengthen planting techniques and carefully manage every link. Let’s learn together the key points of high-yield carrot cultivation technology .

1. Reasonable density of planting

Reasonable density planting is one of the key measures to ensure high carrot yield. Planting too densely will cause the plants to shade each other, weaken photosynthesis, reduce nutrient synthesis, and may cause premature leaf death, ultimately leading to reduced yield. Planting density also affects the development of carrot roots. Therefore, carrots need to be thinned out twice during the entire growing period. The first thinning should be done when the seedlings grow 1 to 2 true leaves. Keep the plant spacing at about 3 cm, and do shallow hoeing to remove weeds and conserve moisture to promote seedling growth. The second thinning is when the seedlings grow 3 to 4 true leaves. The plant spacing depends on the variety: 13 to 15 cm for large varieties and 10 cm for small and medium varieties. Thinning should be done when the seedlings have grown 6 true leaves, maintaining a plant spacing of 8 to 10 cm. When thinning out, eliminate weak seedlings, those with too many or thick leaves, dark color, and coarse and hard hairs on the petioles, because carrot seedlings with these characteristics are prone to form forked roots, thick cores, or small fleshy roots.

2. Cultivation, weeding and soil cultivation

Intertillage and weeding can effectively eliminate weeds, promote carrot growth, reduce the amount of grass, and lay a good foundation for next year's planting. In addition, weeding can help reduce pests and eliminate hiding places. Intertillage and weeding are usually carried out around noon on sunny days. It can be combined with thinning and soil cultivation after each watering to keep the soil loose and breathable, which is conducive to the growth of seedlings and the expansion of fleshy roots. Reasonable use of herbicides can save labor and reduce management difficulty.

3. Watering and fertilizing

Although carrots have strong drought resistance, reasonable irrigation is a necessary condition for their normal growth. Lack of water will inhibit the growth of seedlings. After sowing, water should be poured 2 to 3 times continuously to promote uniform seedlings and keep the ridge surface moist. If there is no drought during the seedling stage, less water should be given to encourage the fleshy roots to grow downward. The fleshy roots require a lot of water during the expansion period, so sufficient water supply must be ensured. Uneven water supply can cause fleshy roots to crack. Moderate watering is required throughout the entire growing period to avoid waterlogging in the fields, and timely drainage should be carried out after heavy rain to prevent fleshy roots from bifurcation, lateral roots from developing, or nodules from forming, which would affect commercial traits. Carrots need to be fertilized 2 to 3 times from seedling to harvest. The first time should be done in combination with watering during the soil-breaking period. 1,000 kg of organic fertilizer or 20 kg of urea should be applied per mu. After 20 days, when the fleshy roots begin to swell, apply another 30 kg of compound fertilizer . If the base fertilizer is insufficient, the first topdressing can be carried out after the seedlings are transplanted. If the above-ground part grows too much, just apply potassium sulfate to prevent excessive growth.

4. Prevent and control pests and diseases

Common diseases of carrots include black leaf blight and rot. Black leaf blight is caused by drought and can be prevented from spreading by spraying 800 times diluted 70% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder. Rot disease is caused by high temperature and heavy rain. Once discovered, the diseased plants should be removed in time and the soil should be disinfected with quicklime. Common insect pests are root-knot nematodes, and prevention and control measures include crop rotation, deep plowing, burning of stumps and soil disinfection. Crop rotation can be carried out with gramineous crops and onion and leek crops to alleviate the disease. Deep plowing takes advantage of the fact that nematodes are not very active and like to breathe a lot, turning the eggs to the lower layer and eliminating the overwintering insect sources. After harvest, remove and burn the stumps thoroughly. Soil disinfection can be done by spreading quicklime in the field, turning the soil, watering thoroughly, covering the ground with film, and using high temperature to kill nematodes.

The above is an introduction to the key points of carrot planting techniques. Carrot planting is actually not complicated. As long as you master the technical points according to local conditions, you can easily achieve good yields.