Critical Tissue Identification and Soil–Plant Nutrient Relationships in Dicer Carrot

Abstract

Fertility management has been a major concern for carrot growers because there has been little or no yield response to fertilizer application in various trials, even when fertilizer is based on soil test recommendations. Tissue testing may be an appropriate method to manage fertilizer applications to carrots. A greenhouse trial was conducted to identify critical tissue(s) at various growth stages that correlate with yield, establish relationships between nutrient concentrations of critical tissue(s) and nutrient concentrations in soil, and establish relationships among nutrient concentrations of critical tissue(s), nutrient concentrations in soil, and yield. Critical tissues varied for each nutrient studied at each growth stage. Correlations revealed significant relationships between nutrient concentrations of critical tissues and soil largely at active bulking but very few at initiation of bulking. Trend graphs revealed tissue zinc (Zn) concentration had the strongest relationship with yield. There was a significant difference in root fresh weight (RFW) with nitrogen (N) at 100 µg/g, significantly higher than at 0, 300, 350, and 400 µg/g. Greenhouse results suggest fertilizer with an N equivalent of 100 µg/g optimized yields.

Keywords:

• Critical tissue
• Daucus carota
• nutrient relationships
• plant tissue
• soil

Acknowledgments

Funding support to Dr. Lada for this project included Technology Development 2000, Oxford Frozen Foods Limited, Bragg Lumber Company, and the Nova Scotia Agricultural College. An in‐kind contribution from Terra Agromart is gratefully acknowledged. Special thanks go to Dr. Ken McRae of Agriculture and Agri‐food Canada for his assistance in statistical analysis.