Effect of plant density and fertilizer doses on seed yield and its attributes in carrot

Plant density per unit area is expected to exert influence on the number of primary and secondary umbels. In some experiments contribution of primary umbels has been reported up to 90% of total seed yield. Nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium being the major plant nutrients are required by the crop for higher and quality yields, and carrot is no exception to this. Further, interaction between planting density and the major nutrients (NPK) is expected to have profound impact on seed yield and quality. Thus, the present investigation was undertaken to work out the optimum combination of planting density and fertilizers level for quality seed production of carrot. The results of the investigation revealed that plant spacing of 45 x 30 cm and 150% RD NPK, alone as well as in combination with each other favoured the seed yield and its contributing characters viz. plant height, days to flower initiation, days to 50% flowering, number of umbels per plant, and seed yield per plant and per hectare. The highest seed yield obtained for this interaction was 995.27 kg ha⁻¹.