Effect of Phosphorus and Boron on Growth and Quality of Carrot (Daucus carota L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the Rabi season of 2024–25 at the PG Research Block, Bahadri Farm, College of Horticulture, Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh, to evaluate the effect of phosphorus and boron on growth and quality parameters of carrot (Daucus carota L.). The experiment was laid out in a factorial randomised block design with three replications. Sixteen treatment combinations were formed using four phosphorus levels, P1 (30 kg/ha), P2 (50 kg/ha), P3 (70 kg/ha) and P4 (90 kg/ha), and four boron levels, B0 (0 kg/ha), B1 (1 kg/ha), B2 (2 kg/ha) and B3 (3 kg/ha). The crop was grown using carrot variety PC-161 at a spacing of 30 × 10 cm. Phosphorus and boron significantly influenced plant height, number of leaves, fresh weight of leaves, dry weight of leaves, total soluble solids, specific gravity and cracked roots. Among the phosphorus levels, P3 (70 kg/ha) recorded the highest plant height at 60 DAS (31.78 cm), number of leaves at 60 DAS (14.65), fresh weight of leaves (67.92 g), dry weight of leaves (12.23 g), TSS (9.01 °Brix), and specific gravity (1.06), with the lowest cracked-root value (1.51). Among the boron levels, B3 (3 kg/ha) recorded the highest plant height at 60 DAS (31.03 cm), number of leaves at 60 DAS (13.63), fresh weight of leaves (65.39 g), dry weight of leaves (10.98 g), TSS (8.36 °Brix), and specific gravity (1.04). The interaction between phosphorus and boron was non-significant for the measured parameters.