Effect of Salinity on the Growth, Yield and Seed Production of Carrot

Abstract: An experiment was conducted at USDA Allium Field Laboratory of Horticulture Farm, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh from October 2021 to May 2022 to investigate the effect of salinity on carrot growth, yield and seed production. four different salinity levels (0 dS/m, 4 dS/m, 6 dS/m, and 8 dS/m) and four varieties of carrot. Indian hybrids, PA (Prima Agroflora), BA (Brasilia Agroflora) and Indian 75 (germplasm PI 652410) constituted 16 treatments. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Different salinity levels and strains had significant effects on carrot growth, yield and seed production. Maximum plant height (67.77 cm), number of leaves (13.30), fresh leaf weight (88.05 g), dry leaf weight (12.01 g), leaf water percentage (85.85 %), fresh root weight (126.29 g), dry Root weight (10.45 g), root percentage water content (84.60%), root length (14.11 cm), root diameter (4.03 cm) and root yield (16.9 t/ha) were recorded from Indian hybrid varieties. Maximum 1000 seed weight (2.01 g), seed germination percentage (73.25%) and seed yield (8.94 g/plant) were recorded from BA. Most parameters showed a decreasing trend with high salinity (8 dS/m) producing the lowest carrot yield (8.7 t/ha). In case of combined effect of variety and salinity, maximum root yield (19.6 t/ha) was obtained by Indian hybrid with control while minimum (5.9 t/ha) was obtained by Indian 75 with 8 dS/m. The results of the experiment revealed that high salinity levels significantly reduced all parameters. Therefore, it can be concluded that Indian hybrid varieties were found relatively tolerant up to 8 dS/m in case of carrot growth and yield and BA relatively tolerant up to 8 dS/m for seed production.