Screening of Nineteen Carrot Genotypes for Higher Growth, Yield, and Nutritional Quality

Carrot (Daucus carota L.) is an important root vegetable valued for yield, marketability, and nutritional quality. This study evaluated 19 carrot genotypes to identify promising materials for growth, yield, and pigment-related quality traits. Significant variation was observed among genotypes for all studied characters. Orange HYV produced the tallest plants (102.3cm at 80 DAS), while Bankim Keshor recorded the highest number of leaves per plant (12.67 at 80 DAS). The longest roots were found in 21408B (21.8cm), whereas Shidur had the maximum root diameter (5.1cm). Pusha Keshor produced the highest individual root weight (165.41 g). King Kuroda showed superior agronomic performance, producing the highest gross yield (30.83tha-1) and marketable yield (29.19tha-1), with no cracked roots and a low percentage of branched roots. In contrast, 16ˊB114-1 showed the poorest yield performance. For nutritional quality, 21408B contained the highest β-carotene (1.252mg100ml-1), Bankim Keshor had the highest lycopene (0.334mg100ml-1), and New Kuroda showed the highest anthocyanin content (41mg100gFW-1). Overall, King Kuroda was the most promising genotype for yield and marketability, while 21408B, Bankim Keshor, and New Kuroda were promising for nutritional quality and should be further evaluated in multi-year and multi-location trials.