The Effect Of Growing Systems On The Quality Of Carrots

The aim of the research was to evaluate how the quality of carrots is affected by organic and conventional production systems. The experiment was carried out at the Estonian Crop Research Institute in 2009. Conventional treatment received the following amount of nutrients via mineral fertilizers: N 115, P 40 and K 152 kg ha(-1). For plant protection, the following pesticides were used: Fenix, Fastac 50, Agil and Signum. In organic cultivation system compost and humic acid solution Humistar were used for fertilization and polypropylene non-woven fabric Agryl P-17 for plant protection. Marketable yield of organic carrots was 8% lower compared to the conventional carrots. Conventional carrots contained pesticide residues and had significantly higher nitrate concentration than organic carrots. The contents of total sugars, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium did not differ significantly between carrots from different cultivation systems. At harvest, dry matter (DM) content of organically grown carrots was significantly higher, whereas vitamin C and beta-carotene content was significantly lower in organically grown carrots. However, after 5-months of storage, the organic carrots had significantly higher total soluble solids (TSS) and beta-carotene content compared to the conventional ones indicating that organically grown carrots were less susceptible to storage conditions.