Desempenho de cultivares de cenoura, sob diferentes coberturas de solo em sistema orgânico

Abstract

Carrots are one of the most consumed vegetables in the world, with high economic and social importance. This crop, whose object of interest is the root, has attractive characteristics for human consumption. Considering the growing demand for organic products, ways to increase productivity are sought. Some factors include the use of soil covers to obtain higher productivity. The objective of the study was to evaluate the productivity of two carrot cultivars, grown with different plant covers on the soil. The experiment was conducted in the experimental area of the Federal Technological University of Paraná (UTFPR), Santa Helena campus, in the municipality of Santa Helena - PR, implemented in July 2022. The randomized block design was in a factorial scheme (2 carrot cultivars x 4 soil covers) with 3 replications. The carrot cultivars used were Nantes Calibrada Média and Híbrida Tellus, while Elephant Grass (Pennisetum purpureum), Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) and Leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala) were used as mulches, and a control without covering the soil surface. The mulches were added to the beds 50 days after sowing. The following were evaluated: productivity (t ha-¹); average weight (g); root length (cm) and diameter (mm); total number of roots (ha); number of commercial roots (ha); commercial roots (%); forked roots (%); cracked roots (%); rotten roots (%); commercial length classes (%). The mulches did not increase carrot productivity. Pigeon Pea provided a higher percentage of commercial roots for the Nantes cultivar, while Leucaena provided a higher percentage of commercial roots for the Tellus cultivar. Among the evaluated commercial classes, class 14 (≥14 cm and <18 cm) presented the highest average percentage of roots. The classes using soil covers did not have significant differences. The carrot cultivars, Nantes and Tellus, did not present productive differences under edaphoclimatic conditions in the western region of Paraná. The different soil covers do not influence carrot productivity. The different soil covers did not influence carrot root quality. The cultivar Nantes presented a higher percentage of commercial roots in class 10, compared to the cultivar Tellus.