The effect of foliar nutrition with urea, molybdenum, sucrose and benzyladenine on yield and some organic compounds of carrot storage roots

Abstract

The Kazan F1 carrot was cultivated in years 2004-2005 in open-work containers sized 60×40×20 cm filled in with silt loam and located on the open field under shade providing fabric. The following combinations of experiments were arranged: (1) control - without foliar nutrition, and foliar nutrition with: (2) urea, (3) solution of urea+Mo, (4) urea+Mo+BA (benzyladenine BA), (5) urea+Mo+BA+sucrose, (6) BA in the concentration of 5 mg•dm-3 and (7) BA in the concentration of 10 mg•dm-3. In combinations 2-5 the following concentrations of components in solutions were applied: urea and sucrose each in 20 g•dm -3, molybdenum 1 mg•dm-3, benzyladenine 5 mg•dm-3. Foliar nutrition was applied three times. In both years of study the greatest mass of storage roots and whole plant (haulm + root) was determined after spraying with benzyladenine in 5 mg•dm-3 concentration. Plants with urea+Mo+BA+sucrose foliar nutrition were characterized by a comparable mass of roots and whole plant but only in 2005. In both years of study plants treated with urea only had the lowest root mass and the highest content of phenolic compounds and the lowest (in 2004 and the means from 2004-2005) content of soluble sugars in roots. Foliar nutrition with urea+Mo+BA+sucrose and spraying with benzyladenine exclusively in both applied concentrations caused a significant increase in the content of sugars (in 2004 and the means from 2004-2005) as well as carotenoids (except for combination no. 7 - in 2005 and the means from 2004-2005) in storage roots.