The effect of temperature on sensory quality, chemical composition and growth of carrots (Daucus carota L.). III. Different diurnal temperature amplitudes

Data from experiments with carrels grown in phytotrons under different day and night temperatures at two locations in Norway and three harvesting date s were treated by means of Principal Component Analysis (PCA). No effect: o f the single temperature amplitudes were found, the significant main effect s were due to the mean temperature levels of 12 and 18 degrees C, location and harvest dare. The PCA visualized the effect of mean temperature level o n sensory, chemical and physical variables. Differences between the two gro ups were mainly caused by variation in sensory variables, the first group b eing characterized by high score for whiteness, sweetness, acidic taste, cr ispness, juiciness, glucose, fructose and root length. The other group had a high score for colour, odour, overall taste and flavour parameters, firmn ess, dry matter, sucrose, alpha and beta-carotene, root weight and root dia meters.