SEED LINES, POPULATION-DENSITY, AND ROOT SIZE AT HARVEST AFFECT QUALITY AND YIELD OF CUT-AND-PEEL BABY CARROTS

Carrot (Daucus carota Mill. cv. Caropak) was studied under four popula tion densities, and three numbers of seed lines per bed, and was harve sted under three root size harvest parameters. Four phases (cutting, g rading, peeling, and marketable yield) in the cut-and-peel baby carrot process were evaluated, Root length was most desirable when plots wer e harvested when 25% to 35% of the roots measured 22 cm in diameter. R oots were longest (14.7 cm) in the treatments containing six seed line s per bed. The harvest criteria of 25% to 35% root diameter >2 cm also produced the highest fresh mass (48.1 t.ha(-1)), and the highest cut and graded mass (37.7 and 32.3 t.ha(-1), respectively). A population d ensity of 321 plants/m(2) produced the highest fresh and cut mass. Per cent cut waste (21.6% crowns and tips) was not affected by root size a t harvest, but percent graded waste was lowest (14.2%) when plants wer e harvested at the greatest root size. Four seed lines per bed produce d the highest graded (18.4%), and total waste (61.2%), but not cut was te. The lowest total waste, estimated at 59.7% and the highest project ed marketable yield (19.4 t.ha(-1)) occurred when roots were harvested using the 25% to 35% root diameter >2-cm parameter. Total waste and m arketable yield were obtained using a fixed waste value of 40% in the peeling phase (peeling, polishing, and grading before packing). This p ercentage could vary depending on the equipment specifications and qua lity control of a given processing facility. Root size at harvest prov ed to be the main factor affecting projected marketable yield of cut-a nd-peel baby carrots at the population densities used in this study.