Tissue properties and propensity for damage in carrot (Daucus carota L.) storage roots

Carrot roots from a range of environments, developmental stages and cultiva rs showed variation in splitting susceptibility from 3.8% to 72.5%. Estimat es of tissue tensile strength, fracture toughness and residual strain for r oots from these sources were not related to estimates for damage. The measu rement of release of intrinsic stress from whole-root sections showed some relationship with damage in that the most susceptible cultivars also displa yed greater release of stress. These same varieties had larger storage cell s in their outer parenchyma. Developmental variation in tissue strength ind uced by different sowing dates and years was inconsistent between years. In creases in strength of root tissue with advancing date during the autumn ob served in field experiments, were not related to temperature changes impose d in controlled environment. Variation in water and solute potentials was g enerally greater than variation in turgor potential, which remained well co nserved in all experiments. Fracture toughness, which is dependent on tissu e water status, was not well related to turgor in these experiments.