Some Effects of Seed Size and Maturity on the Yield of Carrot Crops

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Abstract
Carrot seed was harvested on eight occasions from crops grown at Wellesbourne during 1962–64. Seed from each harvest was separated into four size grades by means of round-holed sieves. In laboratory tests, the percentage germination of the seeds increased with increasing seed size. Late-harvested, mature seed of a given size generally had a higher percentage germination than less mature, but otherwise similar, seed. The numbers of seedlings which emerged per 100 seeds sown in the field were linearly related but not directly proportional to the percentage germination of the seed, regardless of seed size or maturity. At comparable plant densities, large seeds gave bigger seedlings than small seeds, and after 15–18 weeks of growth the yield of roots was 15–20% higher from large than from small seed. However, with older crops (24 weeks) no such yield differences were measurable. Graded seed of all but the smallest size gave crops in which the root size had a lower coefficient of variation than that of crops grown from ungraded seed. In an experiment carried out in 1966 with small, large and ungraded seed from eight imported samples, the results were similar to those obtained with the seed produced at Wellesbourne. The results suggested that only with crops intended for harvesting when younger than about 18 weeks would greater yields and more uniform roots be expected if graded seed of larger sizes were used rather than small or ungraded seed.

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