Productivity of carrot hybrids and yield quality depending on mycorrhization with bacterial

Abstract

The article presents the results of studying the effect of pre-sowing mycorrhization of carrot seeds on the formation of productivity and quality parameters of the crop under the conditions of the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. The aim of the study was to assess the influence of mycorrhization on the productivity and quality indicators of carrot yield in the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe zone of Ukraine. The research methods included observation, laboratory analysis, hypothesis testing, experiment, field study, visual assessment, and comparative–calculative methods. Experimental studies were conducted in 2023–2024 in open-field conditions using the carrot hybrids Bolivar F1 and Olimpo F1. Sowing was carried out on ridges using a band scheme of 20 + 50 cm. Prior to sowing, the seeds were treated with the mycorrhizal preparation Mykofrend at a rate of 20 g/kg of seed material. The control variant consisted of Bolivar F1 plants grown without the application of the mycorrhizal product. Observations and measurements were performed according to standard field experiment methodologies. The effectiveness of the mycorrhizal inoculant was evaluated based on the biometric parameters of the roots, total yield, and quality characteristics of the harvested produce. Results. The mycorrhizal preparation Mykofrend significantly influences the growth and formation of carrot roots, ensuring an increase in plant height (up to 43.5–48.0 cm), a root elongation of 0.7–1.4 cm, and an enlargement of root diameter by 0.2–0.4 cm, with the most pronounced effects observed in the Bolivar F1 and Olimpo F1 hybrids. Under the influence of microorganisms, particularly Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, root length reaches 18.2–21.6 cm, and the root mass of the Olimpo F1 hybrid increases to 198.0–215 g. Conclusions. The combination of seed mycorrhization with ridge-based cultivation technology contributes to increasing yield to 59.3–71.2 t/ha; the increase in total yield amounts to 5.0-9.5% for Olimpo F1 and Bolivar F1, and to 3.9–4.2 t/ha for marketable produce, depending on the hybrid. Mycorrhization improves the quality of the roots by raising the carotene content to 9.2 mg per 100 g of dry matter and sugar content to 6.06 %, without altering fiber content, while simultaneously optimizing mineral nutrition by increasing nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations by 0.02–0.03 % and 0.06–0.12 %, respectively.