About Carrots: Carrot processing would provide year-round availability and save transportation and storage costs. During the winter season, when carrots are plentiful, numerous processed items can be created and stored in airtight containers, then used in a variety of dishes.
Carrot juice, carrot powder, carrot flakes, canned carrot, carrot sweets, carrot halwa, carrot grits, carrot soup, carrot Dalia, and manufactured baby meals are some of the processed carrot goods. Carrot powder, made by dehydrating carrots, is frequently used to boost the nutritional value of traditional foods, resulting in value-added items like paratha, oatmeal, and laddu. These processed carrot products are not only nutrient-dense, but also maintain their quality over time.
Growing Season and varieties: Carrots thrive on loamy or sandy loam soils with enough of humus. The pH range of 5.5-6.5 is optimum for getting a healthy yield. Temperatures between 16 and 20 °C are ideal for growth, whereas temperatures beyond 28 °C dramatically decrease top growth. Seeding rate: 5–6 kg/ha. Pusa kesar, Pusa meghali, and Pusa vrishti are some of the varieties.
Procedure and chemicals required:
Fertilizer Management: Apply 20-30 tonnes of FYM per hectare during field preparation. It is advised that 50 kg of nitrogen, 50 kg of phosphorus, and 100 kg of potassium be applied per hectare.
Pest control:
Nematodes: Apply neem cake @0.5ton/acre at the time of sowing to combat nematodes. By following the crop rotation, you can grow carrots once every three years and marigold once every two years.
If a leaf spot infestation is discovered in the field, spray Mancozeb@2gm/Litre of water to control it.
Benefits of Carrots: It’s noted for its nutritious content, which includes carotene and carotenoids, as well as a significant number of vitamins and minerals like ascorbic acid and tocopherol. Carrots are the best source of carotene, a precursor to vitamin A, an essential ingredient for good health, among roots and other vegetables. Carrots have anti-mutagenic, chemopreventive, photoprotective, and immune-enhancing qualities, among other things. Carrots’ biological and therapeutic effects may be due to their high concentration of antioxidant carotenoids, particularly beta-carotene. Carrots are also high in fibre and have been reported to be successful in a variety of applications, resulting in the creation of various processing operations for the production of diverse products.
Carrots have been shown to be useful in uric acid removal. Carrots help to prevent not only vitamin A deficiency, but also cancer and other human disorders linked to food. It has a stronger cytotoxic effect on cancer cells and inhibits enzymes involved in the conversion of pre-carcinogens to carcinogens. It may also help to protect against stroke, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, cataracts, arthritis, heart disease, and urinary tract infections by boosting the immune system.