THE YIELD AND QUALITY OF CARROT AND CHICORY AS EFFECTED BY DESICCANT SPRAYS

During a three year experiment seed crops of carrot and chicorv have been treated at the harvesting time with chemicals having different desiccant efficacy. Diquat, paraquat, glyphosate, endothal and mixtures of the last two with paraquat have been used.

Treatments on carrot crop have never significantly affected the seed yield and the 1000 seed weight, whereas have decreased seed germination at rate of 2% with diquat, 3 to 16% with paraquat, 5 to 6% with glyphosate, 16 to 70% with endothal and intermediate values with chemical mixtures according to the year of experiment.

Chicory seed yield has been negatively influenced by glyphosate application (270 kg/ha less) in the first year and by diquat (160–230 kg/ha) and paraquat (70–100 kg/ha) in the third year. No seed yield data were available from the second year since the crop has been storm-beaten. No significant differences have been observed in 1000 seed weight as well as in germination of seed from plant treated with diquat and paraquat. Treatments with endothal significantly decreased seed germination.

The usefulness of diquat and paraquat treatments as desiccants is discussed.