Diseases of carrots during storage

Of the diseases, the greatest damage to carrots during winter storage is caused by white and black rot and fomoz. They are distributed almost everywhere. To prevent the occurrence of these diseases, it is necessary to follow some agricultural practices.

It is good if carrots are sown after early cabbage, onions, tomatoes, and potatoes. With the emergence of seedlings, it is necessary to carry out timely thinning, loosening, and removal of weeds, because Severe density and weediness of crops contribute to the increased development of black rot and other diseases. It is especially important to loosen the soil after rain and watering.

White rot, or sclerotinia, is one of the most harmful diseases that affects many vegetables, but most severely carrots, parsley, cucumbers, cabbage, and beets.

During the growing season and when harvesting carrots, it rarely affects root crops. But on heavy soils, excessive moisture may damage still growing root crops.

And during winter storage after storing root crops, this disease often causes very large losses. The source of infection is the soil in which the mycelium lives, as well as plant debris.

First of all, carrots with mechanical damage, frozen ones, grown on heavily moist soils, and also with abundant application of nitrogen fertilizers to the soil are affected.

The rapid spread of the disease is facilitated by storing it at high humidity in the basement and at elevated temperatures. White rot usually develops in patches and easily passes from diseased to healthy root crops.

First, a white fluffy coating (fungal mycelium) appears on the surface of the root crops, then in some places it thickens and forms blackened sclerotia of various sizes and droplets of liquid shiny in the light! Affected root crops soften and become slimy without changing the color of the tissue. At the same time, it does not have an unpleasant odor.

White rot mycelium in the form of cotton wool-like flakes with sclerotia can appear on containers and walls. The disease spreads quickly, and elevated temperatures in the basement within 4-5°C increase the damage to root crops by white rot. It is difficult to stop the disease.

Measures to combat carrot diseases

First of all, this is the observance of garden crop rotation with the return of carrots to their original place no earlier than after 3-5 years; liming of acidic soils; introducing increased doses of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers into the soil, deep autumn digging of the soil.

Carrot beds should not be placed on heavy clay or acidic soils.

Lime acidic soils in the fall with the addition of fluff lime or chalk, 150-200 g per 1 sq. m. meter or in the spring, when sowing carrots, apply organic fertilizer “Deoxidizer” 2-3 tbsp. spoons per 1 sq. m.

Excessive application of nitrogen fertilizers to the soil reduces the resistance of root crops to diseases and delays its ripening time. Carrots will hurt less and be stored better if you feed them with potassium or ash solution 12-15 days before harvesting.

As far as possible, harvest root crops later, which avoids storing root crops in warm weather at the end of September, which we often experience.

Preparing the storage facility for harvesting in advance. The basement should be disinfected with a bleach solution, and wooden structures should be whitened with lime milk (1 kg of lime per 10 liters of water).

Storing only healthy root vegetables, thoroughly dusting them with chalk powder (1 tablespoon per 1 kg of carrots) or sifted wood ash.

Compliance with the storage regime for root crops, as indicated in the section on Phoma.

Black rot, or Alternaria blight, is a dangerous fungal disease that affects, in addition to carrots, celery, parsley and parsnips mainly during storage. It is rarely observed in garden beds, only in years with warm, rainy autumns. In adult plants, single leaves are affected, which turn yellow, curl and die, and the fungus travels along the petiole to the top of the root crop and subsequently causes it to rot.

And on root crops, the disease, as a rule, appears only 15-20 days after storage. Dry, dark, slightly depressed spots form on the side of the carrot or on the top. When the humidity increases, a dark olive coating of the pathogen appears on the spots. The source of infection is contaminated seeds, roots and post-harvest residues.

On the section, the affected tissue has a coal-black color. These spots are sharply limited from healthy tissue. A rotten root crop remains black.

Since the fungus that causes black rot is heat-loving, at low storage temperatures its development is very slow, and the rotten root crop remains hard for a long time.

The varieties Konservnaya, Nantskaya 4, Supernant, Shantane 2461, Vita Longa and others have increased resistance to the disease. Measures to prevent the disease are exactly the same as for Phomasis. Fomoz, or dry rot, is a dangerous fungal disease that affects carrot plants during their growth, and root crops during storage.

This disease affects almost all varieties of carrots.

The disease usually begins to appear as dry rot on the tops of root crops. At the end of the season, elongated, grayish-brown spots with black dots in the center appear on the stems, petioles and veins of the leaves. During harvesting, single diseased root crops are encountered.

Later, such spots appear on the top of the root crops. During winter storage of carrots, the number of spots increases, and transverse dark stripes appear. The pulp becomes rotten, and voids appear under the spots. The carriers of the disease are plant residues, seeds and diseased root crops.

The spread of the disease is highly dependent on weather conditions. Carrots are most affected by Phoma in years with increased rainfall and moderate temperatures. The source of infection is contaminated seeds, root crops, and post-harvest residues. Sowing with contaminated seeds leads to significant loss of seedlings.

Control and prevention measures:

Deep digging of the soil and destruction of plant residues in the fall; liming of acidic soils; compliance with garden crop rotation.

Pre-sowing treatment of carrot seeds. To do this, before sowing, they must be heated in water for 15 minutes at a temperature of 52-53°C, strictly monitoring it with a thermometer. If necessary, add hot water. And immediately after warming up, the seeds should be immersed in cold water for 2-3 minutes.

Early sowing on light soils, timely destruction of weeds and thinning of seedlings.

Sowing relatively disease-resistant varieties - Moskovskaya Zimnyaya, Nantskaya 4, Supernant, etc.

When signs of the disease appear, treat carrot crops with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture in the third ten days of August, i.e. a month before harvesting root crops (spending 1 liter per 1 square meter); feeding plants with potassium sulfate (1.5 tablespoons of fertilizer per 10 liters of water), consuming the solution at the rate of 5 liters per 1 sq. meter.

Sorting carrots and dusting them with chalk powder or sifted ash when storing them. Store root vegetables in boxes, open plastic bags or in stacks.

It is necessary to observe the correct storage conditions for root vegetables (temperature about 0+1° C, relative air humidity 90%).

When the temperature drops to -2°C, the tissues of root crops are damaged and become diseased when thawed, and at temperatures above 3°C, root crops sprout and are damaged by white rot.

During winter storage of diseased root crops, fungal spores remain viable for 3 years in the sand, on the floor and on the walls of the vegetable storehouse, if in the summer, immediately after storage of root crops and before storing vegetables there for winter storage, the basement must be disinfected.

At home, this means whitewashing walls and ceilings with slaked lime with the addition of copper sulfate or spraying racks, containers, walls, partitions where vegetables will be stored with a 3% solution of copper sulfate.

The premises must be well ventilated and maintained at a constant temperature and air humidity that are optimal for storing root crops. For carrots, this is a temperature of +1 ... + 3 ° C, and a relative air humidity of 60-70%.

V. G. Shafransky

Ripening carrot roots require special attention. If symptoms of diseases suddenly appear in the garden bed or on the collected root crops, then preserving the grown crop will be problematic, and sometimes impossible.

How can you tell if a carrot is sick? And how to save her?

At the beginning of August, carrots are at risk of getting sick brown leaf spot. This is a common disease that causes early senescence and dieback of carrot leaves. Dark dots, streaks or elongated spots appear on the leaves in the rosette, which gradually increase and completely cover the leaf blades and petioles. The leaves turn black and dry out. As a result, the formation processes of root crops are disrupted.

If the carrot leaves begin to turn yellow and dry out, it is most likely affected. The disease can strike at all stages of development. When seeds are infected, crops are sparse; young plants die during germination before the 3-4 leaf phase. In this case, the disease manifests itself as a “black leg”.

The most harmful black rot on carrots is during storage. Grayish, slightly depressed dry spots form on the surface of root vegetables. Gradually they deepen and darken. A distinctive sign of black rot is the color of the diseased tissue: on a cut it is coal black, sharply demarcated from healthy tissue.

The main sources of infection are seeds and plant debris.

- the most harmful disease of carrots during storage, causing rapidly spreading wet rot. Symptoms - the tissue darkens, becomes soft and watery, white, cotton-like mycelium and large (up to 15 mm in diameter) black sclerotia develop on its surface. The fungus is able to grow in a wide range of temperatures (from 0°C to 30°C). At an optimal temperature of 15-20°C, the incubation period is no more than 3-4 days; at temperatures below 6°C, the rate of its growth and development decreases. The disease develops in patches and is quickly transmitted from diseased root crops to healthy ones upon contact.

This fungus persists in the soil for at least 5 years and can infect carrots with white rot during the pre-harvest period, which is facilitated by frequent rains and high air humidity before harvesting.

Gray rot manifests itself in softening of tissues and the development of wet rot. The surface of the affected root crops is covered with a gray fluffy coating. By the end of storage, numerous sclerotia with a diameter of 3-6 mm are formed. Root crops with signs of wilting and freezing are most susceptible to infection with gray rot. The development of gray rot is also promoted by storing carrots grown with increased doses of nitrogen.

Fusarium rot affects root crops during storage. First, ulcers form on the fruits - dry depressed spots up to 1 cm in diameter, in the center of which cracking occurs. Further, the spots increase in size. When you cut the root crop, you can see dried, light-colored tissue, which is compacted in the center and frayed at the edges. With severe development of the disease, the root crop becomes dense and dry, as if mummified.

Protection measures

To improve the resistance of carrots to diseases and increase shelf life, the following measures must be observed:

1 Select a disease-resistant variety (hybrid). Research conducted at VNIIO in 2005-2008 showed that the hybrids F1 Olympetets, NIIOH 336, F1 Callisto, F1 Zvezda, varieties Berlikum, Rote Risen (Yanchenko and others) are the most resistant to major diseases during long-term storage.

2. Plant on soils with a light mechanical composition, ensure sufficient aeration and water permeability.

3. Rotate crops correctly. Good predecessors of carrots are cabbage and potatoes.

4. Application of phosphorus and especially potassium fertilizers. At the same time, excess nitrogen fertilizers reduces the stability of the crop.

5. Follow cleaning deadlines. Storing physiologically mature root crops for storage. In the Non-Chernozem Zone of the Russian Federation, carrots intended for long-term storage should be harvested from the 3rd ten-day period of September to the 1st ten-day period of October. There are fewer losses when storing standard, well-ripened, healthy root crops without symptoms of disease infection.

6. They use techniques such as sanding and claying, which protect products from moisture evaporation, wilting and disease. Dusting with chalk (200-250 g/10 kg) suppresses the growth of phytopathogenic fungi.

7. The development of diseases is inhibited by the increased (3-4%) content of carbon dioxide in the environment.

8. The cellar must be cleaned and disinfected before storing. It is important not to disturb the temperature (0...+1°C) and air humidity (90-95%) in the cellar.

TO NOT BE ATTACKED BY THE CARROT FLY

In August and September, carrots are a tasty morsel for the carrot fly. At this time, the second generation of harmful larvae appears. They eat into root crops and make tunnels in them. Plants are stunted, leaves turn reddish-purple, then turn yellow and dry out. Root vegetables acquire a bitter taste, cracks and black depressions appear on the surface. In storage, such root crops quickly rot.

The carrot fly is a shade- and moisture-loving insect, so plants in shaded and waterlogged areas are more damaged. Flies are attracted to the smell of carrot seedlings left in the garden after thinning.

WHAT TO DO?

Sow carrots early in unshaded areas and control weeds. Chemical methods - spraying with insecticides (Arrivo, Decis, Tsitkor). Traditional methods include sprinkling the beds with powder made from dried orange peels and garlic.

The boy picked a tasty vegetable from the ridge: “The girl in the dungeon is a braid on the street!” She’s small, she’s still a “girl,” and the order is not to tear her, but no one sees. He rubbed the carrot on his pants, grunted, unwound the stub from his braid and threw it into the darkness. Such a pleasure!
V. Astafiev. "Ode to the Russian vegetable garden"

What you need to know before preparing dishes from and with carrots

* Carrots with thick, short roots are the juiciest. Such carrots make good juice; they are put in salads, used raw as a side dish, and also pickled. Carrots of other varieties require prolonged heat treatment, so it is recommended to stew, boil, and prepare casseroles, cutlets, and puddings from them.

* To prevent carrots from darkening, the skin must be removed very thinly with a sharp knife.

* Carrot soup always turns out beautiful: carotene colors the fat in which the carrots are fried in orange or amber tones.

* Peeled carrots wilt quickly. You can’t keep it in water: vitamin C is destroyed and mineral salts are lost. It is better to store peeled carrots in a container without water, covering the top with a clean damp cloth, for no more than 2 - 3 hours, of course.

* Some vitamins are destroyed by heat treatment. When cooking carrots, place them in water that has previously been brought to a boil: vitamin C will be better preserved in boiling water.

* Vitamins are especially destroyed if carrots are cooked in an open container. Therefore, be sure to cover the pan in which vegetables are boiled or stewed. It is also important that there is as little free space as possible under the closed lid.

* Overcooked carrots are not only less tasty, but also less nutritious and less healthy.

* A green carrot head always tastes bitter; be sure to cut it off when processing.

* If you use dried carrots, scald them with boiling water and pour warm water for one to two hours to allow the carrots to swell. Boil carrots in the same water in which they were soaked so that the loss of nutrients is minimal.

There are other nuances

Firstly. If you put a slice of carrot or lemon under the lid of a jar of mustard, it will retain its freshness for a long time.

Secondly. Nutritionists object to heat treatment of carrots. At the same time, the taste of carrots does not improve at all, but it loses a lot. Even in traditional vinaigrettes, it is recommended to use freshly grated carrots. It is very useful to add freshly prepared carrot juice to the first (liquid) courses directly on your plates.

Thirdly. Carrot salads are never salted. They are prepared with sour apples, grated horseradish, garlic, and nuts. Carrot juice goes well with milk (1:1), honey, lemon juice, lemon zest.

Have you ever tried sweet carrot seasoning for tea? No? Then mix the carrots, grated on a coarse grater, with jam, marmalade or marmalade. If they are completely acidic, add lemon juice to taste. Mix the mixture thoroughly and serve with tea. This seasoning is not only tasty, but also relatively low in calories.

It is also useful to use carrot leaves as food. They contain a lot of vitamin C (more than cabbage and potatoes), B vitamins and other substances necessary for the normal functioning of the intestines. In addition, the leaves are a source of essential oils, aromatic substances, and phytoncides.

Carrot leaves are soft, with a pleasant taste and unique aroma. In small quantities they can be used as an additive to all dishes, including sweet and flour confectionery products. Now we will recommend you some carrot recipes.

Boiled carrot salad

Boil the carrots, chop finely, sprinkle with green onions, pour vinegar, salt and season with vegetable oil.

Salad of carrots, green peas and apples

Cut the boiled carrots and apples into small cubes, add canned green peas, sugar, salt, mayonnaise, mix and garnish with slices of carrots and apples.
For 1 carrot: 1 apple, 2 - 3 tbsp. spoons of green peas, 2 spoons of mayonnaise, salt and sugar to taste.

Raw carrot salad with honey and nuts

Grate peeled raw carrots (preferably carotel), pour in honey, stir and sprinkle with finely chopped nuts (walnuts, peanuts or almonds).
For 2 carrots: two to three tablespoons of honey, the same amount of peeled nuts.

Carrot, horseradish and apple salad

Wash and peel carrots, horseradish and sour apples, grate on a coarse grater, then mix, place tightly in jars and fill with hot brine (2 - 3 tablespoons of salt and 3 - 4 tablespoons of sugar per 1 liter of water), cover the jars with lids and sterilize over low heat (half liter - 10 - 12, liter - 15 min). Roll up immediately and cool.
It is best to eat the salad with sour cream; the brine must be drained.

Carrot original salad

Grate one medium-sized carrot on a fine grater, mix with the chopped pulp of half an orange, pour in a teaspoon of vegetable oil and sprinkle with peeled sunflower seeds fried in oil. This salad is well served with low-fat cheese and wholemeal bread.

Carrots with green tomatoes

At the bottom of the pan, place finely chopped onions and parsley, sliced ​​carrots and green tomatoes (can be salted), add salt and pepper, pour in vegetable oil and cook for 20 - 30 minutes. Then add crushed garlic. Serve cold as an appetizer.
For 4 - 5 carrots: 500 g tomatoes, 2 onions, 4 sprigs of parsley, 4 cloves of garlic, 3 tbsp. spoons of oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Pickled carrots

Peel the carrots thoroughly, rinse well, chop, mix with sugar and salt. Cut the peeled onions into thin slices, mix with carrots, place everything tightly in a jar, cover with a linen rag and tie. Store in a cool, dry place.
For 1 kg of carrots: 2 onions, tbsp. spoon of sugar and salt.

Sardines with sour cream Swedish style

Drain the oil from the sardines and remove the bones. Grate apples and carrots on a coarse grater, cut cucumbers into cubes. Season with salt, sour cream and lemon juice.
A can of canned sardines, a glass of sour cream, 1/2 sour apple, carrots, 2 pickles, lemon juice, salt.

Carrot balls with canned green peas

Boil the carrots, then puree them together with the green peas. Mix the resulting mass with thick semolina porridge, sugar, eggs, make meatballs, roll in breadcrumbs, fry and serve with sour cream.
For 500 g of carrots: the same amount of peas, 3 eggs, 100 g of semolina, sugar, sour cream, butter to taste.

Carrot-apple cutlets

Chop the peeled carrots into small strips and simmer in milk and butter. Then add the chopped apples and simmer again for ten minutes, then add semolina, salt, sugar, cool slightly, pour in the eggs, mix. Make cutlets from this minced meat, roll in breadcrumbs, fry and serve with sour cream.
For 4 carrots: 4 apples, a tablespoon of semolina, three tablespoons of milk, two tablespoons of butter, 2 eggs, salt, sugar to taste.

Carrot zrazy with apples

Stew chopped carrots in milk and butter, add semolina, sugar, salt, cool, pour in eggs and mix. Divide the prepared mass into flat cakes. Place chopped apples sprinkled with sugar in the middle of each. Bring the edges of the flatbread together into an oval shape and roll in breadcrumbs. Fry on both sides and serve with sour cream.
For 4 carrots: a tablespoon of semolina, two tablespoons of sugar, 3 tablespoons of milk, two tablespoons of butter, 1 egg, 1 apple.

Carrot cutlets

Cut the peeled and washed carrots into thin slices or strips, place in a saucepan, pour in hot milk, add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of butter, sugar, salt, cover and simmer until tender over medium heat, stirring so that the carrots do not burn. When the carrots are ready, sprinkle them with semolina and, stirring, cook over low heat for 8-10 minutes. Then remove the carrots from the heat, add the egg yolks, mix well and cool. Prepare cutlets from the cooled mixture, moisten with egg white, roll in breadcrumbs and fry on both sides. Serve the finished cutlets with sour cream or milk sauce.
For 1 kg of carrots - 1/2 cup semolina, 1/2 cup milk, 3 eggs, 2 cups crackers, 1 teaspoon sugar, 3 tbsp. spoons of butter.

Carrots in molds

Grate the peeled carrots on a fine grater, add the beaten egg, crackers, finely chopped herbs, salt, and milk. Fill greased molds with the mixture, place them in a bowl with water and keep in a heated oven for about 20 minutes. Remove the molds and tip them into serving bowls or onto a common dish. Serve with fish, meat, egg dishes or broth.
800 g carrots, a glass of milk, salt, herbs, 2 tbsp. spoons of vegetable oil, 1 egg, 4 tbsp. spoons of grated crackers.

Carrot puree

Boil the carrots whole or peel, chop and simmer with fat until tender. Then grind in a mixer (pass through a meat grinder), add mashed boiled potatoes, hot milk and salt. Beat the puree, add butter. Sprinkle with finely chopped herbs. Serve as a side dish with fish, poultry and offal dishes.
500 g carrots, 300 g potatoes, salt, fat, a glass of milk, dill or parsley.

Portuguese carrot roll

Boil peeled and washed carrots in 1 salted water. Without letting it cool, rub through a sieve or mince. Beat the yolks with sugar, combine with carrots, add flour sifted with baking soda and mix thoroughly. Add the whipped whites last and mix gently. Place the mixture on a baking sheet, greased with oil and covered with oiled paper or parchment. Bake in the oven at a temperature of 100 - 120° C. After cooling, grease the cake with a thin layer of any cream and roll it up.
1 kg carrots, 750 g sugar, 6 eggs, 3 tbsp. spoons with flour on top, a teaspoon of baking soda.

Carrot and cottage cheese casserole

Peel the carrots, cut into pieces and simmer with a little water and butter, then pass through a meat grinder. Cook thick semolina porridge and combine with carrots. Add cottage cheese, raw egg, salt, sugar and mix.
Grease the mold with butter, sprinkle with breadcrumbs, fill with the resulting mixture, level, sprinkle with breadcrumbs, pour in butter and bake in the oven. Serve the finished casserole with sour cream.
For 4 carrots: 2 tablespoons of butter, half a glass of semolina, 4 tablespoons of sour cream, 4 eggs, a glass of cottage cheese, 4 tablespoons of ground crackers, salt, sugar to taste.

Carrot casserole

Wash 200 g of carrots, peel, chop, pour boiling water so that the carrots are slightly covered with it, simmer with sugar under the lid for 20 minutes. Prepare a thick dressing sauce, stir in carrots, 1/4 of the yolk, beat the white into a foam, mix, put in a saucepan greased with oil, sprinkle with sifted breadcrumbs, put a few small pieces of butter on top or sprinkle with dissolved butter (1/2 teaspoon) . Bake in the oven or cook in a water bath.
Carrots 200 g, butter 10 g, flour 5 g, egg, milk 50 g, salt 2 g, sugar 3 g.

Carrot-apple pudding

Wash the carrots with a brush, steam, peel, wipe, mix with raw grated apple, grated bread soaked in milk, sugar, yolk and white, whipped into foam. Place in a mold, greased with oil and sprinkled with breadcrumbs, cover with an oiled circle of paper.
Cook in a water bath for 40 - 45 minutes. Carrots 400 g, apples 100 g, bread 20 g, milk 30 g, egg, sugar 15 g, butter 6 g.

Pies with carrots

Cut yeast or puff pastry for small pies. Filling: peel 5 - 6 carrots, chop finely, mix with three hard-boiled eggs, add butter, salt and pepper.

Carrots stewed with prunes and honey

Cut the peeled carrots into small cubes and simmer in milk and butter until half cooked, then add raisins, soaked prunes, honey and simmer until fully cooked. Prunes can be replaced with dried apricots.
For 2 carrots: two tablespoons of milk, a spoonful of honey, a spoonful of raisins, 6 - 7 prunes.

"Chocolate" made from... carrots

In the confectionery industry, chocolate is made from sugar, cocoa beans and cocoa butter, and flavoring components. So, as you understand, you can’t make real chocolate from carrots. But still...
Grate one and a half to two kilograms of peeled and well-washed carrots. Squeeze out the juice and pour it into an enamel pan. Over low heat, evaporate the juice, stirring all the time so as not to burn, until you get a semi-thick brown mass. (If the molasses burns, it will create an unpleasant bitterness that you can’t get rid of later). The end of cooking can be determined this way: dip a clean, dry teaspoon into the molasses and slowly remove it. The molasses is ready when a string of thickened sugar reaches behind the spoon.
Take 20 g of butter (or butter margarine), 1 - 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder, a few crystals of vanillin or vanilla sugar on the tip of a knife and 100 g of kernels of any nuts. Lightly fry the nuts in a frying pan and, when cool, pound in a mortar.
Add butter, cocoa, nuts and, at the very last moment, vanillin to the warm, thick molasses. Stir all this very well with a spoon and transfer the mass to a clean plate, moisten the surface with cold water so that the frozen mass can be easily separated from the plate.

Try it, very tasty!

“Sow carrots on time and they will do you good,” “If carrots are not on the table, your health will be at zero”—these are some interesting sayings about carrots among people (they even compose poems themselves).

And indeed carrots rightfully deserve praise.

This is a low-calorie product with a lot of useful substances.

But how upset we are when we fail to collect the proper harvest from the garden.

Perhaps the reason for this is carrot diseases and pests?

We propose to analyze the main diseases.

Variegated dwarfism of carrots

• Basic information. The viruses share a common route of transmission through the willow-carrot aphid, Cavariella aegopodii. In areas where wild or cultivated carrots grow year-round, viruses and vectors overwinter on them, and the disease is transmitted to carrot and parsley crops from the very beginning of the new growing season. In colder regions, aphids overwinter on fireweed and can become a source of viruses only after feeding on an infected host plant.

• Symptoms The first symptoms of carrot disease appear in the 3-4 leaf phase in the form of a decrease in the length and curvature of leaf petioles. Next, the leaves turn red, chlorosis occurs, and a mosaic of light and dark green areas appears. In case of severe damage to carrot plantings, the development of green mass is suspended, which leads to loss of yield.

Root hairs develop on the root, the formation of root crops is blocked and early lignification of the root begins, high-quality carrot root crops are not formed.

There is random chlorotic mottling with marginal redness. The symptoms of the disease are similar to a deficiency of nitrogen, potassium and some trace elements.

• Description of the pathogen. One of the causative agents of the disease is Carrot mottle virus, a virus with an icosahedral type of symmetry, the virion diameter is 52 nm. The genome of the virus consists of linear, single-stranded RNA. The virus is transmitted mechanically and also persistently by the aphids C. aegopodii.

Another causative agent of the disease, Carrot red leaf virus, is a simple virus with an icosahedral type of symmetry, the virion diameter is 25 nm. The genome of the virus consists of linear single-stranded RNA. The virus infects phloem cells and adjacent satellite cells. The only way of transmission of infection is persistently with the help of willow-carrot aphids. The virus persists in the carrier’s body for a long time.

• Protective measures. Aphid carriers are destroyed in the early period, especially on seed plantings. This technique prevents early infection of carrots.

Alternaria blight, or black rot of carrot roots

• Basic information. This disease of carrots can lead to the death of young seedlings during the period from germination to the 3-4 leaf phase. Further development of damage to carrots by Alternaria leads to drying and dying of leaves, as a result of which the yield of root crops sharply decreases. In addition, during storage, black rot of carrot roots develops. Those that have mechanical damage are most easily affected. The disease leads to the destruction of part of the crop, damage to its presentation and significant loss of testes. If the disease spreads strongly, by spring 100% of stored root crops may be affected by rot. Source of infection: seeds, plant debris, soil. The pathogen can survive in soil for up to 8 years.
• Symptoms When storing root crops, black rot first appears as molding of the remaining parts of the petioles, which become covered with a gray fluffy coating. Black depressed dry spots form on root crops, most often on their upper part.
• Description of the pathogen. Very widespread. Conidia are single, extremely rarely in chains of 2. Conidia are brown or dark brown, ellipsoidal or ovoid. Spore size of a typical strain Optimal conditions for the growth and development of the fungus are at a temperature of 20...25°C and high relative humidity.

In addition to carrots, A. radicina is believed to attack parsley, celery and other members of the Apiaceae family. However, three other species of Altemaria, morphologically very similar to A. radicina, have been described on parsley.

Protective measures. Agrotechnical techniques.

Selection of healthy carrot roots before storing and planting in beds, using seeds obtained from healthy plants for sowing, as well as thermal disinfection of seeds at a temperature of 45...50 ° C for half an hour. Crop rotation, destruction of tops and post-harvest residues reduce the number of spores of pathogens in the soil.

The following varieties and hybrids of carrots are resistant to Alternaria: F, Champion, Camarillo, Canterbury, Kokubu Senko and varieties Amsterdam, Besserdtsevinnaya, Leander, Queen of Autumn, Berlicum.

• Biological agents. Fitosporin-M is used to treat root crops before storing them. Consumption of the drug is 50 ml/0.5 l of water. The working fluid consumption is 0.5 l/50 kg of root vegetables, which then need to be dried.
• Chemicals. A number of fungicides are used to protect carrots from Alternaria blight. Royal root crops are sprayed with Fundazol, which is recommended for protection against fomosis, white and gray rot, but also has a negative effect on Alternaria. Consumption 20 g per 10 kg before storing. Root crops are immersed in a 5% working solution, and after drying they are sent to storage. Previously, in addition to Fundazol, Rovral was used in a similar way.

To protect against Alternaria blight in Europe, the drug Prosaro is used, which in the Russian Federation is so far registered only for wheat, barley and rapeseed.

• Basic information. The disease manifests itself in crops of the first and second years and leads to premature death of leaves and rotting of carrots in the soil and storage.

Hot, humid weather favors the development of the disease.

The optimal temperature for bacterial growth is 25..30°C, on a nutrient medium the maximum is +37°C.

Often the tumors cover the entire root or base of the plant stem. Due to the synthesis of specific nutrients for bacteria by tumor tissues, the soil population of bacteria sharply increases.

Control measures include testing the soil for bacterial canker contamination, growing resistant varieties of carrots, and controlling soil insects. Among biological methods of protection, the use of non-pathogenic strains of Agrobacterium radiobacter, antagonistic to the pathogen, is recommended. Treatment of soil with bacteriophages is promising, but it requires the selection of a complex of bacteriophages for each specific case.

• Basic information. The disease infects carrots of the first and second years, starting from the moment of germination and regrowth of the testes. Carrot roots have reduced turgor, lose their presentation and are poorly stored. Phytoplasma also affects lettuce, onions, and some weeds and ornamental plants, which exhibit similar symptoms.

During the growing season, phytoplasma is persistently transferred by psyllids from diseased plants to healthy ones. Jaundice is not transmitted by mechanical damage or seeds.

• Symptoms The leaves turn yellow, their edges first turn yellow, later they become reddish-purple.

Numerous weak leaves grow from the top of the root crop, resulting in a “witch’s broom” appearance. The development of the plant is suspended, which leads to the appearance of hairs and lateral roots on the root. The formation of the root crop is suspended and its premature lignification begins.

• Description of the pathogen. During winter, the phytoplasma persists in the body of infected leafhoppers and in the roots of perennial host plants, including weeds. The disease also occurs on parsley, celery, onions and lettuce.
• Protective measures. Agrotechnical techniques. There are known carrot hybrids that are somewhat resistant to stolbur F, Siroko and F, Excelso. The set of protective measures includes: compliance with crop rotation and spatial isolation of carrots from affected crops, control of insect vectors, regular weeding and weed control along the edges of the beds.

• Basic information. The disease can affect the roots starting from the phase of three true leaves. Carrot root crops suffer especially badly in dry weather. Affected by scab, they lose their marketable appearance and quickly rot from the causative agent of wet bacterial rot during storage. In addition to carrots, the scab pathogen causes disease on tubers, roots and stolons of potatoes, as well as on the roots and root crops of turnips, and some other crops.
• Symptoms On carrot roots, often in the upper part, convex dry growths appear, resembling the bark of a cork tree in appearance and color. These formations often have the shape of rings surrounding the root crop.
• Measures to protect carrots from scab. The surest way to prevent rhizoctonia in carrots is to sow according to crop rotation, as well as one-sided fertilizing with nitrogen-potassium fertilizer and.

• Basic information. This disease of carrot roots is widespread throughout the world. The main causative agents of infection are numerous fungi of the genus Pythium, the species composition of which is different in each region. Severe damage by this disease leads to a loss of carrot yield of up to 50%.

The following factors are favorable for the development of infection: moderately warm weather with frequent watering or rain, acidic soil, excess nitrogen fertilizers, lack of crop rotation, application of unrotted manure under. The infection spreads in the soil through soil capillaries or with the help of soil nematodes.

The development of pythiosis on root crops in the early period resembles phomosis and alternaria.

• Description of pathogens. All pathogenic species of Pythium live in the soil, settling on the roots of seedlings and developing carrot plants. Infection of root tissues is carried out either by zoospores or directly germinating sporangia. After penetration, pathogens develop thin threads of mycelium, the affected tissue turns brown and dies. Zoosporangia and antheridia are formed on the mycelium, which infect new areas of the roots and have the ability to persist in plant debris and then in the soil.
• Protective measures. Agrotechnical techniques. Growing resistant hybrids, recommended hybrids F: Dark, Maestro, Bolero, Siroko, Volcano. In some cases, soil disinfection is carried out, which makes it possible to control the disease. Compliance with the return of carrot crops to their original place no earlier than after 4 years.

Brown leaf spot of carrots

• Basic information. The fungus A. dauci is usually known as a leaf pathogen; only occasionally the rot of root crops caused by this fungus in the soil and during storage is noted. Small light brown spots, up to 1.5 cm in diameter, appear on root vegetables. The border between healthy and affected tissue is clearly demarcated. Rot penetrates deeply into the pulp of the root crop.

The fungus A. radicina is best known as the causative agent of black rot of carrot roots, but can also cause leaf spot.

The development of carrot disease is facilitated by: wind, frequent rains and prolonged warm weather. Yield losses with the massive development of brown spot can reach 20 t/ha.

Pathogens persist on seeds, plant debris and wild carrots. Pathogen spores are carried by wind, insects, and water. Therefore, evening watering and excess nitrogen fertilizers are not recommended.

• Symptoms of brown spot may be similar to those of cercospora blight, and massive damage to root crops by Alternaria blight during storage is very similar to white rot and fusarium blight.
• General information about the disease. Both pathogens occur almost everywhere and often simultaneously, and the optimal conditions for the development of both pathogens are similar. The main source of infection is plant debris and seeds. The fungus A. radicina can also persist and spread through roots and soil. Depending on the degree of brown spot damage, the yield of root crops can be reduced by 20-40%, and with a combination of additional unfavorable factors, up to 60% of the crop is lost. A decrease in the weight of root crops is accompanied by a deterioration in their consumer qualities due to a decrease in the content of carotene and sugars. The carrot tops partially or completely die off, which makes harvesting difficult: some of the roots may get stuck in the soil. In seed production, the disease significantly reduces seed yield and quality.

Optimal conditions for plant infection are a temperature of about 20°C and a relative air humidity of 85%. For the growth and development of the fungus, favorable conditions arise at a temperature of 20...28°C, relative air humidity of 80-85%, neutral and slightly alkaline reaction of the environment.

Previously, the drug Rovral was used against brown spot of carrots. The fungicides Falcon and Prosaro are effective but not registered for use on carrots.

• brown spot is caused by two pathogens that differ in biology;
• the disease makes it difficult to harvest root crops and reduces yield;
• the source of infection is plant residues and seeds and, to a lesser extent, root crops and soil;
• the most effective agrotechnical methods of control, the correct selection of hybrids and varieties, disease prevention and normal agricultural technology;
• If necessary, plantings during the growing season are treated with fungicides or root crops before storing.

• Basic information. The disease occurs both during spring and summer sowing periods. Fungi of the genus Fusarium affect not only carrot roots, but also cause Fusarium wilt of vegetative plants. Species of the genus Fusarium. in particular F. avenaceum, penetrates through intact epidermal cells of the roots, as well as through the seed coats and cotyledons of plants of the first year of life. The tips of the roots are most sensitive to the action of the pathogen, the growth of which is inhibited by these fungi. Plants of the second year of life affected by Fusarium rot have low seed productivity. Such plants form puny seeds or do not form them at all. On testes grown from Fusarium root crops, up to 20-25% of seeds are infected with the pathogen. The yield of root crops obtained from such seeds may decrease by 36.6%.

Fungi of the genus Fusarium cause the main damage during crop storage, and physiologically young root crops have increased resistance to pathogens. This is due to the fact that with increasing shelf life, the ability of root vegetables to accumulate inhibitory compounds decreases. The age of the root crop also determines which species of Fusarium infects it. Fungi of the genus Fusarium, which cause dry rot, usually pit the top or sides of the root crop. In the first case, the rot is progressive and affects the entire root.

The development and prevalence of fusarium rot is influenced by growing and harvesting conditions. Root crops are susceptible to damage by fusarium during harvest in warm autumn, when mechanical damage is possible.

• Symptoms The disease on carrot plants of the first year of life begins with damage to the root collar. As a result of the action of fusarium enzymes and phytotoxins, softening and destruction of the tissue occurs. Affected seedlings die before reaching the surface. The seedlings are stunted, turn yellow and wither due to the rotting of the hypocotyl, and the intercellular spaces are destroyed. With less intense damage and rapid formation of new roots, plants can survive, but the roots are formed deformed, their ability to absorb water is reduced due to a decrease in the throughput of the xylem.

As plants mature, the symptoms of fusarium become less noticeable. They manifest themselves in underdevelopment of the roots and the appearance of yellowness in the terminal lobes of the leaves. Chloroticity gradually spreads to the entire leaf, which dries out over time.

Thus, the features of the pathogenesis of fungi of the genus Fusarium are associated with the age of the plant and with such varietal trait as stress resistance.

Affected root crops almost always wilt before harvesting. When stored in conditions of high humidity, small white tufts first appear on root crops, later a soft fluffy coating from white-pink to white-green is formed. Ulcers also form on the surface of the root, looking like dry depressed spots, up to 1 cm in diameter, in the center of which cracking occurs, and the root tissue turns bright pink. Further, the spots increase in size, and sometimes concentric folds form on them. When the root crop is cut, the dried tissue is light in color, compacted in the center and “worn out” at the edges. A sharp boundary between diseased and healthy tissue is clearly visible. Often there are voids that are filled with mycelium.

At the end of storage, pink or bright orange sporodochia are formed. With severe development of the disease, the root crop becomes dense, dry, as if mummified. Dry rot carrot root crops are rarely caused by one species; usually several species of this genus are simultaneously isolated from carrot roots in combination with other pathogens. Fungi that cause black rot of carrots, Altemaria radicina and Stemphilium botryosum, are usually found in combination with Fusarium. In such cases, under conditions of high humidity and temperature, Fusarium rot may become wet. The affected tissue becomes brown in color and, unlike the dry form of rot, the border between diseased and healthy tissue is poorly visible.

The most common problem with carrots in storage is various types of rot.

Soft rot (mucous bacteriosis). You can often notice the first signs of the disease in the garden: the leaves darken and wither, parts of the tops may be covered with mucus. However, most often the disease manifests itself after storing the crop. The insides of the root crop soften, turning into a characteristic putrid mass with an unpleasant odor, while the skin may remain intact. Sometimes the first sign of soft rot is dark spots with an unpleasant odor that quickly increase in size. Soft rot tends to quickly move from diseased root crops to healthy ones and can destroy the entire crop in storage. Damaged carrots should be removed from storage immediately.

Alternaria (black rot). A fungal disease develops especially actively in high humidity. In damp and cold summers it can cause the death of the tops: the leaves turn brown and black, starting from the tips, and quickly rot. During storage, Alternaria manifests itself by the appearance of dry, dark, depressed spots, on which a greenish coating of mold may be detected. Gradually, dense rot of an intense black color develops in their place. Like other fungal infections, Alternaria quickly spreads in storage. The infection is also dangerous because it is easily transmitted through infected seeds and leads to seedling disease.

Fomoz (dry, brown rot). A characteristic sign of phomosis is the appearance of spots or transverse stripes, first at the top of the root crop and gradually spreading over the entire surface. The spots are dark, depressed, with a brownish tint; fungal spores may be visible in the form of dark dots. Over time, deep ulcers and white rot appear in their place.

Scab (rhizoctoniosis). A fungal disease that manifests itself on root crops as gray spots, which then acquire a purple tint. As the disease progresses, the carrots dry out and may be additionally affected by various types of rot.

Sclerotinia (white rot). A common fungal disease that affects a wide variety of crops, even trees and shrubs. On carrot root crops it manifests itself as softening and watery tissue in the absence of a putrefactive odor. A dense white coating, reminiscent of cotton wool, quickly forms on the affected areas. Sometimes there may be no plaque; the disease is determined only by the progressive softening of the roots. The spread of the disease in the storage facility is facilitated by high temperature (above +20 °C) and humidity of more than 90%.

Causes of rot:

• damp and cold weather, when the soil does not warm up enough and the moisture stagnates;
• flaw ;
• storing root crops with wounds, cracks, or gnawing from insect pests;
• harvesting in rainy weather, which causes it to end up in storage wet;
• violation of harvesting deadlines when frost-damaged carrots end up in storage;
• The temperature and humidity in the storage is too high.

How to deal with carrot diseases

Compliance with crop rotation. It is extremely undesirable to plant carrots in the same place for several years in a row and after related crops.

Cleaning up plant residues: they create a favorable environment for the reproduction and wintering of pathogens.

Proper agricultural technology and care. Carrots prefer light, well-cultivated, humus-rich, non-acidic soils. Does not tolerate stagnant water. With irregular watering, as well as with abundant watering in extreme heat, root crops tend to crack, which leads to damage by diseases and pests. Be sure to thin out the carrots; thickening leads to weakening of the plants and the rapid spread of any diseases. When applying fertilizing, it should be taken into account that excess and deficiency of potassium greatly reduces the keeping quality of the crop, so before harvesting it should only be applied and avoided.

Harvesting on a dry day, preferably at a temperature of +4...+6 °C. The tops are cut at a distance of 1 cm from the base, then the carrots are well dried and sorted. Damaged root crops should not be stored.

Sanitation of storage and containers. Before storing the crop, it is advisable to fumigate the storage with a sulfur bomb (if possible) or wash it with a disinfectant, for example, a solution of potassium permanganate.

Maintaining optimal storage conditions. Carrots should be stored at a temperature of 0...+2 °C in a well-ventilated area.

Before sowing, if you are using your own planting material.

Preventative treatment against fungal infections: 20-30 days before harvesting, it is recommended to treat the crops with 1% or another copper-containing preparation (“Hom”, “Abiga-pik”). It should be borne in mind that copper-containing products have a mainly fungicidal effect and are weakly effective against bacterial diseases.

Selection of resistant varieties. When purchasing seeds, give preference to those varieties that are stated to be resistant to infections. Do not plant the same variety for many years, even if you really like its taste: over time, pathogens evolve, and old varieties lose resistance to them.

Carrot pests

The larvae are dangerous for the crop - whitish caterpillars 6-8 mm long, which gnaw root crops. The carrots take on an ugly appearance, spots and holes are visible on the surface, the taste becomes bitter, and the flesh becomes woody. On root crops damaged by larvae, various types of rot quickly develop. A characteristic sign by which, even before harvesting, one can determine the damage to plantings by carrot flies is redness and rapid withering of the tops.

Fighting carrot fly. In large farms, chemical preparations are used to combat carrot flies (for example, Actellik, Aktara, Arrivo). At a summer cottage, it is better to use folk or agrotechnical means or cover the carrot plantings with a fine mesh.

Prevention of pest attacks

• Early sowing of carrots and other umbellifers, so that the plants have time to get stronger before the massive flight of flies.
• Placing crops in open, well-ventilated, sun-warmed areas with light soils.
• Removal of wild umbellifers, dandelions, and clovers. These plants are suitable for feeding adult flies and can become a reservoir for larvae, which will then move on to plant carrots.
• Periodic loosening of row spacing (but without exposing root crops and mandatory abundant watering before loosening). In this case, moisture in the soil is better retained, gas exchange and conditions for the growth and development of plants in general will improve, weeds develop worse, and more eggs laid by the fly and hatched larvae die in the dried out top layer of soil.
• Thorough weeding no later than in the phase of two true leaves, and timely thinning with the removal of damaged plants. Do not leave weeded plants between rows, as their smell will attract carrot flies. Place all removed weeds and substandard carrots in compost or destroy them.
• You can mulch carrot crops with peat crumbs since the carrot fly avoids peat soils.
• Compliance with crop rotation: carrots should not be sown after carrots or in those beds where other umbrella crops were grown last season (that is, where the carrot fly may have overwintered).
• Using natural repellents: water the beds twice with an infusion of onion peels: the first time after thinning and weeding, the second time after weeding in late July - early August. A third of a bucket of onion peels is poured with boiling water (until the bucket is full). When the infusion has cooled, the beds are watered with it, and the onion peels used for the infusion are laid out between the rows.
• You can spray the soil and plants with infusions of black or red pepper (1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water), garlic, marigolds, and tomato tops. But in order for the smell to remain constantly over the carrot bed, it must be sprayed every three days.
• To repel carrot flies, use a mixture of tobacco dust and dry sand in a 1:1 ratio, wood ash, mustard, hot ground pepper (1 teaspoon per 1 liter jar of dry sand) or dry peat. They sprinkle the soil along the rows 2 - 3 times per season.
• You can plant onions and garlic around the perimeter of the plot with carrots, or alternate beds with these plants. You can add tagetes (marigolds) or calendula to your carrot plantings, as these plants attract ichneumonids, the natural enemies of the carrot fly.

Why do carrots crack or grow crooked?

Cracking, unsightly fruit shape, and the appearance of growths may be the result of improper agricultural practices. Carrots with such physiological damage are usually edible; only their appearance is affected, not their taste. However, such carrots are not suitable for long-term storage: as a rule, their shelf life is quite low, and rot quickly appears on the root crops.

The carrots are cracked. Sometimes root crops crack while still in the garden. If there are only a few of these for all the crops, this can be considered normal. When a significant portion of the crop is damaged, there may be several reasons.

• Excess nitrogen fertilizers. Nitrogen causes rapid growth of tissues and their loosening, so cracks in carrots “overfed” with nitrogen are a typical phenomenon.
• Irregular and excessive watering, especially in dry weather. If the soil is dry, there is a great temptation to “spill” it as much as possible at once. Meanwhile, a sudden intake of a large amount of moisture leads to the fact that the cells of the root crop quickly expand and rupture the membrane.
• Unsuitable soil. In heavy, dense soils, the root crop experiences strong mechanical pressure and difficulty germinating.
• Strong thickening. Growing root crops simply become cramped.

Ugly shape of root vegetables: branching, formation of “clusters”. The reasons for the appearance of ugly root crops are too dense soil and errors in agricultural technology. In heavy, rocky or loamy soils, carrots branch out due to mechanical obstacles to their growth. As for agricultural technology, the appearance of such carrots can be provoked by the application of fresh manure or lack of watering at the stage of planting and root formation, that is, in the period between sowing and for about a month after emergence.

"Hairy" root vegetables. The characteristic appearance, when carrots seem to be covered with “hairs,” is given to them by a large number of small suction roots that tightly cover the root crop. Such carrots can and should be eaten, they are not harmful and retain normal taste, but they are not suitable for storage. The reason for the “hairiness” is the same as for the two previous problems.

How to avoid damage to carrots

• Do not apply fresh manure as fertilizer and do not fertilize with nitrogen after the root crop has begun to form.
• If the soil becomes dry, water little by little over several days; do not try to pour as much water as possible onto the beds at one time.
• If the soil on the site is heavy, in the fall dig up the beds for planting carrots to a depth of 10-15 cm, after adding 3 kg of dry matter per 1 m2. During digging, it is also advisable to add deoxidizers - or fluff lime, as it leads not only to carrot growth problems, but also to the rapid spread of fungal infections. It is best to apply not the year before planting carrots, but the year before - under the predecessor crop.
• Regularly loosen the row spacing and thin out the carrots on time.

IMPORTANT TO KNOW

Fungal spores can persist in the soil for about 3 years, so carrots can be replanted in the same area no earlier than after 4 years. The predecessors of carrots should not be plants of the Apiaceae family (parsley, parsnips, celery, dill, fennel).