GROWTH AND YIELD RESPONSE OF CARROT (Daucus carotaL) TO SPACING IN WOLAITA ZONE, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA

Carrot (Daucus carota L) is one of the most important root vegetables grown and consumed in Ethiopia. However, not much work has been done to determine the appropriate spacing for increasing carrot plant growth and yield in Wolaita district. A field experiment was conducted to determine carrot plant growth and yield as affected by three plant row spacing (15, 25 and 35cm) and four within plant row spacing (2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10 cm). Shoot water content and root shelf life at Delbo were not significantly affected by spacing. Other parameters were significantly influenced by effect of inter and intra row spacing. The highest plant height (34.5 cm), leaf length (25.9 cm) and root dry weight per plant  (3.7 g) at the spacing of 25x2.5  cm, leaf number pre plant (11.5), shoot fresh weight per plant (10.4 g),root diameter (2.6 cm), root length (20.6 cm), root fresh weight per plant (38.3 cm), core diameter per plant (0.9 cm) and root water content (94.3 %) at the spacing of 35x7.5 cm and root yield and marketable yield of 57,111 kg/ha at the spacing of 15x2.5 cm was obtained at Delbo site. At Soddo site the highest plant height (35.9), leaf length (31.2 cm), root diameter (1.9 cm), root weight (21.8 g) and core diameter per plant (0.7cm) at the spacing of 5x35cm, leaf number (9.0), shoot fresh weight per plant (9.7 g) and root water content (96.3 %) at the spacing of 10x25 cm, shoot water content per plant (94.6 %),dry weight per plant (2.30 g) at the spacing of 15x5 cm, root length (17.2 cm) at the spacing of 15x7.5 cm, root shelf life (21.7 days) at the spacing of 25x5 cm and 35x10cm and root yield (29,333 kg/ha) and marketable yield (29,067 kg/ha) at the spacing of 25x2.5cmwas obtained, respectively. It is recommended that the study should be repeated in different seasons before recommendation.