Kern 313 Desi Red Carrot

Kern 313 Desi Red is an open-pollinated desi carrot selected for sweetness and deep red colour that carries right through to the core.

Land and sowing window

• Season: autumn — main sowing September–October
• Soil: deep, loose, well-drained loam or sandy loam, pH around 6.5 (PAU). Heavy or cloddy soil, fresh manure and stones all cause forked, misshapen roots
• Haryana, Punjab, West UP, Rajasthan plains: PAU puts the best window for desi carrot at August–September, with sowing possible up to November; HAU lists October–November. An early (mid-August) sowing catches the first market; the September–October main sowing gives the best colour because the roots fill in cool weather
• Market note: halwai and juice buyers look for sweet red carrot, and demand is strongest through the October–December festival season
• Rule of thumb: the deep red develops at 15–20°C; above 30°C in the later stages the roots turn coarse and strong-flavoured (PAU). Do not sow so early that the roots size up in September heat

How to sow

• Seed rate: 4–5 kg per acre
• Spacing: 45 cm between rows × 7.5 cm between plants
• Depth: 1.5 cm
• Method: sow on a properly made bed and hold moisture carefully through germination — carrot is most delicate at this stage, especially if rain crusts the surface
• Ridges: PAU recommends sowing on ridges 45 cm apart — the loose soil of the ridge gives long, straight roots and makes lifting easier. Mix the fine seed with sand for an even stand
• Thinning: thin to 7.5 cm between plants when the first true leaves form (PAU). Thinning is what gives uniform, marketable roots — crowded carrots stay thin and twisted
• Seed treatment: Kern 313 is supplied untreated. Treat the seed yourself before sowing; your dealer or local agriculture officer can advise the right treatment for your area
• Pack size: 500 g

Manure and fertiliser (per acre)

• FYM / compost: 15–20 tonnes of well-rotted manure, worked in before the ridges are made (PAU 15 t, HAU 20 t). Only well-rotted manure — fresh manure forks the roots
• Nitrogen (N): 25 kg (about 55 kg urea), all at sowing (PAU)
• Phosphorus (P₂O₅): 12 kg (about 75 kg single superphosphate), all at sowing
• Potash (K₂O): 30 kg (about 50 kg muriate of potash), all at sowing. Do not skip the potash — PAU is clear that without it the red colour develops poorly, and colour is what this carrot sells on

Water, weeds and pests

• Irrigation: first irrigation immediately after sowing, then light irrigations to keep the surface moist until the seedlings are up. After that 3–4 irrigations are enough for the season (PAU). Over-watering gives misshapen, hairy roots with poor colour
• Weeds: carrot grows slowly at first and cannot compete — give 2–3 shallow hoeings, with one weeding plus earthing up 4–5 weeks after sowing (PAU). A pendimethalin pre-emergence spray, 1.25 litre per acre right after sowing (HAU), is an option
• Pests and disease: carrot has few serious pests in North India; scout for leaf-eating caterpillars and aphids, and for leaf blight in humid weather, and spray only as per label and your state advisory

Harvest

• Root: long, straight and tapered, with red colour carried into the core
• Stage: roots are ready in about 90–100 days after sowing, when they have reached marketable size and full deep red colour (PAU). Pull a few roots to check before lifting the field
• Lifting: irrigate lightly a day before so the roots come out clean and unbroken; lift, wash, trim the tops and grade

Crop practices follow state agricultural university recommendations for North India; confirm doses for your district with your Kern dealer or KVK.

Please quote product code KERN-313 when ordering.

Agronomy helpline: 9107062062