February 2019 - 10

Carrot nitrate content could soar in late season
By Dean Peterson
VGN Correspondent
That last nitrogen fertilizer application
before carrot harvest is thought
to benefit yield, strengthen tops
for harvest and possibly reduce
susceptibility to foliar disease. It
can also increase nitrate levels in
the harvested carrots with potential
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human health concerns and run afoul
of processor rules on nitrate content.
" Growers are applying nitrogen late
in the season on sandy soils with the
goal of protecting yield, and maybe
nitrogen fertilizer will help with
disease, but more nitrogen also puts
more nitrate in the soil and exacerbates
the risks of high nitrate levels in the
roots, " said Zack Hayden, vegetable soil
and nutrient management specialist
in Michigan State University's (MSU)
Department of Horticulture. Hayden
was a speaker at the recent Great Lakes
Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market
EXPO in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The situation is complex. The timing
of that last nitrogen application, the
presence and severity of foliar disease
and the type of nitrogen fertilizer used all
come into play. Environmental conditions
add another variable since temperature,
moisture and overall growing conditions
can limit - or increase -nitrogen uptake
and metabolism.
" This all leads to the complexity of
nitrate accumulation risks, " Hayden said.
A recent MSU study looked at the
issue in processing carrots, which are
often grown for baby food.
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February 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February 2019
