In tern a tio n a l

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African Journal of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development ISSN: 2375-0693 Vol. 4 (3), pp. 322-327,
March, 2016. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals
Author(s) retain the copyright of this article.

Full Length Research Paper

Nutritional quality of carrot (Daucus carota L.) as

influenced by farm yard manure
*Khammash Gatsinzi, James Habyarimana and Augustine Gatsinzi
Department of Crop Science, University of Rwanda, College of Agriculture, Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, P.
O. Box 210, Musanze, Rwanda
Accepted 22 October, 2015

An experiment was conducted at the University of Rwanda, college’s farm located in Northern Rwanda in
2013. The main objective was to determine the effectiveness of farm yard manure on carrot nutritional
quality. The experimental design applied was randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three
replicates for each treatment. The treatments comprised five levels (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 tha -1) of decomposed
farm yard manure. The quality parameters namely, ß-carotene, vitamin C and total soluble sugars were
analyzed in harvested carrots for each treatment using standard methods. The results showed that farm yard
manure had a positive effect on ß-carotene whereby the highest content of 11188 µg/100 g was recorded from
the 20 tha-1 treatment, while the lowest content of 10287 µg/100 g was recorded from the carrots that did not
receive any farm yard manure. The results on vitamin C showed that its content increased with the
application rate of 20 tha-1 recording 7.980 g/100 g, while the lowest content was recorded in plots that did
not receive any fertilization. However, FYM did not influence significantly total soluble sugars content in
carrots whereby the highest TSS of 10.267% was obtained in plots without FYM, while the lowest TSS of
9.997% was obtained in carrots from the 20 tha-1 treatment. On the basis of the results of this study, a range
of 15-20 tha-1 of FYM is therefore recommended because it improved the nutritional quality of carrots.

Key words: Carrot, nutritional quality, ß-carotene, vitamin C, total soluble sugars.

INTRODUCTION

Carrot (Daucus carota L.) is an essential root vegetable salads, steamed or boiled in vegetables and may also be
commonly used in the diet of human beings. It is greatly prepared with other vegetables in the preparation of
treasured as food mostly because it is the best source of soups and stews (Anjum and Amjad, 2002). Carrot in
carotene; a precursor of Vitamin A (Zeb and Mahmood, combination with other vegetables can produce especially
2004). Beta carotene is one of hydrocarbon carotenoids healthful, tasty and refreshing drinks.
while the oxygenated derivatives of these hydrocarbons Besides being food, different parts of carrot can be
are known as Xanthophylls. For many communities in used for different medicinal purposes. Carrot roots are
developing countries, the major source of vitamin A in the used as refrigerant and seeds as aromatic, stimulant and
diet is carotenoids especially Beta carotene (Britton, carminative. They are useful in the kidney diseases, in
1995). dropsy, nervine tonic, aphrodisiac and given in uterine
Furthermore, carrot contains also abundant quantities pain.
of nutrients and minerals (Handelman, 2001; Nicolle et Carrot increases the quantity of urine and large amount
of carrot to the diet has a favorable effect on the nitrogen
balance (Pant and Manandhar, 2007; Anjum and Amjad,
2002). Carrot production can be a favorite enterprise for
*Corresponding author. Email: [email protected] most small scale, resource poor farmers, since carrot is a
Gatsinzi et al. 323

short duration crop and higher yields can be obtained per generally farmers use their own animals by the
unit area, hence profitable (Ahmad et al., 2005). application of organic manures. The problem that farmers
In most developing countries, however, carrot yields are faced with, is to know how much organic fertilizer to
per unit area still remain below the recommended world apply for a specific crop so that it remains with acceptable
average. One of the reasons advanced for such low yield quality (Oelhalf, 1978; Allemann and Young, 2001;
yields is low skills in technical methods of production Gontcharenko, 1994).
(Muendo and Tschirley, 2004). In order to obtain high and Therefore, a field study was carried out in ISAE farm
quality yields of carrots, good soil fertility and constant (from January to May 2013) with the aim of evaluating the
growth is required to facilitate the production and effects of decomposed cattle Farmyard manure on
translocation of carbohydrates from leaves to roots. nutritional quality of carrot (D. carota L.).
The key limiting factors in crop growth, development The main objective of this study is to evaluate the effect
and yield are the essential nutrients (nitrogen, of FYM on nutritional quality of carrots. The specific
phosphorous and potassium) and water (Glass, 2003; objectives are:
Parry et al., 2005). In most cases, carrot growers use
synthetic fertilizers as the major supply of nutrients in (i). To determine the effect of different FYM levels on
order to attain higher yields and growth (Stewart et al., ascorbic acid (vitamin C) content in carrots;
2005; Dauda et al., 2008). (ii). To determine the effect of different FYM levels on
The use of inorganic fertilizers has, however, been carotene content in carrots;
associated with human health problems and environment (iii). To determine the effect of different FYM levels on
degradation (Arisha and Bardisi, 1999). Moreover, the total soluble sugars content in carrots.
increasing costs of inorganic fertilizers have rendered
them unaffordable to most resource-poor small scale The hypotheses of the study are:
growers.
Organic manure can serve as a substitute to mineral (i). Vitamin C content obtained after fertilization of carrots
fertilizers. Manures supply the required nutrients, improve with different FYM levels remains the same.
soil structure, increase microbial population and at the (ii). There is no significant difference in carotene
same time maintain the quality of crop produce (Wong et content of carrots fertilized with different levels of FYM.
al., 1999; Nehra et al., 2001; Suresh et al., 2004; Dauda (iii). There is no significant difference in TSS of carrots
et al., 2008). fertilized with different levels of FYM.
Despite the large quantities of plant nutrients contained
in inorganic fertilizers as compared to organic nutrients, MATERIALS AND METHODS
the presence of growth promoting agents in organic
fertilizers make them important for enhancement of soil Experimental site
fertility and productivity (Sanwal et al., 2007). Several
authors have reported the importance of organic manure The field in which the experiment was conducted is
as a source of nutrients and a means of soil rejuvenation located at College of Agriculture, Animal Sciences and
(Adeleye et al., 2010). Veterinary Medicine farm located in Busogo Sector,
FYM, the residual generated through anaerobic Musanze District, Northern Province of Rwanda. The
decomposition of various organic materials is considered climate of the site is characterized by a drought season of
as a quality organic fertilizer (Islam, 2006). This residual 4 to 5 months and a long period of rain of 7 to 8 months.
manure is normally rich in macro and micro nutrients This region has a volcanic soil with a pH which varies
(Islam, 2006; Thu, 2007). The use of decomposed FYM from 5.1 to 5.3 and the rainfall that ranges between 1800
in carrot production has not been tested in many carrot to 2000 mm. The relative humidity is 86% and the altitude
growing areas (Jepto et al., 2012). of this region is 2200 m above sea level and the average
Continuous cultivation of farms has led to decline in soil temperature ranges between 16 and 17°C (Doyle, 2008).
fertility due to constant removal of nutrients leading to
reduction of carrot (D. carota L.) yields. Thus the mineral Test plant
nutrients, especially nitrates, in fertilizers can cause
problems for natural habitats and for human health if they The carrot variety used in this study was Nantes, from
are washed off soil into watercourses or leached through Agrotech at Musanze, District.
soil into groundwater (Stewart et al., 2005). Therefore,
the ultimate test of the nutritional value of food depends Experimental design
on its ability to support health, growth, and reproduction
over successive generations of animals or humans. The experimental design was RCBD with 3 replications.
Win et al. (2008) and other authors reported that the Treatments comprised five levels (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20
use of chemical fertilizers is a critical factor limiting carrot 2
t/ha) of decomposed FYM. Each plot measured 1.5 m
production by poor farmers due to their high prices and 2
and the required area was 73.5 m which means that the
 324 Afr. J. Agric. Econ. Rural Dev.

milliliters of acetone were added to the residues and

total width was 7 m and length of 10.5 m.
grinded together to extract totally the carrot juice. The
residues were grinded again until their colour turned into
Farm yard manure preparation white.
Petroleum ether (20 ml) was put in a separatory funnel
FYM from UR-CAVM animal farm was weighed by using and the acetone extract was added. Distilled water was
a balance and then applied onto each plot at the required added slowly, and letting it flow along the walls of the
amount. funnel and this was done five times in order to remove
acetone completely.
Land preparation and planting
The lower phase that contained acetone was
discarded, then the petroleum ether phase was collected
Land was ploughed to a depth of 30 cm and prepared in a volumetric flask and topped up to 100 ml with
into fine soil particles using rakes. Raised beds of 1.5 m petroleum ether. The absorbance of the extracts was
long, 1 m wide and 15 cm height were prepared. read using colorimeter at wavelength of 430 nm, the
Decomposed farmyard manure (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20t/ha) extracts were placed in cuvette and readings were taken.
were spread on each plot before being incorporated The operation was repeated 5 times for each sample and
thoroughly into the soil. Carrot seeds sourced from average readings were recorded. The readings of
Agrotech suppliers were then drilled to a depth of 1 cm in absorbance for carotenoid content with ethereal extract at
rows spaced at 20 cm apart. Thinning was done two 430 nm were used to calculate total beta carotene
weeks after emergence of the carrots to attain the content using the following formula:
recommended spacing of 8 cm between plants
(Sarkindiya and Yakubu, 2006).
β − carotene (µg/gr) = (A − Bl) × Volume (ml) × 104
Routine plant maintenance practices A1% × sample weight (g)
1cm

Cultural practices were applied uniformly to all the plots A= absorbance;

throughout the growing period. Continuous weeding by
hand pulling was performed to ensure clean fields. We Determination of vitamin C content of carrots
controlled Alternalia leaf blight using Dithane (mancozeb
75%). Earthing up of carrot shoulders was done
frequently to protect them from direct sunlight which could The concentration of ascorbic acid in fresh carrot was
cause undesirable green coloration. obtained by titrimetric method. The samples (2 g each)
were weighed and then grinded with a pestle and mortal.
Harvest and laboratory analysis of the carrots After that, 25 ml of distilled water were added to the
grinded samples and then filtered with the aid of filter
paper in order to separate residues from juice. Distilled
Fifteen samples were collected after harvesting (105 days water was added up to 100 ml. After, the second dilution
after sowing) with respect to treatments and replications. were done by taking 5 ml of carrot juice and add distilled
They were packaged in the envelopes and then stored in water up to 100 ml. Five drops of 0.1% Phenolphthalein
laboratory. Beta carotene, Ascorbic acid and TSS were were added to each sample in a volumetric flask and it is
analyzed in the following procedures (Kilyobo, 2009). from the second dilution that titration were performed
using NaOH 0.01N. A number of NaOH drops were put
into the samples until persistent rose color of vitamin C in
Determination of beta-carotene content of carrots
extracts appears. The amount of NaOH to change the
color of juice were recorded and used in the formula to
Two grams of fresh carrots were weighed and mixed with calculate vitamin C concentration in carrot juice:
50 ml of acetone in a mortar. The mixture was grinded
with a pestle and the juice was recuperated. Twenty five

g Vol NaOH − Bl × N × TVafter1st dilution × 100 × MW of vit C × 10−3

Vit C ( 100g ) = Vol used for 2nd dilution × sample weght

MW= 176.13 g/mol

Determination of total soluble sugar (TSS) content of and were agitated for 20 min with an electric agitator at
carrots 250 rpm and then they were filtered with the aid of filter
paper. One milliliter of the extract were mixed with 2 ml of
Ten milligrams of dried sample were grinded using mortar ZnSO4 2% and 2ml of Ba (OH) 2 1.8%, afterward they
and pestle and then distilled water up to 25 ml was added were centrifuged for 15 min. After centrifugation, 1 ml of
Gatsinzi et al. 325

centrifuged extract was mixed with 1 ml of

Table 1. Mean value of Beta carotene content of carrots.
phenolphthalein 5% and 5 ml of H2SO4Cl. The
absorbance was read using a colorimeter at 490 nm and FYM application Beta carotene
then recorded. To be sure, from the readings, data were Treatments
rate(t/ha) (µg/100 g)
recorded four times for each sample and the mean were 0 0 10287d
calculated before using absorbance in the formula: 1 5 10673c
100

2 10 10866b
3 15 10995b
% TSS = (A − Bl) × FC × FD × sample weight (g) × 10−6
4 20 11188a
FC=1
FD=875

Table 2. Mean value of vitamin C in carrots.

RESULTS
FYM application rate Vitamin C
Effect of FYM levels on beta carotene in carrots Treatments
(t/ha) (g/100g)
0 0 7.38d
The results in Table 1 showed that the maximum Beta
1 5 7.67c
carotene (11188 µg/100 g) content was obtained when 20
-1 2 10 7.75c
tha of FYM were used on carrots. The mean of 10995
-1 3 15 7.84b
µg/100 g followed and it was obtained when 15 tha of
-1 4 20 7.98a
FYM were applied. Carrots fertilized with 10tha of FYM
gave 10866 µg/100 g, followed by 10673 µg/100 g in
-1
carrots that received 5 tha of FYM. The lowest beta
carotene (10287 µg/100 g) was obtained in carrots that
did not receive any fertilizer. Table 3. Mean value of total soluble sugar content.
The results from analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed
FYM application Total soluble sugar
a significant difference between treatments. Means for Treatments
rate (t/ha) (%)
the factors which do not differ according to Duncan
multiple range test at P≤ 0.05 are marked with the same 0 0 10.27a
letters. 1 5 10.09b
2 10 10.03bc
Effect of FYM levels on vitamin C in carrots 3 15 9.92c
4 20 9.9c
The highest vitamin C content (7.98 g/100 g) was
-1
obtained in the carrots that received 20 tha of FYM,
followed by 7.84 g/100 g obtained in carrots fertilized by
-1 -1 means for factors which do not differ according to Duncan
15 tha of FYM. Thus carrots fertilized with 10 tha of
FYM resulted in 7.747 g/100 g of vitamin C. The multiple range tests at P≤ 0.05 are marked with the same
-1
application of 5 tha of FYM resulted in 7.67 g/100 g of letters.
vitamin C. The lowest vitamin C was obtained in carrots
that did not receive any fertilizer (Table 2). DISCUSSION

Effect of FYM on total soluble sugar (TSS) of carrots Effect of FYM levels on ß-carotene content of carrots

The results of TSS varied between 9.9 and 10.27% from Carrot (D. carota L.) was analyzed for Beta carotene
the treatments with higher farmyard manure rate to the content because it is the precursor of vitamin A and eaten
ones with no farmyard manure application, respectively in both raw and cooked form by humans in daily life
(Table 3). The highest TSS (10.27%) was obtained in (Sarhad, 2007). The results of the current study proved
carrots that did not receive any fertilizer. TSS (10.27%) that the highest mean for the quantity of beta carotene
was obtained in the carrots that received the lowest FYM (11188 µg/100 g) was obtained on carrots fertilized with
-1 20 tons of FYM per hectare. On the other hand, the
level (5 t/ha). The application of 10 tha of FYM in
carrots resulted in 10.03% of TSS. This was followed by lowest quantity of beta carotene (10287 µg/100 g) was
9.92% TSS which was obtained in carrots that received obtained for treatment with no farmyard manure
-1 application. Statistically, the beta carotene in carrots
15 tha of FYM. The lowest TSS (9.9%) was obtained -1
-1 fertilized with 10 tha and those fertilized with 15 t/ha of
when 20 tha of FYM were applied in carrots (Table 3).
The analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a significant farmyard manure showed no significant difference (Table
difference between treatments. Thus the 2).
 326 Afr. J. Agric. Econ. Rural Dev.

Therefore, the result showed that as the higher TSS in carrots may be caused by the increase of
Farmyard manure rate is increased, the higher the Nitrogen, Phosphorus and potassium in soil which have
quantity of beta carotene is obtained. This is in negative effect on plant sugars (Hochmuth et al., 1998).
agreements with the findings of Kipkoskei et al. (2000)
who reported that the content of beta carotene increases ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
with increasing levels of fertilizers. These results are also
in the same range with those reported by Sarhad (2007) Authors are grateful to the University of Rwanda, College
in which beta carotene content in carrot was 11210 of Agriculture, Animal Sciences and veterinary Medicine
µg/100 g and those reported by Higdon and Bendish (UR-CAVM) laboratory staff and in particular Mr.
(2004) who reported that the quantity of beta carotene in Makelele for his technical support in chemical analysis of
carrot was 10110 µg/100 g. However, the beta carotene the samples. The authors also express thier gratitude to
content obtained during this study was higher than that the UR-CAVM authorities and in particular Dr. Laetitia
obtained by Agte et al. (2000) who analyzed 24 green Nyinawamwiza for promoting the research culture in the
vegetables for different macro nutrients contents college.
including ß- carotene. According to their analysis, ß-
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