Recommended Carrot Production and Handling Practices

The aim of this book chapter is to highlight salient carrot production and handling practices to provide some relevant information to farmers, agricultural-service providers and other actors along the carrot value chain. The chapter is an output of research that examined the contribution and improvement of cowpea-based Biological Nitrogen Fixation (BNF) in carrot production in the Ashanti Mampong Municipality in the Ashanti Region of Ghana to propel carrot production to sustainable levels. Carrot production is a widespread economic activity within the Municipality which supplies vegetables especially carrot to other urban centres such as Kumasi within the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Carrot is a valued exotic vegetable in Ghana, mostly used in combination with other vegetables in preparing soups, stews, salads and drinks. Demand for carrots therefore, remains high especially in urban centres. A major constraint to carrot production is poor soil fertility. Carrot farmers generally experience high production costs as a result of inorganic fertilizer application. The use of legumes such as cowpea for nitrogen fixation leading to soil fertility enhancement provides a viable alternative for sustainable crop production. It is envisaged that this book chapter will serve as a valuable reference material for actors along the carrot value chain in Ghana and other parts of the world.