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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the study

Daucus carota or simply known as carrot is a vegetable that has the taproot most commonly eaten, although the greens are edible as well. It is originally from the Indo-European root ker- (horn), due to its horn-like shape) is a root vegetable, usually orange in color, though purple, red, white, and yellow varieties exist. It has a crisp texture when fresh. The wild ancestors of the daucus carota are likely to have come from Iran and Afghanistan, which remains the center of diversity of D. carota, the wild carrot. Selective breeding over the centuries of a naturally occurring subspecies of the wild daucus carota, Daucus carota subsp. sativus, to reduce bitterness, increase sweetness and minimize the woody core, has produced the familiar garden vegetable.

In early use, daucus carota were grown for their aromatic leaves and seeds, not their roots. Some relatives of the daucus carota are still grown for these. The first mention of the root in classical sources is in the 1st century. The modern daucus carota appears to have been introduced to Europe in the 8–10th centuries. The daucus carota gets its characteristic and bright orange colour from β-carotene, which is partly metabolized into vitamin A in humans. Lack of vitamin A can cause poor vision, including night vision, and vision can be restored by adding it back into the diet, which means eating daucus carota improves eyesight.

Daucus carota grow best in full sun but tolerate some shade.In order to avoid growing deformed carrots it is better to plant them in loose soil free from rocks. The seeds, which are 1-3mm in diameter, should be sown about 2cm deep. Daucus carota take around 4 months to mature and it is suggested that daucus carota seeds are sown from mid - February to July. Daucus carota can be stored for several months in the refrigerator or over winter in moist sand in a cool place.

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