Technical Paper
Evaluation of Carrots (Daucus carota L.) Grown in Two Hydroponic Systems for Inclusion in NASA's Advanced Food Systems
2005-07-11
2005-01-3114
In contribution towards the screening of eight hydroponically grown carrots, some biochemical, physical and sensory properties of the roots were evaluated. The carrots had been grown under two nutrient delivery systems, Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) and Microporous Tube Membrane nutrient delivery System (MTMS). Biochemical measures conducted included, moisture, fat and β-carotene contents, and the physical measures were texture and color. For the NFT- and MTMS-grown carrots, Nantes Touchan (91%) and Nanco Hybrid (87%), respectively, had the highest moisture contents. Fat contents for all the cultivars grown in both systems ranged from 0.1 to 0.4%. In the NFT-grown carrots, Baby Spike and Juwaroot had the highest and lowest β-carotene contents, 8777 and 248 µg/100 g, respectively. For the MTMS-grown carrots, Thumbelina had the highest β-carotene content (7840 µg/100 g). However, the lowest β-carotene value for the MTMS-grown carrots was 3059 µg/100 g.