Nantes
The classic temperate European carrot: small, cylindrical, bright orange, sweet roots with a self-coloured core. It needs cool weather to colour well. The national checklist gives sowing from mid-October to early December and about 12 t/ha.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Carrot (Gajar)
- Type
- European (temperate) open-pollinated type
- Season
- Rabi
- Maturity period
- 90–100 days
- Expected yield
- About 12 t/ha
- Suitable soil
- Deep, loose, stone-free sandy loam to loam
- Disease resistance
- No special resistance claimed
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Nantes (and its Early Nantes strains) is the standard temperate, European-type carrot. The root is small, cylindrical, with a blunt end, bright orange, sweet and crisp, and the core is the same colour as the flesh. It needs cool weather, about 15–21°C, to develop its colour and sweetness. The national checklist gives sowing from mid-October to early December, 90–100 days to maturity and a yield of about 12 t/ha. In the hills it is sown in spring. It does not bolt readily, but in warm weather the roots stay pale and small. Plains farmers who want yield choose an Asiatic red type instead.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose Nantes if your buyer wants small, sweet, bright orange carrots for salads and you can give it real cool weather: mid-October to early December in the plains, or spring in the hills. It takes 90–100 days and gives about 12 t/ha. Choose Pusa Kesar if you want yield (about 30 t/ha) and deep red roots for the mandi. Choose Pusa Nayanjyoti if you want an orange carrot with more yield, but you must buy hybrid seed.
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeMid-October to early December in the plains; spring (March–June) in the hills
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Small, bright orange, sweet, crisp roots with a self-coloured core, the standard table and salad carrot
- Does not bolt readily
- Suits places and weeks with real cool weather
Things to consider
- Needs cool weather to colour. In warm weather the roots stay pale and small, and the yield drops
- The yield of about 12 t/ha is far below Pusa Kesar, which is listed at about 30 t/ha
- Temperate types rarely set seed in the plains, so seed must be bought each year
Suitable regions
A cool-season European carrot. The national checklist gives sowing from mid-October to early December in the plains. In the hills it is sown in spring.
- Himachal Pradesh
- Uttarakhand
- Jammu and Kashmir
- Tamil Nadu
Watch the temperature, not just the calendar
Nantes colours and sweetens in cool weather, about 15–21°C. The date range above, mid-October to early December, is a guide for the plains. If a warm spell lasts into late October, hold the sowing back by a week instead of sowing on the date.
A carrot sown into hot soil germinates poorly and then grows pale roots. That is the reason Nantes has the name of a hill crop.
Keep the bed moist, not wet, until the seedlings are up. Thin to an even stand once the plants have two or three true leaves, because crowded roots stay small.
Can you keep your own planting material?
This is an open-pollinated variety, so seed from a healthy crop of your own can be sown again. Keep seed only from disease-free plants, dry it properly, store it cool and dry, and bring in fresh certified seed every three to four years so the variety does not drift.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Carrot (Gajar) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hisar Gairic | A long-rooted red carrot from CCS HAU, with a self-coloured core, for Haryana | No separate figure published | About 30 t/ha | Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh |
| Nantesthis page | The small, sweet, bright orange temperate carrot for salads and the table, sown in the cool season | 90–100 days | About 12 t/ha | Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Tamil Nadu |
| Pusa Asita (black carrot) | A black, anthocyanin-rich carrot for kanji, juice and natural colour, from IARI | 95–100 days | About 30 t/ha | Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan |
| Pusa Kesar | The all-India standard red carrot from IARI: deep red, self-coloured, 80–90 days | 80–90 days | About 30 t/ha | Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan |
| Pusa Nayanjyoti | An orange, coreless carrot hybrid from IARI, for the NCR and Himachal Pradesh | No separate figure published | 35–45 t/ha | Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh |
| Pusa Rudhira | An improved red carrot from IARI with 85–90 days, delayed bolting and about 33 t/ha | 85–90 days | About 33 t/ha | Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, Rajasthan, Delhi |
| Pusa Vrishti | A heat-tolerant carrot that can be sown from July, for the early market, from IARI | ~85–90 days | About 25 t/ha | Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana |
Tools for this crop
The numbers you need next: how much seed to buy, whether the lot germinates, what the fertilizer bill looks like and what Carrot (Gajar) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Carrot (Gajar) plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Germination CalculatorTest 100 seeds from the bag before sowing and see whether the lot is fit to sow.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Carrot (Gajar) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Carrot (Gajar) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Carrot (Gajar) in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Carrot (Gajar) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Carrot (Gajar) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Nantes in the plains?
Yes, in the cool season. The national checklist gives sowing from mid-October to early December for the plains. If the roots meet warm weather they stay pale and small, so do not sow it early.
How much does Nantes yield compared with Pusa Kesar?
Nantes is listed at about 12 t/ha and Pusa Kesar at about 30 t/ha. Nantes sells on taste, size and colour, not on weight, so it only pays if your buyer pays more per kilo.
How many days does Nantes take to harvest?
The national checklist gives 90–100 days to maturity. That is longer than Pusa Kesar at 80–90 days and Pusa Rudhira at 85–90 days.
Why do I have to buy Nantes seed every year?
Temperate types rarely set seed in the plains. They need a long cold spell to flower, so seed is usually made in cool regions. Buy labelled seed from a trusted dealer each season.
Is Nantes better than the red carrots for sale?
Not for every market. Nantes is small, sweet and orange for salads and restaurants. Red Asiatic types like Pusa Kesar give about 30 t/ha and are what the plains mandi usually expects. Ask your buyer before you plant.