ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the origin and distribution, nutritional composition, medicinal values, climatic requirement, soil requirement, cultivated varieties and post-harvest management of parsnip. Parsnip is cultivated mainly in temperate regions worldwide and occasionally in cooler parts of the tropics, including Eastern and Southern Africa. Parsnip requires cool conditions for optimum root maturity and quality. The fleshy, aromatic and slightly mucilaginous root is eaten as a cooked or fried vegetable. Parsnip's high fibre content may help in preventing constipation and reducing cholesterol levels in blood. Parsnip, because it is a shallow rooted crop, requires higher moisture than other vegetables. Aphids, cutworms, beet armyworm, carrot rust fly and carrot weevil are the insect pests that attack parsnip during growing season. Parsnip canker, powdery mildew, downy mildew, cavity spot and damping-off are the diseases that attack parsnip during its lifetime.
