Carrot growers face a variety of climate and biological threats, including water access and diseases like Alternaria leaf blight, which can reduce yield by 40-60%. Some cultivated carrots are partially resistant to Alternaria but still require frequent fungicide applications to fully protect crops from this disease. 

The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research awarded a $500,000 grant to the University of California, Davis, to meet these challenges by tapping into the genetic diversity of wild carrots to breed Alternaria resistance and the ability to grow in water-deficient conditions. 

FFAR’s Crops of the Future Collaborative partners Bayer, Bejo Zaden, Enza Zaden, Rijk Zwaan, Takii Seed and Vilmorin Mikado are providing matching funds for a total investment of $1 million.

“Carrots provide a great source of essential nutrients like beta carotene, yet growers face significant challenges in protecting their crops,” said Kathy Munkvold, FFAR’s scientific program director. “Wild varieties of cultivated crops, like carrots, have rich genetic resources to overcome harsh conditions and diseases, and this research seeks to harness these resources to ensure the stable supply of this important crop.” 

Allen Van Deynze, who is director of the Seed Biotechnology Center and associate director of the Plant Breeding Center, is leading the UC Davis team evaluating the tolerance of diverse wild carrots under water-deficient conditions. 

Phil Simon, research leader at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture Research Service, will screen these wild carrots for resistance to Alternaria.

After determining which types succeed in these conditions, they will breed them with cultivated carrots to develop these traits in commercial carrot varieties. The investigators are also studying the genetic basis of tolerance to help strengthen these traits in future generations of carrots.

“Both Phil and I have a long-term collaboration with the carrot industry,” Van Deynze said. “FFAR allows us to combine the synergies between academic research and industry to develop solutions for growers.”

The researchers will provide major seed companies and crop breeders with breeding germplasm, or genetic material, derived from wild carrots determined to have the best potential to pass on desired traits, as well as breeding methods and tools. 

The wild carrot germplasm is acquired from the USDA National Plant Germplasm System. These partners will, in turn, deliver improved carrots to growers. The project aims to quickly develop carrots that will both prevent yield and economic loss for growers while also securing the supply of carrots and carrot-based products for consumers.

For more information, visit the Improving Stress Tolerance in Carrots page on FFAR’s website.