American research aiming to breed alternaria and drought resistant carrot

THE hunt is on to breed a more drought resistant carrot which is also resistant to alternaria leaf blight. The secret to the approach might be in the genetic diversity of wild carrots. While some cultivated carrots are partially resistant to alternaria, they still require frequent fungicide applications to fully protect crops from this disease. A lack of water access and diseases such as alternaria leaf blight can reduce yield by 40-60 per cent. The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) has provided a $500,000 grant to the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) to breed a better carrot. Some of the global horticulture industry's big players are partnering with the project, providing matching funds for a total investment of $1 million. Participating partners including Bayer, Bejo, Enza Zaden, Rijk Zwaan, Takii Seed and Vilmorin Mikado. FFAR scientific program director Dr Kathy Munkvold said carrots provided a great source of essential nutrients like beta carotene, ...