US: What’s being done to improve resilience in carrot crops

Carrot growers face a variety of both climate and biological threats, including water access and diseases such as Alternaria leaf blight (Alternaria), a disease that can reduce yield by 40% to 60%. Some cultivated carrots are partially resistant to Alternaria but still require frequent fungicide applications to fully protect crops from this disease. To meet these challenges, the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) is providing a $500,000 grant to the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) to tap into the genetic diversity of wild carrots to breed into cultivated carrots Alternaria resistance and the ability to grow in water-deficient conditions. FFAR’s Crops of the Future Collaborative partners Bayer, Bejo Seeds, Enza Zaden, Rijk Zwaan, Takii Seed, and Vilmorin Mikado are providing matching funds for a total investment of $1,000,000. “Carrots provide a great source of essential nutrients like beta carotene, yet growers face significant challenges in protecting ...