Organic Carrot Breeding Program To Develop Colorful Varieties

By Growing Produce Staff|March 14, 2012

Planning is underway for the new Carrot Improvement for Organic Agriculture project, sponsored by USDA’s Organic Research and Extension Initiative (OREI). Project collaborators have begun the first season of a four-year breeding project to develop new carrot varieties for organic agriculture. This is a partnership between OSA, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Purdue University, University of California, Washington State University, and the Agricultural Research Service.

This long-term breeding project addresses the critical needs of organic carrot farmers by developing novel colored carrots with improved disease and nematode resistance, improved weed competitiveness, and improved nutritional value and flavor. This project will also compare the relative performance of breeding material in organic versus conventional environments and investigate whether some carrots support a more robust soil microflora.

Partners, in conjunction with eOrganic, have launched a new website to communicate all project details. The official project website (http://eorganic.info/carrotimprovement) includes a project overview, details about collaborators, and existing resources for organic carrot breeding and seed production. Project results, announcements, and upcoming events will be made available on this site throughout this four-year project.