Crops of the Future Grant Improves Stress Tolerance in Carrots

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 40-60%. 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 Alternaria resistance and the ability to grow in water-deficient conditions into cultivated carrots. 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 $1,000,000.

Wild carrots have a range of genetic defenses to stresses and some have shown promising tolerance to water deficiency or resistance to Alternaria. A UC Davis research team led by Dr. Allen Van Deynze, director, UC Davis Seed Biotechnology Center and associate director, UC Davis Plant Breeding Center, is evaluating the tolerance of diverse wild carrots under water-deficient conditions. In collaboration, Dr. Phil Simon, research leader at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agriculture Research Service, is screening 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.

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

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

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

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Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research

The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) builds public-private partnerships to fund bold research addressing big food and agriculture challenges. FFAR was established in the 2014 Farm Bill to increase public agriculture research investments, fill knowledge gaps and complement the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s research agenda. FFAR’s model matches federal funding from Congress with private funding, delivering a powerful return on taxpayer investment. Through collaboration and partnerships, FFAR advances actionable science benefiting farmers, consumers and the environment.

Connect: @FoundationFAR 

Crops of the Future Collaborative

The Crops of the Future Collaborative is a public-private, multi-participant consortium convened by the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research. The Collaborative brings together companies, nonprofits, and research organizations to accelerate development of new crop varieties that address food and agriculture challenges. The Collaborative leverages participants’ resources to expand the scientific understanding of characteristics giving rise to complex traits that crops need to adapt to changing environments.

University of California, Davis

UC Davis is the most comprehensive campus in the University of California system, with four colleges and six professional schools that offer 107 undergraduate majors and more than 100 graduate and professional degrees. UC Davis enrolls about 40,000 students from more than 110 countries, contributes at least $12 billion to the California economy each year, and in 2022-23, secured over $1 billion in research funding.